Images: Various unflattering images of Australia's most disliked billionaire and latent narcissist (and that's a helluva achievement) Gina Rinehart, who didn't like a portrait painted by indigenous artist Namatjura, and has drawn more attention to it than she ever would have if she'd just STFU.
“We will not be intimidated, especially when we are trying to stop a genocide,” he told the house.
“Any time police officers resort to the use of force against non-violent protesters, they violate these principles and undermine the consent and respect necessary for the police to do their job.”
Right-wing Australian billionaire and money-bag climate change denier Gina Reinhart apparently doesn't want people to see her portrait by the Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira in the National Gallery.
"This is a genocide": Australian Labor Senator breaks with government over Israel war
"Labor Senator Fatima Payman has accused Israel of conducting a genocide in Gaza in the most strident criticism of Israel by a government MP since the war in Gaza began."
Government Secures Australia’s Future By Handing $300 Directly To Power Companies On Behalf Of Households
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is today basking in the glow of one of the greatest budgets the nation has ever seen.
Handing down his 3rd version of the nation’s financial plan, Chalmers now looks set to enter the Labor Hall of Fame alongside figures like Curtin, Chifley, Whitlam and Gillard.
Faced by a cost of living crisis, growing job insecurity for millions, an inflated housing bubble which will continue pushing more and more people into poverty, flagging health and education sectors, energy insecurity, and uncertain futures for a raft of industries that made Australia strong – Jim Chalmers has decided to lean into his Labor values and tackle the monumental task in front of him head on.
Outlining an extraordinary vision for ordinary Australians, Chalmers has revealed historic plans to give power companies $300 for every single Australian household and small business.
The groundbreaking policy will ensure that rather than price gouging Australians directly, the energy sector will price gouge Australians through the taxes they pay to the government.
Chalmers said the measure was designed to ease pressures on the cost of living, citing the war in Ukraine as the generic reason why power prices have been pushed up.
However, rather than seeking to pull the ‘trigger’ to ensure multinationals don’t send all our gas overseas which allows power companies to then jam up the price of electricity because they are unregulated as part of the ‘free market for large corporations’ mantra we run the country on, Chalmers said he’d rather just give the sector taxpayer money.
“It’s a vision for the future to ensure the nation has a cheap and reliable energy source,” explained Chalmers.
“Think of it as an investment, that has no return and does nothing other than slightly lower the heat being turned up on average Australians.”
While criticised for the inflationary nature of the stimulus, Chalmers has seemingly dodged any criticism of the fact it’s a short sighted handout to giant corporations.
Chalmers was then recited the famous words from Ben Chifley in the post-war years;
“I try to think of the Labor movement, not as putting an extra sixpence into somebody’s pocket, or making somebody Prime Minister or Premier, but as a movement bringing something better to the people, better standards of living, greater happiness to the mass of the people. We have a great objective – the light on the hill – which we aim to reach by working the betterment of mankind not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand. If it were not for that, the Labor movement would not be worth fighting for.“
Pausing for a short time to consider his role as the money man in the Australian Labor movement, Chalmers shrugged.
@KarunaX
Maybe, maybe not. The incident happened in an area where EEZ claims of China and South Korea overlap.
Australian forces were participating in actions to maintain sanctions against North Korea, so the mention of the distance from home is disingenuous. That alone is sufficient to discredit the opinion in my eyes. #AusPol
@DropBear#auspol#ALP claims the helicopter was "participating in exercises to maintain UN sanctions". A few points: 1. Ships approaching Nth Korea can be stopped & checked a considerable distance from China's EEZ. 2. The Aust Navy was NOT trying to stop any ships at the time. Why launch a chopper? 3. China fired flares, an accepted form of warning by aviation authorities. 4. The HMS Hobart is under US command in that area (Operation Argos) with its history of provocations.
This is notable because previously Australian politicians have been cowards and abstained from recognising Palestine as a country — for years, they merely talked-up the possibility of a two-state solution between Israel and mumble at some undefined time in the distant future.
It's also worth noting that Israel is so hellbent on continuing to commit genocide against Palestinian people that Gilad Erdan, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, shredded a copy of the UN Charter. He's so keen to deny Palestinian people human rights that he unilaterally symbolically destroyed human rights for everyone in the world.
Racist undercurrents in Australian society should not be downplayed @faab64
To some degree, we're all subject to it. Yes, even white Anglo-Protestants.
So despite climate change, Australia's federal government has just committed an extra $3.25 billion into building a toll road and a 20-lane freeway widening.
"Pouring an extra $3.25 billion worth of federal funds into Melbourne’s North East Link is a good use of taxpayer money, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has insisted, despite the project’s cost doubling just a few months ago.
...
"The North East Link – which includes 6½ kilometres of tunnels – will stretch from Bulleen to Greensborough. It will widen the Eastern Freeway by up to 20 lanes.
"Allan revealed in December that the 10-kilometre toll road had more than doubled in cost since it was first announced.
"The toll road was initially budgeted at $10 billion and reassessed in 2019 at $15 billion. But the government revealed last year that the updated cost estimate was $26 billion."
A petition to the Parliament of Australia:
"The ongoing violence and oppression against Palestinians by the Israeli government violate fundamental human rights principles. The disproportionate use of force, illegal settlements, and blockade of Gaza have resulted in immense suffering and loss of life. Our nation should not support regimes engaged in such violations. Action Requested: We urge the Prime Minister to take a principled stand against the Israeli government's actions by severing diplomatic ties, ending military support, and condemning human rights abuses in Palestine." https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN6106 #AusPol #IsraelPalestineConflict #Israel #Palestine #WarCrimes #CrimesAgainstHumanity #genocide @palestine @israel
So the RTA's own modelling showed the Rozelle Interchange would be a traffic disaster—but generating more toll road trips for Transurban was more important.
"The [NSW Roads and Traffic Authority] finalised the first business case for the WestConnex tunnel project in June 2013, with the help of road designers from around the world.
"[Paul Forward, a former CEO of the RTA] said the initial concept did not include the Rozelle Interchange.
...
"In 2014, an expert review group was formed to assess these plans.
"Mr Forward said it was at this point that TfNSW bureaucrats began to question the connectivity provided by the design.
"The RTA's former director of traffic Chris Ford told the inquiry that 15 alternative designs were modelled.
"Mr Ford said the modelling found that another motorway leading to the Anzac Bridge would cause congestion.
"'The issues that we see today were very clearly established in the modelling in 2014,' he said.
"In November 2015, after Mr Forward and Mr Ford were dismissed, TfNSW updated the WestConnex business case to include the tunnel to the Anzac Bridge, despite the congestion concerns raised by the modelling.
"In 2016, Transport for NSW updated the business case a second time ... creating a tunnel linking the Iron Cove Bridge to the Anzac Bridge."
...
"In 2018, the NSW government sold its 51 per cent stake in the Sydney Motorway Corporation, the body responsible for operating WestConnex, to Transurban for $9 billion.
"Mr Forward said the final design would generate a larger number of toll trips than previous options."
@SuperMoosie@ajsadauskas@fuck_cars#auspol#alp#lnp
This is the inevitable result of an electoral system that establishes the dominance of two similar parties (a #Uniparty ) allied with permission to accept huge amounts of money to these two parties but no-one else. We can see this with new electoral laws in Victoria, which are now being emulated in Canberra to hamstring Independents and minor parties. https://youtu.be/7FLqYpD6eYw?si=smGlZmiT2fsfuC1r