Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 9h

✍️ Add your name to the petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a Parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS:

nb.australiainstitute.org.au/aukus_parlia...

For more info:

australiainstitute.org.au/post/poll-in...

Listen to After America here:

australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-tru...

✍️PETITION: Launch a Parliamentary Inquiry into AUKUS

Launch a Parliamentary Inquiry into AUKUS NOW! Australia Institute research shows a majority of Australians support a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS ✍️ Add your name now >

nb.australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 9h

Australia Institute polling found that 54% of Australians want a more independent foreign policy over a closer alliance with the United States.

‘I think it’s reflective of an erosion of trust in the United States under the Trump administration.’

- Emma Shortis

@emmashortis.bsky.social #auspol

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 10h

For more info ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/post/new-gov...

New government data confirms gas exporters continue to pay no tax

Corporate tax transparency data released yesterday by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) shows, once again, that multinational gas exporters are reaping billions from Australian resources while payi...

australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 10h

Listen to the full episode of Dollars & Sense here, or wherever you listen to podcasts ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/post/housing...

Housing affordability to get worse as big corporates do annual tax magic

Renting a place to live is getting more expensive and house price rises are tipped to accelerate.

australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 10h

Why is the gas industry notorious for paying so little tax, despite making billions in revenue?

Santos has made it 10 years in a row paying no tax!

@grogsgamut.bsky.social @elinorjohnstonleek.bsky.social
#auspol

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 10h

We're calling for a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS.
Add your name to the petition ✍️
nb.australiainstitute.org.au/aukus_parlia...

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 10h

Australia has an opportunity to reconsider its involvement in AUKUS.

"It’s the biggest transfer of Australian sovereign wealth in our history, and it's had no democratic accountability whatsoever."

- International & Security Affairs Director Dr Emma Shortis @emmashortis.bsky.social #auspol

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 3d

This and more on the upcoming episode of After America with Dr Emma Shortis.

Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/news/categor...

After America

australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 3d

NBC is reporting 'high level conversations' happening in the White House about how Trump might invoke the Insurrection Act.

This would enable him to deploy the military for domestic civilian law enforcement.

@emmashortis.bsky.social

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 3d

Read the full report ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-anu...

The ANU’s hidden $90m budget surplus

New analysis by The Australia Institute reveals there is no financial crisis at the Australian National University.

australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 3d

Read the full article in the Canberra Times⤵️
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/908473...

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 3d

New Australia Institute analysis reveals there is no financial crisis at the Australian National University.

Audited accounts show the ANU made a $90 million surplus in 2024 and increased the value of its net assets.

#auspol @richarddenniss.bsky.social

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Reposted by The Australia Institute

Mark Ogge @markogge.bsky.social · 3d

Finally a member of the Australian Government calling for Australia to reassert our sovereignty over our own resources, rather than letting Japan dictate our energy policy and endlessly rip us off.

Thank you @edhusicmp.bsky.social

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

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 4d

Gas exports have meant Australian households and businesses have paid billions of dollars more for energy over the last decade.

For more info ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/post/gas-exp...

Gas exports have tripled Australian gas prices and doubled electricity prices

New Australia Institute research reveals that gas exports have led to the tripling of wholesale east coast gas prices and doubling of electricity prices, since exports began in 2015.

australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 4d

Steel and aluminium manufacturers are feeling the effects of high gas prices driven up by exports.

Australia Institute research shows gas exports have TRIPLED Aus gas prices and DOUBLED electricity prices.

📺 Deputy Director Ebony Bennett on ABC News Breakfast
@ebonybennett.bsky.social #auspol

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 4d

Our gas expert and Principal Advisor @markogge.bsky.social joins this webinar next week to talk about LNG expansion, tune in if you can!

International Institute for Sustainable Development @iisd.org · 4d

What does #LNG expansion mean for Canadian households & businesses?

Join experts from @americanprogress.bsky.social,
@australiainstitute.org.au, & @pembina.org as they share insights from the U.S. & Australia + how these cases can inform Canadian policy.

Register: www.iisd.org/events/econo...

Webinar. Economic Risks of Canada's LNG Expansion: Case studies from Australia and the U.S. Tuesday, October 14, 2025. 4:00 p.m. Ottawa. 10:00 p.m. Geneva. Speakers: Ian Sanderson, Pembina Institute; Mark Ogge, Australia Institute; and Shannon Baker-Branstetter, Center for American Progress.

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 4d

Allowing unrestricted gas exports from the east coast of Australia has resulted in domestic wholesale gas prices more than tripling and electricity prices doubling, our research found.

Read:

Gas exports have tripled Australian gas prices and doubled electricity prices

New Australia Institute research reveals that gas exports have led to the tripling of wholesale east coast gas prices and doubling of electricity prices, since exports began in 2015.

australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 4d

Ed Husic, Labor MP, made some great points on Afternoon Briefing yesterday.

"The reason why prices are so high is because we export a phenomenal amount of gas."

We can remedy supply constraints without opening new gas projects by diverting uncontracted gas to the domestic market.

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 5d

The ABC reports that extreme weather costs Australians more each decade and, as a country, we have some of the highest per capita economic and insurance losses in the world.

This is why we need a climate compensation levy on fossil fuel exports > theaus.in/fossilfuelco...

Betting on the weather emerges as a solution as insurance costs skyrocket

Amid more extreme weather events, parametric insurance — described as a bet on the weather —is on the rise. It is now being touted as a possible solution for Australians, who have some of the highest ...

www.abc.net.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 5d

The Black Summer bushfires cost Australians over $50 billion.

As we enter another high-risk bushfire season, we shouldn't wait for the next disaster to act.

The Government could put a climate disaster levy on gas & coal exports to help pay for the damage.

Add your name: theaus.in/fossilfuelco...

Make fossil fuel exporters pay for the damage they are causing, not ordinary Australians

Climate change is making natural disasters like fires, floods, heatwaves and drought worse, costing Australians billions every year. Make fossil fuel producers pay a climate disaster levy to help pay...

theaus.in

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 5d

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...

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...

australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 5d

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

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 5d

"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.

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.

www.themandarin.com.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 5d

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:

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...

australiainstitute.org.au

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 5d

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

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