gardenmuser
@gardenmuser1.bsky.social
Concerned citizen and planet lover. Formerly health and education. Now painting, planting and pondering: how to bequeath a fairer, kinder world to my grandkids. Transferring from Twitter.
Pinned
gardenmuser
@gardenmuser1.bsky.social
· Nov 20
Denouement: trapped between empires - Part 6
“What you in Australia must understand is that you are more to blame than the CIA. You want this to happen, you want a certain administration in control, and you don’t want another administration in c...
johnmenadue.com
Since demise of Whitlam, orchestrated remotely from UK & US, our govts have been cowed into subordination to US. We need to become a Republic; to review constitution re role and composition of Senate; to extricate ourselves from foreign policy control by US. #auspol
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...
Howard's ruthless exploitation of the desperate Tampa incident has ensured decades of subsequent dog-whistling prejudice and intolerance in this country. Some legacy! #auspol
www.themonthly.com.au/karen-middle...
www.themonthly.com.au/karen-middle...
Turnback time
The decisions made 25 years ago during the Tampa crisis are still shaping politics
www.themonthly.com.au
September 13, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Howard's ruthless exploitation of the desperate Tampa incident has ensured decades of subsequent dog-whistling prejudice and intolerance in this country. Some legacy! #auspol
www.themonthly.com.au/karen-middle...
www.themonthly.com.au/karen-middle...
"A better solution would be for Labor to start telling the truth, to explain their policies to the electorate and not be defensive when they actually work." This is the one thing this government is getting right. Chalmers needs to be unshackled. #auspol
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/edit...
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/edit...
The necessity of falling house prices
Labor is in a curious position: it has a policy that works, but it cannot say so. Treasurer Jim Chalmers should be able to say: yes, house prices are coming down slightly; they need to. That is the po...
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au
September 11, 2026 at 9:50 PM
"A better solution would be for Labor to start telling the truth, to explain their policies to the electorate and not be defensive when they actually work." This is the one thing this government is getting right. Chalmers needs to be unshackled. #auspol
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/edit...
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/edit...
The US "is a model of what not to do - a cautionary tale of extreme inequality, democratic erosion, corruption, and social division." So why is our Labor government dominated by such US sycophants? #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
Trump is hastening the decline of American power
Trump’s threats against countries trading with Iran expose the limits of US economic power, as allies resist Washington’s demands and the global economy moves towards a less American-dominated order.
pearlsandirritations.com
September 11, 2026 at 9:30 PM
The US "is a model of what not to do - a cautionary tale of extreme inequality, democratic erosion, corruption, and social division." So why is our Labor government dominated by such US sycophants? #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
The ruthless bastard our gutless government won't condemn. #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
‘Bombshell’ report says Netanyahu was warned before 7 October – and Israel rejected an offer to free civilian captives
An Haaretz investigation says Netanyahu failed to pass on a warning of a major Hamas operation, while Israeli officials later rejected an unconditional offer to release civilian captives.
pearlsandirritations.com
September 9, 2026 at 8:55 PM
The ruthless bastard our gutless government won't condemn. #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
"The Albanese government turns out to be an exemplar of performative leadership: as long as you make the voters think you're a good guy getting on with it, you don't have to actually do much." #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
Australia is under strain – and politics is part of the problem
Financial stress is rising and life satisfaction is falling, but Australians’ discontent runs deeper than household budgets to growing distrust in politics and government.
pearlsandirritations.com
September 9, 2026 at 8:44 PM
"The Albanese government turns out to be an exemplar of performative leadership: as long as you make the voters think you're a good guy getting on with it, you don't have to actually do much." #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
"National capability without social capability risks becoming merely nationalism with an industrial policy." What's it all for ultimately? Great article. #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
What kind of country is Australia actually trying to become?
Australia has no shortage of wealth, projects or policy targets. What it lacks is a coherent strategy for building the capabilities its future society will need.
pearlsandirritations.com
September 8, 2026 at 11:23 PM
"National capability without social capability risks becoming merely nationalism with an industrial policy." What's it all for ultimately? Great article. #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
Says it all. Great choice of photo. This lot aren't listening. Bring on more Indepents. #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
Albanese governs with insiders and leaves voters outside the room
The Albanese government may be adept at negotiating with insiders, but its failure to explain decisions and engage voters is deepening public distrust.
pearlsandirritations.com
September 7, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Says it all. Great choice of photo. This lot aren't listening. Bring on more Indepents. #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
Wake up, Australia! We have to make foreign and defence policies an election issue. The Duopoly are setting us up as the next Hiroshima. Lining their own pockets? Lucrative sinecures when they exit politics? Appalling mismanagement without our permission. #auspol
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
The US now has access to more than half Australia’s military bases – could it drag the country unwillingly into war?
Exclusive: US-controlled weapons corporations and forces have control or access to more than 100 facilities across the continent, which some analysts describe as a ‘colonisation’ of Australia’s milita...
www.theguardian.com
September 6, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Wake up, Australia! We have to make foreign and defence policies an election issue. The Duopoly are setting us up as the next Hiroshima. Lining their own pockets? Lucrative sinecures when they exit politics? Appalling mismanagement without our permission. #auspol
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by gardenmuser
#auspol
".. countries around the world have been left scurrying to re-evaluate their needs and their friendships."
"Except Australia"
Laura Tingle
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
".. countries around the world have been left scurrying to re-evaluate their needs and their friendships."
"Except Australia"
Laura Tingle
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
Everyone but Australia reconsiders relationship with America
No-one inside federal politics seems interested in discussing the large orange elephant in the room and how it is materially changing every other country's views of the world.
www.abc.net.au
September 5, 2026 at 11:28 AM
#auspol
".. countries around the world have been left scurrying to re-evaluate their needs and their friendships."
"Except Australia"
Laura Tingle
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
".. countries around the world have been left scurrying to re-evaluate their needs and their friendships."
"Except Australia"
Laura Tingle
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
How do we get to be led by such dunderheads? I never voted for Marles to gift our country to the US. #auspol
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
Everyone but Australia reconsiders relationship with America
No-one inside federal politics seems interested in discussing the large orange elephant in the room and how it is materially changing every other country's views of the world.
www.abc.net.au
September 6, 2026 at 2:25 AM
How do we get to be led by such dunderheads? I never voted for Marles to gift our country to the US. #auspol
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
Making housing more affordable is the one positive, sorely needed policy change this government has got right. Their one claim to fame. They need to brazenly spruik it and explain it more to the electorate. #auspol
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Labor is in damage control over falling house prices. Why not take credit instead? | Tom McIlroy
In the long term Chalmers, O’Neil and Albanese will want to own any improvement in intergenerational equity, so maybe it’s better to start now
www.theguardian.com
September 6, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Making housing more affordable is the one positive, sorely needed policy change this government has got right. Their one claim to fame. They need to brazenly spruik it and explain it more to the electorate. #auspol
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
"It's not just about you."
Will we ever realise that the best way (really the only way) to support the individual is to support the whole community. We are part of a matrix. We should nationalise all private schools and level the playing field. #auspol
elizabethfarrelly.substack.com/p/more-reaso...
Will we ever realise that the best way (really the only way) to support the individual is to support the whole community. We are part of a matrix. We should nationalise all private schools and level the playing field. #auspol
elizabethfarrelly.substack.com/p/more-reaso...
MORE REASONS TO BAN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Schools, of course, are not solely responsible for appalling student behaviour. Parents and culture also figure - and culture-building is the biggest single reason to end edu-tribalism.
elizabethfarrelly.substack.com
September 5, 2026 at 9:21 PM
"It's not just about you."
Will we ever realise that the best way (really the only way) to support the individual is to support the whole community. We are part of a matrix. We should nationalise all private schools and level the playing field. #auspol
elizabethfarrelly.substack.com/p/more-reaso...
Will we ever realise that the best way (really the only way) to support the individual is to support the whole community. We are part of a matrix. We should nationalise all private schools and level the playing field. #auspol
elizabethfarrelly.substack.com/p/more-reaso...
Albo should have trusted his instincts instead of bowing to pressure for a Royal Commission from pro-Zionist members of Australia's Jewish community. It has only inflamed the problem and heightened animosity on both sides. Most unwise. #auspol
open.substack.com/pub/joeljenk...
open.substack.com/pub/joeljenk...
Turning on the Royal Commission
There is no reason to believe that there is something uniquely Australian about antisemitism.
open.substack.com
September 5, 2026 at 5:00 AM
Albo should have trusted his instincts instead of bowing to pressure for a Royal Commission from pro-Zionist members of Australia's Jewish community. It has only inflamed the problem and heightened animosity on both sides. Most unwise. #auspol
open.substack.com/pub/joeljenk...
open.substack.com/pub/joeljenk...
"The median house price in Australia is roughly double the median house price in America." And we think they're crazy! #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
House prices are falling. Now we’ll find out who really wants affordability
Australia cannot make housing more affordable while protecting homeowners from falling prices. The current downturn may reveal how serious politicians really are about fixing the system.
pearlsandirritations.com
September 3, 2026 at 9:00 PM
"The median house price in Australia is roughly double the median house price in America." And we think they're crazy! #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
"Busyness is not substance." Are you listening, @albomp.bsky.social? The electorate is aching for some visionary leadership, not managerialism keeping yhe seats warm. #auspol
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
‘Timidity is a virus’: Paul Keating fights the fading of the light as he seeks to enshrine his legacy
As a major new biography of the former prime minister goes on sale, he talks about meeting the Queen, Trump’s aims, and why his big vision will never fade
www.theguardian.com
September 3, 2026 at 12:43 AM
"Busyness is not substance." Are you listening, @albomp.bsky.social? The electorate is aching for some visionary leadership, not managerialism keeping yhe seats warm. #auspol
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by gardenmuser
How badly is the @australianlabor.bsky.social political party misreading the mood of Australians ?
We will try a little trick in WA whilst promoting our climate change credentials (lack of) at the Pacific Forum. They wont notice a thing. #auspol
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
We will try a little trick in WA whilst promoting our climate change credentials (lack of) at the Pacific Forum. They wont notice a thing. #auspol
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
How Labor spoon-fed One Nation the state seat of Secret Harbour in WA
Western Australia’s Labor Party spoon-fed Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party the state seat of Secret Harbour last Saturday (29/8/26) by running gas lobbyist Georgia Tree as their candidate. The Labor ...
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com
September 2, 2026 at 8:43 PM
How badly is the @australianlabor.bsky.social political party misreading the mood of Australians ?
We will try a little trick in WA whilst promoting our climate change credentials (lack of) at the Pacific Forum. They wont notice a thing. #auspol
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
We will try a little trick in WA whilst promoting our climate change credentials (lack of) at the Pacific Forum. They wont notice a thing. #auspol
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
Reposted by gardenmuser
"Requires political courage and regulatory rigour." Qualities sorely lacking in this and previous governments. Bring on more Independents! #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
Australia has one chance to get data centre energy policy right
Data centres could consume 13 per cent of National Electricity Market power by 2036. Australia should require them to bring new firmed renewable energy rather than add pressure to the grid.
pearlsandirritations.com
September 2, 2026 at 9:19 PM
"Requires political courage and regulatory rigour." Qualities sorely lacking in this and previous governments. Bring on more Independents! #auspol
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
No wonder Labor lost when their candidate was a gas lobbyist. How grubby and cynical! #auspol
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
How Labor spoon-fed One Nation the state seat of Secret Harbour in WA
Western Australia’s Labor Party spoon-fed Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party the state seat of Secret Harbour last Saturday (29/8/26) by running gas lobbyist Georgia Tree as their candidate. The Labor ...
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com
September 2, 2026 at 8:43 PM
No wonder Labor lost when their candidate was a gas lobbyist. How grubby and cynical! #auspol
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
George Monbiot brilliant on Britain's wealthy oligarchs manipulating government at expense of people and planet. Exactly the same here. Albo sells us out to vested interests. Only a miniscule improvement on Libs. Bring on more Independents! #auspol
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Andy Burnham has already made a mistake that will cost him his premiership: he lost his nerve over political donations | George Monbiot
Being subservient to the interests of the wealthy now means that his hands are tied, and he will be unable to tackle Britain’s most pressing issues, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
September 2, 2026 at 8:32 PM
George Monbiot brilliant on Britain's wealthy oligarchs manipulating government at expense of people and planet. Exactly the same here. Albo sells us out to vested interests. Only a miniscule improvement on Libs. Bring on more Independents! #auspol
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by gardenmuser
Dear PM - where are you ?
I cannot believe how different our nation has become since you were first elected as PM
The messaging is now wrong & weak
Please find the courage & intestinal fortitude you once stood for ?
We cannot afford any more corrupted, climate destroying, inhumane fence sitting
I cannot believe how different our nation has become since you were first elected as PM
The messaging is now wrong & weak
Please find the courage & intestinal fortitude you once stood for ?
We cannot afford any more corrupted, climate destroying, inhumane fence sitting
August 31, 2026 at 12:38 AM
Dear PM - where are you ?
I cannot believe how different our nation has become since you were first elected as PM
The messaging is now wrong & weak
Please find the courage & intestinal fortitude you once stood for ?
We cannot afford any more corrupted, climate destroying, inhumane fence sitting
I cannot believe how different our nation has become since you were first elected as PM
The messaging is now wrong & weak
Please find the courage & intestinal fortitude you once stood for ?
We cannot afford any more corrupted, climate destroying, inhumane fence sitting