News
Increase in number of Australians doing it tough
The Australian National University, 7 May 2024
Australians are more financially stressed now than they were at any time immediately prior to or during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study from The Australian National University (ANU).
https://reporter.anu.edu.au/all-stories/increase-in-number-of-australians-doing-it-tough
Independents move to ban mega donations
The Guardian, 19 Mar 2024
Mega donations of more than $1.5m would be banned under a crossbench plan to get big money out of politics. Lower house independents, including Kate Chaney, Zali Steggall, the Greens, David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe and the Jacqui Lambie Network, will present a united front by introducing the fair and transparent elections bill in both houses of parliament.
Tasmanian government releases honest ad
The Juice Media, 15 Mar 2024
The Tasmanian Government has made a tourism ad and it’s surprisingly honest and informative.
Safe climate scorecards
Tasmanian Climate Collective, Mar 2024
The TCC has scored some candidates on climate policies for the upcoming Tasmanian election.
Australian Electoral Survey: 70% don't trust government
ABC, 6 Mar 2024
At the last federal election, one study revealed fewer than 30 per cent of us have trust in those in government, but it's not that people are not engaged. There are issues, such as health, housing and cost of living, that are having a big impact on people from all walks of life. One expert says the high number of independents and minor party candidates may spark interest for those feeling uninspired.
Announced candidates for next Tas state election
Kevin Bonham, 6 Feb 2024
This article is a list of endorsed or self-declared candidates who are running for the next Tasmanian state election; some unconfirmed or rumoured candidates are also mentioned in italics. There were 83 known candidates at the time of writing.
https://kevinbonham.blogspot.com/2024/02/announced-candidates-for-next-tasmanian.html
Big political donations finally disclosed
ABC, 1 Feb 2024
Details of the companies and individuals pouring money into the coffers of the nation's political parties last financial year have been published, with some of the country's wealthiest individuals topping the list. Donations are published every year through the Australian Electoral Commission, with all donations over $15,200 having to be disclosed.
Federal parliament and the democracy agenda
Bill Browne, The Australia Institute, 1 Feb 2024
Despite some progress from the Albanese government, much more needs to be done to ensure elections are as fair and representative as they can be, and to make the government more transparent and accountable. This paper identifies 16 “off the shelf” reforms that should be adopted this year, many recommended by parliamentary reviews that considered these issues in detail.
https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/the-47th-parliament-and-the-democracy-agenda/
Climate change is a symptom of a bigger problem called overshoot: new research
The Guardian, 13 Jan 2024
Record heat, record emissions, record fossil fuel consumption. One month out from Cop28, the world is further than ever from reaching its collective climate goals. At the root of all these problems, according to recent research, is the human “behavioural crisis”, a term coined by an interdisciplinary team of scientists. “We’ve socially engineered ourselves the way we geoengineered the planet,” says Joseph Merz, lead author of a new paper which proposes that climate breakdown is a symptom of ecological overshoot, which in turn is caused by the deliberate exploitation of human behaviour.
Greater transparency, integrity, accountability.