Michelle Fahy

Petition: Overhaul Australia’s outdated federal lobbying laws Working together for a fairer democracy

AHOY! Petition to overhaul Australia’s federal lobbying laws. Asks:

Lobbying definition to cover ‘in-house’ corporate lobbyists

Make ministerial diaries public

Extend ‘cooling off’ period & stop revolving door b/w govt & industry

Independent regulator

australiandemocracy.org.au/petition-lob...

Petition: Overhaul Australia’s outdated federal lobbying laws Working together for a fairer democracy

AHOY! Petition to overhaul Australia’s federal lobbying laws. Asks:

Lobbying definition to cover ‘in-house’ corporate lobbyists

Make ministerial diaries public

Extend ‘cooling off’ period & stop revolving door b/w govt & industry

Independent regulator

australiandemocracy.org.au/petition-lob...

Australia’s shameless support for the US attack on Iran makes us gullible, duplicitous, or both | Allan Behm For Anthony Albanese – as well as Mark Carney and Keir Starmer – to go along with Trump and Netanyahu’s cynical ploy negates any sense of moral authority we possess – a catastrophe for the rules-based...

Allan Behm takes a blowtorch to govt BS

"For a country that is constantly trumpeting the essentiality of the international rules-based order in preserving global peace and stability, Australia is shameless in its ability to slide into the American slipstream."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

As the Administration Launches Strikes Against Iran, Congress Must Reclaim Its Constitutional War Powers Only Congress can declare war — Trump’s military actions in Iran are illegal

The US Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to declare war.
Trump's attack on Iran, conducted without congressional approval, is yet another flagrant abuse of power.
The US Constitution requires the people’s representatives to make these decisions.
www.pogo.org/press-center...

Deputy chief of army warns ADF has become 'detached' from violent nature of war Major General Chris Smith delivered an excoriating address to a major conference last year, declaring "managerial and advertising logic and double speak" had "polluted" the military.

Deputy Chief of Army Major General Chris Smith has attacked the "unavoidable creep of managerial speak" within the Aust Defence Force.

He says failure to speak directly about the reality of war's "violent nature" is a sign of "something rotten" within the profession

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Australia acquires long-lead items for AUKUS submarines - Australian Defence Magazine The Government has announced a $310 million payment for the acquisition of long‑lead items from the United Kingdom to support Australia’s future sovereign conventionally‑armed, nuclear‑powered submari...

“This [$310m] will directly support the manufacture of critical components for [the] nuclear‑powered submarines... incl the nuclear propulsion systems...
Under AUKUS, the UK will deliver complete welded nuclear propulsion systems for [the] Aust‑built subs
www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/au...

AUKUS concerns brushed aside as SA's mass job opps revealed - News | InDaily, Inside South Australia The gigantic scale of construction to build and maintain AUKUS submarines has been revealed with the government on the hook for billions in coming decades.

Never trust a politician - or an arms company - when they need to focus on a comparatively meagre number of jobs to justify tens of billions of $$$ for weapons.

Claims about new weapons-making jobs are rubbery, routinely inflated, and never verified afterwards

www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in...

Independent inquiry launched into NACC chief's handling of defence ties The body responsible for holding the federal integrity watchdog to account will formally investigate it for agency maladministration and its chief, Paul Brereton, for officer misconduct.

NACC Inspector decided that information she's examined from NACC warrants agency maladministration/officer misconduct investigation

NACC boss was found to have engaged in "officer misconduct" re Robodebt conflict. Now he'll be investigated again re defence conflicts

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Former attorney-general warned anti-corruption chief over conflicts A letter from Mark Dreyfus to Paul Brereton provides new insight into the expectations set for the inaugural chief of the anti-corruption watchdog.

Former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus warned Paul Brereton he would need to "actively manage" or "ideally, avoid" any perceived conflicts of interest related to defence, ahead of him taking on the role of national anti-corruption commissioner.

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Judge criticises Abbott's 'misconceived' comments over harbour bridge protest The former prime minister said it should not be for judges to decide when a political protest was justified, which are remarks NSW's top judge called "regrettable".

Chief Justice Bell said...attacks that betrayed an "ignorance" of the law and the judge's reasoning...were a form of misinformation that undermined trust in the judiciary and the rule of law...
"That is regrettable to say the least. Some might call it irresponsible."

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Wonderful Chris Sidoti is dropping very big truth bombs all over Herzog’s visit on the ABC.

‘It’s a mistake. it’s nuts’
One of the most divisive figures in the world’ #auspol

Corruption body chief asked to explain himself after Defence ties emerged Attorney-General Michelle Rowland asked Paul Brereton to explain why his ongoing ties to Defence had not been "adequately" disclosed in a letter sent last year.

AG Rowland sent NACC boss Brereton 'please explain' letter

Brereton under sustained pressure over Defence links after revelations he continued consulting for Afghanistan War Crimes Inquiry & did so on the NACC's time w/out the knowledge of the NACC or the government

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Unpaywalled here
archive.md/p1G2f

Trump leaves 'door wide open' to nuclear arms race The last remaining nuclear arms pact between the United States and Russia has come to an end at a time of global instability.

Gareth Evans said the New START treaty was the "last remaining legal check" on the size of US & Russian nuclear arsenals

"This is the end of 50 years of effort at nuclear arms control, and it opens the door wide to a new nuclear arms race. It's a terrifying prospect"

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Trump leaves 'door wide open' to nuclear arms race The last remaining nuclear arms pact between the United States and Russia has come to an end at a time of global instability.

Tilman Ruff, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)— 2017 Nobel Peace Prize winner—says the treaty's demise "will bring a definitive & alarming end to nuclear restraint between the two powers"

"It may... accelerate the global nuclear arms race, too"

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Let’s stop pretending AUKUS makes us safer We must have a public independent review of AUKUS. It’s time to consider alternatives that are more cost-effective and in our national interest.

Brilliant summary of the reasons why AUKUS demands an independent public review... Must read.

It's by Dr Margie Beavis, vice president of Medical Association for Prevention of War.

(Paywalled, alas)

www.smh.com.au/national/let...

We have revived our Snapshots!
Lockheed’s new revolving door Aussie CEO; AUKUS 'high probability of failure', top UK expert; business booming in SIPRI Top 100 arms co's; fascinating new doco on investigative journalist Seymour Hersh; & more

CLICK: undueinfluence.substack.com/p/snapshots-...

‘High probability of failure’: Former top official’s dire AUKUS warning The shambolic state of the UK’s submarine service could destroy Australia’s plan to build a fleet of AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines, a retired rear admiral warns.

“It is clear that Australia has shown a great deal of naivety and did not conduct sufficient due diligence on the parlous state of the UK’s nuclear submarine program before signing up to AUKUS - and parting with billions of dollars, which it has already started to do"

www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

Jeremy King to helm Lockheed Martin Australia - Australian Defence Magazine Lockheed Martin has announced that Jeremy King, former head of Joint Aviation Systems for Defence Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, will assume the role of chief executive for Australia an...

Another flagrant flouting of the rule requiring a 12mth gap between a Defence job and a shift into the arms industry

Jeremy King headed Defence's arms buying group's Joint Aviation Systems in December. Now he's CEO of Lockheed Martin Aust #revolvingdoor

www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/je...

After 20 years missing in action, ASIC has found its teeth After 20 years in the wilderness, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's rehabilitation as a law enforcement agency seems almost complete.

Great article by Ian Verrender

Finally, a corporate regulator with an appetite for justice
[A] four-year overhaul...has transformed [ASIC] from its status as missing in action on anything to do with white-collar crime to an active investigative and prosecutorial unit

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Petition: We will not be divided after Bondi.

Add your name:

jewishcouncil.good.do/unity/jewish...

SIGN ✍️ We will not be divided after Bondi Add your name to the Jewish Council petition today

Petition:

Sign in solidarity with Jewish people standing against those exploiting the Bondi massacre to push a divisive agenda.

Petition asks people across Australia to unite against antisemitism, racism & gun violence in the wake of this unthinkable tragedy.

jewishcouncil.good.do/unity/jewish...

The NACC’s exceptional challenge: integrity is not achieved by secrecy, but by trust earned in the light Few issues unite progressive and conservative voters. Ending corruption is one of the few exceptions.

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

Treasurer approves Hanwha's double stake in Australian shipbuilder Jim Chalmers said there will be "strict conditions" on the South Korean defence conglomerate's stake in the strategic shipbuilder, in a nod to the diplomatic and security sensitivities surrounding the...

Albanese Govt approves sale of a further chunk of "sovereign" shipbuilder Austal to South Korean arms-maker Hanwha

In 2024, Hanwha made an unsuccessful takeover bid for Austal. It also opened its first overseas production base in Geelong (Richard Marles' electorate)

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Pentagon review finds areas to put AUKUS on 'strongest possible footing' The review has "identified opportunities to put AUKUS on the strongest possible footing", the Pentagon says. But a congressman who has seen the report says it "fully endorses" the pact.

US review confirms US will continue with AUKUS.

The Pentagon says its review into the AUKUS pact has identified areas to put it on its "strongest possible footing" — but those recommendations have not been released and might never be made public.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Government undertakes major shake up of Defence acquisition - Australian Defence Magazine In what is arguably the biggest reform of the Defence Department in the last 50 years, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the creation of a new procurement agency.

The Aust govt will establish a new Defence Delivery Agency, commencing as the Defence Delivery Group on 1 July 2026 via the merger of the 3 existing arms acquisition divisions.
It will report directly to the Defence Minister and Defence Industry Minister.
www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/go...

Calls for Australia F-35 review as US approves jets for Saudi Arabia The US approval of F-35 sales to Saudi Arabia sparks concerns among human rights groups in Australia, which provides parts and components to build and maintain the fighter jets.

Donald Rothwell, professor of international law at Australian National University, said the Albanese government's arguments that the US controlled F-35 parts did not absolve Australia of its legal responsibilities.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

Life as a Home Affairs whistleblower Four years ago, Home Affairs assistant secretary Derek Elias attempted to report corruption in offshore contracts – the government's response has left him unwell and in financial turmoil.

FEIK: "Despite the growing number of allegations involving massive corruption in Australia’s offshore detention regime, there are still few signs that the government or any of its authorities will seriously investigate them."

nickfeik.substack.com/p/life-as-a-...

It doesn't look like a press club

It looks like a corporate big money club.

#auspol

National anti-corruption chief steps away from all defence investigations The head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission will step away from all defence-related corruption referrals following questions over his handling of perceived conflicts of interest.

Almost $1m a year in salary - recused from Robodebt, now recused from ALL defence investigations (which would be amongst the most complex, long-running, and high value investigations the NACC undertakes), yet still NACC boss Paul Brereton clings on....
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...