tl;dr: Money has flowed into and professionalised the sector; governments have sought to delegitimise advocacy, including criminalising protest; much CSO advocacy has become 'quiet' (which governments of course prefer); and the connections between CSOs and people have become democratically 'thin'.

Shifting Focus: The Impacts of Neoliberalism on Australian Nonprofit Advocacy As the dominant economic ideology for almost half a century, neoliberalism has reshaped various aspects of society, including governments and nonprofit organisations. This article explores how this tr...

🚨 📖 ✍ Some new (open access) research from me - a long-term view of how pressures from neoliberalism have impacted Australian civil society organisations (CSOs) and their advocacy. 💸 🇦🇺 ✊ www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

TBH, while this all sounds a little Al Capone, Andrew's 'email forwarding' could have been via duress from Epstein, relating to some of the other alleged offences.

Single frame. Morning tv show set with male and female hosts on curved couch facing PM Albanese. Albanese says: “My mother would have said, ‘if you make your bed, you lie in it…’” Female host says: “What if the bed involves leaving kids in camps overseas to be stigmatised, traumatised and radicalised instead of repatriating and rehabilitating them?”

Make your bed.
My @smh @theage cartoon.

Happy #LibSpill Day for those who celebrate.

Can One Nation turn its polling hype into seats in parliament? History shows it will struggle Pauline Hanson’s party has been dysfunctional and scandal-ridden for its entire existence. Capitalising on strong polling will mean changing decades-old patterns.

🚨 New article by me and Jordan McSwiney in The Conversation about One Nation’s long history of dysfunction, infighting and scandal, and why this is will be one of the biggest barriers to the party translating its polling surge into electoral success

theconversation.com/can-one-nati...

Right-wing political group Advance is in the headlines. What is it and what does it stand for? The husband of antisemitism special envoy Jillian Segal has donated to Advance. Here’s what the group’s all about.

The relevant piece on Advance in The Conversation, fwiw: theconversation.com/right-wing-p...

An extensive analysis by the ABC's @garethhutchens.bsky.social about the decades long agenda setting work of the Atlas Network, which quotes some of my work on Advance Australia. (as well as UTS colleague @jeremywalker.bsky.social 's on the Atlas Network).

A discreet intellectual network has been reshaping the world for 70 years. Here's how A constant battle of ideas reshapes the world we live in, and few groups have been more successful in winning the war than the little-known Atlas Network.

...'a global network of free-market think tanks to target the "intellectuals" in society, and to market their ideas like toothpaste to win the "battle for ideas"...'

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

#auspol #thinktanks #agendasetting

'More than just tea and scones': Why young members are joining city's CWA More young women are joining the Country Women's Association's city branches, with a passion for jams and scones along with social connection and purpose.

Very interested in this potential resurgence in one of Australia's oldest civil society orgs - the Country Women's Association.

Promoting a solution to modern disillusionment, disengagement and detachment - getting involved in community around shared interests.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Brigitte Bardot's 30 years of sympathy for the far right Convicted five times for racist remarks, the actress – whose foundation announced her death on Sunday, December 28 – remained one of the only French celebrities to openly embrace far-right views.

Brigitte Bardot's 30 years of sympathy for the far right www.lemonde.fr/en/obituarie...

Single frame. Left: man and woman at kitchen table having drinks. Woman pointing to her phone, saying: “Immigrants are causing the housing crisis, the environmentalists want to ruin our lifestyle, and our children’s minds are being poisoned by woke!” Right: Young teen girl walking through doorway carrying drink and plate with sandwich, says, “Omigod Mum, put that thing down, can’t you see what it’s doing to you?”

Put it down.
My @smh @theage cartoon.

Podcast #159 – The Labor factions Ben was joined this week by Osmond Chiu, Per Capita research fellow and contributor editor for the Labor Left magazine Challenge, to discuss the factions of the Australian Labor Party. Read Osmond&…

This week's Tallyroom podcast is essential listening for understanding the modern Australian Labor Party.

👏 friends of POP: host @benraue.com in conversation with @redrabbleroz.bsky.social

www.tallyroom.com.au/63678

Both workshops were precursors to upcoming special editions / symposia of the Australian Journal of Political Science @ausjpolsci.bsky.social

The event spanned 2 @auspsa.bsky.social funded workshops: (1) on challenges for social democracy in Aus hosted by @lizhumphrys.bsky.social @jacobbroom.bsky.social and @emilyrosefoley.bsky.social; (2) on the rise of ind and minor parties by, @phoebehayman.bsky.social @bspiesbutcher.bsky.social & me.

Great to see this event we organised, with funds from @auspsa.bsky.social and featuring George Megalogenis, @frankbongiorno.bsky.social @bspiesbutcher.bsky.social @lizhumphrys.bsky.social & @emilyrosefoley.bsky.social has been made into a podcast by UTS Impact Studios.

pod.link/1760672339/e...

"Because being 'right' isn't enough." The hubris in this advert for Advance's 2026 conference is quite beautiful, really.

If you need a refresher on who Advance are, etc., here's something I prepared in advance... theconversation.com/right-wing-p...

A Simple Equation (Schrödinger’s Class) Students sometimes ask me how to do well in a subject. My TL;DR response is “make sure you’re clear about what the assessment expectations are”. I tell everyone this, so it’s not a secret.

I ran an experiment this semester, to see what impact listening to the subject coordinator and engaging with subject materials had on students' grades.

tl;dr - students can excel without doing either, but if they want to pass they should do both.

www.markriboldi.com.au/teaching-edu...

Union Triumphs: ANU Halts Forced Redundancies The Australian National University (ANU) has announced that there will be no forced redundancies.Quotes attributable to NTEU ACT Division Secretary Dr

🚨 🚨 Some inspiration for those opposing job cuts and the general corporatisation of public universities around Australia - the staff/union led campaign at ANU has resulted in the halting of forced redundancies.

Join your union ✊

www.miragenews.com/union-triump...

Australian Philanthropic Organisations – Organisation, Accountability and Action While the responsibility for solving complex social problems ultimately falls on governments, organisations across civil society and industry also play important roles.

Some ramblings on my blog about philanthropic organisations, accountability, etc., if that's your thing.

www.markriboldi.com.au/democracy-ci...

The NT’s wilful ignorance over Black deaths in custody When Tim Fischer called High Court judges “pissants” in the ’90s, after they recognised native title and overturned terra nullius, he created the rare spectacle of a government minister excoriating a ...

“Justice here is set up to favour the wealthy and well connected; the poor just get processed.”

Marcia Langton outlines a damning story of institutional racism in @thesaturdaypaper.com.au

www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topi...

Gripped by an 'Abundance fever' that makes us see only red Canberra is in the grip of Abundance fever, a virus that threatens to overwhelm public policy with a diagnosis of overregulation.

V good piece by the legend that is @amyremeikis.bsky.social www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...

Thanks Marija. I mostly good :)

Thankfully not. But yeah, really awful.

Uni staff told to 'wash delicates' for stress management as 146 courses suspended The University of Technology Sydney is suspending more than 100 courses as it prepares for a controversial redundancy program to save $100 million.

Worried about losing your job? Just wash your undies and brush your teeth twice a day... 😡🤬

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...?

Senator @mehreenfaruqi.bsky.social: ‘Is ANU being trashed by the Bell and Bishop leadership?’

ACT Division Secretary @lachlanclohesy.bsky.social: ‘Absolutely. We need a new leadership approach or we need a new leadership.’

The Senate Inquiry into university governance continues…

The rich must be incentivised; the poor must be disciplined.

The political economy of the super-elite in one headline.

Democracy Sausage Episode: Safety nets below and a roof above Political scientists Mark Riboldi and Pandanus Petter join Democracy Sausage to discuss housing policy, safety nets and the fair go. How do politicians talk about housing, and does it impact policy? W...

How do politicians talk about housing, and does it impact policy?

#ICYMI Political scientists @markriboldi.bsky.social & @pandanuspetter.bsky.social join @marijataflaga.bsky.social to discuss housing policy, safety nets and the fair go.

#AUListen 🎧 #DemocracySausage ausi.anu.edu.au/news/democra...

I had a listen before posting, you did great!