News update for Tuesday 30 January 2024
Your trusted guide to the top independent news and views of the day...
Welcome to your TrueNorth’s daily news update where every afternoon we forward selected articles from the independent news media sector.
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Scroll down for today’s news and views…
The Guardian: Why do people support Trump?
US culture is an incubator of ‘extrinsic values’. Nobody embodies them like the Republican frontrunner, writes George Monbiot.
‘Many explanations are proposed for the continued rise of Donald Trump, and the steadfastness of his support, even as the outrages and criminal charges pile up…But there is one I have seen mentioned nowhere, which could, I believe, be the most important: Trump is king of the extrinsics…’
Read more from George Monbiot for The Guardian here
The Conversation: Australia is welcoming more migrants but they lack the skills to build more houses
Australia has an acute shortage of housing. Renters across the country face steep rents rises and record-low vacancy rates.
At the same time, net overseas migration has surged to a record high of 518,100 in the past financial year as international students, working holiday-makers, and sponsored workers returned to Australia after our international borders reopened.
The trouble is, very few migrants arriving in Australia come with the skills to build the extra homes we need.
Read more in The Conversation here
The New Daily: Who you trust is always the essential question for voters
‘Anthony Albanese is not the first prime minister to be branded a liar by his political opponents or dedicated critics in the media, and he won’t be a pioneer in surviving the storm of confected outrage greeting his redesign of the stage-three tax cuts.’ according to a Paul Bongiorno opinion piece.
‘If Albanese loses his job as Prime Minister, either at the hands of his colleagues – highly unlikely, or by the rejection of voters at the next election, it will not be because he has made the six-year-old design of the last stage of Scott Morrison’s tax changes fairer and better.’
Read more in The New Daily here
Pearls and Irritations: Australia’s biggest handicap: believing our own bullshit about our military
‘One of the many things Australians should consider as they contemplate our nationhood on the day set aside for this purpose is our glorious tradition of being not very good at fighting wars. We boast of our military traditions, our baptisms of fire and of our long traditions of unquestioning obedience and eager anticipation of the needs of various great and powerful friends,’ according to Jack Waterford.
‘But our military accomplishments have not done us much good at home and abroad…’
Read more in Pearls and Irritations here
Michael West Media: The law is failing to protect whistleblowers
Recently, the Human Rights Law Centre reviewed every whistleblower case to go to judgement in Australia. They found no successful judgement in favour of a whistleblower under our public or private whistleblower regimes.
‘Last year was not a good year for whistleblowers in Australia,’ asserts Tony Watson.
Read more in Michael West Media here
Nemesis: ABC’s ‘revealing tale of politics, ambition and power’
When Tony Abbott swept to power with a thumping victory over the Labor government in 2013 his future seemed assured. But in just under two years, he was removed as Prime Minister. So how did it all go so wrong so quickly?
Catch up on Nemesis Episode 1 The Abbott Years on ABC's iview here
The Undercurrent: 3THINGS: Stage3, Gina + Nick Feik Bombshell
Dan Graetz from The Undercurrent returns with a quick recap of the week featuring Stage 3 tax cuts, Gina Rinehart and a bombshell article from The Monthly's Nick Feik.
Watch the latest episode of The Undercurrent here #auspol
The Guardian: It’s no accident neo-Nazis tried to rally on Australia Day. Denialism of our dark history aids their cause.
Robust condemnation of toxic NSN extremism is heartening. But the broad powers police rely on should give us pause, says Jason Wilson.
‘Political condemnation of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network who attempted to rally three times in Sydney at the weekend was appropriate.‘But other elements of the New South Wales government’s response – with the premier, Chris Minns, proposing new laws after the NSN’s rally was pre-empted by police using their existing, arguably overbroad powers of arrest – may not make for a lasting solution.’
Read more in The Guardian here
Renew Economy: Do we want a wind farm outside our window? What Australians think about the net zero transition
‘A paradox lies at the heart of Australian public opinion about climate change. While there is clear general support for substantial government action to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, there is also strong concern about the local impacts of new renewable energy infrastructure.
‘The rise of protest groups in regional Australia objecting to the installation of wind farms and transmission lines, in particular, presents a serious challenge to the Albanese government in communicating the importance of the net zero transition to the public.’
7am Podcast: The Dreyfus interview - The Attorney-General's vision for ‘honest government’
The Labor government promised it would return transparency to government once elected at the 2022 election. More than anyone else that mission was given to the new first law officer of Australia: Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus. So how has he measured up to Labor’s promise?
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus talks about his essay in the new edition of The Monthly and his vision of a more honest Australian government.
Listen to the 7am Podcast here
You’re up to date for Tuesday 30 January. See you tomorrow!
Excellent. Great compilation.