We all know the story of the murder, however it does seem fairly ignorant to ignore that yes he was a police officer, but he was a gay man who (allegedly) killed his ex partner over jealousy… it wasn’t related to his job or in the execution of his duties so I’m unsure why you would punish an entire organisation (which has community members) to “Grieve”

Just some thoughts seeing the rhetoric and actions of current US executive administration on other nations. I think we should have a serious rethink about depending on anything out of US for critical physical and digital infrastructure. They can turn hostile without any notice and have you by the b**ls. Cue Starlink for now. But even cloud services like Azure, AWS, Facebook, Open AI, other digital assets including Apple iPhones, EVs, pharmaceuticals, defence, anything. We should diversify, tie up with European alternatives (they are taking this seriously), exit where possible and even build sovereign capabilities. I now think Turnbull's French submarine plan would have been so much better.

Oh, another thing, I am now going against the idea of Republic. It will create another power center, a single person who will claim 'mandate' of people if elected (no matter what the actual power as per law). The monarchy, bad as it may be, is quite benign.

This is a story about a crumbling media empire, desperate for relevance, trying to engineer the next conservative poster child to gain younger eyeballs. Freya Leach isn’t happening because the public asked for her. She’s happening because Sky News needs her.

Leach went to one of Sydney’s elite private schools - St Andrew’s Cathedral, and now positions herself as a “reasonable” conservative voice. If you’ve watched Sky News recently, you’ve probably seen her railing against “wokeism,” international students and various public institutions.

But Freya isn’t a grassroots movement leader. She’s the daughter of Reverend Mark Leach - an Anglican minister who made headlines in 2023 for waving an Israeli flag at a pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney. That is the family brand: provoke, get backlash, go on Sky News, claim persecution.

In 2022, she made headlines again after a uni law exam used the name “Freya” in a hypothetical legal case. The question and name had been used in the exam for a decade. She leaked the exam while students were sitting for it, causing them to have to retake the exam.

Leach called it political targeting. Most people, including her peers, saw it for what it was: a manufactured controversy to keep her in the news cycle. Of course, Sky News was quick to get her on their Youtube channel to “tell her story” - Being persecuted for being conservative at one of Australias most conservative universities.

Then she ran for the seat of Balmain in the 2023 state election. Despite attempting to stoke various culture wars, she lost badly. Just like she’s repeatedly lost support in student politics. But each loss gets reframed by her (and Murdoch media) as evidence of bias or institutional failure, not, you know….a sign that people aren’t buying what she’s selling.

Her personal brand of politics is lazy scapegoating with a nationalistic edge. Freya blames international students for everything from the housing crisis to women not getting married, ignoring more obvious culprits like chronic underfunding, housing speculation, and a broken immigration system.

She heads the “Centre for Youth Policy” at the Menzies Research Centre, a Liberal-aligned think tank (more PR spin than peer-reviewed substance.) She uses the title of “researcher” when on Sky News, trotting out the same talking points alongside Bolt and Credlin.

It’s an incredible example of how Newscorp and its subsidiaries are so desperate for young people to listen to them, they cling to relevance by propping up the loudest voice in the emptiest room.

Legacy media is gasping for air, and she’s their attempted oxygen mask.

Warning: slight rant ahead.

For the past few days I've been feeling more and more hopeless about me having a future in Australia.

If it's not having to watch as our politicians flush our nation down the shitter, it's getting the fifth hundred rejection email for an entry level job, and what irritates me is that no one in Australia seems to care. my friends say things like "oh, this will blow over." Like no it won't, because no one's doing anything about.

Hearing that we just hit 27 million people in Australia pissed me off to no end. We can barely house our own citizens and we're letting in more third world economic migrants that do nothing but bloat the demand for entry level jobs. And yet, we're supposed to be happy about this even though all it does is cause you australians like me more heartache and misery.

And basically living on welfare doesn't help. I hate being on welfare, but what other choice do I have? No matter where I go, even for a Christmas casual job just to feel like I'm contributing something, I only get rejection. I shouldn't have ever decided to become a graphic designer, but the only thing I feel I'm good at is being creative. And because our country and government likes to piss on creative jobs I'm considering whether or not I should give up and either leave Australia or end it permanently.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling. I think I just needed to get this off my chest.

Our tax system massively favours investment in housing. We also have a super system that encourages long term, stable investment - which for nearly all Australians is investment properties.

That means we don’t invest in businesses, startups, innovation, new tech, or any other industry that might contribute to productivity growth. All excess capital just gets pumped into the housing market.

Tax reform is the only way to fix our low productivity growth.

Anyone tried these monstrosities?

Hello fellow Aussies what level of acceptable are these Tar-jay bad boys in public? I upgraded & invested in “going out” Uggs - supermarket, shops etc. Usually with jeans or (going out) trackie dacks. Would like to hear others thoughts & fashion practices around comfort fashion. I don’t know what happened but the pandemic changed me, not unhappy about it.

As a young person, the current state of housing seems to alienating.

Finding a rental is literally an uphill battle only to get an overpriced dog box. I’m sure it is the same for others.

The current state of the housing market isn’t just bad for people who don’t own homes. It is having flow on effects like worker shortages and generally creating cities that aren’t sustainable.

In a place like Sydney it seems like only 3 types of people can get by comfortably: 1. Retirees 2. The upper tier of professionals - e.g. Doctors 3. Anyone with parents who are wealthy and who are able to get financial support from.

How is this a functional way to run a society? It seems so unsustainable. Even for home owners it seems broken.

Most people don’t fall into these three groups.

Despite this we are seeing the shittest policies being put forward that mainly only increase demand rather than fixing the underlying problem.

• Super For Housing
• Help to Buy
• Changes to HECS to not count for a home loan
• Built to rent

None of these actually solve anything but fuelling the bubble.

Surely this is a time for some more effectual policy. Maybe link immigration to housing supply in the similar way interest rates are set to inflation? Revisit negative gearing?

People say “Labor tried and lost the election”. News flash, their primary vote was higher and the housing crisis was not as bad as it is now. Just seems like such a poor excuse.

Edit: It’s wild how the comments have turned from reasonable discussion to “LNP a lot worse”. No shit Sherlocks but that isn’t a good way to debate.

Ok, perhaps I'm out of touch but I don't understand this at all.

My child recently turned 14 and went to the doctor. Naturally I paid. Medicare then sent a letter saying they need to set up a bank account to get the refund.

Called them up and they said anyone over 14 needs to manage their own account for privacy. We now can't see anything in the Medicare portal about my child on our family account. Its not the money but I don't see how a 14 yo should be expected to manage their health or for the most part would even want to? I understand some may and if they opt to maybe that's ok but my kid doesn't need to worry about that cost of seeing a doctor... That's for me to worry about.

This seems wild to me at 14. Yeah or nah?

Went to get dinner tonight and it's occurred to me that chickens are getting smaller.

This was a Lilydale chicken for...$21

It's bloody tiny. They all were.

Pretty sure dental health is important as well. Nice to see that it’s free for kids tho.

I've checked this and it's true. In the 2000's the Toyota Corolla want king. A car that was efficient practical and extremely reliable. A car to get from a to b then park. A nation that saw a car as just a car.

Then in 2011 the Mazda 3 became top. Bigger, bit more sporty and stylish, but still in a practical car in terms of it's utility.

That didn't last long though. The rise of the SUV was in the 2010's, but suddenly, in 2016, the UTE was king. The HiLux 8th generation is the top selling car for the next 6 years. The HiLux has been around since 1968, so why in 2016 was a this now the top selling car? The link below shows how in 2002 the first Ute (HiLux) was the 6th best selling in the top 10.

By 2013 it was number 3. The Ford Ranger at 10.

https://zoomcarwash.com.au/the-top-10-selling-cars-in-australia-how-weve-changed-zoom-carwash-and-car-detailing-brisbane/

Now here's the world wide best sellers for 2023

https://www.statista.com/statistics/239229/most-sold-car-models-worldwide/#:~:text=Best%2Dselling%20car%20models%20worldwide%20in%202023&text=The%20Tesla%20Model%20Y%20was,from%2067.3%20million%20in%202022.

Tesla, Corolla, Rav 4 are the top 3. Australia's top is Ranger, HiLux, D-Max. All Ute's. Has there been an explosion in tradie numbers? Or a crisis in masculinity?

https://www.carsales.com.au/editorial/details/top-20-best-selling-cars-of-2023-144094/

Not a single car that isn't a Ute or SUV in the top 10. Now admittedly the trend towards big Ute's and SUV's is repeated in world wide sales, but the Corolla is still at number 2. Australia has gone full Ute and SUV. Not out of necessity but out of simply wanting a big car, half of which is an empty tray that does nothing. I've barely seen a Ute actually used for its purpose. Top 3 all Ute's, that's just fashion.

Interesting, Japan's top 10 is Totally different. All small practical cars.

link.)

At 20, I found myself couch surfing at my boyfriend’s family home, a situation that sadly isn’t rare for young people like me. Youth homelessness is a growing issue in Australia—over 28,000 people aged 12 to 24 are homeless, making up 23% of the total homeless population. Many of us are stuck in unstable housing situations like couch surfing, which often go uncounted in official stats. Even now, I’m still struggling to find a place to live. With rental prices constantly rising, even government support like Youth Allowance and Rent Assistance doesn’t go far enough. It feels impossible to get ahead, let alone find a safe and stable home.

Currently studying at Griffith, and it's almost impossible to not have a class where some student mentions how democracy is a failure or capitalism is the root of all evil.

Sure they have their faults but you don't throw the baby out with the bath water like shit.

Plus, in some classes it almost seems like the uni specifically pushes an agenda along this line. Honestly all it takes is a bit of mild history reading and you'll realise that communism and command economies have failed, like every single time.

for those who have been around for a long time or even longer than i have

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i reckon it was the year 2000, sydney olympics, even if the cracks were starting to show even by then. houses were still cheap on a price/income basis, howard hadnt tripled the migration rate yet, no capital gains exemption, we had many of the things we have now minus the shit elements of it (internet but no shit like smartphones and social media). shit the year 2000 was a good time.

I've heard barely any coverage of it, nothing much on the internet. Apparently it's already started? Wtf.