Australian Politics

Leader of the nation’s racist uncles, Peter Dutton has taken a break from claiming that calls to listen to First Nations voices is a bid to cause division within the nation, to instead demand a national debate on giving ministers the power to deport dual-citizens.

The man whose party screamed about ‘upholding the rule of law’ now wants to completely bypass the rule of law, so that he can shift his fear-mongering messages from ‘send them to prison’ to ‘send them out of the country’.

“This referendum will be different,” said Dutton, “the last one wanted to give Indigenous leaders the unchecked dangerous power of giving advice on issues impacting their community, whereas this would give ministers the small power to just completely ignore court rulings and deport citizens on a whim.”

In short:

PBS medicines will cost a maximum of $25 if Labor wins the next election, down from $31.60.

The move comes as American medical giants take aim at the PBS, describing it as an "egregious and discriminatory" program and calling for the Trump administration to impose retaliatory tariffs.

What's next?

Labor's proposed changes would come into effect from January 2026 if the government is re-elected.

"With cheaper medicines, more free GP visits and a stronger Medicare, we say to Australians: we've got your back."

The Coalition said it would match the policy, which its health spokesperson Anne Ruston said would "ensure Australians have more affordable access to the medicines and treatments they need, at a time when healthcare has never been more expensive."

See also:

• ABC News: What is the PBS and what drugs are covered? Changes to prescription medicines explained
• ABC News: Australia defends Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as US companies urge Trump to impose reciprocal tariffs
• ABC News: Labor and Coalition vow PBS will not be bargained over in US trade war

The opposition leader put his team on notice. He vowed he would remember the name of anyone who freelanced on policies. A month on, there's one name on the list of offenders — Peter Dutton.

A rare moment of unity in politics, as politicians from all sides paused their campaigning to condemn an American influencer who cruelly took a wombat child from its mother, leaving the nation shocked to see Albanese possess a spine and Dutton possess basic human empathy.

Now that the influencer has finally left the country following the incident, many have been left waiting to see if the leaders of the nation will now condemn the extreme rate that First Nations kids continue to be taken by the state.

[T]his election, it will pay to keep an eye on independents running in regional and rural Australia. Growing grassroots support suggests they, along with minor parties, will pose a major challenge to the two-party dominance that’s slowly diminishing.

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In 2019, one in four voters preferred minor or independent candidates. In 2022, it was one in three.

Informative video into the history of trying to tax the mining industry in Australia, and the extensive lobbying and media control that the mining industry has. Would love to know your opinions on this.

A few days ago now but haven't seen this discussed anywhere with the cyclone in the headlines but still important to keep an eye on what's going on. Another privatisation move because there is so much evidence to suggest that this is a good idea that will lower costs. Can only hope this doesn't go through.

Archive link (de-paywalled): https://archive.is/8Tb7H

Tayeh, who has become a prominent leader of the protest movement after the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s 15-month war on Gaza, repeatedly said “all Zionists are terrorists”.

On Friday, police charged Tayeh with four counts of “using insulting words in public” for uttering the statement four times during a May rally.

The punishment is up to two months in prison for a first offence and six months for three or more offences.

Both major parties have an opportunity to clearly state they will preserve and even increase Australia’s overseas aid budget, after cuts by London and Washington.

Less haste, more verification and independent calling out of lies would be a good starting point.

In fact, virtually all significant economic indicators except gross domestic product (GDP) growth show Australia’s economy is among the world’s best-performed.

• record employment growth;
• record employment to population ratio at 64.6%;
• record job participation at 67.3%;
• inflation in the lower half of the RBA’s optimum band;
• wages growth above inflation for five straight quarters;
• median wealth per adult as the second highest in the world;
• ASX200 above 8,000 since last September;
• poverty and homelessness reducing, according to the Productivity Commission;
• emergency calls to the National Debt Helpline declining,
• record high new car sales in 2024;
• record sales of new private aircraft;
• overseas trips in 2024 at a new record high of 11.6 million;
• enrolments in fee-paying private schools at an all-time high;
• record manufacturing gross profits last financial year (2023-24) at $47.4 billion;
• record construction profits last year, at $31.1 billion;
• record profits in several other sectors;
• household spending at a record high.

There are several factors behind why Labor hasn't gone on a celebratory tour to boast about having "pulled off" something that's never been achieved in Australia.

Backed by the US, Australia has been increasingly asserting its power in the Indo-Pacific region. Has this strategy served it well?

Summary:

Today, Australia’s 39 universities endorsed a dangerous and politicised definition of antisemitism which threatens academic freedom, will have a chilling effect on legitimate criticism of Israel, and risks institutionalising anti-Palestinian racism. They did so without meaningful consultation with Palestinian groups or diverse Jewish groups who are critical of Israel.

The Jewish Council of Australia strongly opposes the antisemitism definition developed by the Group of Eight (Go8) universities and adopted by Universities Australia. By categorising Palestinian political expression as inherently antisemitic, it will be unworkable and unenforceable, and stifle critical political debate, which is at the heart of any democratic society.

The definition dangerously conflates Jewish identities with support for the state of Israel and the political ideology of Zionism.

I was going to include some key dot points, but this statement is succinct enough that you should just read it, or at least skim it.

I'm lost for words at the gaul of this!

In short:

Australia's 39 universities have endorsed a new definition of antisemitism.

The antisemitism statement was drafted by leaders from the Group of Eight (GoE), Australia's largest universities.

What's next?

The definition will now be swiftly adopted on campuses nationwide.

The Labor Party has reached a crisis point as polling ahead of the upcoming election suggests they may lose, meaning they have been forced to pull out their last resort: policies that are actually pretty decent.

All outdoor areas of Australia would have mobile coverage by 2027 under laws proposed by Labor.

While Australia has previously had a universal service obligation for landlines and payphones, it has not extended to mobile phone coverage.

Laws setting up the requirement would be introduced to parliament later in 2025, with the mobile obligation to focus at first on SMS and phone calls. The universal service could be expanded to include mobile data in the future as technology improves.

Dutton is as Dutton does

In short:

Australia's peak climate body has published new modelling showing the Coalition's proposed nuclear pathway would result in an additional 2 billion tonnes of emissions in the atmosphere.

The analysis has sparked attacks from the Coalition on the credibility of Australia’s independent Climate Change Authority.

What's next?

The Climate Change Authority's chair Matt Kean said the current pathway of transitioning to renewable energy as quickly as possible was "the only viable option".