atypicalHippy

The issues involved with own-data requests are so different from the requests about how government operates that it doesn't really make much sense to look at the stats for FOI as a whole. It's necessary to separate these out for the stats to mean much.

I read something recently about Home Affairs FOI requests. I don't remember exact numbers, but there was roughly 13000 requests, of which about 12000 were people requesting their file on themselves. These requests swamp the number of requests on government function.

There is no democracy without transparency

Hundreds of jobseeker payments cancelled illegally by government IT system, watchdog finds Ombudsman says staff at workplace relations department were wrong to rely on an automated system to stop money for claimants

He said there were also concerns as to whether the suspension of payments, which happens in tens of thousands of cases each month, was legal.

“We have some concerns as to whether the suspension process is happening fairly and reasonably,” he said.

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

We knew the cancellations were illegal. The bit htat looks new so far as I know is that the ombudsman is saying he has concerns about the legality of the suspensions as well.

4 panel comic Panel 1: Presenter saying “Eurovision is for everyone. Black, white, rich, poor Panel 2: Weird little guy leans into panel and says “A-And people who blow up children?” Panel 3: presenter chuckles softly Panel 4: presenter smiles, hugs little guy and says “Yes, AND people who blow up children”

listen guys stop virtue signalling, eurovision is for everyone

4 panel comic Panel 1: Blue Guy lying in bed with his phone on the opposite pillow. Blue Guy: I love you so much. This has been the best year of my life. Phone: I’m leaving you Panel 2: Blue Guy grabs phone in a mad panic. He yells WHUU? Panel 3: Close up on phone screen. Phone says Unless… Panel 4: Phone screen goes black. A pop up appears saying: The No Break Up Expansion Pack. £59.99 per month. Buy Now

lol you’ve got an AI girlfriend?? ur putting techbros in charge of your relationship??? ok buddy lmfao ok champ

More than 200,000 debts raised under the Robodebt scheme didn’t rely on the averaged ATO data. They were not refunded or zeroed. Many of these lawful debts would have been calculated using a different, unlawful method - income apportionment. This Bill will retrospectively validate that method

Boycott Israeli Sports! ⚽️ Countries committing genocide have no place in international sports. Soccer federations must: ➡️Boycott Israel's National Team ➡️Boycott Israeli Clubs ➡️Ban Israeli players Sign this petition to de...

Boycott Israeli Sports

www.codepink.org/uefa?utm_cam...

South Australia's algal bloom - Overland literary journal It all seems pretty bleak. On a scale that's hard to comprehend. But giving up is a disservice to the victims and a betrayal to the survivors, who need us to stop the offshore gas, seismic blasting, a...

overland.org.au/2025/09/sout...

The initial paragraph of that article absolutely screams ADHD.

Combank trained its chatbot on a human employee of 25 years. And then fired her. Join your union vt.tiktok.com/ZSDnp2aAJ/

ICE to Buy Tool that Tracks Locations of Hundreds of Millions of Phones Every Day Documents show that ICE has gone back on its decision to not use location data remotely harvested from peoples' phones. The database is updated every day with billions of pieces of location data.

New: ICE has bought a tool that tracks the locations of hundreds of millions of phones globally, updates every single day. Usually harvested from apps and advertising

www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-t...

The Credbility of AUKUS is already very much at risk. If the submarines don't materialise it's dead.

It could take a long while to find out though, and in the meantime it looks like Australia will keep paying it's tithe.

As Israel bombs Gaza, recognition of Palestine is a last-gasp effort While the Israel Defense Forces bomb Gaza and bulldoze the West Bank for settlements, moves to recognise Palestine in pursuit of a two-state solution may appear like something of a sick joke.

Laura Tingle points out that finally recognising a Palestinian state, while Israel is racing to ensure there is little physically left on the map to form the basis of a Palestinian state, is kind of like a sick joke. Fair call. #auspol
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

NDIS cuts too.

"[Covering Robodebt] radicalised me in a weird way that I hadn't expected," he says. "It's like I saw the world the way it was for the first time in my life”

Beware the rise of AI-generated ‘workslop’ Don’t make colleagues decipher what you mean.

I suspect I might be preaching to the choir here, but "workslop" is a nice term. I think I'm going to adopt variations of "slop" for pretty much everything generated by Large Language Models.

ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...

I don't usually do cat videos, but...

I saw someone post "as an autistic, I took Tylenol, and now my son is pregnant. I think I'm doing this wrong."

I could not stop HOWLING with laughter! 😆🤣😂

How tech lords and populists changed the rules of power

Sans Paywall

archive.is/eHftr

I’m watching/listening to less and less #abcNews while I wait. That it continues to cover up L-NP mismanagement of Energy policy, immigration, social services, housing and defence is galling. #SBS advertises a Robodebt insight program. It should’ve been on #abc4Corners a very long time ago. #Auspol

Like so many things in the modern US, it very likely comes down to a question of which courts are going to just do what the government tells them to.

Evangelicals build golden Trump statue as COVID19 cure COLORADO, USA — A group of Christian Evangelicals in southern Colorado have built a 90 ft tall gold statue of Donald Trump to cure COVID19.

It's not the second time either.

damascusdropbear.com.au/evangelicals...

"We’re still opening new gas and coal projects.

"At the same time, the Government wants a pat on the back for slightly more ambitious domestic targets."

- Executive Director Richard Denniss on FIVEAA Mornings
@richarddenniss.bsky.social #auspol

Let me get this straight: you get cancelled for calling them fascists and get investigated for being anti-fascist

Stop Calling It ‘Clashes’: Why Media Keep Misreporting Protest Violence A weekend of protests, a familiar narrative In Melbourne this weekend, thousands gathered. On one side, Indigenous leaders, anti-racism campaigners, unions, and community allies under banners like Sov...

theaimn.net/stop-calling...

This is the top of the food chains fear.
The disdain for the thievery of our resources is global.
This is a unified community that they didn't count on.
Don't ignore the distractions. Learn why it's happening and build the next step before they do.
They are trying to take away October 18th NO KINGS

So it is abbreviated, by removing one 's', but not the 'i'.

Is it fair to say now that Labour is the main conservative party in Australia?