Luke Henriques-Gomes

It is shocking that 22 years after the US, UK and Australia went to war in Iraq based on the WMD lies, we see mainstream media headlines today running Trump's Iran "weeks away" from a nuclear weapon claim without explicitly framing it as directly contradicted by his own intelligence community

Iran: Weeks away from having nuclear weapons since 1995

Greens really could check stuff like this before they say it. He's done it twice (2019 22) - others were:

Windsor 2004* 07* 10*
Oakeshott 2008b* 10
Wilkie 2016 19* 22
Steggall 2022

* outright majority

2025: Wilkie (TBC), possibly Haines.

Meanwhile, in Canada…

personally would like to see every store show what part of the price increase is due to tariffs bc if these tariffs ever come down, i need to see that price go right back down

Image emerges of Jacinta Price wearing Maga cap – one day after she says Coalition will ‘make Australia great again’ Exclusive: Guardian Australia obtains social media photo of Northern Territory senator in a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat – as Nationals leader David Littleproud insists her use of slogan was ‘slip of the tongue’ * Election 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaign * Polls tracker; election guide; full federal election coverage * Anywhere but Canberra; interactive electorates guide * Listen to the first episode of our new narrative podcast series: Gina * Get our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcast Coalition politicians have continued to downplay Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s apparent referencing of Donald Trump’s signature Make America Great Again slogan at an election rally, calling it a “slip of the tongue” even as images emerge of the shadow minister and her husband wearing Maga hats just months ago. The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, called it a “slip of the tongue” when Price, the shadow minister for government efficiency and Indigenous Australians, told a campaign rally she wanted to “make Australia great again” on Saturday. The senator later claimed she hadn’t “even realised” she made the comments, then accused the media of being “obsessed” with the US president. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Continue reading...

Image emerges of Jacinta Price wearing Maga cap – one day after she says Coalition will ‘make Australia great again’

How is it that one of the two leaders debates in Australia is behind a paywall? Terrible

Very strange speech all round from Starmer - not entirely sure who the audience was - saying "the future is in our hands" when we know it isn't, promising a "driving sense of purpose" without saying what it is and contorting around euphemisms on Global Headwinds and Changing Worlds.

Journalists have been burned alive inside tents from bombs dropped by Israel. The footage of this is horrendous – and yet we are watching human beings live this every. single. day and our leaders and media do nothing.

Let alone everything on Sky After Dark

Article in The Australian: "There’s no excuse for university inaction on free speech" By Dan Tehan June 15, 2019 As our nation enters much-needed debates on freedom of ­religion and freedom of the press, it’s time for our universities to stand up and defend free speech and freedom of academic inquiry. They should start by implementing Robert French’smodel code for the protection of freedom of speech and academic freedom in Australian higher education ­providers . Australia has a first-class higher education sector, providing our nation with much-needed export income and world-class research.

Article in The Australian: "Coalition pledges to weed out ‘activism’ in universities" 1 April 2025 The Coalition has pledged to wipe out “woke” activism and “ideological agendas” in universities through an unprecedented level of ministerial intervention in course content. Opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson, spelling out the Coalition’s higher education policy for the first time during the election campaign, said she would direct the Tertiary Quality Education Quality and Standards Agency to take action against “indoctrination’’. “I am concerned that some courses are being impacted by teachings which are designed to drive political agendas,” Senator Henderson told The Australian.

Coalition 2019: There’s no excuse for university inaction on free speech

Coalition today: Coalition pledges to weed out ‘activism’ in universities

#auspol

Blind people still cannot read details of Labour’s welfare reform plans Lib Dem MP Steve Darling, who is registered blind, said the delay was ‘nothing short of a disgrace’

Blind people who may face losing disability benefits under new welfare reforms can't access the details of these reforms, because in its rush to announce cuts, the government still hasn't made Braille or other accessible formats available. Let that sink in. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Oh boy, bit of an Angus Taylor car crash here on 7.30

Exclusive: Leaked report shows warnings over ‘Black robodebt’ Despite being warned it could breach the Racial Discrimination Act, the Coalition government went ahead with a welfare program that punished First Nations people in remote areas.

"The Australian Government Solicitor first provided legal advice in 2015, stating there was a “medium” to “high” risk the proposed welfare program [Community Development Program] would breach the Racial Discrimination Act." They forged ahead. Yarn. www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/law-cri...

Charlotte’s friends with Down syndrome are paid $3 an hour. It’s legal in Australia - and she’s taking a stand Down Syndrome Australia launches campaign to encourage politicians to abolish subminimum wage

Sometimes in this job there are issues that really get under your skin. Subminimum wages for people with disability is one of them for me. So it was great to do this story on a new campaign from Down Syndrome Australia to urge govt to finally get rid of them

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Peter Dutton: "We will revitalise discussions on a Free Trade Agreement with our trusted partner, Israel – building on a strong economic relationship and looking to harness Israel’s strengths in technology and R&D."

🧵 Dutton says he'll seek an FTA with Israel if he wins the election.

A reminder that the International Court of Justice last year found all countries were “under an obligation not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence” in occupied territory.

YouTube video by Wing Sing "Heatwave" – Elsie Lange

Beautiful new @elsielange.bsky.social song Heatwave is out now youtu.be/JwPfGmAakLY?...

I would add to this that Albanese deciding to label the attack terrorism has turned out to be bad politics. This would have been an absolute humiliation for Dutton if Albanese had been more circumspect and actually gone with what the police were saying

How Peter Dutton got it wrong on the caravan – and why voters need to know it Dutton went harder than Anthony Albanese or Chris Minns on the caravan found filled with explosives on Sydney’s fringe, because he had a political objective.

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

The federal government’s failure to deliver on welfare debt reform Despite the findings of the robodebt royal commission, the government is yet to put a time limit on the pursuit of historic welfare debts.

Govt will end first (of how many?) term in power without any real work done on Robodebt RoCo recommendation to reinstate 6yr limit on welfare debt recovery. Instead, it's in court refusing to waive millions of debts calculated unlawfully back to 1991. www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/2025/03...

Not the biggest issue going around, but marking the start of the AFL season by saying it is a disgrace that people who can't afford pay TV or an expensive streaming service are locked out of watching games on Saturday this year.

Income apportionment debts get their day in court.

This is a very big deal. We are talking about at least five MILLION Centrelink debts, going back to the 90s and beyond, that will be ruled unlawful if the Department of Social Services loses this appeal.

www.themandarin.com.au/287738-robo-...

Geez not sure about this headline

Call out!! 📣 looking to chat with a therapist who works with artists and creatives for a story 🎨 please tag people or send recs my way

Lol John Oliver set up a how-to guide for how to make Meta make less ad $$$ from you. johnoliverwantsyourraterotica.com

What a pathetic organisation

Crime gangs attempted to use caravan explosives for leverage over police The blast material discovered in the caravan was up to 40 years old, a key clue about the origins of the plot.

Really feel like this story hasn't gotten enough play given people spent a week or two freaking out over it.

Would be good to hear Dutton asked what he thinks about the "biggest terrorist plot on recent memory" turning out to be a scam by run-of-the-mill crims to get reduced sentences.

This exchange encapsulates so much of what is wrong with the media:

Former ABC Chair Ita Buttrose describes Antoinette Lattouf as “an activist”.

“What was the view that Ms Lattouf had Ms Buttrose?” Lattouf’s lawyer asks.

“I think she was critical of Israel” Buttrose says.