Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Simmi Manya

Sunshine Coast News ~ Australia @sunshinecoastnews.bsky.social · 5h

Meanwhile in the #UK...

@janecaro.bsky.social #unitedkingdom

James Orr (Cambridge “theologian”) has been moved from just advising Farage’s bigoted Reform Party through a “think” tank to becoming its official adviser. Orr is on ARC board with Hastie, Price, Abbott, Howard, Anderson. His EBF = NatCon (posh MAGA)
#auspol
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Nigel Farage appoints right-wing anti-abortion theologian as Reform senior adviser

Professor James Orr is understood to be close to JD Vance and influential in Donald Trump’s administration with his right-wing views on abortion and immigration

www.independent.co.uk

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Pup Fiction @pupfiction.bsky.social · 2h

The word ‘conservative’ fails to have any meaning in a political sense if they’re literally tearing the place to pieces

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Scott Hamilton @sdhamiltonvic.bsky.social · 4h

‘Western Australia continues to defy conventional wisdom about the running of electricity grids, reaching levels of 84 per cent penetration of wind and solar on almost a daily basis.’ 😱

reneweconomy-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/reneweco...

Death of baseload: World's biggest isolated grid is reaching 84 pct wind and solar almost daily

reneweconomy-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org

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Simon Rosenberg @simonrosenberg.bsky.social · 1h

Media fixation on Rudd v Trump is indeed vomitous.

And yet another excuse for mainstream media to dumb down foreign policy to personality politics, while ignoring real issues:
- why has there been no independent Australian review of #AUKUS?
- is the US alliance still useful, or is it now dangerous?

Peter Murphy @peterwmurphy1.bsky.social · 2h

• Sky News Australia grub goads Trump to hate on our Ambassador.
• Easily manipulated narcissist Trump takes the bait.
• Back home, the entire irrelevant right wing mob (Coalition MPs, NewsCorp, Nine and ABC hacks) all call for Rudd's resignation. Vomitous. 😠 #auspol #journalism

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Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · 2h

Where does the protection of the plethora of paedophilic parsons fit in ?

Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · 2h

When an accusation is a confession …

‘If achieving one’s political goals requires lying and misrepresentation, then one must first accuse the people one wishes to deceive of being liars. If one wishes to betray cherished principles, one must accuse the other side of having already done this.’

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Captain Quoll @kudelka.bsky.social · 4h

Not a stadium in sight.

Historic view of Hobart’s waterfront unenhanced by an iconic white elephant

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Daniel Bowen @danielbowen.au · 6h

Interesting data showing support for various #Melbourne transport infrastructure projects (and bus reform, which is proposed but not actually happening on a large scale at present).
The text suggests the lower three may have reduced support due to disruption fatigue.
Source: www.melbourne.org.au...

Chart showing support levels for projects. Melbourne Airport rail 74%, Bus reform 72%, Suburban Rail Loop 60%, Metro Tunnel 58%, West Gate Tunnel 59%, North East Link 53%

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Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · 10h

Inexplicable that Joyce kept being considered by the electorate as suitable to represent them let alone by his parliamentary peers to be a suitable deputy prime minister. No better evidence of a democratic flaw.

Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · 10h

Pertinent questions quite satisfactorily answered.

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Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · 10h

bsky.app/profile/simm...

Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · Sep 19

‘In a 2023 survey of Australian farmers, 92% reported … unwelcome changes in seasons and climate … and 71% are spending … to cut emissions ...

Asked to name the main threat they were facing, 55% chose climate change. Just 1% chose transmission lines and another 1% chose the renewable rollout.’

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Peggy Sanders @peggysanders.bsky.social · 14h

Tim Dunlop: “The party of labour has shifted to right and now sees itself as “the natural party of government”. This hasn’t meant triumph of any sort of progressive—let alone a socialist—agenda; far from it - ongoing success depends on replicating the position the Liberals once represented.”

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⭕𝓷𝓵𝔂𝓗𝓾𝓶𝓪𝓷 @anthony-p.bsky.social · 12h

Is anyone in Qld. surprised? #auspol

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Lenore Taylor @lenoret.bsky.social · 17h

We are taking a look at executive bonuses 👀

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

As ANZ duped customers and ignored hardship notices, the bank’s bosses raked in $26m in bonuses

The bonuses – awarded during the bank’s three years of misconduct – have been condemned as ‘indefensible’ and ‘tone-deaf’, especially given recent job cuts

www.theguardian.com

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Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 17h

And APS staff involved in creating Robodebt still being hired into APS jobs. It’s not an accident

Public Service | The Canberra Times @canberra-times-aps.bsky.social · 18h

Contracts still being won amid consultancy AI blunder.

Departments wary of consultant AI use after Deloitte report

Ray Athwal, Tue, 21 Oct 2025 05:30

www.canberratimes.com.au

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Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · 16h

‘Across the country, men and women sleep in their vehicles night after night and then head to work the next morning. ….

These people are not on the fringes of society. They are the workers America depends on.’

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Stef "inclusion is a human right" Christensen @wikisteff.bsky.social · 17h

You know, I *always* wondered where did the money come from?

I don't believe that sex work pays the kind of money that went through Epstein's office.

Blackmail might.

Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 19h

Earlier this year I revealed that my investigators had uncovered a massive Epstein file at the Treasury Department containing bank records. They found over 4700 wire transfers totaling $1.1 BILLION in and out of his JP Morgan Chase accounts alone.

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Scott Santens @scottsantens.com · 21h

He's basically describing Alaska's universal basic income without knowing he is. Alaskans see their oil wealth as common wealth. 25% goes to their permanent fund which pays everyone every year. Natural resources SHOULD be seen as common wealth and SHOULD result in universal basic income.

The Spaceballs Argument for Unconditional Basic Income (UBI)

There is an argument frequently made against the concept of unconditional basic income (UBI) that essentially goes like this: "Life requires work. You can't just expect to live without work, and it's ...

www.scottsantens.com

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Kara Swisher @karaswisher.bsky.social · 16h

This one seemed inevitable

Ty Burr @tyburr.bsky.social · 17h

The metaphors write themselves

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Jommy Tee @jommytee.bsky.social · 16h

Elsewhere in today's Aust US statements the quarry opens its door to the US Dept of War.

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Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · 1d

Long pondered how people who most need welfare assistance are least equipped to navigate the nonsense necessary to obtain it - Catch 22.

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Nick Feik @nickfeik.bsky.social · 1d

It is grimly amusing that Australia’s second largest Defence acquisition deal ($46bn!) was referred to the NACC - for good reason - but the Commissioner won’t look at it bc he’s still a ranking ADF officer.
Readers will be astonished that this referral two yrs ago has yielded nothing yet.

BAE frigate deal referred to anti-corruption commission

Referral comes in same week the controversial procurement will face a second parliamentary hearing

open.substack.com

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Rick Morton @squigglyrick.bsky.social · 11d

Thank you! I do find with this story more than anything else it’s the details that really make you see it for the conspiracy it was. And so I did not pull back from those details.

Mike Sampson @mfsampson.sda.io · 11d

Finished Mean Streak by @squigglyrick.bsky.social It was a great read, harrowing at times, and insanely well researched. The details! 5 stars. Recommended.

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Simmi Manya @simmimanya.bsky.social · 1d

‘… the major parties, whose election returns won’t be released until February, were still far outspending them.’

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 1d

By way of example, I used FOI to break this story where I confirmed that 10,000 zombie robodebts had been sent out by mistake. A senate estimates hearing confirmed that someone had built a dead-man's switch into the program and forgot to input the code.

The harder we make it the more we lose.

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Robo-debt restart affects thousands

EXCLUSIVE: Leaked correspondence shows an error caused the controversial robo-debt algorithm to ‘unpause’ in April this year.

www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au

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