adult surprised executive man using computer beside ethnic colleague in open space office

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Stuart Robert’s robust defence of Robodebt, has gone missing in the Royal Commission. He was the responsible minister, and told the enquiry that they made him do it. Apparently, he had to robustly defend an illegal scheme because, as a cabinet minister in the government he had to toe the government line. Lying was his duty in this instance, even though, personally he had great reservations about the legality of the scheme. Pull the other one Stu! Oh how I love to see these fine Australians standing up and taking responsibility for their actions, which caused untold damage to people’s lives and cost the nation billions in the end.Continue Reading

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The rise of cybercrime: The widening gap between rich and poor is in direct correlation. We have been warned that the continuing divide and expanding inequality within our societies will spawn a violent breakdown of law and order. The proliferation of scams and identity theft is the forerunner of this societal upheaval. Scammers and hackers depend upon there being plenty of dissatisfied folk ready to cross the line to better their lot. If we continue to allow the wealthy to feather their nests, at the expense of the majority, via manipulation of our democratic governments things are only going to get worse.Continue Reading

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flag of australia

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Australia has been locked into a cycle of inaction around the major issues facing the nation. Manipulation of the political system by vested interests on climate change and inequality has seen little progress achieved on these important matters affecting the nation. Conflicts of interest in Australia are entrenched within media and government. A lack of transparency around political influence within the two party preferred system remains the elephant in the room. On top of this, the loudest voice in the room via media interest is the Murdoch news organisation with its monopoly of newspapers across the land. Murdoch is a rabid right wing media mogul, as seen by the content on his Fox News and Sky News Australia TV networks. Objective coverage of the news is so far from what viewers get via the Murdoch press it would be laughable if it wasn’t such a serious concern for the country.Continue Reading

paper map of australia placed on wall Stuart Roberts robust defence of Robodebt

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We are living at a time of rapidly rising costs of living driven by spiking inflation and its consequent interest rate increases. The economy is like a dog chasing its own tail right now. Those many Australians who live on the wrong side of the poverty line are sinking further into dire financial trouble. It is in light of these circumstances that it is important to have an understanding of the Wellbeing Budget. Conservatives have derided the concept as branded by hippy yippy fringe concerns and un-Budget like. The Budget, in their eyes, should be about cold, hard economic facts with no room for sentiment. The woman that the hard right despises most, Jacinta Ardern the NZ prime minister, has had a wellbeing Budget and that is proof of its unsuitability for them. Continue Reading

person about to catch four dices

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I have been approached by someone working for a digital marketing company to write an article about a sport of my choice. Yes, they will pay me reasonably generously according to the marketing representative. Further investigation revealed that it is part of a campaign funded by a gambling entity. What a surprise! Gambling and all things sport have become as close as close can be. Indeed, gambling companies are heavily invested in this symbiotic relationship. Gambling feasting on sports mad Australia. Sporting events have always been gambled upon by those who think they can afford to do so. In Ancient Roman times, the circus and gladiatorial arenas were fiercely bet on by punters seeking to back the winning chariot or fighter. Continue Reading

textile australian flag with crumples

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We have record low wage growth in Australia because governments have been enacting this outcome via policies specifically designed to achieve this. The Fraser and Howard governments in the 1970s and 1990s ramped up the pressure by banning industrial action by unions and attacking their membership through non-union agreements. Unions were made out to be the bad guys in continuous attacks on their character in the public eye. The Abbott and Turnbull governments created anti-union organisations like the Australian Building and Construction Commission and the Registered Organisations Commission. Coalition governments have over several decades broken the effective power and influence of the union movement. Why do we have record low wage growth in Australia? Conservatively minded government policies have designed it this way.Continue Reading