Norway and Qatar show Australia doesn’t have to give the gas industry a free pass For decades, Australia has tolerated a rapidly growing gas industry that pays little tax and royalties, employs few people, pushes up gas and electricity prices for Australian families and businesses,...

"Norway and Qatar show Australia doesn’t have to give the gas industry a free pass" by @jack-thrower.bsky.social @thepointau.bsky.social
thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...

But don’t people need SUVs and utes for work and the weekend? A common argument is that these ever-larger vehicles are needed by tradies and farmers for work or by families to pull caravans and boats. Any attempts to reduce the growth in the ‘big car’ fleet meet spurious cries about being ‘unfair to tradies’ or ‘destroying the weekend’. But such claims don’t hold up. In the statistics, utes are categorised as light commercial vehicles (LCVs). There are non-utes in this category (for instance vans), but it is overwhelmingly (at least three-quarters) utes. Back in 1988, there was less than one (about 0.7) LCV for each tradie and farmer. From 1988 to 2024 the number of tradies and farmers grew by a third (32%) while the number of LCVs more than tripled (244% growth). This means today there are nearly two (1.9) LCVs for each tradie or farmer. When it comes to the weekend, we already have around five times as many SUVs as boat trailers or caravans.

Incredible @jack-thrower.bsky.social chart here for @thepointau.bsky.social - the # of utes FAR exceeds the number of tradies and farmers in Aus

These are land-based luxury private jets, fossil-fuelled,heavily subsidised by the gov't and justified on flimsy pretence

thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...

With fuel restrictions likely to be announced tonight & presumably no meaningful COVID-scale support package to come with it, I think folks who assume Labor can’t possibly lose the next election are vastly overconfident.

Morrison alleviated discomfort with COVID restrictions by HELPING people.

Lessons from ANU for Australia’s university governance crisis The Australian National University (ANU) has spent the past eighteen months in a state of rolling crisis. The headline issues are now familiar. In October 2024, a large projected deficit was announce...

Following up from last night's shocking Four Corners, great analysis from Dr @marijataflaga.bsky.social, Dr Francis Markham and Distinguished Professor Keith Dowding on the broken governance structures that lead to these scandals.

thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

Australia's gun laws in major need of reform.

200,000+ gun owners in don't use their weapons for the reasons stated on their licence.

This is a major security risk for the community

Great story on SMH front page on important new @australiainstitute.org.au research.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

Australian governments subsidising fossil fuel use by more than $30,000 a minute, analysis finds Australia Institute data finds state and federal subsidies for coal, gas and oil products increased 10% in past year, growing at a faster pace than funding to NDIS

Subsidies to mining companies growing faster than the NDIS, child care, aged care.

Australian gov fossil fuel subsidies now at $30,000 every minute of every day.

Great piece on @australiainstitute.org.au latest research

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

"Is the Australian dream to own your own home or someone else’s?" @jack-thrower.bsky.social

Angus Taylor seems to think the capital gains tax discount helps achieve the Australian dream. But as Jack points out... it's only for investment properties!
live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

Do beer drinkers pay more tax than gas companies?
Yes, they do!

Beer excise > PRRT
Beer drinkers' income tax > gas company income tax

Thread below, full details here: australiainstitute.org.au/report/tax-b...

The last stop on the train line of Australia’s social failures: Tales of a homelessness case worker on the NSW South Coast Life as a homelessness case worker is brutal. You often feel like the last stop on the train line of our country’s social failures. Hardest of all is knowing that people aren’t helped as well as they ...

Policy analysis from actual homelessness case worker.

Proud to have helped with this piece.
thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

Let's get this straight.

Adani donates $600k the Qld LNP before election.

After the election, Qld LNP ends legal action over $400 MILLION in unpaid royalties.

Dodgy, dodgy, dodgy. Thread.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Native forest logging is driving extinction and climate damage The revelation that the Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) is proposing to log a cloud forest in southern NSW teeming with threatened species is another reminder of the spiralling decline of the nati...

Native forest logging is driving extinction and climate damage
by Bob Debus for @thepointau.bsky.social
thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

Triple J Hottest 100 out tomorrow!

Last year just 27 Aus songs made it. Lowest since 1994!!

Why? – Streaming favours the USA

Thankfully, DJ Albo is in the house and can turn this around! Thread on how.

The Point Live: Parliament returns early for Bondi condolence motions Anthony Albanese has recalled parliament early for condolence motions to remember the 15 people killed at Bondi Beach terror attack, on 14 December. Tibor Weitzen, Matilda, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Marik...

Excellent post by @jack-thrower.bsky.social on what the media gets wrong about protests and why the lines about "where are the protests against Iran" are pretty stupid. #ThePointLive
live.thepoint.com.au#037390705a

Miners exaggerating tax. Again.

What's new is that this is so demonstrably false.

Will they take down false ads? If you see this ad after today, please let me know.

Debunked on @thepointau.bsky.social here, more below: thepoint.com.au/factchecks/2...

A shit tonne of gas exports

Fuck all revenue from the PRRT

The Albanese govt is considering an East Coast gas reservation policy. And ok... but how about putting a 25% tax of gas exports so we stop giving it away for free?

The Australian Tertiary Education Commission legislation – Part 3, Per student funding and student contributions Since it came to office, Labor has deferred dealing with Job-ready Graduates student contributions. First it added student contributions to the Universities Accord list of issues. In February 2024 …

The ATEC legislation makes it look like student contribution reform is off the political agenda. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/01/t...

Important piece about a mostly missed element of the EPBC changes

Only thing in way of gambling reform is government's cowardice Gambling reform has the support of the public and a cross-party committee – only the Albanese government's cowardice is holding it back.

Govt cowardice all that is delaying gambling reform

www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...

Albanese Government set to use social media ban as cover to water down gambling reforms yet again If Albanese is serious about ‘progressive patriotism’ he could start by prioritising the livelihoods of Australians over the profits of gambling companies.

"Albanese Government set to use social media ban as cover to water down gambling reforms yet again" @jack-thrower.bsky.social #ThePoint
thepoint.com.au/news/251124-...

Adani have scammed Qld out of $100s of millions and the LNP Gov are fine with that.

Great to see Labor and Greens pursuing this in QParl and the media.

Features numbers from @australiainstitute.org.au research.

Why does the Albanese Government treat Japan’s energy security as more important than our own?

Let's hope someone asks Japan's Ambassador when he speaks at the National Press Club today!

My piece at @thepointau.bsky.social
thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

The Federal Government's plan for university reform is welcome and much needed.

Australian unis are overseen by Vice-Chancellors paid vast sums of money, who preside over a sector failing its staff and students.

📺Senior Economist Jack Thrower on WIN News
@jack-thrower.bsky.social #auspol

Big bills, no seat: Some of the federal election's big spenders didn't actually win Independent candidates received and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to get elected to federal parliament — some unsuccessfully.

What did we learn from yesterday's election data drop and why will we have to wait till February for the full picture?

@rashidajourno.bsky.social explains on SBS News. www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

‘Every dollar counts’: Westpac Rescue spends big on high teas, golf days, lavish balls The service, which has announced an investigation into allegations of a toxic and unsafe workplace, splashes more on fundraising and events than other agencies.

Many NSW residents don't realise that the "Westpac" Rescue Helicopter's operations aren't funded by Westpac, but by taxpayers.

Ripper piece from @sydmorningherald.bsky.social
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...

The ANU says it's in crisis. Does this look like a financial crisis to you?

Universities in crisis

open.spotify.com/episode/1OPE...

In this week's DS episode @jennaprice.bsky.social, Sinclair Davidson, Mark and I discuss the governance crisis in the Australian University sector.

It is telling when folk from across the political spectrum agree on the problem and most of the solution

A thread🧵

"The core problem is a vacuum of accountability. In the university sector, no one is held responsible for failure, at least no one at the top."

@jack-thrower.bsky.social in the Canberra Times

Read:
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/906393...

Tickets are on sale now for our Revenue Summit 2025!

Speakers include Steven Miles, David Pocock, Kate Chaney, Jordan van den Lamb, and more!

📅Wed 29 Oct
📍Parliament House, Canberra

Get your tickets! 👇👇 #auspol