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Irene C

@irene-knows

Proud Victorian. Climate, social justice and democracy. I’m a listener, not a talker. Yes23

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Latest posts by Irene C @irene-knows

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Petition: Launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS

The AUKUS deal will cost taxpayers at least $368bn to build nuclear submarines for the U.S. with zero guarantee of a single submarine for Australia. Join me in signing the @australiainstitute.org.au petition demanding more scrutiny nb.australiainstitute.org.au/aukus_parlia...

17.01.2026 13:41 👍 54 🔁 36 💬 3 📌 2

Are you surprised at how much political clout Zionists have in Australia?

15.01.2026 06:08 👍 104 🔁 15 💬 44 📌 2
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If the Government's top priority is productivity, slashing the CSIRO budget does not make sense Research and development is one of the major drivers of productivity and the CSIRO has a long track record of making productivity enhancing breakthroughs.

Budgets are about priorities. The idea is to tax things you want less of & subsidise things you want more of

In Australia we spend $14 billion per year on fossil fuel subsidies & we are cutting science jobs at CSIRO…

As i said, budgets are about priorities #climate

thepoint.com.au/news/251127-...

27.11.2025 20:37 👍 269 🔁 131 💬 16 📌 6

We all understand by now that, in a country like Australia, poverty and homelessness are government policy. Our governments CHOOSE suffering for a certain portion of our population.

Time we stopped accepting that.

#auspol

30.10.2025 04:20 👍 8 🔁 5 💬 2 📌 0
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Rising heat kills one person a minute worldwide, major report reveals Biggest analysis of its kind finds millions are dying each year because of failure to tackle climate crisis

The story of the climate crisis told in two numbers: $2.5 billion a day in direct subsidies to fossil fuels companies. 1440 deaths per day from extreme heat.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

29.10.2025 11:30 👍 180 🔁 121 💬 6 📌 10
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Michael Wolff vs. Melania Trump: See you (and your husband) in court.

22.10.2025 19:04 👍 817 🔁 375 💬 94 📌 61
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‘Prince Andrew believed having sex with me was his birthright’: Virginia Giuffre on her abuse at the hands of Epstein, Maxwell and the king’s brother — Guardian Australia In an extract from her posthumous memoir, Virginia Roberts Giuffre remembers the day an ‘apex predator’ recruited her from Mar-a-Lago, aged just 16; how she was trafficked to a succession of wealthy a...

‘Prince Andrew believed having sex with me was his birthright’: Virginia Giuffre on her abuse at the hands of Epstein, Maxwell and the king’s brother

apple.news/Aq280wRpqRDq...

15.10.2025 22:05 👍 9 🔁 9 💬 0 📌 0
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Billionaire Hands off Public Policy! Tesla's chair is in charge of our tech future - but it should be us shaping policy

A Tesla executive is leading Australia’s R&D review. That’s not OK. Public roles should serve the people – not billionaires. Add your name to demand Denholm’s resignation and new integrity laws: getup.to/D9NAYIdCx1BFl

15.10.2025 06:30 👍 6 🔁 4 💬 2 📌 0
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ABC’s John Lyons has slammed Israel for wiping out an average of 28 children in Gaza “Every Day. Week in, week out, month in, month out”

Lyons “There are on avg. a classroom of Palestinian children in Gaza today, who this time tomorrow will be killed by an Israeli bomb”😳 #Abc

23.09.2025 02:39 👍 256 🔁 178 💬 15 📌 8
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Charlie Kirk died in the America he wanted I mourn the loss of human life. I feel compassion, empathy and grief at an inexcusable killing. But I find nothing to lionise in his legacy.

Given this is making some waves - here is the piece and you can judge for yourself.

(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).

Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax

amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...

15.09.2025 01:07 👍 724 🔁 216 💬 62 📌 21
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George Pell raped, groped two boys in Ballarat, compensation scheme decides Two men were compensated after the National Redress Scheme accepted they were abused as boys by the late Cardinal George Pell in Ballarat in the 1970s.

A few people have been asking. There is a much shorter version of my The Monthly #Pell piece on ABC online here:

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01...

04.09.2025 21:46 👍 156 🔁 85 💬 10 📌 6
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Mark Dreyfus has called out Tim Wilson’s nasty & intimidatory electoral campaign in #Goldstein which included incidents of abuse, harassment, even death threats. Dreyfus credits Zoe Daniel & says, unlike Wilson, her campaign was one of integrity.
Shame on you Wilson. #auspol

28.08.2025 03:43 👍 348 🔁 143 💬 34 📌 11

No

I'm not racist. I don't care if Israel is run by Catholics or the Archangel Gabriel

Israel is a terrorist state that starves children, deliberately bombs hospitals and burns people alive in refugee tents

It's a disgusting excuse for a nation and your religion has nothing to do with my disgust

27.08.2025 10:09 👍 562 🔁 127 💬 26 📌 5

I work as an elder and hospice caregiver, which I am oddly passionate about. I can love on them shamelessly and no one complains about my codependence. It's a win-win situation. 

Many of my caregiving colleagues complain about the repetitive questions and, sometimes reactions, of the elderly, especially when those patients happen to read the newspaper, especially with the current downward spiral of our country — as if these people haven't lived through enough horror...

I love my dementia peeps, but sometimes wonder if there's a Guinness Book World Record for how many times an hour a dementia patient can repeat the same question — it's got to be in the hundreds. At least with small children, they ask different questions. Dementia patients will get stuck on one short question and ask it until you can interrupt their train(carousel) of thought and successfully redirect their attention. That carousel is pretty manic sometimes. 

A couple days ago, I picked up my mail from the post office and drove over to the nursing home to take (let's call her "Miss Daisy") Miss Daisy out for a drive. Before we took off on our road trip, to the end of The Road and back, in our landlocked little town (Juneau, Alaska), I set my copy of The Onion down in front of her. 

Over our two-hour excursion, tiny Miss Daisy read that front page at least a dozen times and each time she would snicker, giggle, and guffaw, then put it down on the dash board and, a minute later, discover it anew. I think it was the best afternoon of my life. We don't often hear them laugh and when they do, it's the sweetest thing you've ever heard. 

...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the really important work all of you do. You make the world a better place.

I work as an elder and hospice caregiver, which I am oddly passionate about. I can love on them shamelessly and no one complains about my codependence. It's a win-win situation. Many of my caregiving colleagues complain about the repetitive questions and, sometimes reactions, of the elderly, especially when those patients happen to read the newspaper, especially with the current downward spiral of our country — as if these people haven't lived through enough horror... I love my dementia peeps, but sometimes wonder if there's a Guinness Book World Record for how many times an hour a dementia patient can repeat the same question — it's got to be in the hundreds. At least with small children, they ask different questions. Dementia patients will get stuck on one short question and ask it until you can interrupt their train(carousel) of thought and successfully redirect their attention. That carousel is pretty manic sometimes. A couple days ago, I picked up my mail from the post office and drove over to the nursing home to take (let's call her "Miss Daisy") Miss Daisy out for a drive. Before we took off on our road trip, to the end of The Road and back, in our landlocked little town (Juneau, Alaska), I set my copy of The Onion down in front of her. Over our two-hour excursion, tiny Miss Daisy read that front page at least a dozen times and each time she would snicker, giggle, and guffaw, then put it down on the dash board and, a minute later, discover it anew. I think it was the best afternoon of my life. We don't often hear them laugh and when they do, it's the sweetest thing you've ever heard. ... Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the really important work all of you do. You make the world a better place.

I got permission to share this, and I'm extremely grateful for that.

The Onion got this letter from one of our subscribers in Alaska. She works with dementia patients and decided to leave a copy in the car for each one.

This email made my year. Read it and you'll see what I mean. People are good.

01.07.2025 18:46 👍 37394 🔁 6839 💬 644 📌 508

None of this is normal

www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...

21.06.2025 23:05 👍 188 🔁 50 💬 7 📌 4
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Raf Epstein rips into “friends & colleagues” in the media for not asking “whether or not what Israel is doing is illegal” in Iran & “not even asking questions about what the intelligence is”
Phil Coorey “I don’t think they care”
Epstein “But that’s the problem!”💥 #ABCInsiders

21.06.2025 23:30 👍 595 🔁 219 💬 24 📌 18
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"Bombing a hospital is a war crime and an act of terrorism."
– Israeli Health Minister Uriel Buso

ISRAEL bombed:
36 hospitals in Gaza
40 hospitals in Lebanon
3 hospitals in Iran
The hypocrisy is obscene. 😠
#IsraeliWarCrimes #GazaGenocide #IStandWithIran

19.06.2025 21:14 👍 389 🔁 175 💬 21 📌 19
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Wealthy Australians are worried we might realise how rigged the system is in their favour | Greg Jericho The discussions around the absurdly small changes to tax on superannuation should be the start to addressing the growing wealth inequality in this country

Wealthy Australians are worried we might realise how rigged the system is in their favour.

www.theguardian.com/business/gro...

12.06.2025 02:58 👍 121 🔁 47 💬 5 📌 0
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The US is reviewing whether to scrap AUKUS while Australia has just handed them an $800 million AUKUS tribute payment. What a nation of suckers! We’re locked into a $375b deal that our “partner” might walk away from. It’s time for Parlt to launch a full inquiry into this dud deal

11.06.2025 21:25 👍 228 🔁 78 💬 21 📌 7
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Pentagon opens review into AUKUS to ensure it fits 'America First' agenda The Pentagon is reviewing the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the UK and the US to ensure it meets Donald Trump's "America First" agenda, a US defence official tells the ABC.

“It is understandable that a new US administration would want to review its approach to #AUKUS, just as the UK did last year"

So how TF can Australia continue with such a massive commitment, made by #ScottyFromMarketing, with *no* review?

Albo must answer. #auspol
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

11.06.2025 20:58 👍 15 🔁 10 💬 1 📌 0
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Greta Thunberg and other human rights defenders have been kidnapped by Israel on international waters. The aid they were delivering to Gaza that includes baby formula & medical supplies has been stolen. The ship Madleen was attacked with drones & will be forced to port at Ashdod Port. #3E #FreeGaza

09.06.2025 01:42 👍 4472 🔁 2214 💬 159 📌 155
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Credit where it’s due: Scott Galloway cooked here

05.06.2025 02:08 👍 5152 🔁 1757 💬 277 📌 302
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Please listen to the UN General Secretary.

02.06.2025 21:31 👍 11027 🔁 4070 💬 455 📌 195
There is one place, however, where Musk, with the help of his minions, achieved his goals. He did indeed shred U.S.A.I.D. Though a rump operation is now operating inside the State Department, the administration says that it has terminated more than 80 percent of U.S.A.I.D. grants. Brooke Nichols, an associate professor of global health at Boston University, has estimated that these cuts have already resulted in about 300,000 deaths, most of them of children, and will most likely lead to significantly more by the end of the year. That is what Musk’s foray into politics accomplished.

There is one place, however, where Musk, with the help of his minions, achieved his goals. He did indeed shred U.S.A.I.D. Though a rump operation is now operating inside the State Department, the administration says that it has terminated more than 80 percent of U.S.A.I.D. grants. Brooke Nichols, an associate professor of global health at Boston University, has estimated that these cuts have already resulted in about 300,000 deaths, most of them of children, and will most likely lead to significantly more by the end of the year. That is what Musk’s foray into politics accomplished.

Musk should be asked about this in every interview he does now and forever. To ignore it is a dereliction of duty.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/o...

30.05.2025 16:20 👍 39809 🔁 13845 💬 1265 📌 820
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"Approval of the North West Shelf extension would be easily one of the worst decisions ever made by an Environment Minister in Australia's history," said @grogsgamut.bsky.social.

28.05.2025 06:43 👍 835 🔁 411 💬 31 📌 43
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Larissa Waters has called out the hypocrisy of Woodside’s “very well paid, wealthy fossil fuel Executive” Meg O'Neill for being the “head of a massive, dirty gas company” & having the nerve to accuse young ppl’s online purchases of causing the climate crisis🙄 #abc

27.05.2025 06:56 👍 707 🔁 222 💬 18 📌 15
How Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News controls the Liberal Party as told by a Liberal insider
How Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News controls the Liberal Party as told by a Liberal insider YouTube video by Kangaroo Court of Australia

How Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News controls the Liberal Party as told by a Liberal insider www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D07...

26.05.2025 05:24 👍 9 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
Indigenous and SSI flags

Indigenous and SSI flags

National Sorry Day.❤️🖤💛

I am sorry for my ancestors crimes against the First Australians.

And eternally grateful Peter Dutton doesn’t have the platform anymore to walk out on this redress once again

#Auspol
#NationalSorryDay 🇦🇺

25.05.2025 22:36 👍 74 🔁 15 💬 0 📌 0
Assuming it is $3.1 million, with the $80,000 pension payment it becomes $3.18 million. If your balance on June 30, 2026, is greater than $3 million (say $3.1 million) then Division 296 tax will count a balance of $3.18 million in its calculations even if your balance at the start of the year was less than $3 million (in your case $2 million)

One aspect of Division 296 tax where you have a greater than $3 million balance at the end of the year but a balance of less than $3 million at the start is that it will be calculated as if your year started with a $3 million balance.

When determining your super earnings for Division 296 tax purposes you add together your year-end balance with pension payments and then deduct your balance at the start of the year from this. That’s $3.1 million plus $80,000 less $3 million. This will give you total super earnings for Division 296 purposes of $180,000.

Despite the large increase in your fund from $2 million to $3.1 million, your Division 296 liability will be significantly less given it won’t include the increase in your total super below the $3 million threshold. The 15 per cent tax will only apply to the percentage that $180,000 represents of $3.18 million or 5.66 per cent.

While 15 per cent of $180,000 is $27,000, 5.66 per cent of this results in a Division 296 tax liability of $1528.

This assumes there is no change in the proposed tax when – and if – it finally becomes law.

Assuming it is $3.1 million, with the $80,000 pension payment it becomes $3.18 million. If your balance on June 30, 2026, is greater than $3 million (say $3.1 million) then Division 296 tax will count a balance of $3.18 million in its calculations even if your balance at the start of the year was less than $3 million (in your case $2 million) One aspect of Division 296 tax where you have a greater than $3 million balance at the end of the year but a balance of less than $3 million at the start is that it will be calculated as if your year started with a $3 million balance. When determining your super earnings for Division 296 tax purposes you add together your year-end balance with pension payments and then deduct your balance at the start of the year from this. That’s $3.1 million plus $80,000 less $3 million. This will give you total super earnings for Division 296 purposes of $180,000. Despite the large increase in your fund from $2 million to $3.1 million, your Division 296 liability will be significantly less given it won’t include the increase in your total super below the $3 million threshold. The 15 per cent tax will only apply to the percentage that $180,000 represents of $3.18 million or 5.66 per cent. While 15 per cent of $180,000 is $27,000, 5.66 per cent of this results in a Division 296 tax liability of $1528. This assumes there is no change in the proposed tax when – and if – it finally becomes law.

Hilariously, the AFR is showing just how absurd is the scare campaign against the super tax changes.

They give an eg where someone's super goes from $2m to $3.18m in a year!

Yep a $1.18m increase.

How much extra tax?

$1,528!

OMG!! THAT'S OUTRAG... err... oh actually that's bugger all

23.05.2025 00:04 👍 567 🔁 246 💬 41 📌 10
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The Murujuga rock art is one of Australia's most priceless heritage sites.

And it's being slowly destroyed.

If Environment Minister Murray Watt approves the 50 year extension to the North West Shelf, it will be a death sentence for Murujuga.

#savemurujuga #auspol @elinorjohnstonleek.bsky.social

22.05.2025 06:55 👍 500 🔁 288 💬 16 📌 25