Credit to Liberals for saying no.
Former Opp Leader Sussan Ley was consistent on this while Govt applied a double-standard -- cutting Opposition staff bcos Liberals lost seats, but not giving minor parties more staff when they won more seats. australiainstitute.org.au/report/democ...
The allegation emphasises a point @australiainstitute.org.au made before last year's election:
The PM shouldn't decide how many staff his political rivals and potential allies get.
Story from @sydmorningherald.bsky.social Nick Newling --
www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
The Liberals made an extraordinary allegation yesterday -- that PM Albanese used last year's cut in Opposition staff as leverage for his freedom of information crackdown.
According to Senator Bragg, Govt tried to do a deal: support the FOI Bill "in exchange for" more staff.
The Farrer by-election, now scheduled for May 9th, could be a four-cornered or even five-cornered contest. Who will the candidates be and how will the race play out? I took a look on @thepointau.bsky.social
thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...
Ha!
Not sure about black ink, but the federal government does spend more on paper shredders than FOI training --
From @skyelark.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...
Today, the Albanese Government pulled its ‘friendless’ Freedom of Information Amendment Bill.
The bill saw widespread opposition - what made the bill so bad?
Read the full piece on The Point: https://theaus.in/4rPfUxM
For more FOI stats, see @australiainstitute.org.au "The price of freedom" australiainstitute.org.au/report/the-p...
05.03.2026 01:08 — 👍 7 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The Albanese Government's case for crackdown on FOI fell apart when it became clear that there is no "flood" of FOI requests.
Case load is about the same as 20 years ago. The extra costs and delays are a result of FOI officers spending their time trying to block access and censor documents.
But the review itself shows that letting vested interests lead policy is a trap --
It describes how the business groups that encouraged the Libs to adopt nuclear left the party in the lurch when it was time to sell the policy.
live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...
Extraordinary from the Liberal Party's 2025 election review: not all shadow ministers are "equipped" to develop policy.
Their main job is to "cultivate relationships" with interest groups, who are "keen to assist in policy development".
Private donors are keen to assist too.
What comes next?
25,000 Australians have joined @australiainstitute.org.au call for a more open government, including genuine FOI reform, making Cabinet documents public in days not years, and protecting whistleblowers. nb.australiainstitute.org.au/end_governme...
The government made false and exaggerated claims to justify the changes, which would have made FOIs more limited and more costly – in direct contradiction of the recommendations of the Robodebt Royal Commission.
More on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: live.thepoint.com.au
Labor's secretive and restrictive changes to freedom of information law have failed in the Senate, with the Govt admitting defeat by pulling the bill.
Opposition, Greens and independents held firm, saying law reform is needed -- but it must be genuine and consultative.
Are the Liberals out of touch? No, it's the children who are wrong about climate change.
Even the Liberal Party's rap song failed to win them over.
live.thepoint.com.au?post=d8ae33b...
Liberal review clear that the party's inability to win over women is a problem, with @alicektg.bsky.social spotting that "women" or "female" are mentioned 76 times to men/male's 5.
But will the party do the work of figuring out why, or put it off another decade? live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...
Xi’s China will be world-shaping in the coming months and years. Our return to Beijing could not be more timely or urgent Lisa Visentin March 3, 2026 — 3:45pm
Australia faces the threat of war with China within three years – and we’re not ready Are we prepared for full-scale conflict? Our panel of national security experts says no. March 7, 2023Peter Hartcher and Matthew Knott
lulz, the SMH is announcing it is re-opening its China bureau almost exactly 3 years since they said we could be at war with China in... *checks notes*... 3 years
03.03.2026 22:14 — 👍 178 🔁 38 💬 9 📌 2Thank you!
04.03.2026 02:41 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
In the EU there is a court of justice approved list of animal adjacent names you can use in different countries.
Peanut butter is fine everywhere
Creme de menthe in French speaking countries
Etc
This stuff is truly ridiculous. No one is getting confused by "soy milk".
More to come! live.thepoint.com.au
04.03.2026 02:40 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
The Liberal review talks almost as much about "Teal" community independents as Labor Govt.
Indies outflanked them by speaking "a great deal about kindness" while Libs spent most of digital budget on attack ads.
live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...
Lib Party aging, hostile to women's groups, doesn't use its taxpayer-funded think tank for policy dev, was derailed by extreme wishful thinking -- to the extent that they were surprised the election happened on schedule after wishing it would be early.
live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...
Blood sport might be good fun, but it's hypocritical of the Labor Govt to release an internal report from a rival political party when same Govt "hates transparency", fights FOIs, orders for docs, prosecutes whistleblowers.
live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...
.@glennconnley.bsky.social, @grogsgamut.bsky.social:
'disastrous lack of planning, consultation, communication, common sense … from pointless travel to meaningless locations … MPs given no notice Dutton would be announcing policy in their electorate that day.' live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...
Over on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog, @australiainstitute.org.au have been breaking down the Liberal Party's 2025 election review
-- which the Prime Minister leaked last night because he'd rather talk about that than anything else happening in the world.
Read the details from @skyelark.bsky.social on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: live.thepoint.com.au?post=ceee29f...
03.03.2026 04:49 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Minor/indie vote rises from sub-10% in 1970s to 34% at 2025, and 48% in current polling.
Almost half of Australians now say they intend to vote for minor parties and independents -- up from 34% at last year's election.
Even before One Nation's meteoric (though to-date only speculative) rise, the 2025 election was a high point.
Management consultants yet to be properly regulated -- but two private senators' bills (from Green @barbarapocock.bsky.social and Liberal Richard Colbeck) are trying to rein them in.
More from Connor Pearce in The Mandarin www.themandarin.com.au/306444-crack...
Dairy lobby is trying to stop people from describing almond milk, oat milk and the like as "milk".
As always, coconuts – with their milk, cream and meat – are let off the hook. They’re not even nuts!
More on this nonsense on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog:
live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...
But what will happen to steel wool?????
Nice post by @browne90.bsky.social
live.thepoint.com.au
Excellent work by @skyelark.bsky.social on how many guns are stockpiled in each postcode of Sydney
live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...
