Frank Yuan

"Australia is one of the biggest gas exporters in the world.

"Yet when gas prices go up, it's Australians that feel poor."

Research Director Rod Campbell unpacking new government data that confirms gas exporters continue to pay no tax.
@rodcampbell.bsky.social #auspol

To mark China’s National Day on 1 October - a collection of seven mini-biographies on seven important people in China you don't often hear about.
australiainstitute.org.au/report/today...

Prime Minister gets doggy toy from INPEX.

INPEX gets Australian gas for free, sold for $50 billion.

Cool and normal.

@australiainstitute.org.au @markogge.bsky.social @punterspolitics.bsky.social

The shrinking US Navy submarine force – Implications for AUKUS Pillar 1 (Part 1) The US Navy’s attack submarine force had been predicted to reduce to 49 in 2030.

AUKUS submarines aren't coming.
Peter Briggs: "Adding the requirement to build additional submarines to replace those to be sold to Australia would require *more than a four-fold* increase in construction yard output measured by tonnage."
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/09...

I'm speaking at Monash Uni tomorrow about Australia's gas policy mess and Woodside in particular.
@australiainstitute.org.au @nteumonash.bsky.social

Kinda amazed (but not surprised) how little talk there has been in Australia about Trump's naked attempt to interfere in Brazilian politics on behalf of his good mate Jair Bolsonaro. The screeching would be deafening if China tried anything like that anywhere.

Australia's preferential voting system is often praised, and for good reason. But in terms of reflecting overall votes cast it's not much better than first past the post.

My look at how our winner-takes-all voting system skews election outcomes for @australiainstitute.org.au 👇 #auspol

Another argument for taxing tyres is that they actually are another important source of pollutants throughout their life cycle.

From me for the @australiainstitute.org.au live blog: why we don't need to toll EV owners to make the fuel excise "fair". This is in response to an AFR article yesterday which, to be fair, has some nuanced arguments.

Charts showing inflation since 2012 - with just eight of the last 43 quarters in the band of 2% to 3%

With inflation at 2.1%, @mattgrudnoff.bsky.social reminds us that the RBA has not been great at hitting its target and also needs to worry about inflation falling *below* the target range #OffTheCharts
australiainstitute.org.au/post/when-ta...

In 1939 photo, Attorney-General Menzies walks through strikers. Posters include: "Bombs Hurt People".

Port Kembla dockworkers went on strike in 1938 to stop iron exports to Japan - which had committed mass murder of civilians and POWs in China.

Menzies called it "a provocative act against a friendly power" but grateful Chinese-Australians sent food to striking workers.

The proud Australian tradition of disruptive protest Australia has a proud tradition of impolite, inconvenient protest for worthy causes.

Australia has a proud tradition of disruptive protests -- for @australiainstitute.org.au I look at eight protest movements that were controversial in their day but celebrated now. australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-pro...

It's complete horseshit - our polling shows a majority are actually in favour of the changes.

Please, please may the LNP take this advice.

I wrote something for @australiainstitute.org.au
blog this morning on AUKUS, highlighting one of its main military and strategic implications - threatening China's nuclear deterrence.
t.co/sWYmVhwb1y

Australia Institute Live: Parliament returns for its second week. As it happens The 48th parliament has returned for its second week

Some thoughts from me on the EU-US trade deal featuring energy purchase
live.australiainstitute.org.au/2025/07/aust...

Another sign that Beijing attaches quite some importance to Australia: the day after the visiting Dutch defence chief called on AUS to boost its military, the Global Times editorialised on the issue - with fairly cautious language one might say.
t.co/QEIpzcBdD5

Chart showing the the unemployment rate is now the highest it has been since the end of 2021

The latest unemployment figures show the RBA has utterly failed its role of maintaining full employment.
#OffTheCharts
australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-lat...

At the risk of speaking too soon - US foreign policy orthodoxy has remarkable staying power when it comes to Ukraine. Trump seems to have been pulled back into line. Not to mention in his first term he went beyond Obama to send Javelin missiles to Ukraine.
t.co/owgeuStb6L

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lands in China to meet with President Xi Jinping at a critical time between the two countries.

#auspol

Note the rhetorical sleight-of-hand as well: any criticism of the current conduct of the alliance is treated as the "dream of Australia going it alone".

With due respect to the AFR editorial board - at what point does the mantra that "it's more complicated [than your little brains can comprehend]" become a battle-cry to rally around existing orthodoxy in defiance of evidence?

Dr Max Kaiser, Executive Officer, Jewish Council of Australia “This document reads more like a blueprint for silencing dissent rather than a strategy to build inclusion. The report’s vague language around ‘antisemitic narratives’ or ‘affiliations’ , coupled with its emphasis on the discredited IHRA definition of antisemitism, make the actions recommended dangerously unclear. Consistent with her past statements erroneously linking antisemitic attacks with Palestine solidarity protests, Segal seems fixated on driving a pro-Israel narrative and repressing legitimate criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Antisemitism is real and must be taken seriously. But it does not exist in a vacuum. Any response that treats antisemitism as exceptional, while ignoring Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, and other forms of hate, is doomed to fail.”

This by @jewishcouncilau.bsky.social's Max Kaiser is absolutely on point.

This is not to say such attacks on civilian vessels are justified - but refusal to even try to understand the motives of another actor is completely unproductive.

Houthi rebels launch deadly attack on Red Sea cargo ship Iran-backed Houthi rebels have attacked and sunk a cargo ship travelling through the Red Sea, killing some crew members and leaving others adrift in the water.

Interesting to leave out the key detail and present it as if Houthis' attack was wanton: Houthis had imposed sanctions on shipping companies (like the two involved) whose ships continued to dock in Israel. Again, when our enemies do things, no explanation is needed!
ab.co/3GjhGFc

Regular reminder:

Green hydrogen in Aus = essential

Hydrogen exports = ridiculous

1/x

@australiainstitute.org.au
www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/125bn...

2023-23 TAX STATS SPREADSHEET SHOWING 91 PEoPLE WITH A TOTAL INCOME OF $1M+ who paid $0 tax

The 2022-23 tax stats just dropped. And there we have it:

91 millionaires who paid ZERO tax

Newspapers now have near-zero ability to sway elections, including The Australian.

They should, therefore, have near-zero ability to sway politicians, not to mention public servants and the ABC.

what if we instead offer the nominees special tickets for the bet for $1 each...

Here's something absolutely cooked about books in Australia Winning authors pay tax. Mug punters, that's another story.

If you bet on the winner of the Miles Franklin, your windfall is tax free but if you win the Miles Franklin you pay tax. There's an easy and cheap way for the gov to help our best artists and writers. Make prizes tax free.
Thanks to @charlottewood.bsky.social & Melissa Lucashenko for their thoughts

Oh look, Env Minister Murray Watt just tripled the area of native habitat that tax-shy gas company Arrow Energy can destroy!

When LNP's Greg Hunt approved this, he imposed "some of the strictest env conditions in Aus history"

Not so strict anymore...1/4
@australiainstitute.org.au