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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 4d

After five years at the @australiainstitute.org.au, I'm hanging up my posting gloves.

It's been a privilege working with such an incredible bunch of brave and brilliant people. Thanks to you all for making it so special.

For my last newsletter, I put in a few words of my own ⤵️

Gas exporters pay no tax (again) | Between the Lines

The Wrap with Hayden Starr For the last five years I've worked behind the scenes, helping communicate the Australia Institute's research online and on

australiainstitute.org.au

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 11d

From where I sit, one of the only actual 'useful' applications for gen ai is in click-farming social media slop factories.

Not quite the poster child of a burgeoning industry 🤔

Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 12d

AI chatbots and LLMs are very expensive to run and they make almost no money.

Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?

What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?

We need proper safeguards asap

CAMERON WILSON @cameronwilson.bsky.social · 12d

and here we go: www.wsj.com/tech/ai/...

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Reposted by Hayden Starr

Rod Campbell @rodcampbell.bsky.social · 13d

Here's the ACCC today saying that gas exporters are ripping us off. Again.

"gas being offered & supplied by the exporters to the domestic market has declined over time, while LNG export volumes have increased."

@australiainstitute.org.au @markogge.bsky.social
www.accc.gov.au/system/files...

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Reposted by Hayden Starr

Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 19d

Yep, if you're going to do a range, why not 62% to 100%???

Mark Ogge @markogge.bsky.social · 19d

Australia’s target is 62% which is pathetic.

The 70% is meaningless because we only have to reach 62% to meet the target.

Australia continues its wrecking role in global efforts prevent climate collapse because our governments want to keep approving giant fossil fuel export projects.

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 20d

Musk's manipulation of X was the blueprint. He succeeded in elevating extreme hard right views, including inciting violence and promoting Nazism.

It's so easy for them to tweak the algorithm to supress views they don't like, and therefore crushing public discourse.

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 20d

Without a morsel of irony, senator James Paterson said “it would be an unfortunate thing if there was a safe version of TikTok in the US, but a version of TikTok in Australia which was still controlled by a foreign authoritarian govt.”

It's not about China. They want total control over your media.

Australia may have to choose between a Chinese TikTok and one owned by Trump’s billionaire backers

Expert raises concerns about what US TikTok deal could mean for News Corp’s ‘worrying dominance’ in Australian media

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Hayden Starr

David Harrison @trawg.bsky.social · 21d

just a 10/10 first line here

Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 21d

The AUKUS deal is a sinking ship in all ways except for the one we want.

American experts are telling us "accept the fact that you're not going to get those submarines" but the Aus Gov is still giving America billions to make their own subs.

Ditch AUKUS while we can still salvage some dignity.

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Reposted by Hayden Starr

Alice Grundy @alicektg.bsky.social · 21d

Five publishing outfits and four of them have women founders. Thanks to @womensagenda.bsky.social for republishing my piece in the Conversation

Australia's newest publishers are dominated by women. And they're making defiant, weird, grass-roots books

Five new Australian publishers are bringing bold, grassroots books to life despite challenges in funding and distribution.

womensagenda.com.au

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 21d

"Your insane nationalism contains a lust for domination that will not cease until you realize that the age of empires is over and that your empire will not be rebuilt."

What a line from the Polish Foreign Minister.

www.politico.eu/article/rado...

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 21d

The AUKUS deal is a sinking ship in all ways except for the one we want.

American experts are telling us "accept the fact that you're not going to get those submarines" but the Aus Gov is still giving America billions to make their own subs.

Ditch AUKUS while we can still salvage some dignity.

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 25d

Eye-watering levels of flushing money down the drain.

What is Australia getting for our money? Certainly not nuclear submarines. Certainly not a dependable friend in the US.

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 25d

From a US defence expert: the AUKUS Submarine Deal is Dead

"The US can’t provide the submarines; the UK can't make up for the shortfall...and Canberra must now face the unpleasant truth that the promises made in 2021 were more fantasy pledges than realistic commitments."

The AUKUS Submarine Deal is Dead

The promise to give Australia nuclear submarines is collapsing. A severe industrial crisis in both the U.S. and UK means the AUKUS security deal's central pillar is no longer viable.

nationalsecurityjournal.org

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 25d

There are simple changes we can make to our cities that will have vast and ongoing positive effects on the lives of community members.

Community leaders with vision are pulling up concrete and replacing it with plant life.

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 26d

Smart cities know that, as hot as they already are, they’re just going to keep getting hotter. Greening the city not only cools it down, it cleans the air, quiets the noise, improves mental health & happiness, saves public money, & more. Strand Aldwych, London. 2021 vs. 2025. Via @modacitylife.com

Before and after images of street green g in central London UK

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 25d

The United States is actively enabling Israel to commit genocide.

When Prime Minister Albanese sees Trump next week, he has the opportunity to stand up for Australian interests, ditch AUKUS, and end this pathetic era of being America's lackey.

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 25d

Our politicians should be led by the community evidence, not misguided ideology.

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 25d

The Queensland LNP Government has banned pill testing. An insane, senseless move.

Pill testing saves lives.

There is free pill testing in the ACT - and 10% of people discarded the drugs after testing. 32% said they wouldn't use it after finding it wasn't what they expected. #auspol

Parents of teen who died at music festival plead with Queensland government not to ban pill testing

Josh Tam’s parents have asked LNP to ‘step aside and allow the experts to lead the way in keeping our loved ones safe’

www.theguardian.com

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 26d

Most other developed countries do not count land use emissions in their official reporting.

Australia successfully lobbied to change the rules when negotiating the Kyoto Protocol to include land use (LULUCF) emissions because they knew how much it would clean our numbers. Cooked books indeed!

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 26d

Nearly all of Australia's 'on paper' emissions reductions come from land use.

This is largely because Aus chose 2005 as the baseline year from when 'reduction' starts. In 2005 there was very high land clearing which soon stopped.

This is counted as a huge reduction, while polluters keep polluting.

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 26d

This pathetically unambitious 62% target is worse than it sounds because of how Australia uses dodgy "land use" emissions accounting.

Really good explainer on LULUCF and land use emissions here: australiainstitute.org.au/post/lulucf-...

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 26d

Albanese's 2035 target is 62-70%.

62% is piss-poor.

Not enough to prevent devastating impacts.

Not enough to convince our Pacific neighbours that we care about their future.

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 26d

This is a very good piece from Allan Behm that cuts to the heart of Australia's foreign policy failures.

"Australia needs to understand that the Pacific nations might not want to be Australia’s partners of choice in the battle of the giants. They want wellbeing and happiness."

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 26d

"This double whammy in the Pacific is a failure of diplomacy. But the failure of diplomacy is symptomatic of a much deeper set of systemic failures," writes Allan Behm.

"Australia’s default foreign policy mindset is a function of two factors: dependence on America and fear of China."

Australia’s failure of diplomacy in PNG shows we can’t – and won’t – understand our Pacific neighbours | Allan Behm

Our foreign policy mindset is a function of our dependence on America and fear of China, while we talk down to our ‘Pacific family’ and remain deaf to their global warming concerns

www.theguardian.com

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 26d

According to Boris...yeah

www.afr.com/world/europe...

AUKUS was part of plan to punish Macron, says Boris Johnson

Writing in his upcoming memoirs, the former UK prime minister accused the French president of being a “positive nuisance” during talks to leave the EU.

www.afr.com

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 27d

Reminder: The AUKUS deal was supposedly cooked up in the brain of Boris Johnson who wanted to piss off Macron, and so convinced Scott Morrison to drop the French subs deal.

$368 billion Australian taxpayer dollars to help the US make submarines that we'll never receive.

Turnbull explains why ⤵️

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Hayden Starr @haydenstarr.bsky.social · 27d

I mean, it's terrible. Not a good thing that is happening. We really should tax the ultra wealthy and stop giving huge tax concessions to property investors.

But the video from Gary is brilliant.

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