The Point

On @thepointau.bsky.social live blog, Jack Thrower explains what media gets wrong on protests:

A protest is not just an expression of opinion (unlike an op-ed): it is a political tactic aimed at achieving a political objective (a change to government policy). live.thepoint.com.au/2026/01/the-...

Why your Spotify Wrapped probably doesn’t have any new Australian music on it If you don't have Australian artists on your Spotify Wrapped, you're not alone - it's the result of a structural, not individual, problem.

It’s no accident that foreign streaming services do little to promote Australian music and podcasts to Australians…and it’s no accident that our governments have chosen not to do more to fix it. Local content matters more in the digital age than ever

thepoint.com.au/news/251204-...

Why your Spotify Wrapped probably doesn’t have any new Australian music on it If you don't have Australian artists on your Spotify Wrapped, you're not alone - it's the result of a structural, not individual, problem.

Didn't have many Australian artists on your Spotify Wrapped? You're not alone- and it's the result of a structural, not individual, problem. thepoint.com.au/news/251204-...

Victoria changes 'unconstitutional' donation laws amid court challenge A financial election advantage for the three biggest Victorian political parties will be removed in the face of a High Court challenge that has argued the state's donation laws are unconstitutional.

Last week on @thepointau.bsky.social I IDed five ways to strengthen democracy in Victoria.

Labor Govt has been forced to move a little on one of these already: making political donation laws more fair.

Thanks to High Court challenge on political speech grounds.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Upper houses have saved governments, and with Tas stadium vote they might do it again Sometimes, the best thing that can happen to a government is to lose a vote in Parliament. Doing so allows a government say, hand-on-heart, that it did everything that it could to fulfill its promises...

Sometimes, the best thing that can happen to a govt is to lose a vote -- sparing that govt from the disastrous consequences of its promises.

From me on @thepointau.bsky.social

thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

Will Labor’s changes make it easier for governments to flout freedom of information laws? The claim comes from Kerry O’Brien’s speech at the Walkleys, where he criticised the Albanese Government for not living up to the benchmarks they set while in opposition,

Kerry O'Brien's warning that Labor wants to make it easier for govts to flout freedom of information laws confirmed.

Fact check for @thepointau.bsky.social by @skyelark.bsky.social
thepoint.com.au/factchecks/2...

The value humans place in intellect at the expense of other forms of intelligence Humans are bad at valuing the things we are not good at. We bundle our strengths together and call them intelligence, then say that intelligence is the best thing to have. And we valorise sight above ...

Extract from Jane Rawson’s wonderful book

thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

The devil is in the devolution: are the states mounting an EPBC takeover? Speaking to the press after passage of amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act last Thursday, Western Australian Premier, Roger Cook, indicated that he expect...

Great piece on new env laws. Key point on more powers to states:

"Smaller govs in particular, such as the ACT and the NT, often struggle to properly enforce their own environmental laws."

By @kirstyhowey.bsky.social & Simon Copland in @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

The devil is in the devolution: are the states mounting an EPBC takeover? Speaking to the press after passage of amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act last Thursday, Western Australian Premier, Roger Cook, indicated that he expect...

The devil is in the devolution: are the states mounting an EPBC takeover?

New from Simon Copland and @kirstyhowey.bsky.social: thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

'The good has become the enemy of better’: why the Senate refused to accept Labor’s first EPBC draft 'Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good’ has become the catch-cry of proud 'centrists' in Australia. But it’s time we admitted that the good has become the enemy of better.

'Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good’ has become the catch-cry of proud 'centrists' in Australia.

But it’s time we admitted that the good has become the enemy of better…my piece in the weekend edition of @thepointau.bsky.social

thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

Five ways to strengthen democracy in Victoria We're one year out from the Victorian state election - policies to strengthen the state's democracy could define next year’s election.

One year out, these five policies to strengthen Victoria's democracy could define next year's state election campaign: new from @browne90.bsky.social on The Point #auspol

thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

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-...

Males (Average daily number) Indigenous Non-indigenous 2022 3,881.7 270.8021887 2023 4,119.4 266.419147 Sep-24 4,454.5 263.0404971 Dec-24 4,518.3 259.3942345 Mar-25 4,652.8 265.7101833 Jun-25 4,715.1 269.4114629 Sep-25 4,717.3 267.8862789

The latest corrective services data is out today, and it points a horrific picture of the systemic racism in our judicial system #PointLive
live.thepoint.com.au

The Point Live: Australia missing emissions targets, Nationals pretend to care Barnaby Joyce's has left the Nationals Australia is way off meeting its emissions targets as the nation records its hottest year ever, while Barnaby Joyce moans about the Nationals leader not begging him to stay in the party as he defects ...

The last question time of the year has begun! Follow along on The Point live blog: live.thepoint.com.au

The Point Live — Daily Updates Stay updated with the latest from The Point.

It's the last day of parliament and I am all out of fucks to give:
Party that refused to properly negotiate on laws now bitching about laws they refused to negotiate properly on live.thepoint.com.au/2025/11/the-...

The Point Live: Labor and Greens to pass environment laws today, Nationals pretend to care about Barnaby Joyce's future Labor wants a political win and wants its environment legislation pushed through, even if it means sitting on Friday to do it, while the Nationals are pretending to care about Barnaby Joyce's potentia...

Absolutely masses of stuff happening today. @amyremeikis.bsky.social and @australiainstitute.org.au team have got you covered #PointLive live.thepoint.com.au

Shockingly bad regulation of #energy system. SA is a particular case in point. We invest in #solar and pay to support continuing extortionate #gas prices. #auspol

The public service is not bloated, and cuts will hurt Australians Two charts that show the context and costs of slashing APS budgets.

The public service is not bloated, and cuts will hurt Australians.

Two charts on The Point from @grogsgamut.bsky.social show the context and costs of slashing APS budgets:
thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...

The Point Live — Daily Updates Stay updated with the latest from The Point.

The Vic Govt has conceded that parts of Vic donation restrictions are unconstitutional because they give major parties an unfair advantage.

But what are the implications, for Victoria and elsewhere in Aus?

I explain on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog.
live.thepoint.com.au/2025/11/the-...

Australia’s big climate win – stopping Korean coal mines One of the big announcements at last week’s UN climate talks in Brazil was that the South Korean Government has committed to phasing out coal-fired power by 2040.

Korean-owned coal mines were stopped in NSW by local groups.

Korea is now phasing out coal.

This is why stopping coal and gas projects in Australia is so important! IT WORKS!!

My piece on @thepointau.bsky.social
thepoint.com.au/news/251126-...

Australia was in the BELEM DECLARATION ON THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS for about 24 hours, before its Prime Minister declared that you need to extract more gas to help the transition away from fossil fuels.

Enjoy my latest for @thepointau.bsky.social :)

thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

How Australian democracy has changed since 1975, in six charts 50 years on from the Dismissal, how has Australian democracy changed? Here are six ways that Australian politics looks very different to when Gough Whitlam was PM in November 1975.

"How Australian democracy has changed since 1975, in six charts" @browne90.bsky.social #OffTheCharts #ThePoint

thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...

What Australia can learn from the US about money in politics Zohran Mamdani’s successful campaign benefited greatly from New York’s funding innovations.

Australia should take many lessons from Mamdani's incredible victory, including learning from America on how to handle money in politics (yes, really)

New from me on @thepointau.bsky.social 👇
thepoint.com.au/news/251108-...

Copyright is dead. When it comes to AI my property has been stolen all the same The point.com.au

@marquelawyers.com.au with a take you need to read on copyright and AI on @thepointau.bsky.social

Serving on a citizens’ jury taught me the value of politicians Politics cannot be fixed by removing the politicians. Instead, Australians could ask more of the politicians they do elect and participate fully in civic life – protesting, joining political parties o...

Politics cannot be fixed by removing the politicians.

Reflections on citizens' juries and "mini-publics" from my time as a citizens' juror.

On @thepointau.bsky.social
thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

From culture wars to AI disruption, universities face a reckoning over their role in society High fees, student dissatisfaction and repeated governance issues dominating the headlines have fuelled an intense political climate for universities. Well before President Donald Trump was re-elected...

Universities have played a central role in democracies…but then we started trying to run them like businesses…Great piece by the VC of University of Western Sydney, Prof George Williams in @thepointau.bsky.social

thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

Australia Institute Live — Daily Updates Stay updated with the latest from The Australia Institute.

The Senate is more powerful than prime ministers like to admit, and last week we saw why that matters --

If clash over govt secrecy escalates, Labor may inspire Libs, Nats to question Senate customs that benefit govt.

@thepointau.bsky.social live blog:

live.thepoint.com.au/2025/11/the-...

Question Time: Ted O'Brien finds another rake to step on, explained in 3 charts The Shadow Treasurer, who you would think would have an easy day given the RBA decided not to cut interest rates, unfortunately keeps finding a rake to step on.

. @grogsgamut.bsky.social on how Ted O'Brien finds another rake to step on in QT , explained in 3 charts

#auspol

The Point Live: Ley expected to follow Nationals on net zero to extend leadership Last night the consensus from the Liberal party was that Sussan Ley would cave to the Nationals pressure and join them in dumping net zero in a bid to buy her leadership some more time, but some in th...

"Under the current laws, if you are under 18 and work less than 30 hours, you are not eligible for superannuation. The Greens wanted to have them included, but the major parties voted it down."
live.thepoint.com.au

Australia Last? Australia’s Resources Minister puts Japan ahead of Australians on gas and electricity prices Despite our enormous energy reserves, Australians households are paying higher prices for electricity than Japanese consumers according to new analysis released today by the Australia Institute.

Despite our enormous energy reserves, Australians households are paying higher prices for electricity than Japanese consumers according to new analysis released today by @australiainstitute.org.au #auspol