Parties often encourage or compel their elected MPs (and sometimes their political staff) to pay a contribution to the party out of their parliamentary salary. It’s called “the tithe” or a “levy”. Read the full explainer by @browne90.bsky.social on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

Is the Journalism Assistance Fund being funnelled toward left-wing outlets, like Sky News host Andrew Bolt and former Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes have recently suggested? In short, no. Read the full factcheck on The Point: thepoint.com.au/factchecks/2...

Richard Boyle tells @kieranpender.bsky.social: "Every whistleblower does have a fire in their belly and maybe a little belligerence. "But it’s good belligerence. It’s belligerence for the purposes of truth-telling and [preventing] harm to community."

What could the romantic poets of the 18th century teach us about modern politics? For those struggling to convince people to question existing practices, the answer is: quite a lot. Read the full piece by @browne90.bsky.social on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

The coal lobby's latest nonsense economics report is due out tomorrow. Coal Australia claims 782,000 jobs. ABS says 40,000 🤔

Thank you NSW!! Now that our petition has hit 20,000 signatures, truth in political advertising will have to be debated in NSW Parliament! You can still add your name and send a message ⤵️ https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/parliamentary-business/petitions/sign-epetition?epetitionId=809&ref=10902

“It is thanks to these orders that the public – and our elected representatives – have a better idea of what the government is doing in our name” writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full explainer on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

“The changes will make access to Parliament more difficult, when the Australia Institute has long argued it should be easier, and it will do little to illuminate how power really works in this country” writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

AI models make it easier than ever to create convincing misinformation, but New South Wales is still without truth in political advertising laws! It doesn't have to be this way. @browne90.bsky.social #auspol

Junk food companies can't lie about their products being healthy. So why can politicians in NSW lie in their election ads? ✍️ Add your name to the petition for truth in political advertising laws in NSW! ⤵️⤵️⤵️ #auspol @browne90.bsky.social

He's no Matt Damon, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a master of the politics of constraint, drawing on lessons that go back to The Odyssey. Odysseus took literally what contemporary politicians apply only metaphorically: to have your hands tied may be a source of strength.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned today: "extremists and state actors already use AI ... to spread disinformation that targets democracies." Disinformation on elections, policies and candidates threatens the integrity of our elections. Truth in political advertising laws can help.

The Australia Institute@australiainstitute.org.au · 3w ago

Over 8,000 NSW residents have already signed our petition for truth in political advertising laws! If we reach 20,000, NSW Parliament will have to debate it! ✍️ Add your name to the call to stop misleading ads in NSW elections! #auspol @browne90.bsky.social

We think of ourselves as larrikins, but Australia has made it much harder for candidates like @countbinface.bsky.social to run in elections -- and that's our loss.

The Point@thepointau.bsky.social · 3w ago

“Australia’s humourlessness and red tape when it comes to running for office only reduces democratic choice – and not just for joke candidates with serious messages.” writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

Over 8,000 NSW residents have already signed our petition for truth in political advertising laws! If we reach 20,000, NSW Parliament will have to debate it! ✍️ Add your name to the call to stop misleading ads in NSW elections! #auspol @browne90.bsky.social

In NSW at the moment, it's perfectly legal to lie in a political ad. And if our petition for truth in political advertising gets 20,000 signatures, it will have to be debated in NSW Parliament! #auspol @browne90.bsky.social

On @thepointau.bsky.social , @benraue.com warns "democracy isn't an optional extra" as local council tries to leave a position vacant for more than two years. Rule change to use countbacks more often could resolve future vacancies. thepoint.com.au/opinions/dem...

Democracy isn’t an optional extra

My attention has been drawn to a story from Kiama Council in southern New South Wales, where the council has attempted to avoid filling a vacancy on the council with more than two years left on the co...

thepoint.com.au

"What we should kind of reflect on is...12 months before the election, Peter Dutton was ahead in the polls." Co-CEO Richard Denniss reflected on the 2025 federal election and what insight it might give for future elections in today's Australia Institute webinar! @richarddenniss.bsky.social #auspol

Join @richarddenniss.bsky.social @amyremeikis.bsky.social in 40 mins for a chat about the historic 2025 election, one year on from Labor's landslide. nb.australiainstitute.org.au/after_the_la...

After the landslide: One year on from the historic 2025 election

nb.australiainstitute.org.au

Across the country, FOI laws play an important role in Australian democracy, allowing the public to access information about the governments that represent them. Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

Senator Jacqui Lambie calls it Labor's “second assault on FOI” -- Govt threatens @mrrexpatrick.bsky.social with $150k bill if he defends his freedom of information win. thepoint.com.au/new/260706-c...

Crossbenchers accuse Albanese government of mounting an attack on Australia’s FOI regime

An unlikely alliance of crossbench MPs and senators in federal parliament have accused the Albanese government of mounting an attack on Australia’s freedom of information (FOI) regime, after bureaucra...

thepoint.com.au

Labor's tax reform. Sussan Ley's replacement with Angus Taylor. One Nation's rise. A year is a long time in politics! @amyremeikis.bsky.social and @richarddenniss.bsky.social unpack the 2025 landslide election and what's happened since.

1) You request access to Govt docs to participate in democracy. 2) Govt says “NO”! 3) You seek a Tribunal review and it says “YES”. 4) Govt appeals to a court and demands you pay their legal fees. 5) Independent MPs & senators say “THAT’S NOT OK”! #auspol

Lambie, Hanson and Pocock form unlikely alliance to protect transparency campaigner Rex Patrick

Exclusive: Patrick is using freedom-of-information rules to seek where nuclear waste from Aukus submarines will be kept

theguardian.com

"In NSW, it’s perfectly legal to lie in a political ad. That has politicians and citizens rightfully worried about whether the March election could be marred by misinformation and deceit" writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

Bizarre for Angus Taylor to claim Australia has "imported" ideology from the West Coast of the US, apparently of "not putting [fires] out". Famously, Californian (and other US) firefighters and Australian ones regularly cooperate to fight fires! www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

Taylor rejects claim he gave rural firefighters a ‘kick in the guts’ with bushfire comments

Angus Taylor claimed bureaucrats let catastrophic 2003 fires rip. That narrative has been rejected by the man who led the containment effort, who also demanded an apology.

smh.com.au

I’m the large correspondent

Crikey@crikey.com.au · last mo.

"Either knowingly or through ignorance, Services Australia has been failing for years to process social security payments and benefits across 93 separate matters," writes Crikey's correspondent-at-large Rick Morton. www.crikey.com.au/2026/06/30/s...

The Senate has backed our push for transparency in NACC appointments. The Attorney-General must release all documentation on candidates, and the committee will interview them directly. A corruption watchdog needs to be chosen in the open (only Labor opposing this!)

Here are six times when politicians paid the price for pursuing short-term self-interest - from Senate shenanigans to Liberal and One Nation pre-selection woes. Read the full piece by @browne90.bsky.social on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

It's absolutely absurd, btw, that it fell to a group of private citizens relying on public donations to scrutinise the most expensive defence acquisition in the nation's history. You'd think this is something our elected representatives wd do.

Nick Feik@nickfeik.bsky.social · last mo.

A new public inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal is providing much-needed scrutiny, and revealing some troubling details about it. I spoke with commissioner Peter Garrett about it on @3rrrfm.bsky.social

Liberal review called for engagement with multicultural groups, broadening support base. “The Party’s capacity to thoughtlessly offend groups, including the Chinese, was a widespread problem.” A few months on, Angus Taylor can barely bring himself to say "multiculturalism".

I am absolutely fine my lovelies - but if you are a journalist doing your job these days, more fuckers than usual are sniveling around in the dirt looking for ways to try & shame or silence you. This is happening more than people realise and should be called out www.deepcutnews.com/p/political-...

Political operatives are trying to intimidate me. It's not going to work – Amy Remeikis

Being an outspoken and critical female journalist often draws unwanted attention

deepcutnews.com