News update for Thurs 22 Feb 2024
Your trusted guide to the top independent news and views of the day...
Welcome to your TrueNorth news update where every weekday afternoon we share selected articles from Australia’s independent news media sector.
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Scroll down for today’s news and views…
TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here
The problem with Australian politics? Both sides agree about everything - The New Daily
Media muster dogs have herded both major parties into the same stockyard on every major issue: Border control, housing, defence, economy, tax, climate change.
The opposition is forced to cook up differences and wildly exaggerate them, otherwise what’s the point of them?
Read more from Alan Kohler for The New Daily
Dutton oversaw largest rise in asylum applications in history. They came by air - Pearls & Irritations
The arrival last week of a boat carrying 24 potential asylum seekers, and possibly another one carrying 13, sent Peter Dutton into his standard boat arrivals scare mode. The usual suspects at the Murdoch press went into a frenzy of panic with Chris Kenny calling it a ‘national dilemma’.
Dutton has again warned of an ‘armada’ of boats coming at us. Those who are longstanding observers of this debate will know that Dutton has a habit of warning of an armada of boats at every opportunity he gets.
Read more from Abul Rizvi for Pearls & Irritations
More here: More boats, more votes: why Dutton is manifesting a crisis – Full Story podcast - The Guardian
Jon Ronson on who really started the culture wars - 7am Podcast
Jon Ronson has spent time with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, uncovered the secret US military program to train psychic soldiers and told the stories of the first people to be publicly shamed in the age of social media. Now, Ronson’s investigating the culture wars. From fears about left-wing activists taking over the streets to paranoia about vaccines – he charts the surprising origins of our most divisive social conflicts.
Australian passenger vehicle emission rates are 50% higher than the rest of the world – and it’s getting worse - The Conversation
Australian passenger vehicles are emitting 50% more carbon dioxide (CO₂) than the average of the world’s major markets. And the real-world situation is even worse than official figures show. That’s the finding of a new study comparing the CO₂ emissions performance of cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles in Australia and overseas.
The comparison suggests Australia will probably fall well short of the economy-wide 2050 net-zero emission target for road transport.
Angus Taylor says personal income tax increased by a 'record' 27 per cent in the first 18 months of the Albanese government. Is that correct? - ABC
In an opinion piece penned for The Australian shortly before Labor announced its amended tax package, which the Coalition has agreed to support, Mr Taylor called on Labor to honour its commitment to the original stage three tax cuts, labelling them "essential" to mitigating the effects of bracket creep.
The shadow treasurer then claimed: "[I]n the first 18 months of Labor's time in office, personal income tax had increased by a record 27 per cent".
Is that correct? RMIT ABC Fact Check investigates and finds Taylor’s claims “Overblown”.
More here: ABC ends fact-check partnership with RMIT - Crikey
Cartoon by Megan Herbert for the SMH
TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here
What about the liquor! - The West Report
Surely Australians are not being gouged harder for their alcohol than food?
Michael West looks at the Coles and Woolies duopoly in liquor.
CBA-owned Tangerine Telecom in mass data breach - The Klaxon
Melbourne-based Tangerine Telecom – the “exclusive telecommunications partner” of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia – has suffered a mass data breach, with personal details of more than 230,000 customer accounts exposed.
All of the records were part of a “legacy database”, in revelations that are likely to spark more debate over companies holding historical personal data.
Read more from Anthony Klan for The Klaxon
A grim atlas guides NZ’s right-wing politics - Pearls & Irritations
The coalition that took power in New Zealand late in 2023, after a campaign centred on attacking the country’s founding Waitangi Treaty, has been exposed as hosting considerable Atlas Network infiltration.
Read more from Lucy Hamilton for Pearls & Irritations
Keating redux: Competition is having a moment with politicians, but powerful enemies are gathering - Crikey
"Your problem is you believe in competition, and more than that I believe in having my cake and eating it too." Kerry Packer to Paul Keating
The lack of competition in Australia — and the ability of large firms to exploit ever-more concentrated markets to gouge consumers — is finally being taken seriously again, at least among policymakers.
It’s “horse has bolted” stuff.
Read more from Bernard Keane for Crikey
Dutton’s Shadow - The Politics
Speaking on RN this morning, Liberal Senator James Paterson sounded like a mini Peter Dutton as he cited concerns about “social cohesion”, suggesting Palestinians were inherently dangerous. Yet again, those claiming to be worried about “social cohesion” seem to be the ones most intent on destroying it, demonising desperate people in a bid to get closer to power.
It’s clear what the right is up to here, as the Coalition zeroes in on security ahead of the Dunkley byelection. Many are rightfully horrified at Advance Australia’s full-page ad in today’s Herald Sun, which demands to know “how many” of the 149 people released from indefinite detention (under a High Court ruling) are now in Dunkley.
Read more from Rachel Withers for The Politics
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We came of age during the Nemesis years — of course we’re turning away from major parties - Crikey
Agforce raises funds to challenge Glencore Great Artesian Basin carbon capture project - ABC
The Killing of Alexei Navalny - The Rest is Politics podcast
Light-touch competition policy hasn’t helped Australian mortgage holders. It’s time to get tough - The Guardian
Wages are finally on the way up, but there’s a long way to go before workers feel relief - Greg Jericho for The Guardian
TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here
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You’re up to date for Thursday 22nd February. See you tomorrow!
TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here