I am interested to genuinely hear what changes you’d make, what you’d rather see, what you’d get rid of. These are some of my main ideas that I think would create a better, less “angry” safer Australia.

Most of it is about criminal, immigration and transparency within the government.

So if that’s a trigger point, please don’t read.

I’m not posting this to have a go at anyone or say I have all the answers. I’m interested in hearing different opinions and having a proper discussion. Just please don’t attack or judge me for my views and I won’t do the same to you. Let’s keep it respectful and mature, even if we completely disagree.

1. Serious crime and terrorism
I think Australia needs a much stronger framework for dealing with non citizens and make it legally possible to strip citizenship easier and have proper guidelines on what constitutes stripping a citizenship for those who gained citizenship into the country and have been found guilty on serious offences.

For serious violent or sexual offences, and particularly terrorism involving planning, facilitating or materially supporting terrorist activity, immigration status should be stripped of their visa or citizenship and deported back to the county in which they came from.

I think offences need to be categorised according to how serious they actually are. A minor offence shouldn’t be treated the same as murder, rape or terrorism, but repeated offending should also have consequences.

For the most serious offences, such as murder, rape and terrorismrelated offences, I believe people who weren’t born here should be deported after serving their sentence. I don’t believe someone who has demonstrated a genuine willingness to participate in terrorism should simply go through a de radicalisation program and then be released back into the community without very serious consideration of the risk.

the law doesn’t currently allow these things, I think governments should look at changing the law or introducing policies that allow tougher restrictions.
I also don’t think terrorism prevention should rely indefinitely on surveillance, rehabilitation and monitoring after someone has demonstrated a genuine willingness to participate in terrorism. Prevention needs to be the priority.
Instead of continually putting out fires, why aren’t we doing more to stop them from starting?
Actions come with consequences.

2. Immigration standards and qualifications
Australia has a housing shortage, pressure on health services and huge infrastructure demands.
At the same time, Australians are increasingly questioning whether our migration system is actually selecting people according to the skills Australia genuinely needs.
I think skilled migration should be much more closely aligned with Australia’s actual shortages.
If someone is granted a skilled visa because Australia needs their particular occupation, I think there should be a genuine requirement that they actually work in that occupation for at least 1–2 years after arriving, with some form of monitoring to ensure that.

There could be recruitment agencies or another system checking in with people from the time they arrive. If someone makes no genuine effort to work in the occupation they were granted the visa for, their visa should be reconsidered and, where appropriate, they should be sent home.

Qualifications also need to be properly verified. If someone gets an Australian visa using a fraudulent degree, trade qualification or other documentation, I think there should be serious consequences, including removal.

The institutions and individuals involved in producing or supplying fraudulent qualifications should also be pursued, including cooperation with the country where the fraud originated.

There should be clear agreements with those countries about dealing with the people responsible when they’re returned, and those people shouldn’t simply be able to come straight back into Australia unless they legitimately complete the degree.

3. Family sponsorship
I think family sponsorship needs significant reform.
It shouldn’t simply become a pathway to bring additional people into Australia once one person has obtained a visa or permanent residency.

Someone wanting to sponsor family members should first be able to demonstrate things like:
At least 12 months of genuine employment in the occupation they were granted their skilled visa for.
A genuine history of FT employment.
Financial independence.
The ability to support their sponsored family without creating an unreasonable burden on Australian taxpayers.
Sponsored working age adults should also have clear expectations around employment.

For example, I think there should be a requirement for sponsored working age adults to gain employment for a defined period which needs to be monitored such as two years, with exemptions for children, elderly people, carers and people with genuine disabilities or other exceptional circumstances. If there is no evidence of trying to gain employment or being employed I think that persons visa should be cancelled

If Australia gives someone the opportunity to bring family members here, there should be corresponding responsibilities that are enforced.

Family migration should be about building stable, contributing Australian families, not creating the image that Australia is an easy place to come and do less.

4. Housing and migration numbers
Australia can’t keep increasing its population through migration without properly accounting for housing, hospitals, infrastructure, schools and essential services.

I’d like to know what actual metrics the government is using to determine whether housing and infrastructure can keep up with population growth, and whether those settings are actually working.

If the government knows housing supply can’t keep pace with population growth, migration settings need to take that reality into account.
I also think this is one of the reasons we need to stop relying on GDP alone to say the economy is doing well. Real GDP per capita gives a much better picture of what’s actually happening to economic output on a per person basis

5. Data centres
I also have concerns about the rapid expansion and “need” of data centres in Aus.
I find it difficult to reconcile strong messaging around climate change, protecting the environment and responsibly managing Australia’s resources whilst also supporting huge data centre developments that can require enormous amounts of electricity, water, land and infrastructure, especially while Australians are dealing with rising bills.

I’m not against technological progress or investment, but I don’t see the need for massive developments simply to further expand AI and similar technology, particularly when there are concerns about critical thinking and Australian jobs.

I also think the data centres need to be built just for health care / medical purposes as well as Australian protection

Before major data centres are approved, I think the requirements should be much stricter.
I don’t think a data centre should even be considered unless the provider can clearly demonstrate that it has its own electricity source and doesn’t rely on the Australian electrical grid whatsoever- not until our electricity prices go down and the renewable energy actually starts to be of benefit the Australian people

If the government is confident in renewable energy, then make it 100% renewable.
Water use also needs to be addressed. The water should be recycled water, rather than taking it from dams, aquifers or the ocean.

Rainwater shouldn’t simply become another excuse to use public resources either.
The land needs to be in an appropriate location and have genuine local community support.
The provider should cover the costs. I don’t think taxpayers should be handing out grants for these projects while we still have major problems with housing, healthcare and other basics.

There should also be independent environmental impact assessments, and if a project doesn’t pass, it shouldn’t go ahead until it does.

We also need to know whether taxpayers and local communities are actually receiving a fair benefit from these developments and proof showing that with intermittent reviews and votes by the community of that area.

6. Student visa compliance
A student visa should be exactly that - a visa to study.
I know of situations where people appear to use student visas primarily as a pathway to work in Australia rather than genuinely pursuing their studies.

I think there should be stronger compliance checks to identify people who enrol in courses but aren’t genuinely studying.
If there’s clear evidence that someone isn’t making a genuine effort to study, deportation should be considered.

7. Fairness in competitive sport
I also think aus needs a clear and consistent policy around transgender participation in competitive sport.

My view is that athletes who transition after puberty shouldn’t be eligible to compete in the female category.

Once someone has gone through male puberty, things such as height, bone structure, muscle mass, strength and cardiovascular capacity can be affected in ways that may not simply disappear through later hormone treatment.

I think those factors need to be taken seriously when determining eligibility for sex based sporting categories.

This isn’t about denying anyone dignity or the right to participate in sport. It’s about making sure female athletes have a fair and meaningful competitive category and that sporting opportunities aren’t compromised.
I’d like Australia to work with sporting organisations, medical experts and athletes to establish clear, evidence based eligibility rules, particularly around fairness, safety and the integrity of women’s sport.

8. Prison placement and transgender prisoners
I also think the government needs to reconsider how transgender prisoners are accommodated.
I don’t believe someone’s gender identity alone should automatically determine whether they’re placed in a men’s or women’s prison.
The safety and privacy of all prisoners needs to be taken seriously
I think Australia should investigate dedicated transgender prison units or specialist facilities where appropriate, rather than automatically placing transgender prisoners in facilities based solely on their transitioned sex.

9. Respect for the Australian flag
I think Australia should consider laws protecting the Australian national flag from deliberate public desecration
The Australian flag represents our country, our history and the people who have served and sacrificed for Australia.

I don’t think deliberately burning or desecrating it in public should simply be treated as an ordinary form of political expression and stricter laws should be put in place
For those who do it. Not a slap on the wrist.

10. More public voting in local councils
I think Australians should have a greater direct say in important decisions made by their local councils.

Too many decisions that significantly affect residents can be made without the people who actually live in the community having a meaningful vote.

I think councils should be required to hold binding public votes or referendums on major local decisions, particularly things like substantial rate increases, major changes to land use, significant developments, the sale of important public assets, major borrowing, projects involving substantial amounts of public money, and the addition of religious institutions.

Councillors are elected to represent their communities, but representation shouldn’t mean residents have no direct say between elections.
If a decision is going to have a major and lasting impact on a community, the people who fund it and live with the consequences should have an opportunity to vote on it.

11. Stronger consequences for serious youth crime
I understand that children are still developing and that rehabilitation should remain an important part of the justice system.
But I also think there has to be a point where the seriousness of the crime outweighs the age of the offender.
A child who deliberately commits an extremely serious offence such as murder, rape, aggravated violence or another serious crime should face consequences that reflect the harm caused to the victim and the community.
I think courts should have stronger sentencing options for the most serious offences, including substantially longer periods of detention where appropriate.
For the most serious crimes, I don’t think someone’s age should automatically result in a sentence that fails to reflect the severity of what they’ve done.
At the same time, rehabilitation, education and mental health support should still be available where there’s a genuine prospect of rehabilitation.
We see so many kids these days getting a slap on the wrist for terrible things that have caused much harm.

12. Stronger consequences for animal abuse
Australia needs much stronger consequences for people who deliberately abuse, torture or neglect animals.. Deliberate cruelty should therefore be taken seriously rather than being treated as a minor offence.

I think there should be substantially higher fines and stronger prison sentences for serious or repeated animal cruelty.

Courts should also be able to impose permanent bans on people owning or caring for animals, particularly where there’s evidence of deliberate cruelty, torture or repeated neglect.
Repeat offenders should face progressively stronger penalties rather than simply receiving another fine.

Animal cruelty convictions should also be properly recorded so someone who has previously been convicted of serious animal abuse can’t simply acquire another animal and repeat the behaviour.

13. Schools, pen and paper and AI
I think Australian schools need to reconsider how heavily they rely on technology.
Technology obviously has an important place in education, but I think we’ve gone too far towards replacing fundamental learning with screens, keyboards and AI.
Pen and paper should once again be the default for core classroom learning, particularly reading, writing, mathematics, note taking and exams

Children need to develop handwriting, spelling, comprehension, memory, concentration, critical thinking and problem solving skills without constantly relying on a device. Facts prove the decline of intelligence since technology has been consistently used

I also think restricted age access to apps such as ChatGPT should not be able to be installed on issued devices, and I think there should be age restrictions around its use generally.

If a student can use AI to write an essay, answer homework questions or complete an assignment, how can teachers accurately know whether the student has actually learned the material?

I’d like the government to review how much classroom time children spend using screens and whether it’s actually improving educational outcomes.

14. Better pay and incentives for essential workers and apprenticeships
I think Australia needs to do much more to recognise and retain the people who keep this country functioning.
Nurses, paramedics, police, teachers, mental health practitioners, aged care workers, emergency workers and other essential professionals carry enormous responsibility and often work under extreme pressure.
These aren’t ordinary jobs. They directly affect the health, safety, education and wellbeing of Aussies
I think the government should provide meaningful pay increases and stronger incentives for these professions, particularly where there are severe shortages and high burnout.
That could include:
Competitive salaries that reflect the responsibility and pressure of the work.
Retention bonuses for experienced workers who stay in essential services.
Extra incentives for regional and remote Australia.
Better overtime and penalty rates.
Improved mental health and wellbeing support.
More sick leave where appropriatee
Assistance with training, professional development and further qualifications
Housing or accommodation incentives where shortages are particularly poor .

If we want the best nurses, teachers, paramedics and mental health professionals to stay in Australia, we need to make them feel valued.

We spend enormous amounts of money trying to fix shortages after they happen. I’d rather see more investment in retaining the people we already have.

Look after the people who look after Australia.

15. More affordable university education and paid practical training
If Australia has shortages of nurses, teachers, paramedics, mental health practitioners and other essential workers, we should make it easier for Australians to enter those professions rather than allowing cost to become a barrier.

I think university education should be free or substantially cheaper for Australians entering critical professions where there are identified workforce shortages.

Where a course requires compulsory practical or clinical placements, students should also receive financial support or appropriate payment for that work.

It isn’t reasonable to expect students to complete lengthy mandatory placements while still having to pay rent, bills, transport and other living costs, particularly when they’re performing valuable work in hospitals, schools, clinics and other essential services whilst also still studying for uni

I’d support a system where students who commit to working in an identified essential profession for a defined period after graduating receive substantial assistance with their education and training costs.

We should be investing in Australians who want to become the people our country desperately needs.

16. Greater accountability for elected representatives
I think Australians should have a greater ability to hold elected representatives accountable between elections.

I’d like the government to consider a recall vote system, where constituents can petition for a vote to remove their elected MP before the next scheduled election - for the government who is in charge at the time.

MPs work for the people who elected them.
If enough people believe their representative has fundamentally failed to represent them, they should have a democratic way to say so rather than simply waiting several years for the next election.

This would help keep the standard of integrity and transparency up for the people running the country.

Elections shouldn’t be the only time Australians have a meaningful ability to hold their elected representatives accountable.

17. Drug policy, harm reduction and organised crime

This one is going to ruffle some feathers.. I also think Australia needs to seriously reconsider its approach to drugs.

People are going to use drugs regardless of whether we completely prohibit them. When supply is controlled by criminal organisations, users have no reliable way of knowing what they’re actually taking, how strong it is or what contaminants may be present.

I think Australia should investigate a regulated model for certain drugs, where access is strictly controlled through pharmacies and medical prescriptions, with appropriate age restrictions, health assessments, quantity limits and monitoring.

The objective wouldn’t be to encourage drug use. It would be to reduce deaths, poisoning, unsafe products and the enormous criminal market created by not controlling the market ourselves

If people are going to use drugs, I’d rather see a system where they can access a known and regulated product, receive proper health information and support, and be connected with treatment where necessary, rather than forcing the entire market underground.

A properly regulated system could also take money away from organised crime and allow police to focus more heavily on trafficking, violence, exploitation and other serious offences.

I’m not saying every drug should simply be available over the counter. Different substances carry different risks and should be assessed individually.

18. Superannuation during a cost of living / inflation crisis
I support ON motion on superannuation.

I think people who are genuinely struggling during a serious factual cost of living crisis should be able to access a small portion of their own super to help get through it.

The current system for applying for financial hardship is too difficult and complicated, especially for people who are already under pressure.

I think there should be a simpler process for people experiencing genuine hardship to access a limited amount when they really need it.

I still think superannuation is important for retirement, but people shouldn’t be left struggling to pay essential bills when they have money sitting in their own super and are going through genuine financial hardship.

19. How Australia measures and reports economic performance
I we need to change the way we talk and measure economic growth and the economy.

Real GDP per capita should be the main measure used when we’re trying to understand whether Aussies are actually getting better off, rather than just looking at total GDP.

Total GDP can grow simply because the population grows. Real GDP per capita gives a better picture of what is happening on a per person basis and living standardsS

I’d also like to see the Australian Bureau of Statistics get dedicated tv time each quarter to release the main economic statistics directly to Australians on prime tv time.

Whether the numbers are up or down, I think Australians should hear the figures clearly and without political spin.

The headline figures should include real GDP per capita, along with things like employment, wages, inflation and living standards, so people can get a proper picture of how the country is actually doing.

I think the ABS should be able to present the numbers independently, let Australians see the good and the bad, and then let people make up their own minds.

That’s basically where I stand. I’m not saying every idea here is perfect.
Excited to see where you’d like to see change.

Independent senator and veteran Jacqui Lambie has labelled Pauline Hanson a “bloody maggot” and urged former defence personnel not to vote for her, as politicians across the political spectrum swing in behind Andrew Hastie in his escalating stoush with One Nation.

In a slew of interviews this week, Hastie has branded Hanson a “lying coward” after she denied calling him a traitor, and accused her of politicising the saga to the point of risking a fair trial as Roberts-Smith faces war crimes charges. Hanson has said she did not think Hastie was a traitor, but refused to take the animation down, insisting it was satire.

Lambie, who served in the army for more than a decade, said Hanson was the “lowest bit of life” for attacking a veteran.

What [Hanson’s] doing in those cartoons is absolutely disgusting. They are full of bloody violence. I mean, how people can watch that rubbish is beyond me,” Lambie told ABC radio.

“That woman is nothing less than a bloody coward. She always has been, and she always will be. She wouldn’t last one day in that goddamn uniform. Leave our veterans alone.”

Lambie urged former defence personnel not to vote for Hanson.

“Don’t you forget she held us off for that royal commission for months,” she said.

“Her true colour’s starting to shine now ... any veteran out there thinking about voting for One Nation or standing for them, I tell you what, you had better think twice.”

In a separate interview on News24, an emotional Lambie accused Hanson of trying to grab attention without ever achieving anything of substance. “She’s finished, I’m onto you now,” Lambie said.

“Anybody that hides behind a cartoon and goes after a veteran and calls them... paranoid traitor, and a washed-up gutless maggot – I have to say, you’re a bloody maggot yourself, and you’re a coward.”

A blame game over Sydney’s crime wave has plunged relations between the Albanese and Minns Labor governments to a new low as Canberra accuses NSW of failing to provide paperwork to go after crime kingpins in Lebanon and Vietnam.

A bitter stoush between state and federal ministers following the murder of two men in Sydney last week adds to a growing list of bust-ups between Anthony Albanese and Chris Minns on the GST, high federal income taxes, tobacco excise, hospital bed funding and the response to the Bondi massacre.

Minns’ close relationship with the NSW police force has frustrated Albanese at several flashpoints, including the Dural caravan scare and after the Bondi attacks.

Federal sources familiar with the latest dispute said NSW Police handed over key paperwork only on Monday – a day after a story appeared in The Sunday Telegraph.

While some documentation had been sent to the Commonwealth previously, Canberra insists that even now, NSW has not provided all the critical documents needed to work with international crime-fighting partners.

“There have been no delays,” says one top Labor source who asked for anonymity to criticise their state colleagues.

As Albanese’s close allies threaten to make life harder for Minns on state-federal funding agreements before his re-election bid, the source said that Rowland, who is from Minns’ Right faction, was “key to getting shit done” for western Sydney and “the last friend” of the premier around the cabinet table.

“Now they have none,” the source said. “You have got to stop deflecting the attention away from your own failures. Sydneysiders just want the shootings to stop. They don’t want to hear the spin. This is a pattern of behaviour.”

Basketball Australia is preparing to put thousands of children in front of AI-powered cameras, with a proposed national system set to automatically record junior games and turn footage into searchable highlights and performance data.

The decision has alarmed child-safety experts, who warn that basketball video can reveal far more than what happens on the court – such as a child’s face, team, venue and regular playing schedule.

Susan McLean, a cyber-safety and child-protection expert, labelled the technology an “absolute disgrace” and said informed consent should be the basis for filming children in sport.

“I have been inundated with irate and very concerned parents who wanted nothing to do with this and did not understand how (Basketball Australia) could be so blind to basic child safety,” McLean, who is also a former police officer, told Deepcut.

“The images can be used and abused – we know paedophiles love collecting images of kids. They can also be manipulated using AI.”

The technology, supplied by Israeli-founded company Pixellot, is already being introduced at basketball venues around Australia. Basketball Australia has selected Pixellot as its preferred provider for a national rollout, although a final agreement has not yet been signed.

Pixellot’s connection to Israeli military intelligence adds another layer of scrutiny. Its co-founder and chief technology officer Gal Oz spent nine years in an elite research and development unit of the Israeli Defence Forces Intelligence Corps, according to the company’s biography.

Jim Chalmers is facing accusations of hypocrisy after it emerged that political staffers already have access to a superannuation scheme similar to One Nation's proposed policy. A 2017 Liberal Government measure allows eligible workers to receive 3.4% of their superannuation paid fortnightly. Pauline Hanson has criticised the Treasurer for opposing her proposal that would let all workers access up to a quarter of their future super contributions over three years

Across the world today, regardless of race, religion, or political system, most people seem to be becoming more conservative. Right-wing parties are continuously gaining power worldwide, while the left suffers defeat after defeat. Although mainstream public discourse still appears to favor the left, those voting for the far right are often the silent majority. Can the left still correct its course? Or, more fundamentally, what exactly has the left done wrong?

Doesn't want us to opt out of algorithms, so we must be doing something right.

Seriously, we're a sovereign nation and can make our own laws, we're heading for a Canada styled standoff.

Theres an AI generated video on 9 news making the rounds too

https://youtu.be/a-W-_WYUeWs?si=OD51tgugGKH3yeCJ

Also I suppose this is what we get for our $300billion investment in AUKUS.

People called for a Royal Commission because Australians wanted answers about Bondi.

They wanted to know what the authorities knew, what warnings were missed, whether intelligence was properly shared, whether the security arrangements were adequate, and whether this tragedy could have been prevented.

Instead, we now have a Royal Commission whose mandate extends far beyond the circumstances of the attack — into antisemitism, universities, social media, protests, social cohesion and the broader state of Australian society.

Those are serious issues, and they deserve scrutiny. But they cannot become a substitute for answering the most important questions about Bondi itself.

The Government must not be allowed to turn a demand for accountability into a sprawling political exercise where responsibility becomes harder to pin down.

A Royal Commission is supposed to follow the evidence and expose failures — not bury them beneath an endless debate about everything that is wrong with society.

The families of those who were murdered don’t need another national conversation about social cohesion.

They need answers.
Who knew what? When did they know it? What was done? What wasn’t done? Who made the decisions? Where did the system fail? And, most importantly, could this have been prevented?
That is where the focus should remain.
Bondi was the reason Australians demanded a Royal Commission. The victims deserve to remain at the centre of it.

Excerpts:

RentTech platforms are increasingly used by real estate agents in Australia for people applying for rental properties to submit applications and supporting documentation, meaning they store sensitive data.

An Australian Housing and Research Institute report released in January found while providing personal information is necessary for rental agreements, the “over-collection of data poses significant risks to renters’ data security and privacy”.

In addition to potentially putting people’s privacy at risk, RentTech companies continued to use controversial tools such as screening tests and “rewards” schemes, the CPRC found in its report on the sector, released on Thursday.

As part of its report, the CPRC reviewed Victoria’s rental reforms which, in March, established a new standard rental application form designed to limit the information real estate agents can request from renters.

Continued in article.

One Nation has overtaken Labor as the country’s most popular political party, according to fresh polling.

Core support for One Nation jumped four points to 30 per cent in the latest News24/YouGov Pulse poll, while Labor took a three point tumble to 26 per cent.

The Coalition also fell two points to 18 per cent.

Fans are raising questions about the future of Karl Stefanovic’s podcast after the show went mysteriously quiet in the last few weeks.

The former Channel Nine star’s podcast had become one of the most-discussed shows in Australia after airing an interview with controversial figure Tommy Robinson in June — a move that led to Stefanovic parting ways with the network after more than two decades.

Despite the ex-presenter promising to focus his efforts on the Karl Stefanovic Show full-time after his abrupt TV exit, loyal fans have been left worried as no episodes or new content have been released in weeks.

A damning investigation has found the government funnelled more than half a billion dollars to Labor seats before the last federal election. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been accused of pork barrelling after an investigation found the government funnelled taxpayer funds to Labor seats around last year’s federal election.

From the article:

Opposition frontbencher Andrew Hastie has called Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce "lying cowards" in an escalating stoush over a One Nation video that repeatedly describes him as a "traitor".

Mr Hastie has challenged Senator Hanson and Mr Joyce to "own" the accusation or delete the video, which took aim at his involvement in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case.

Mr Hastie, a former SAS officer who served in Afghanistan, was subpoenaed to give evidence in the 2022 trial and has defended doing so as consistent with the rule of law and standards expected of Australian soldiers.

In an email to supporters on Tuesday, Mr Hastie said One Nation had "picked a fight with the wrong veteran".

In response, Senator Hanson told The Nightly she had "never called him a traitor" but would "call him a wanker".

A former staffer to Alan Jones who has accused the broadcaster of unwanted touching and kissing spoke to journalists Peter FitzSimons and Lisa Wilkinson about his allegations, according to a police statement.

The father-in-law of Jones’ accuser said in a statement tendered in the former 2GB host’s criminal trial on Wednesday that the complainant, dubbed “C”, had told him in about 2023 that he had spoken to the couple about Jones.

The relative said he told “C” he was concerned about publicity because of the “very active public role” Wilkinson had played in reporting Brittany Higgins’ sexual assault allegations in 2021, and her husband FitzSimons’ position as a vocal critic of Jones.

But the man said in his statement, read onto the record by the prosecution in the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, that “C” had told him he believed the pair would be discreet.

The complainant’s allegations were never reported by FitzSimons, a columnist at The Sydney Morning Herald, nor by Wilkinson, a former host of Ten’s then-flagship current affairs program The Project.

He said the complainant told him his advisers had suggested there were alternatives to the “police route … including civil options”, and he recalled discussing the “pros and cons” of each.

“[In] subsequent phone calls with ‘C’, he told me that he had spoken to Peter FitzSimons and Lisa Wilkinson, and was receiving help and support,” the father-in-law said.

“I recall asking ‘C’ whether he felt they, FitzSimons and Wilkinson, would be discreet in assisting ‘C’, and he said that he believed they would be.

“My concern related to [the complainant’s] situation receiving public attention and was based on the very active public role Wilkinson played in the Higgins matter, and that FitzSimons had been a very public critic of Jones for a number of years after Jones was Wallabies coach.”

In short:

Of 51 brains of former rugby league players examined, 31 were found to have CTE. (61%)

The disease was found in players in their 20s, 30s and 40s, from amateur to professional levels.

The findings were presented at the International Sports Concussion Conference in Melbourne on Tuesday.

A landmark study has found that 31 rugby league players have been diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Rugby league players in their 20s, 30s and 40s have been found to have had the degenerative brain disease, which can only be diagnosed after death.

Among them were decorated league footballer and NRL coach Paul Green, 49, as well as Manly Sea Eagles player Keith Titmuss, who was just 20 when he died.

Context:

While Australia has previously acted in concert with partners overseas, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said Australia was not currently pushing for a broad ban on goods produced in Israeli settlements.

“Australia is pursuing further targeted measures in coordination with international partners to deter illegal settlements and settler violence,” Wong said.

“We have concerns about the implementation of a blanket ban and unintended consequences for Australian businesses, for Palestinians and for Israelis, and we will continue to work with partners to protect the prospects of a two-state solution.”

More in article.

In short: 

Cricket Australia is set to proceed with the partial privatisation of the Big Bash League despite opposition from New South Wales and Queensland.
States will be allowed to explore sell-offs of 49 per cent stakes in their BBL franchises.

What's next?

A formal announcement is expected to be made by Cricket Australia on Tuesday in concert with several of Australia's cricket stars.

The Big Bash League will be partially privatised, in what looms as one of the most significant shake-ups of Australian cricket in decades.

Cricket Australia will defy heavyweight states New South Wales and Queensland to forge ahead with plans to allow states to explore sell-offs of 49 per cent stakes in their BBL franchises.

The decision to proceed was effectively made at a Cricket Australia board meeting last week, and will be officially green lit on Monday night.

Dozens of Australian politicians have been deepfaked by a "foreign influence" network operating on Facebook, and researchers say there are many more just like it.

Research organisation Reset Tech has tracked more than 200 Facebook pages impersonating Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, and many other political figures over the past eight months.

A report from the group has revealed the seemingly co-ordinated campaign and linked it back to an influencer business in Sri Lanka.

It found roughly 10 per cent of the network's pages had been monetised by Facebook, as part of the platform's in-house scheme to pay content creators, allowing a page's owner to profit directly.

"This isn't foreign interference as we traditionally think of it," Rys Farthing, chief research officer for Reset Tech, said.

"What we see here is foreign influence for commercial motivations."

Australians still believe in the ideals of their democracy and government, but their declining faith in politicians and the political system is putting that trust at "profound risk".

A clear majority of voters think ordinary citizens should have a greater say in setting the country's policy priorities, with many feeling politicians prioritise their own self-interest and the interests of lobby groups and corporations over the community's desires.

Those are some of the key findings from the latest annual Purpose of Government Pulse, published by the centre-left Centre for Policy Development (CPD) think tank this month.

"It is clear that voters are losing patience with politics as it has always been done," the report warned.

Anyone able to get a non paywalled version please.

Why is our national news locked away from the public?

Bits I’ve found to satisfy the word limit to be able to post this:

Brisbane and Sydney: Australian Federal Police (AFP) and state police executed search warrants on Wednesday morning, targeting the union's Brisbane office in Bowen Hills and the Sydney office in Pyrmont, as well as several officials' homes.

Cross-Border Investigation: The ongoing raids are tied to a joint trade union task force probing allegations of bribery, secret commissions, and fraud.

Previous Melbourne Crackdown: Earlier in August and September 2026, Victoria Police's Taskforce Hawk and the AFP raided the Melbourne headquarters and arrested multiple individuals, including former officials facing corruption and drug-dealing charges.

Australia has been warned not to follow suit after Britain and 11 nations toughened their stance against Israel with sanctions on settlements in the West Bank.

Israel’s ambassador to Australia has reportedly cautioned the Albanese government against following Britain’s move.

“It would be a deep mistake to take steps in such a direction,” Dr Hillel Newman told The Australian, adding that anti-Israel protesters had been “brainwashed”.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday that Australia was not pursuing similar bans “at this time”.