The state v Friendly terror suspect: Google, Facebook, 2SM dragged in to Barilaro affair
Dan Andrews is okay as Dictator Dan but not John Barilaro as Benito Mussolini. The attack by the NSW government on its critic Friendly Jordies has escalated as Google and Facebook moved to remove parody images of Deputy Premier Barilaro. Callum Foote reports.
TV networks join Netflix crusade against Australian arts and screen content
The TV networks have joined Netflix to oppose local TV content quotas. It’s too expensive, they say. Yet the local arts and screen sector says the industry which employs 200,000 Australians would be devastated. Elizabeth Minter reports on a crucial decision for Communications Minister Paul Fletcher.
Stephanie Tran’s Walkley Nomination
We are excited that Stephanie Tran is one of three nominees for Student Journalist of the Year in the Walkley's 2021 Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism. Stephanie's story, “State Capture: top corporations identified as members of both Liberal and Labor parties”, was a...
“Unspecified” political donations: What’s the Scam?
Privatising the ABC: What’s the Scam?
VicForests: What’s the Scam?
PEP11: What’s the scam?
Booking.com: What’s the Scam?
Australia/UK Free Trade Agreement: What’s the Scam?
Paddy Power: What’s the Scam?
Facebook: What’s the Scam?
Angus Taylor’s oil hand-outs: What’s the Scam?
Lendlease: What’s the Scam?
Chevron: What’s the Scam?
Shell: What’s the Scam?
EnergyAustralia: What’s the Scam?
Netflix: What’s the Scam?
Google: What’s the Scam?
RBA lets it rip: are Australia’s home loan rates finally going to rise?
Two big things are happening in the bond market. One, the government is actually borrowing at a profit. Two, there appears to be a quiet plan by the RBA to let bond rates rise and take the heat out of housing. As the banks “printed money” warchest hits $250bn, the central bank has stopped stomping on the key 3-year bond rate. Michael West reports.
Murdoch media, Nine Entertainment, mining lobby, busted for record bullartistry, go into hiding
The Minerals Council of Australia, a foreign-controlled mining lobby, has duped Australia’s major media in an $80bn PR scam by fraudulently claiming more than $72 billion of GST payments to exaggerate contribution of the minerals industry to Australia. As first-year accounting students know, GST payments are rebatable. Media outlets have not done their work. Callum Foote reports.
Governments back privileged in education, public schools bear burden
Nearly half of students at public schools are considered disadvantaged – either living remotely, with a disability, having an Indigenous background or from a low socio-economic background – compared to just 20 per cent at private schools, yet private schools have far more income. Trevor Cobbold reports.
Fossil Fuel Fiesta: Australia’s coal and gas giants get more in subsidies than they pay in royalties
Australia’s fossil fuel miners and drillers may be receiving more in government subsidies than they pay in royalties. An investigation by Callum Foote lifts the lid on the transfer of wealth from the public to foreign-controlled resources companies.
State Capture: top corporations identified as members of both Liberal and Labor parties
Companies which benefit enormously from government policy are also actual members of both the major political parties. A surprising data investigation by Stephanie Tran shows the likes of Woodside, Wesfarmers, PwC and ASX are Platinum members of the Liberal and Labor parties and membership fees are identical.
Holding comedians to account: Nine and News miss John Barilaro, hit Friendlyjordies instead
Once venerable, the Nine Entertainment-owned Fairfax press has sunk to holding comedians to account and protecting corrupt government. Michael Tanner on the rise of vloggers and the stoush between Youtuber Friendlyjordies and the mainstream media.
The state v Friendly terror suspect: Google, Facebook, 2SM dragged in to Barilaro affair
Dan Andrews is okay as Dictator Dan but not John Barilaro as Benito Mussolini. The attack by the NSW government on its critic Friendly Jordies has escalated as Google and Facebook moved to remove parody images of Deputy Premier Barilaro. Callum Foote reports.
“Unspecified” political donations: What’s the Scam?
Privatising the ABC: What’s the Scam?
VicForests: What’s the Scam?
PEP11: What’s the scam?
Booking.com: What’s the Scam?
Australia/UK Free Trade Agreement: What’s the Scam?
Paddy Power: What’s the Scam?
Facebook: What’s the Scam?
Angus Taylor’s oil hand-outs: What’s the Scam?
Lendlease: What’s the Scam?
Chevron: What’s the Scam?
Shell: What’s the Scam?
EnergyAustralia: What’s the Scam?
Netflix: What’s the Scam?
Google: What’s the Scam?
Featured Stories
Fossil Fuel Fiesta: Australia’s coal and gas giants get more in subsidies than they pay in royalties
TV networks join Netflix crusade against Australian arts and screen content
The TV networks have joined Netflix to oppose local TV content quotas. It’s too expensive, they say. Yet the local arts and screen sector says the industry which employs 200,000 Australians would be devastated. Elizabeth Minter reports on a crucial decision for Communications Minister Paul Fletcher.
Stephanie Tran’s Walkley Nomination
We are excited that Stephanie Tran is one of three nominees for Student Journalist of the Year in...
RBA lets it rip: are Australia’s home loan rates finally going to rise?
Two big things are happening in the bond market. One, the government is actually borrowing at a profit. Two, there appears to be a quiet plan by the RBA to let bond rates rise and take the heat out of housing. As the banks “printed money” warchest hits $250bn, the central bank has stopped stomping on the key 3-year bond rate. Michael West reports.
Murdoch media, Nine Entertainment, mining lobby, busted for record bullartistry, go into hiding
The Minerals Council of Australia, a foreign-controlled mining lobby, has duped Australia’s major media in an $80bn PR scam by fraudulently claiming more than $72 billion of GST payments to exaggerate contribution of the minerals industry to Australia. As first-year accounting students know, GST payments are rebatable. Media outlets have not done their work. Callum Foote reports.
Governments back privileged in education, public schools bear burden
Nearly half of students at public schools are considered disadvantaged – either living remotely, with a disability, having an Indigenous background or from a low socio-economic background – compared to just 20 per cent at private schools, yet private schools have far more income. Trevor Cobbold reports.
New $25k Home Buyers Grant Allows Sydney Couple To Put Deposit On Dream Car Parking Space
<!– by The Shovel –> A new $25k ‘Home Buyers Grant’, announced by the NSW Government this week, has enabled young professionals Samantha Green and Elliot Ramshaw to finally put a deposit on the Western Sydney car parking spot of their dreams. “We’re...
Australia Accused Of Human Rights Abuses After Pledging To Send Jacob’s Creek To Britain
<!– by The Shovel –> Australia will send thousands of bottles of $7.95 Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay Sparkling to Britain in what has been described as an unusual and unnecessarily cruel treatment of an ally. Australia said the move was part of a ‘free...
English Backpacker Faces 3 Years In Island Prison After Overstaying Visa By A Day
<!– by The Shovel –> An English backpacker will be sent to Christmas Island and placed in solitary confinement for at least the next two years, after he overstayed his visa by 24 hours. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke confirmed that Josh Somerton, a...
Stuff made up by The Shovel
Tax Haven Weather
Pearls & Irritations
Blink and the boats will restart the Government says. But that is nonsense.
The Government excuses its cruelty to the Biloela family by wrongly asserting that the boats bringing asylum seekers will start again . Over the past 6-7 years, the Government has presided over the...
What actually is the G7? Is it a Western Club?
Climate change was a major theme and Australia was the shag on this rock. Morrison trotted out his usual line about doing what was in Australian interests which will not impress anyone outside of...
Australia’s facile immigration policy debate
Australia’s immigration policy debates over the past 30 years have largely consisted of the usual suspects trotting out the usual lines. They generally divide into two camps – the high migration...
G7 support for pharma monopolies is putting millions of lives at risk
The self-interest of G7 countries is the biggest obstacle to ending the Covid-19 pandemic, a group of campaigning organizations said today. Ahead of the G7 Leaders’ Summit, the People’s Vaccine...
Ageism and the secret to living a long life.
The Archibald is 100 and Peter Wegner has won the 2021 prize for his portrait of 100-year-old artist Guy Warren who commented, “One hundred years is a hell of a lot of experience. I’ve...
Courtesy of John Menadue.
Tax Haven Weather
Propaganda Machine: Deloitte skews fact on economy, media laps it up
Deloitte Access Economics’ claims about Australia’s economic recovery were repeated verbatim by media outlets, even though many of the claims were based on cherrypicked data and mixed verified GDP figures with unverified data in a classic apples with oranges comparison. Alan Austin takes a closer look.
Protection Racket: Digital Media Code a farce as Google and Facebook not “designated”
Google and Facebook are yet to be “designated” under the Digital Media Bargaining Code, leaving the Code a farce rather than the touted “world-first reform”. Pressure on the platforms meant a small transfer of money from them to the old media allies of the Government such as News Corp and Nine but the essential challenge of reforms to the “surveillance capitalism” giants remains unaddressed. Kim Wingerei reports.
Inland Ports, Tricky Politics: Chris Corrigan’s Qube reels in $1.7bn public land sale
Chris Corrigan, golden boy of the Liberal Party, villain of Labor, won a $1.7bn windfall for his company Qube in a Sydney land deal. Luke Stacey investigates the business and politics of the Corrigan deal as Melbourne prepares to announce its own inland port. Taxpayers beware.
Revealed: Australia’s Top 40 Tax Dodgers for 2021
Drumroll … trumpets, red carpet: we are rolling out Australia’s Top 40 Tax Dodgers for 2021. Michael West unveils the villains and the heroes of the tax scene, including new gongs this year for Lifetime Achievement Award and UnAustralian of the Year.
The Usual Suspects: oil and gas majors star in Australian tax heist
Angus Taylor’s rescue package for the oil industry is a testament to governments getting gamed by large corporations. The latest Tax Office transparency data shows oil and gas juggernauts are Australia’s biggest tax cheats, again, yet now they are crying for public subsidies – and getting them – to prop up their oil refineries. Michael West reports on the good and the bad in multinational tax dodging land.
Confession time for Lendlease as Tax Office bears down on humungous tax rort
Nine Entertainment chief Hugh Marks dumped for having sex, Christine Holgate chopped at Australia Post over $20,000 in bonuses. Meanwhile, the top brass at Lendlease, having presided over a $500 million tax scam, nonchalantly say they are “continuing to engage with the ATO and await the finalisation of its draft determination”. Michael West reports.
Stephanie Tran’s Walkley Nomination
We are excited that Stephanie Tran is one of three nominees for Student Journalist of the Year in the Walkley's 2021 Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism. Stephanie's story, “State Capture: top corporations identified as members of both Liberal and Labor parties”, was a...
Tamed Estate: arrest of FriendlyJordies producer attests to dangerous state of democracy
The arrest of a producer of YouTube journalist and comedian FriendlyJordies has disturbing implications for free speech and civil liberties. That a counter-terrorism unit would be sent in to arrest a government critic has eerie parallels to repressive regimes around the world, writes Michael Tanner.
Governments back privileged in education, public schools bear burden
Nearly half of students at public schools are considered disadvantaged – either living remotely, with a disability, having an Indigenous background or from a low socio-economic background – compared to just 20 per cent at private schools, yet private schools have far more income. Trevor Cobbold reports.
PET Project: petrochemical giants exploit recycling to ramp up plastics production
Australians try to do the right thing each week by separating recyclables into colour-coded wheelie bins. Meanwhile, the plastics industry is ramping up production of virgin plastic. Luke Stacey reports.
Regulators ignore marine noise pollution from oil drilling
Noise pollution from drilling for oil and gas offshore devastates marine life, affecting not only food sources but oxygen levels. But neither the federal government nor NOPSEMA, which has environmental responsibility for approving offshore projects, takes such damage into account. Suzanne Arnold reports.
WA Government to Woodside: you scratch our back, we’ll scratch yours even more
From Day one, the WA Labor government has had Woodside’s back. In another case of revolving doors, former WA Labor treasurer Ben Wyatt has just been appointed to Woodside’s board. Peter Milne takes a look at WA Labor’s record in looking after Woodside’s interests.
Landforces’ brothers in arms: how a weapons peddler qualified for charitable status
The Coalition is cracking down on charitable organisations. However, the Australian charity promoting arms deals on behalf of weapons makers that profit from humanitarian catastrophes is unlikely to be in the government’s sights. With the weapons expo LandForces wrapping up in Brisbane this week, Michelle Fahy delves into the charity behind LandForces.
Cache Splash: Australia bucks global trend, ramps up weapons spending
The US and many of its NATO allies are cutting defence spending in preparation for economic reconstruction in a post-Covid world. Not so Australia, which is increasing its spending on expensive weapons that will not deter any potential aggressor in the slightest. Alison Broinowski reports.
Snakes and Ladders: stimulus schemes and debt skew economy as property prices rocket
Are the raft of housing stimulus schemes, low interest rates and relaxed lending rules for banks playing well for new home buyers or playing into the hands of property developers, existing homeowners and bankers? Harry Chemay reports.
Propaganda Machine: Deloitte skews fact on economy, media laps it up
Deloitte Access Economics’ claims about Australia’s economic recovery were repeated verbatim by media outlets, even though many of the claims were based on cherrypicked data and mixed verified GDP figures with unverified data in a classic apples with oranges comparison. Alan Austin takes a closer look.
Protection Racket: Digital Media Code a farce as Google and Facebook not “designated”
Google and Facebook are yet to be “designated” under the Digital Media Bargaining Code, leaving the Code a farce rather than the touted “world-first reform”. Pressure on the platforms meant a small transfer of money from them to the old media allies of the Government such as News Corp and Nine but the essential challenge of reforms to the “surveillance capitalism” giants remains unaddressed. Kim Wingerei reports.
Inland Ports, Tricky Politics: Chris Corrigan’s Qube reels in $1.7bn public land sale
Chris Corrigan, golden boy of the Liberal Party, villain of Labor, won a $1.7bn windfall for his company Qube in a Sydney land deal. Luke Stacey investigates the business and politics of the Corrigan deal as Melbourne prepares to announce its own inland port. Taxpayers beware.
Revealed: Australia’s Top 40 Tax Dodgers for 2021
Drumroll … trumpets, red carpet: we are rolling out Australia’s Top 40 Tax Dodgers for 2021. Michael West unveils the villains and the heroes of the tax scene, including new gongs this year for Lifetime Achievement Award and UnAustralian of the Year.
The Usual Suspects: oil and gas majors star in Australian tax heist
Angus Taylor’s rescue package for the oil industry is a testament to governments getting gamed by large corporations. The latest Tax Office transparency data shows oil and gas juggernauts are Australia’s biggest tax cheats, again, yet now they are crying for public subsidies – and getting them – to prop up their oil refineries. Michael West reports on the good and the bad in multinational tax dodging land.
Confession time for Lendlease as Tax Office bears down on humungous tax rort
Nine Entertainment chief Hugh Marks dumped for having sex, Christine Holgate chopped at Australia Post over $20,000 in bonuses. Meanwhile, the top brass at Lendlease, having presided over a $500 million tax scam, nonchalantly say they are “continuing to engage with the ATO and await the finalisation of its draft determination”. Michael West reports.
Stephanie Tran’s Walkley Nomination
We are excited that Stephanie Tran is one of three nominees for Student Journalist of the Year in the Walkley's 2021 Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism. Stephanie's story, “State Capture: top corporations identified as members of both Liberal and Labor parties”, was a...
Tamed Estate: arrest of FriendlyJordies producer attests to dangerous state of democracy
The arrest of a producer of YouTube journalist and comedian FriendlyJordies has disturbing implications for free speech and civil liberties. That a counter-terrorism unit would be sent in to arrest a government critic has eerie parallels to repressive regimes around the world, writes Michael Tanner.
Governments back privileged in education, public schools bear burden
Nearly half of students at public schools are considered disadvantaged – either living remotely, with a disability, having an Indigenous background or from a low socio-economic background – compared to just 20 per cent at private schools, yet private schools have far more income. Trevor Cobbold reports.
PET Project: petrochemical giants exploit recycling to ramp up plastics production
Australians try to do the right thing each week by separating recyclables into colour-coded wheelie bins. Meanwhile, the plastics industry is ramping up production of virgin plastic. Luke Stacey reports.
Regulators ignore marine noise pollution from oil drilling
Noise pollution from drilling for oil and gas offshore devastates marine life, affecting not only food sources but oxygen levels. But neither the federal government nor NOPSEMA, which has environmental responsibility for approving offshore projects, takes such damage into account. Suzanne Arnold reports.
WA Government to Woodside: you scratch our back, we’ll scratch yours even more
From Day one, the WA Labor government has had Woodside’s back. In another case of revolving doors, former WA Labor treasurer Ben Wyatt has just been appointed to Woodside’s board. Peter Milne takes a look at WA Labor’s record in looking after Woodside’s interests.
Landforces’ brothers in arms: how a weapons peddler qualified for charitable status
The Coalition is cracking down on charitable organisations. However, the Australian charity promoting arms deals on behalf of weapons makers that profit from humanitarian catastrophes is unlikely to be in the government’s sights. With the weapons expo LandForces wrapping up in Brisbane this week, Michelle Fahy delves into the charity behind LandForces.
Cache Splash: Australia bucks global trend, ramps up weapons spending
The US and many of its NATO allies are cutting defence spending in preparation for economic reconstruction in a post-Covid world. Not so Australia, which is increasing its spending on expensive weapons that will not deter any potential aggressor in the slightest. Alison Broinowski reports.
Snakes and Ladders: stimulus schemes and debt skew economy as property prices rocket
Are the raft of housing stimulus schemes, low interest rates and relaxed lending rules for banks playing well for new home buyers or playing into the hands of property developers, existing homeowners and bankers? Harry Chemay reports.
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