Reflecting on a decade of political columns in Australia starting from 2016, a retrospective looks at Malcolm Turnbull's leadership, the rise of populist figures like Pauline Hanson, and the enduring challenges of centrist politics.
Recent Australian media developments cover Alan Jones's indecent assault trial, Kyle Sandilands launching an independent subscription app, a boycott campaign against the Daily Telegraph, Sky News Australia's rebrand to News24, ongoing editorial investigations at the ABC involving journalist Mahmood Fazal, and Nine Entertainment integrating AI into its newsroom while cutting jobs.
The criminal trial of veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has begun nearly two years after his arrest on multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual touching, charges he denies.
Labor will introduce new rules to cut net overseas migration and push temporary residents to leave Australia, despite the home affairs minister Tony Burke postponing a major speech on the subject.
Pauline Hanson's One Nation announced its first Victorian state election candidates while banning ABC and Guardian reporters from its press conference, citing past exclusions. The party, which has seen a surge in polls, will field candidates in every seat and release policies soon.
Pauline Hanson's controversial overseas trip has generated negative headlines, forcing One Nation members, including Barnaby Joyce, to defend her actions. A political reporter discusses the potential impact of these controversies on One Nation supporters in Australia.
An "early detection blood test" for ovarian cancer is now available in Australia for $1,495, marketed by BCAL Diagnostics. Despite ads targeting all women, the company states it's for high-risk individuals. Experts warn the test is not TGA-approved, has limited data, and a significant false-positive rate, potentially causing distress and unnecessary costs.
Pauline Hanson's recent overseas trip has generated negative headlines due to controversial comments, prompting members of her One Nation party, including Barnaby Joyce, to defend her actions in Australia.
A briefing to BHP investors by the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) warns Australia's federal fuel tax break, worth $622m to BHP, is delaying the miner's decarbonisation efforts. The ACCR suggests removing the tax break would make electrification projects financially viable, raising questions about BHP's climate commitments and transparency.
Nearly 2.2 million Australians, or one in 10, live below the wellbeing poverty line, with very low life satisfaction doubling since 2014, according to ABS data. This surge, linked to Covid lockdowns and soaring cost of living, correlates with increased alienation and lower support for multiculturalism, impacting social cohesion.
NSW government and police have incurred nearly $500,000 in legal fees from cases lost against pro-Palestine groups, including unsuccessful defenses of protest laws deemed unconstitutional. These costs highlight a significant expenditure on legal battles over public assembly restrictions.
Darcy Byrne, Labor mayor of Sydney's Inner West Council, is leading a grassroots movement to curb gambling harm, advocating for fewer poker machines in NSW clubs. He compares the poker machine lobby to the US NRA and discussed his successful motion at the NSW Labor conference.
Former BHP chief economist Huw McKay argues for robust government climate policies, like a carbon price, to drive decarbonisation at major resource companies. Leaked documents revealed BHP's delays in renewables projects and electrification, raising concerns about Australia's climate targets.
The NSW government has spent over $305,500 on legal fees defending controversial protest laws that were ultimately struck down by courts. These laws, enacted after the Bondi terror attack, were found to unconstitutionally burden political communication rights, leading to significant taxpayer expense.
Labor's draft national platform will soften its opposition to mandatory jail sentences, recognizing they don't reduce crime. It also commits to cracking down on online gambling inducements, pressuring the government to toughen reforms.
Labor's updated national platform, to be debated at its July conference, softens its stance on mandatory jail sentences, pushes for stronger curbs on gambling inducements, retains Aukus support, and rewrites its Israel/Palestine position to reflect Palestinian state recognition and opposition to illegal settlements.
Following Pauline Hanson's speech attacking multiculturalism, climate action, the UN, and the ABC/SBS, her poll numbers have stalled. Even One Nation supporters are reportedly concerned about her policy offerings. Guardian Australia and Essential Media discuss the impact of her pitch.
Australian creatives are seeking assurances that the government will not weaken copyright laws in exchange for significant AI data centre investment. A proposal reportedly includes AI companies mining creative content for training models, with a fund for artists as compensation. Critics call it a 'dirty deal'.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has queried One Nation over $800,000 of its $6.01m public funding claim for the last election, leading to the withdrawal of 143 expense items. The AEC is investigating potential breaches of electoral funding laws.
The Christian Brothers Catholic order is facing accusations of transferring valuable properties for nominal sums to a separate entity, Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA), in the decade leading up to its bankruptcy filing. Survivors allege this tactic aims to prevent them from receiving full compensation for historical abuse.
Following UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation due to pressure and declining polls, comparisons are drawn with Australia's Anthony Albanese, who faces similar challenges from insurgent right-wing parties. Experts discuss how Albanese can avoid a similar political fate.
Fund manager Geoff Wilson deleted an AI-generated video he reposted from a right-wing account, which depicted PM Albanese and Treasurer Chalmers taking money from white Australians for migrants. Wilson claimed he hadn't watched the full video or checked sources before sharing it, which also included QAnon content.
Karl Stefanovic's new radio show with Eddie McGuire has been cancelled for the week, and his contract with ARN Media is under review, following widespread criticism of his podcast interview with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Nine Entertainment is also expected to sever ties with Stefanovic.
Voters express mixed views on Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, with some praising her directness and focus on 'average Australians,' while others criticize her policies as racist and divisive. Concerns about migration, housing, and political transparency are common themes.
