Miners exaggerating tax. Again. What's new is that this is so demonstrably false. Will they take down false ads? If you see this ad after today, please let me know. Debunked on @thepointau.bsky.social here, more below: thepoint.com.au/factchecks/2...

This is the way #Meanjin ends — not with a bang but a whimper. New FOI story from me for @crikey.com.au: www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/17/m...

It's nearly a year since @australiainstitute.org.au report on the state of firearm ownership in Australia came out. Horrified at the reason it's getting attention, but perhaps there will be some movement to make our community safer in the coming weeks and months

State Library of Victoria scraps restructure plan after outrage from famous writers and public

Timely reminder that the US hasn’t been interested in the so-called rules based order in a while. Case in point post 9/11 Guantanamo : podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a...

A reminder Japan on-sells more Australian gas to other countries than is consumed on the entire East Coast of Australia. We don't need *more* gas, we need to tax our gas exports properly

The #SundayShot is up, people! Get into it...and claim your discount on @australiainstitute.org.au's great new book co-edited by panellist @alicektg.bsky.social, A TIME FOR BRAVERY. Don't miss the penultimate episode of the year. youtube.com/watch?v=wJq7Nnx-FZ4&feature=youtu.be

'Nothing remains': Sri Lanka cyclone survivors face colossal clean-up. Survivors of Cyclone Ditwah, which has ravaged Sri Lanka in recent days, return to their devastated homes, faced with a massive clean-up as they start rebuilding their lives. The powerful storm killed at least 474 people

What's your best book of 2025? If you share today, you might end up in our newsletter tomorrow. (Also, I just want to know!) theconversation.com/best-books-o...

Great to have the chance to talk about our research in this article for The Point! In it we emphasise the risks GenAI raises for Indigenous Education and what came from our recent study testing LLMs on Indigenous topics. 🦘🎓 #edusky #academicsky thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

"Worryingly, the Minister will be able to alter accredited arrangements without any public consultation at all ... there remains a high degree of discretion and uncertainty (noting that no standards have yet been declared)."

Scary, scary! Save us from nasty renewables, lovely coal! I love that the word "blackout" appears just 2 times in AEMO's 154 page report, yet makes the SMH headline! www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

@australiainstitute.org.au wearing aus music t-shirts today. You can donate to musicians doing it tough here: ausmusictshirtday.org.au

It's the last day of parliament and I am all out of fucks to give: Party that refused to properly negotiate on laws now bitching about laws they refused to negotiate properly on live.thepoint.com.au/2025/11/the-...

"I realised then that bravery is not about having all the answers. It’s about making the hardest decision in the loneliest room and walking out still able to look yourself in the mirror." Senator Fatima Payman on crossing the floor. The first extract from A Time for Bravery, up for preorder now

The abrupt and indefensible closure of Meanjin makes me ask, what can be done to shore up the future of literary journals in this country? How about funding the arts to the OECD average. That would mean an extra $5b per year. With thanks to @jocaseau.bsky.social for her ever-excellent edits on this

Did Kath and Kim come from the mother daughter duo in Patrick White’s Twyborn Affair or is that just a coincidence? An idle google bore no fruit

"Countries meeting in Brazil for two weeks could manage only a voluntary agreement to begin discussions on a roadmap to an eventual phase-out of fossil fuels, and they achieved this incremental progress only in the teeth of implacable opposition from oil-producing countries."

What if we took the billions saved by not hosting the COP and gave it to the Pacific who we keep saying the COP was supposed to help? #climate thepoint.com.au/news/251121-...

This morning at #COP30 in Belém, Australian joined a group led by Colombia that will plan a fossil fuel phaseout outside the UN process, with the first meeting to be held next year in Santa Marta. It is the most significant statement AUS has made on future of fossil fuels to date. Story to come.

"Our national debate pretends as though all jobseekers can simply try harder and land a job. It is an argument that wilfully ignores the reality of a labour market where entry-level jobs have nearly collapsed." Kasy Chambers on @thepointau.bsky.social today

If you're feeling despondent about the world right now, this is the antidote. New from Australia Institute Press, a book on what it looks like when Australians are brave with contributions from @amythunig.bsky.social, @amyremeikis.bsky.social, Amy Coopes, and lots of people who aren't called Amy.

Adani have scammed Qld out of $100s of millions and the LNP Gov are fine with that. Great to see Labor and Greens pursuing this in QParl and the media. Features numbers from @australiainstitute.org.au research.

That's more than 1,100 jobs lost at the CSIRO over the last two years. "Combined, the staff association estimates that equates to cutting the agency’s size by a third." This is more cuts to the CSIRO than was attempted by the Abbott government. www.smh.com.au/national/csi...

Just a reminder - even if the LNP had not decided to dump the net zero target, they would still be irrelevant to what the Govt can do.

Interested in the future of higher ed and Western Sydney? You should probably come to this chat on Wednesday in Parramatta with Profs George Williams and Azadeh Dastyari and local member Andrew Charlton (and me)

@marquelawyers.com.au with a take you need to read on copyright and AI on @thepointau.bsky.social

"the landlord pricing [Gen Z] out of housing and the property developer sitting on land banks are local elites, not foreign workers. When conservatives try to redirect economic anxiety toward xenophobia – the playbook that worked brilliantly with older voters – Gen Z simply doesn’t buy it."

We have put a lot of effort recently in making available the entire archive of OVERLAND’s 70+ year history. In that spirit, on the penultimate day of Subscriberthon we bring you this previously unpublished interview with historian Humphrey McQueen on state violence and the arming of the police.

Big thanks to the folks over at Global Roaming pod for their Aiming Higher shoutout! In the latest Vantage Point essay, Professor George Williams unpacks the necessary changes to Australian higher education to tackle the big issues of the future! 🧑‍🎓🧑‍🎓🧑‍🎓 #auspol

"PM Albanese’s culture of secrecy, in three charts" Damning work by @skyelark.bsky.social on this govt's secrecy #OffTheCharts #ThePoint thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...

If you're trying to puzzle out the future of books as we see more mergers, cost of living pressures, changing habits and the behemoth of AI, you should read the new issue of @austbookreview.bsky.social You'll find @millicentweber.bsky.social, Melissa Lucashenko, Elizabeth Weiss & me (among others)

The main source of illegal guns in Australia isn’t 3D printers or imports, it’s thefts from Australian homes. And the more guns there are in our homes, the more guns get stolen…but decades after Howards gun reforms there is no national register of legal or stolen guns thepoint.com.au/news/251031-...

New Australia Institute research shows that the theft of legally owned guns is the cause behind the high number of illegal firearms. More than 2000 guns are stolen every year in Australia. That’s one every four hours. 📺Research Director Rod Campbell on 7.30 @rodcampbell.bsky.social #auspol

Here's ten articles on democracy & governance that you can read right now on @thepointau.bsky.social: 1/ "New research on proposed FOI laws show it would block access to even more documents" -- Going against the Robodebt Royal Commission's recommendation. thepoint.com.au/news/251007-...

New from your friends @australiainstitute.org.au: The Point! Get the news, fact checks and explainers you need on everything from international relations to climate change. thepoint.com.au

The ever-sensible James Curran poured some cold water on the AUKUS excitement in the AFR today. He reminds us of "The inescapable reality is there remain plenty of off-ramps for future administrations to break the pledge to transfer the nuclear-powered submarines in 2032"

"What this Bill would do is make it harder and more expensive for Australians to get information from the government." "FOI is not perfect, but this bill would make its issues much, much worse." - Australia Institute Researcher Skye Predevac #auspol @skyelark.bsky.social

My new report is out - Adani sold coal at mates rates to India, avoiding $400m in royalty payments to Queensland ...and Qld's LNP gov doesn't seem to care. Thread below on how they did it. Write up in @australia.theguardian.com @australiainstitute.org.au www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Why is the gas industry notorious for paying so little tax, despite making billions in revenue? Santos has made it 10 years in a row paying no tax! @grogsgamut.bsky.social @elinorjohnstonleek.bsky.social #auspol

Five pretty vital questions www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/...

I’ve seen the line that AI will lead to a UBI more than once so taking the time to call bullshit. Are overseas megacorps going to fund it through higher local taxes? Utterly implausible. Will government fund it? With whose money? AI is not the answer to inequality: I expect it’ll make things worse

Five publishing outfits and four of them have women founders. Thanks to @womensagenda.bsky.social for republishing my piece in the Conversation

If you are in Canberra, get along to this. Have seen some of the clips and it is amazing/shattering

EVIDENCE-BASED GOOD NEWS FOR YA A new report shows that a bunch of renewable energy companies have massively improved their human rights record. This is good! And important! @reneweconomy.com.au @business-humanrights.org reneweconomy.com.au/renewable-co...

Australian artists helped the nation survive the COVID pandemic, but our governments have left them in the lurch. “If people can’t earn a living while making their art, newsflash, there’s not going to be a lot of art.” - Skye Predavec, Anne Kantor Fellow @skyelark.bsky.social #auspol

It felt like Australian publishing was shrinking with mergers and the shock closure of Meanjin - waiting to see the full story behind that! But there's a few new players bring fresh energy and new books in recent months. With thanks to @jocaseau.bsky.social for excellent editing.

Had my worst asthma attack in over a decade today. Any other Canberrans have the same experience? Wondered if it was the combination of pollen and the incoming storm