It’s been quite the innings for some of Australia’s wealthiest billionaires. Certain large proprietary companies owned by the establishment – Secret Rich-Listers as we call them – have been cloaked in darkness by government legislation for more than a quarter of a century. Luke Stacey reports how South Australian Senator Rex Patrick is fighting to buck the trend and demolish Australia’s Secret Rich List once and for all.
His crime was apparently harassing the staff at the local council over a fence, and the obnoxious neighbour on the other side of said fence. Bolton, a Sydney lawyer, was threatened with defamation by Inner West Council chief executive, Michael Deegan, whose lawyers demanded money, then ended up in court facing harassment charges.
Parliament does not need to be consulted before Australian troops are sent to war. What do the politicians who have donned the uniform have to say? Tasha May asks Rex Patrick, Andrew Wilkie, Jim Molan and Bob Katter.
A takeovers binge is in swing in the jobless sector as the biggest private provider of employment services, the foreign multinational Max Solutions mops up smaller players and posts strong revenues from government. Stephanie Tran investigates the Jobactive scheme and the failure of privatisation.
Incredibly, a survey finds 42% of Australians believe China will attack Australia, this despite exports to China surging 36% over in the last six months, and despite there being no logical rationale for war with China, or an attack by China. Marcus Reubenstein analyses the ludicrous position of Australia’s China hawks and the mainstream media pushing their agendas.
Despite continual claims she acted on health advice, despite continual pleas to the NSW public to follow the health advice, Premier Gladys Berejiklian let slip that advice from business played a part in her handling of the pandemic and the Sydney lockdown. What is the health advice? Callum Foote and Michael West investigate.
Australia is a democracy, yet when it comes to the most critical national decision of sending Australian troops into armed conflict overseas, the power rests with one man, the Prime Minister. This is the curtain-raiser for our #warpowers series as reporter Tasha May calls around Australia’s parliamentarians and its people.
Large job agencies who dominate Australia’s privatised employment system are enjoying a boom of record profits, and even a takeover spree, while their disillusioned job seekers complain of churning and profiteering. Meanwhile, those in government on both sides of the political aisle are calling for reform. In this special investigation, Stephanie Tran reports on the failure of Jobactive.
Data published, and quickly updated, by the NSW Department of Health reveals there may have been locally acquired cases in NSW on June 13, four days before “Limousine Man” was recorded as being the Bondi Cluster’s “Patient Zero”. Callum Foote investigates the mess that is Covid data.
Bali will soon have vaccinated 80% of its population over 18 years of age. And it may open up to tourism again within a month or two. But Australians need not apply.
The UK Health Secretary has just admitted his government’s “moral responsibility” for the UK’s contaminated blood scandal of the 1970s and 1980s yet Australian victims are still without compensation or even an apology.
Law enforcement agencies have a cavalier attitude to the right to privacy and a “whatever it takes” attitude to raiding databases of personal information, writes Greg Barns. Given the treasure trove of information now available from all the Covid tracing apps, strong penalties and laws are needed to ensure evidence obtained from those apps cannot be used in legal proceedings.
After claiming “official” discussions with Pfizer had only started in December, Health Minister Greg Hunt has finally confirmed that the government met with Pfizer last July to discuss purchasing the Pfizer vaccine. Sources say Australia was given options for as many doses as needed to be delivered in January this year, yet government officials turned down the offer
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.
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...
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.
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.
Misleading tactics from the NDIS have devastated many Australians. One mother had always been given advance notice that her son’s plan was being reviewed. This time, it was only at the end of the phone call to discuss her son’s support package that she realised the call was in fact the review. Natasha May reports.
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.
New documents show the government negotiated the controversial $80m Watergate deal directly with the Cayman Islands company founded by Energy Minister Angus Taylor. The Department failed to notify the Senate. Jommy Tee investigates the email trail between the Department, then overseen by Barnaby Joyce, and secretive Switzerland director and Taylor associate Connor Maloney.
An Australian breakthrough in drone technology, making it easier to locate hidden enemy on the battlefield, could also be used to target civilian protesters. The US government has already used surveillance drones to monitor Black Lives Matters protests, while Israel last week reportedly used small drones to drop tear gas on Palestinian protesters. Michelle Fahy investigates.
Rates of homelessness are rising alarmingly, particularly among Australians aged 65 to 74. The government offered them nothing in the budget, in defiance of the Aged Care Royal Commission recommendations. Jeff Fiedler reports.
The power to send Australian troops to fight in foreign wars rests in effect with the Prime Minister alone, yet a huge majority of Australians think parliamentary approval should be required. With both major parties refusing to budge, Australians for War Powers Reform has launched a GoFundMe campaign Be Sure On War to put pressure on them to change their stance. Alison Broinowski reports.
The use of disinformation campaigns and cyber attacks by authoritarian states has rightly attracted much criticism in the mainstream media. However, the US and its democratic allies decades ago pioneered the use of disinformation in their own propaganda campaigns. Brian Toohey reports.
The Red Cross actively encouraged people it knew were infected with Hepatitis C to continue to donate blood in defiance of basic principles of blood safety. As set out by World Health Organisation guidelines, a safe blood donor is healthy and has no risk factors for HIV or other infections. Knowingly including infected blood into a therapeutic setting is a basic breach. Elizabeth Minter reports Part II of the infected blood scandal investigation.
Following Michael West Media’s report on domain squatting by the NSW Nationals in the lead-up to the Upper Hunter by-election, the Nationals candidate has directed the party to relinquish the domains, in apparent defiance of Nationals’ leader John Barilaro. Callum Foote reports.
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