Save the Maugean skate court case A local group from north-west Tasmania is suing federal Environment Minister Murray Watt in a test case over his decision to green light the ancient Maugean Skate’s extinction.

Local group sues Australian Environment Minister Murray Watt
in test case over decision
to green light Maugean Skate extinction

Upper Houses have saved Governments, and with Tasmanian AFL stadium vote they might do it again Sometimes, the best thing that can happen to a government is to lose a vote in Parliament. Doing so allows a government say, hand-on-heart, that it did everything that it could to fulfill its promises...

Tasmania decides: will the Upper House rescue the government?

Mass fish kill at Tassal barramundi farm in WA's Cone Bay | ABC NEWS YouTube video by ABC News (Australia)

This is happening in National Heritage waters of the Kimberley and Tassal/Cooke want to expand their operations! This is the same corporation, causing the same industrial fish farming problems as the salmon industry in Tasmania. See Environs Kimberley:
www.environskimberley.org.au/swinbourn_ta...

Standing room only at the community meeting calling on the Tasmanian Government to take salmon farms out of Long Bay on the Tasman Peninsula. This would be consistent with Recommendation 3 of the 2022 Parliamentary Inquiry, but the government refuses to implement this recommendation.

Antibiotic approved for Tasmania's farmed salmon — but maybe don't eat fish caught nearby The industry's use of the drug is in response to an "endemic" bacterial disease that caused the deaths of up to 15,000 tonnes of salmon from January to April, resulting in dead fish material washing u...

So now the government thinks it’s ok for antibiotics to be found in wild fish 3km away from salmon pens.

“The government is cherrypicking available science in its attempts to reassure UNESCO enough is being done to address the destruction of World Heritage caused by the salmon industry.

"This is simply not the case."

-Australia Institute Tasmania Director Eloise Carr
#auspol @eloise-carr.bsky.social

It wasn’t the laws that were too weak to stop those projects, it was the ministers The Prime Minister is betting that by 2028 people will forget the North West Shelf and EPBC backflips, but it would be a brave backbencher willing to make that same bet.

Here's some food for thought, especially for ALP backbenchers, thanks @richarddenniss.bsky.social

Sydney set for ‘blistering’ weather as record heat shifts east and winds forecast to blast southern Australia Temperatures forecast to reach 39C in the CBD as rain and damaging gusts up to 130km/h expected along Victoria’s south-west coast * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The weather bureau has forecast a “blistering day” for Sydney on Wednesday, with record-breaking heat shifting towards the east coast, while damaging winds whip through southern states. On Tuesday, both New South Wales and Queensland recorded their hottest-ever October temperatures, the highest since records began in 1910, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Continue reading...

Sydney set for ‘blistering’ weather as record heat shifts east and winds forecast to blast southern Australia

Tasmania's integrity body finishes 2019 probe but report still secret Seven years after allegations were made against a practitioner who was allegedly misusing public resources, Tasmania's Integrity Commission has finalised its investigation into the matter. However, th...

The Institute's Tasmania Director, @eloise-carr.bsky.social has called on the next commissioner to favour disclosure by providing more regular updates, publishing more reports, and holding public hearings in order to "change the culture of the Commission from the top".

Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says Analysis of 25 years of evidence shows most schemes are poor quality and fail to lower emissions

"The failure of carbon offsets to cut planet-heating pollution is “not due to a few bad apples”, a review paper has found, but down to deep-seated systemic problems that incremental change will not solve" says the Guardian...

Estimates find no evidence of automated FOI applications The Attorney-General's Department was unable to present evidence of the malicious and automated FOI requests alleged by the government.

"The Attorney-General’s Department was unable to present evidence of the malicious and automated FOI requests alleged by the government."

Great article from @dholmesnoise.bsky.social in @themandarin.bsky.social today, covering the latest.

Proposed changes to Freedom Of Information scheme don't add up New Australia Institute research reveals that the failures in Australia’s freedom of information (FOI) scheme lie with the government, not with applicants. The government’s proposal to limit FOI reque...

Our research reveals that the failures in Australia’s freedom of information (FOI) scheme lie with the government, not with applicants. The government’s proposal to limit FOI requests by charging fees instead of fixing the broken system misdiagnoses the problem.

Read:

The Government justified a clamp down on freedom of information requests by claiming an increase in malicious and automated FOI attempts. Only problem is, there's no evidence of such a thing.

Our research showed that the number of FOI requests has not increased, but processing time has. 🔗⤵️ #auspol

Government’s FOI changes could cover up the next Robodebt - new research Proposed changes to Australia’s Freedom of Information (FOI) laws would make a repeat of the disastrous Robodebt coverup more likely, rather than less, according to new research by The Australia Insti...

The new research also shows that it's government inefficiency, not the number of requests, behind the growing cost of the FOI system.

Read the full report for more ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/post/governm...

Great to see our research being used in Parliament!

Australia Institute research shows that the proposed changes to Freedom of Information laws would make a repeat of the Robodebt coverup more likely, not less.

@davidshoebridge.bsky.social #auspol

The Woodside case proves what we’ve long suspected: Australia’s ‘environment protection’ law does no such thing Approval of the North West Shelf extension shows the purpose of the EPBC Act is to allow developments, not to protect and preserve

Column today

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

It doesn't matter if you don't believe in climate change. Your insurer does.

The more extreme climate events and disasters that occur around the world – the higher Australian insurance premiums will be.

It's why we're calling for compensation levy on gas & coal exports > theaus.in/fossilfuelco...

Trump’s plan no path to lasting peace After several failed attempts at brokering a ceasefire, President Donald Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced a 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

Dr Shortis discusses Trump and Netanyahu's 20-point peace plan for Gaza - which did not include Palestinians in the negotiating process - on the latest episode of After America.

Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts 🔊
australiainstitute.org.au/post/trumps-...

Big congrats to Santos Ltd!!

10 years. $46.7 billion in sales.

ZERO TAX

New ATO data out today.
@markogge.bsky.social @australiainstitute.org.au
data.gov.au/data/dataset...

Govt spent $101K of YOUR money on lawyers trying to keep a Maugean Skate brief from YOU. They lost the fight.

Instead of rethinking their resistance to transparency, @albomp.bsky.social’s solution to balancing the books is to charge citizens $40 to receive an erroneous #FOI decision. 🤦‍♂️ #auspol

Nearly one-fifth of Australia's domestic emissions comes from the process of extracting and shipping gas and coal for export.

With a new 2035 target imminent, this is an easy place for the Government to find real emissions reductions.

Read: australiainstitute.org.au/post/nearly-...

Capital gains for the rich and persistent gender pay gaps: what we can learn from the ATO’s annual tax statistics | Greg Jericho Data shows negative gearing remains the favourite of high-income earners, while most Australians’ super balances fall short of what is needed for a ‘comfortable retirement’

Read Chief Economist Greg Jericho’s article in The Guardian to learn more:

www.theguardian.com/business/gro...

Read our report to learn the three simple steps which would raise $70 billion a year in extra tax:

australiainstitute.org.au/post/three-s...

Tax is an important part of our society so why did 91 millionaires pay no tax in 2022?

“Those 91 people earned over $1 million but had deductions so large they reduced the amount of tax they paid to zero.”

- Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist

@mattgrudnoff.bsky.social #auspol

Cooked: Has the gas industry captured WA? Get tickets on Humanitix - Cooked: Has the gas industry captured WA? hosted by The Australia Institute. WA Museum Boola Bardip, Francis Street, and, William St, Northbridge WA 6003, Australia. Tuesday...

Has the gas industry captured WA?

Perth, join us on Tuesday with @punterspolitics.bsky.social and
@markogge.bsky.social to talk all things gas. #auspol

Why doesn't big business in Australia invest more?

Because it's easier for oligopolies to just gouge their customers instead of taking a risk.

@mattgrudnoff.bsky.social @elinorjohnstonleek.bsky.social #auspol

Albo's dangerous expansion of Cabinet secrecy - Michael West Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s proposed modifications of Freedom of Information laws are a huge secrecy grab and undermine democracy

I fought Scott Morrison on National Cabinet secrecy during the COVID pandemic. I won that fight because his secrecy declaration was inconsistent with the law. @albomp.bsky.social is smarter than Morrison - he’s trying to expand Cabinet secrecy by changing the law. #auspol

Four dolphins have been killed in the last 6 months at Huon Aquaculture salmon farms (owned by JBS, one of the three foreign-owned salmon corporations operating in Tasmania).

FOI amendment bill. A transparency counter-revolution. - Michael West The biggest ever assault on government transparency has been launched by Labor's tabling of the FOI Amendment Bill 2025.

Rex Patrick breaks down “the biggest ever assault on government transparency”

Fossil-fuelled universities - Australian uni's selling their integrity to coal and gas companies Of Australia’s 37 public universities, 26 take money from fossil fuel companies, according to new research released today by The Australia Institute.

“Fossil fuel companies causing climate change are buying influence with Australia’s leading research organisations, just like tobacco companies bought off medical researchers last century."

- Rod Campbell, Research Director @rodcampbell.bsky.social

australiainstitute.org.au/post/fossil-...

Australia Institute Live: environmental laws back on the table, Coalition still divided over net zero. All the day's parliament events, live Murray Watt has been tasked with 'fast tracking' the much delayed environmental law changes, while the Coalition remain split over net zero. All the day's parliament events, with fact checks, live

🔴 Murray Watt has been tasked with 'fast tracking' the much delayed environmental law changes, while the Coalition remain split over net zero.

The big news of the day, live with @amyremeikis.bsky.social on our live blog ⤵️
live.australiainstitute.org.au