Australian universities are in a governance crisis. VC pay blowouts, scandals, mission drift — these aren’t random, they’re structural. This new working paper with @marijataflaga.bsky.social & Keith Dowding digs into why the system is broken, and how to fix it. doi.org/10.25911/MWW... A thread:

“Bravus chief operating officer Mick Crowe said the new deal would help the company build stability for the mine…This creates more certainty for them in the future." Or the coal will dig itself up and move somewhere with lower royalties?

Well there you go. Bendigo Writers Festival has been absolutely played, forced to do the dirty work of lobbyists by their sponsor. When these threats come knocking, academic institutions should be doing everything to protect and defend this country’s cultural events, not become Israel’s enforcer.

There is a lot written on the crisis in our universities. You wont find anything more concise, from anyone more qualified, than this excellent, short piece from @hannahforsyth.bsky.social

It would defy belief had we not seen similar grossly inappropriate and callous behaviour from other corporatised uni managements: UTS staff told to ‘wash delicates’ to cope with impending job losses. Governance reform now! ⁦‪ @nteunion.bsky.social www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

Dr Yael Harrari, a graduating medical student at Tel Aviv University, protested Israel’s war on Gaza at her commencement by wearing a T-shirt reading: “Do no genocide."

RBA discovers that workers have not got the benefits of productivity growth. Next up they provide proof that water is wet. Oh well. Nice of them to catch up. www.rba.gov.au/publications...

A reminder that the RBA and other compliant economists spent a couple years telling @australiainstitute.org.au that companies were not marking up prices in 2022-23. The failure of Australia’s economic establishment was truly embarrassing

Yesterday, some 5000 of us marched in little Canberra. Proud to march with a strong Jewish contingent.

Sorting out, as Marx put it, this “shitty rent business”, has been a long and winding road. Out soon with @plutopress.bsky.social is Matthew Costa's new book, which is set to vivify new rounds of debate on rent theory. @j0eb0gan.bsky.social

My new piece for Alternautas considers the revival of dependency theory - building on recent contributions by @ingridhk.bsky.social and Felipe Antunes de Oliveira (among others) journals.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/al... thanks to @morton.bsky.social for comments on earlier draft

Systems not people: why did it all go so wrong? open.substack.com/pub/hannahfo...

Kudos to the Wapo for producing this horrifying account: every death in Gaza since 7 Oct 2023. wapo.st/3IRLZn6

We are starving https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/07/we-are-starving #auspol

‘Now is the time to invest in [the] future…’ not bury it. Extraordinary piece from world leaders in sociology at ANU, including two past and the current head of school www.canberratimes.com.au/story/902804...

Both 👇

New Australia Institute research shows there’s little evidence of a productivity crisis. “Australia’s so-called ‘productivity crisis’ is massively exaggerated. Low productivity is not to blame for the problems facing households today, like low wage growth.” @grogsgamut.bsky.social #auspol

Australia Institute polling shows 66% of Australians support a Parliamentary Inquiry into AUKUS. “It is only right that such a huge change should be put to genuine democratic scrutiny." - Dr Emma Shortis, International & Security Affairs Director #auspol @emmashortis.bsky.social

That is a LONG list of signees

abstract forms are funny things: you think that you control them until you realise that they control you.

Here is my new report for Australia's @futurework.org.au on productivity: what it is, what it isn't, why it does NOT automatically trickle down into wages--and policies that could make productivity work for Australian workers. futurework.org.au/report/produ... @australianunions.bsky.social

If you would like to add your voice in support, you can sign here: url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/w2nbCBNqgB...

This table is largely from Mike Davis *Ecology of Fear* from @versobooks.bsky.social But I’ve put together a thumbnail comparison on the last two lines with 1) the cost of the 2025 Palisades Fire and 2) the 2020 Black Summer in Australia. Look at the magnitude of territory and death.

youtube.com/watch?v=nXFM... Banger

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07... Two Israelis detained at Belgium festival over Gaza war complaint - ABC News Tomorrowland looks packed. Would’ve been cool to see Bob Vylan and Kneecap on the line-up

‘It's vital for university administrations to be thoughtful about their decisions, particularly if…they are proposing to cut hundreds of jobs’ - ⁦‪Tony Sheldon www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

A solution in search of a problem

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07... What is Humboldt fog goat cheese? Sounds delicious.