Australia - you're standing in it
True story. Happens in most areas, unless you’re right in the inner city.
Reckon it's about time we tell the USA to f off.
Let them go to war with China, we enjoy our living standard in big part because our trade with China.
Some ex Fox news pundit war monger with neo nazi tattoos telling us to buy more American made products of murder.
Hey it's not China actively enabling and participating in a genocide.
Australia really needs to get independent with its international relations.⁷
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/02/anthony-albanese…
I feel sorry for the people of Kalbarri….
Bowens given some foreign company 840 million dollars for a green hydrogen project which after the seeing the guy in charge looks like a scam I reckon.
Looks good on paper but I doubt it’s a real deal and the people will suffer for it…
The infrastructure will change the community forever and then will probably be left as another unfinished white elephant.
If it was such a winner why dosent the Labor govt do it themselves….
Easy to give away other people’s taxpayer money to make yourself look good via another player……if they fail …it’ll just be oops….
Currently green hydrogen needs nuclear power to be successful which is why the big players are moving their projects to the U.S.
That project will alter the landscape forever and while it would be nice to have hydrogen power……why sell it all to Europe??? If it ever gets sold at all…
Smells dodgy….will look dodgy…..dunno about that one.
3.5% minimum award wage payrise - reasonable, too much or too little?
It's stated that this pay rise is above inflation but I gotta say, it doesn't feel like it to me.
Thoughts?
From first of July
The National Minimum Wage will increase by:
$0.85 to $24.95 per hour
$32.10 to $948.00 per 38-hour week
$1,669.20 to $49,296.00 per year.
Metals recyclers on the brink with high energy prices:
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/07/gas-cartel-destroys-metals-pro…
The chart was interesting: WA has lost the Kambalda Nickel Smelter but also Kwinana Nickel and Alumina, and BP Kwinana also stopped refining so the industrial muscle of Perth has been greatly diminished.
The others are in the east and some are asking for government backing for a transition to energy metals, or wondering about keeping operating in high energy cost environment.
At what point do we become third world? When there is no value-adding or economic complexity left?
andy-mac wrote:
Reckon it's about time we tell the USA to f off.
Let them go to war with China, we enjoy our living standard in big part because our trade with China.
Some ex Fox news pundit war monger with neo nazi tattoos telling us to buy more American made products of murder.
Hey it's not China actively enabling and participating in a genocide.
Australia really needs to get independent with its international relations.⁷
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/02/anthony-albanese…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestricted_Warfare
The minute it kicks off our seaborne trade is gone so we should prepare for that. But we won't.
@andy-mac
“ Hey it's not China actively enabling and participating in a genocide.”
Are we 100% sure on that? Reckon you might find a few dissenting views and some pretty compelling evidence…
Money well spent!!
Mmmmm
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/23/australia-payment-us-auku…
Any Whale, Orca, Shark, Croc, Elephant, Rhino, Bull, Ox, Buffalo, Horse, Ram, Gorilla, Bear, Tiger, Lion even a Roo... or many more wild critters...
All equally flick tag team heavyweight champs & challengers outta the park...without the fanfare!
Disabled, ill pensioner tbb backs himself to manhandle demonic Lightning Storm Surge to tame wild WOTD.
Laziest effort is still more majestic & awe inspiring than Premier's best caged pet bitch slappers promo!
Knuckleheads are an embarrassment to mankind...critters are laughing at piss poor excuse for men!
Run wild & be free harnessing power of nature...Menfolk are not enslaved pissweak pet pound puppies!
Mundine is free to Launch Qldurr'z Rocket...in Sept > Xmas Round 8/9/10...don't care...we're not fussy!
Give it yer best shot > Launch it 2-3 metres outta the ring or topple it over...Knock yerself out...Our hero!
Reckon it's time we consider joining brics.
The orange man administration is no friend of Australia, even though we send them free money for maybe borrowing a submarine to threaten our biggest trading partner, and wealth generator.
Come on Albo, play hard ball with these bullies, out of Pine Gap and other bases if they will not reciprocate as true allies.
Who would buy shitty seppo beef anyway??
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/25/don-farrell-trad…
Yes Albo has dropped the ball big time and taken up licking orange arse.........so the aust taxpayer helps to prop up the yank ship building industry for 1.6 billion.....really......for something that will never happen and who needs a nuclear sub anyway in 30 years time...maybe.... and we let them bring there beef in here wtf.........the only thing i liked about Albo was he was standing up to the orange gorilla ...Trump....fuk off Albo you dumb cunt....
Talk is cheap, sanctions now.
Any dual passport owners coming back after serving in IOF should be investigated for war crimes.
Enough of this bullshit.
Australia cam and should do better.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/25/australia-must-sanction-b…
Australia in 2025: it's like the Q&A panel didn't really understand what he was trying to get across
velocityjohnno wrote:
Australia in 2025: it's like the Q&A panel didn't really understand what he was trying to get across
Sssshhhh. Don't mention CGT, neg gearing, developers land banking, smsf's etc.
Blame it on immigration???
Then complain your mum has no one taking care of her in aged care, you have to wait too long for operation as hospitals understaffed. Cannot get an user, No doctor to perform operation....
Problem has been decades in the making....
And for you sub fans:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/25/uk-sign-50-year-aukus-treat…
So if the US goes AWOL contingency exists.
And this article shows the capability difference between them and conventional subs:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/25/aukus-nuclear-submarines-pa…
Strategically and tactically a game changer.
Further on the boat news, first British carrier in 25 years to dock in Australia:
https://www.navylookout.com/first-royal-navy-aircraft-carrier-to-visit-…
And next, with US settings changed to 'unreliable', Europe is starting to put together combined carrier strike groups, this one is important as it's more recently only the US that could do and supply this with multiple carriers anywhere they wished. The message is that Europe can, independently:
https://mc.nato.int/media-centre/news/2021/nato-carrier-strike-groups-t…
Lastly, on Albo's visit to China. China traditionally does this quite powerful diplomacy where they will meet and engage on trade, but at the same time, somewhere, there's a home-side massive military exercise going on in the background. The message is both of opportunity and 'look at our strength'. In this most recent Australian visit (complete with the green iron ore/steel idea of Mr Forrest which I so hope we can pull off, for it will permit another 30 years of economic prosperity in Australia, cold war or no), notice that Australia was doing the huge military exercise (Talisman Sabre) which had a crescendo of a Typhon launch. Significant as this is a very long range ballistic missile - it hit a ship at sea so this sends the similar message back north, whether it was all intended to line up or not. Why's that important? It's one thing - that I know some of you have called for - that can knock out approaching carrier strike groups at range, which are the main threat to our northern defences.
Here's an another view on the subs deal and offers a different approach. It links up with some of your observations about the Operation Talisman shindig. Have heard this raised a few times now, evidence from Ukraine is changing views on what is actually needed into the future.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/21/an-alternative-to…
Could well be viable. The author is talking A2/AD which is what the Typhon launch hinted at. Australia oscillates between a 'defence of Australia' concept and 'forward deployment' concept in it's defence posture (eg contrast Vietnam to the posture afterward).
A long time ago French strategists argued that the torpedo, submarine and torpedo boat would make the capital ship redundant - this is pre WW1. This 'jeune ecole' saw those weapons mature, but the capital ships themselves developed countermeasures and were never truly replaced. I see a bit of this line of thought in the article with uncrewed and underwater sensors - which are again nothing new as the SOSUS network has existed a long time.
At any rate the submarines will need to be replaced on some level as the Collins class ages, and submarines will still have their use - even as mothership for unmanned underwater vehicles a la 'loyal wingman' concept.
The best defence is in depth, and sufficiently funded. So have the A2/AD, have submarines, and have sufficient force to allow your country to remain sovereign.
(I was also looking for his acknowledgement that to beat Australia, you don't have to invade - you just have to close its sea lane traffic. A big blue water navy like China or the US has, could do this by imposing blocade - close, or far away. (A nuclear sub with cruise missiles is an antidote to this.) No imports of fuel, which we are dependent upon, and Australia grinds to a halt. So in this case, you very much DO need the surface and undersea warships, as the convoy system would be the only way of getting supplies through in this instance. Here, nuclear subs could help screening baddies for the convoy, just as they do for a carrier battle group. Surface ships could defend it to - they don't have to be flash, just have some defensive armament, eg the Flower class corvettes of WW2.) The guy sitting at home with great A2/AD will have no imports and have to start moonshinin' his own fuel.
andy-mac wrote:
Talk is cheap, sanctions now.
Any dual passport owners coming back after serving in IOF should be investigated for war crimes.
Enough of this bullshit.
Australia cam and should do better.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/25/australia-must-sanction-b…
…hmmmmm did someone say democracy ;)
(nothin quite like upholding the sovereignty of foreign interference)
- & who voted for this?
(it must be for our ‘safety and security’ and probly comes with guarantees of ‘positive reverberations’ hahahaha)
Albanese set to announce today (Wednesday) that YouTube will be included in the government's social media ban for under 16's, reversing the previously stated position.
But guess what won't be included in any U/16 y.o. ban....gaming platforms!
What most people don't realise is that the verification requirements will be applicable to all social media users, so everyone will be required to provide age verification details no matter what age they are.
I think this is going to blow up in the ALP's face.
Google and Meta are going to fight this for sure, and a lot of pissed off teenagers, and over 16 social media users that won't want to give social media platforms that kind of ID information.
Stupid policy.
Please share these maps with your friends and Labor members...
The 2 state solution was in 1922.
The ignorance of history is scary.
In 1920 the world gave Israel its homeland back after the fall of the ottoman Islamic empire.
The whole world signed off on it.
99% of the middle east went to the Arabs and 1% to Israel.
The British were in charge of that small job.
Get the Jews back home to their land of Palestine.
To their 1%
But they stuffed that up and gave more than half of Israels land to the Arabs creating the trans Jordan.
So a 2 state Palestine happened in 1922.
Since then the Islamists have tried to take more and more of what's left.
They want the Jews dead.
Why don't the worlds cowardly politicians stand up for this little democracy constantly under attack.
If they won't we should...
Here are the maps and timelines...
please share them...
https://www.cfi.org.uk/downloads/MapsofIsraelHistory-v5.pdf
are we still blaming scott morrison for australia's continuing over the top immigration?
I'll rephrase that...
is it even conceivable to still blame scott morrison for australia's continuing over the top immigration?
https://x.com/DrewPavlou/status/1952219528433393962
I'm no economist, but these numbers cannot possibly be remotely sustainable
in any sense of the word...
- hahahaha
“…Why don't the world’s cowardly politicians stand up for this little democracy constantly under attack.”
….. hmmmm ;)
& paging @adam12 ;)
tearymasseuse wrote:
- hahahaha
“…Why don't the world’s cowardly politicians stand up for this little democracy constantly under attack.”
….. hmmmm ;)
& paging @adam12 ;)
Optimist's post was an exercise in extreme delusion and comedy.
Hiccups wrote:
Optimist's post was an exercise in extreme delusion and comedy.
;)
tearymasseuse wrote:
- hahahaha
“…Why don't the world’s cowardly politicians stand up for this little democracy constantly under attack.”
….. hmmmm ;)
& paging @adam12 ;)
Or. We can rephrase it this way. “ Why don’t the world’s politicians put this little democracy under the hammer and stand up for the cowardly acts of mass killing inflicted upon innocent children and adults who are starving to death ? 60,000 people outside of this abhorrent little democracy have died at the hands of a very ordinary male citizen from within ?
Enough is enough!! AW
velocityjohnno wrote:
Australia in 2025: it's like the Q&A panel didn't really understand what he was trying to get across
Haha...
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-lifts-foreign-stud…
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/australian-job-ads-fall-…
Going downhill quickly...
Guess all those who turned up on the weekend is further evidence.
"Peace train sounding louder
Glide on the Peace train"
albo promised he'd stop the visa scams...
albo promised he'd stop the dodgy courses...
albo has overseen massive development in both... to 'cement his 'legacy'
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/betrayal-of-trust/105063150
call me an idealist... but (uninterested) indian IT nerds, ain't the ideal choice to oversee the development of your children...
and...
southern cross university
tch tch tch...
shame shame shame
do better!
sypkan wrote:
albo promised he'd stop the visa scams...
albo promised he'd stop the dodgy courses...
albo has overseen massive development in both... to 'cement his 'legacy'
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/betrayal-of-trust/105063150
call me an idealist... but (uninterested) indian IT nerds, ain't the ideal choice to oversee the development of your children...
Bring it under State Education and fund it properly.
Get the profit motive out and look after the kids.
flollo wrote:
Haha...
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-lifts-foreign-stud…
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/australian-job-ads-fall-…
Going downhill quickly...
Yeah wow, at some point it's all gotta break. It's very interesting seeing how far the crush can be pushed before this happens. Young Aussies voted for this, and it seems absolutely bizarre that they did so, as the competition for entry level through mid level jobs will hurt them most. As well as housing rental and 1st homebuyer demand. Oh well, they asked for it so better deliver more of it. And GDP will keep ticking along above recession levels and shareholders will keep getting their divvies.
andy-mac wrote:
albo promised he'd stop the visa scams...albo promised he'd stop the dodgy courses...
albo has overseen massive development in both... to 'cement his 'legacy'
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/betrayal-of-trust/105063150
call me an idealist... but (uninterested) indian IT nerds, ain't the ideal choice to oversee the development of your children...
Bring it under State Education and fund it properly.
Get the profit motive out and look after the kids.
Agree. And going further, reduce the price of housing to 1.5-3 times average annual wage so one parent can afford to stay at home and have that bonding time with their children, negating the need for childcare in the first place.
the desperation of labor's policies and actions are mindblowing
they really are setting the country up (and themselves) for a catastrophic failure...
irrepairable damage
we're well into scott morrison government territory now... where the sitting government gets away with all manner of outrageous actions, that may well tickle their ideological proclivities, interests groups, and inherent corruptions, but do nothing to make the place better...
but they get away with it... unscathed... because the opposition is in such a state of irrelevant shambles, they are largely silent, and scared, and thus too impotent to fulfill their role as an effective opposition...
the set up we are blindly rolling into is bloody scary!
and, though many will vehemently disagree, may well be just enough to get that shambles voted in...
'people don't vote government in, they vote governments out'
a wise man often said...
it really is a slow motion train wreck
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/08/australian-manufacturing-is-dy…
"The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) national accounts showed that Australia’s manufacturing sector comprised a record low share of GDP.
In Q1 2025, manufacturing’s percentage of GDP decreased to 5.1%, down from 8.9% two decades ago and 15% in the mid-1970s.
Australia has the smallest manufacturing share in the OECD, making it one of the least self-sufficient industrialised economies.
There are several factors contributing to Australia’s structural loss in manufacturing.
Tariff cuts in the 1980s and 1990s reduced Australian manufacturing’s competitiveness versus imports, shrinking the sector.
During the 2000s commodity boom, the Australian dollar rose in relation to other currencies, making the local manufacturing sector even less competitive versus imported goods and export markets.
Finally and most importantly, rising energy prices—both electricity and gas—have driven up operating costs, making Australian manufacturing less competitive.
Natural gas input costs used in manufacturing have increased by 186% since 2000, whereas electricity costs used in manufacturing have risen by 181%.
The rise in natural gas costs has been especially brutal since 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Not surprisingly, then, ASIC insolvency data showed that over 1400 manufacturers nationwide have become insolvent since 2022-23.
Among these, Incitec Pivot, a large fertiliser company, closed its Australian operations due to rising energy costs.
Qenos, Australia’s last major plastics facility, closed in 2024 due to high energy prices, leaving the country fully reliant on polymers supplied from China.
Oceania Glass, Australia’s sole architectural glass firm, closed in February 2025 after 169 years of operation due to soaring energy prices and Chinese dumping.
Orica, the world’s largest manufacturer of mining explosives, chemicals, and agricultural fertilisers, and BlueScope Steel have threatened to shrink their Australian operations and relocate to the United States in response to rising energy costs.
The reality is that without affordable and reliable energy, Australia’s manufacturing sector will continue to contract and the nation will deindustrialise.
Sadly, it is inevitable that energy will become more expensive in Australia.
East Coast Australia’s refusal to implement a domestic gas reservation program is a major contributor to rising energy prices.
In 2015, the East Coast began exporting natural gas from Gladstone. Since then, the East Coast has doubled its gas production, yet it has delivered 25% less gas to the domestic market.
As a result, an artificial shortage of gas has emerged, tripling the East Coast gas price to roughly $12 per gigajoule
East Coast Australia now has the highest gas prices of any exporting jurisdiction in the world. These high gas costs have contributed to higher power prices, as gas is a primary marginal price setter in the wholesale market.
The situation will only worsen if the East Coast begins importing gas into New South Wales, Victoria, and potentially South Australia to alleviate artificial domestic shortages.
Once liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports commence, East Coast gas prices will skyrocket to import-parity levels of roughly $20 per gigajoule, driving up electricity prices..."
What do you guys reckon? Is it important to make anything, or is it better to have it delivered to you? - so long as those making and delivering can guarantee to get it to you all the time, on time. It's been so weird watching this country go from being resilient with a cheap cost of living/energy to a cargo cult in my lifetime.
sally mcmanus...
But ACTU secretary Sally McManus told ABC's Insiders it was time to "bite the bullet".
"Otherwise, we're just saying 'too bad young people, you're not going to be able to ever own a home'," she said.
"Since 2019, the problem has just got worse. It's going to continue to get worse unless the government is brave enough to do something about it."
that's about as polite as breaking ranks can possibly be
I really wish she mentioned the 'I' word
but it's a start...
I heard yesterday 1% of investors own 25% of investment properties
that's some warped and twisted mathematics that's ripe for correction...
sally showing some balls, time for estro albo to follow suit
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-03/sally-mcmanus-negative-gearing-c…
velocityjohnno wrote:
Haha...
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-lifts-foreign-stud…
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/australian-job-ads-fall-…
Going downhill quickly...
Yeah wow, at some point it's all gotta break. It's very interesting seeing how far the crush can be pushed before this happens. Young Aussies voted for this, and it seems absolutely bizarre that they did so, as the competition for entry level through mid level jobs will hurt them most. As well as housing rental and 1st homebuyer demand. Oh well, they asked for it so better deliver more of it. And GDP will keep ticking along above recession levels and shareholders will keep getting their divvies.
Add AI into the mix and you’ll see tectonic changes in how we live and operate. I reckon a half of uni degrees are completely useless. Look at the recent layoffs in the IT industry in India. Jobs you previously offshored won’t have to be offshored anymore. Entry level jobs locally can easily be done with AI. I can see massive impacts in my workplace. You can also run much flatter organisations with one manager having 15-20 people reporting into him/her.
The "I can't believe it's not politics" thread.