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Dear Noah,

You may not have heard from us for a while, because our records indicate you are not – or are no longer – an Independent Australia subscriber*.

We thought you may like to read executive editor Michelle Pini's latest editorial, which discusses the Prime Minister's double standards when it comes to shock jocks, ministers like Angus Taylor misleading Parliament and... well, most things. 

If you would like to find out more about subscribing to Independent Australia, please click HERE.

* If you are a subscriber and have received this email in error, we apologise. Please email us and we will remove you from this list.

(See more cartoons by Mark David at Mark David Cartoons, on Twitter @MDavidCartoons and throughout this newsletter.)

Federal Parliament is back this week, very briefly, just for three days, but the PM is still trotting out the same old lines.

Despite testimony from the National Audit Office to Senate Estimates proving beyond any doubt that Morrison signed off those pesky sports rorts before the last election – some even after the election was called, in clear breach of the caretaker provisions – Morrison has put up his standard "Canberra bubble" response and ignored any scrutiny. Really he should resign but, you know Scotty from Marketing, he's a JobKeeper!

Executive editor Michelle Pini discusses these double standards in yet another sensational editorial, which you can and should read below.

The figurehead of the Morrison Government's JobKeeper program, however, is Angus Taylor — who is able to retain his cabinet minister position even after allegedly committing fraud and indulging in several other allegedly brazen acts of corruption. Incredible what a majority of one in the House of Representatives can induce our overlords to do — or not do, in this case.

According to investigations editor Ross Jones, Angus Taylor may be the reason why Australians are so reluctant to sign up to the Government's Covid-19 spy app — because who would trust this mob not to do the wrong thing with our personal data?

In response to this deep breakdown in trust, Ross wrote the following in an article this week, announcing the creation of a crucial new IA backed initiative:

INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIA BACKS CREATION OF FIN

Independent Australia is announcing its support for the formation of a new Australian political party — Federal ICAC Now (FIN).

The single-issue party’s sole objective will be the establishment of an adequately funded, staffed and empowered Federal Independent Commission Against Corruption.

This will not be a simple task, but we believe it is important to try.

For years, federal governments of both major parties have, despite a clear public appetite, stymied the formation of a federal anti-corruption body. The push got close last June, when the Greens pushed a bill through the Senate, but the Government made sure it did not pass the House.

The new political party will contest Senate seats in all states.

The party will be driven by members via an online platform, which will enable members to present and discuss issues, as well as vet and select candidates.

There will be a national steering committee to take care of day-to-day issues but, apart from that, all party decisions will be made by FIN members.

Because FIN will be a formal political party, it will be listed above the line on the Senate ballot paper, giving Australians, for the first time, the chance to vote directly for honesty in government regardless of their political leanings... 

While there is a long way to go before the FIN project is viable, we are very keen to hear the opinions of IA readers.

This is all about introducing a formal structure of non-partisan honesty to Australian politics.

We think it is long overdue.

Let us know what you think.

Let us know if you are interested in joining.

Let us know if you may be interested in standing as one of the candidates.

Email contact@federalicacnow.org now and express your ideas and/or interest.

And please stay safe and healthy.

EDITORIAL: Jones and Morrison doing right by our country’s double standards

No sooner had Alan Jones announced his retirement than Scott Morrison rushed to the phone to deliver his personal praise live on 2GB: “… You’ve always done the right thing for your country”, he said.

It’s an interesting comment made by a prime minister about a radio shock jock. It’s especially interesting when you consider the legacy Jones is leaving behind.

Even a cursory look at the radio host’s history of controversies exposes a penchant for racism, bigotry, misogyny and general misinformation dressed up as commentary. A closer analysis reveals a man who has spewed hatred at everyone from migrants to the first female prime minister, such that he called for the drowning of the government leader and fuelled race riots. Hardly someone who may be described as “doing the right thing by our country”, then?

But this type of sweeping generalisation, in which Prime Minister Scott Morrison indulges, is indicative of a wider, deep-rooted behaviour pattern — one which emulates the Trumpist approach of denying or ignoring everything that may not suit his desired narrative and substituting a more convenient one.

For – like the shock jocks it encourages and applauds – there is one rule for the Morrison Government and its allies and another for everyone else.

In honour of this unwritten rule, Scotty from Marketing’s self-described Canberra bubble was in full double standard-mode this week as the PM praised Jones, denied his own involvement in anything to do with sports rorts, again, and shut down any and all discussion in which he preferred not to engage.

As well, the promised “gift” of JobKeeper is suddenly looking tenuous, Angus Taylor has been let off “Scott-free” and protesters spouting conspiracy theories about COVID-19 were just exercising their democratic rights, according to the PM.

THE RIGHT PROTESTS

In the Melbourne COVID-19 lockdown demonstration on Sunday (10 May), a group of approximately 100 people defied social distancing regulations to let the world know that the coronavirus was really a conspiracy — probably due to 5G, or Bill Gates, or maybe both. The protest was advertised on several social media sites including those of fringe conspiracy group, QAnon, and led to ten arrests and a police officer injured. Charges included three counts of assaulting a police officer and another for "discharging a missile".

But, unlike school students striking about climate change – described as “anarchists” and “disrespectful”– this protest, although dangerous and completely unhinged, is fine.

Said the PM:

“People can make their protest and make their views heard.”

When students led concerned citizens in peaceful climate protests across the country, Morrison said:

“Let me assure you this is not something my Government intends to allow to go unchecked… we are working to identify mechanisms that can successfully outlaw these indulgent and selfish practices that threaten the livelihoods of fellow Australians.”

Yep, those kids holding placards asking that scientific facts are taken into account in environmental policy, are mighty scary.

TAYLOR-MADE RULES

All that is wrong with our current government is on full unabashed display when one considers Angus Taylor — a minister synonymous with dodgy government dealings at every turn. 

This time, as Labor’s Mark Butler put it:

"It is beyond doubt that Angus Taylor misled the Australian Parliament about the origin of the dodgy document he circulated."

But not only has the PM not sanctioned the Minister at any point during these ongoing misdeeds but, although we know Taylor made up complete lies and misled the parliament, and while the AFP also seem to know this, there will be no consequences — once again.

Chalk it up to this Government making up its own rules.

And speaking of the Morrison Government making its own rules brings us once again to the sports rorts fiasco.

Sure, it was his Government that oversaw the scandal. And yes, it’s now clear this misappropriation of taxpayer funds was done with the PM’s knowledge, if not under his express command, and Bridget McKenzie was thrown under a bus of sorts, but hey, he’s already answered our questions and he's denied it besides!

JOBS FOR THE WORTHY RIGHT 

When Morrison announced the JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments, in a last-minute capitulation to the many sober voices heralding a recession, the mainstream media (MSM) let forth a veritable orgasmic rush of praise.

It was "brilliant", "benevolent", "amazing", they cried. Admittedly – while it was to be managed by employers, instead of just issued to workers and while it was excruciatingly slow to execution – it did promise relief to a large number of Australians who would otherwise be destitute.

However, seven weeks into the COVID-19 lockdown, over a million workers have lost their jobs, at least 2 million people (casual workers and temporary entrants) have been excluded altogether and many have yet to see a dollar from the scheme. Bushfire relief, anyone? Employers have, in many instances, chosen to just let workers go instead and now, lo and behold, there is talk of the Government winding the scheme back – as early as July – before it has even properly begun.

That's okay, though, because the PM declared:

“People don’t want to be on JobKeeper and JobSeeker.” 

Clearly, people would prefer to starve.

THE RIGHT DOUBLE STANDARDS

It says it all about our mainstream media that Kevin Rudd was excoriated for instigating a stimulus while Scott Morrison has been held up as a shining example.

As the Labor Opposition calls for the scheme to continue at least until social distancing is over, dumping it is reasonable, say the MSM. It costs money, after all — and we’re broke! And, how would a Labor government dream of funding it?

Somehow the fact that we have had a Coalition Government for seven years which even before this stimulus had already doubled the debt (well before COVID-19) and JobKeeper is a Coalition policy seems to have been conveniently lost in that marketing narrative.

Once again, the media is quick to absolve this Government while creating imaginary problems for a hypothetical Labor government, possibly sometime in the future.

And just in case we still think there might be something fishy going on with so many Coalition Government promises that never eventuate, it was time for a change of pace and feeding us some more drivel.

This time, it was about the “challenges” Jenny Morrison faces, stuck as she is in a 40-room mansion full of servants and with only sprawling manicured lawns on which to gaze and ponder her lot. Never mind that her husband has chosen to imprison a Biloela family with two small children on an island hell-hole, complete with armed guards for company.

Finally, it's time for us all to just get over it, send the kids back to school and go back to work — preferably on public transport, so we can all help that herd immunity along. This is the PM's command — despite shutting down Parliament and, effectively, democracy, refusing even to consider virtual meeting options. 

In this week's farcical pared-down version of Parliament, the Press Gallery weren't even allowed within breathing distance of the far more important Government. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, however, coughed and spluttered over everyone, and touched everything in sight with his undisinfected hands, in an exemplary display of what not to do during a pandemic.

Like the shock jocks it encourages and applauds, there is always one rule for the Morrison Government and its allies, and another for everyone else.

Comment and catch up on this editorial and past ones in the IA members only area HERE.

Forgotten your members-only password and/or username? Email us for your details HERE. 

Not a subscriber? Get full access to Independent Australia HERE.

You can follow executive editor Michelle Pini on Twitter @VMP9. Follow Independent Australia on Twitter at @independentaus and on Facebook HERE.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The meanness creeping into the Australian soul

Your subscriptions and donations are vital in Independent Australia investigating Australia.

Please help us by subscribing and, when it comes due, by renewing your subscription.

Also, if you can afford to, please support IA by making a donation – even a small one – HERE. 

Please feel free to share this newsletter with a family member, friend or colleague and encourage them to subscribe as well. We really appreciate your support.

Not yet an IA subscriber? You can find out more about subscribing HERE. 

And make sure you follow Independent Australia on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

You may also support us by visiting the Independent Australia store HERE.

Thank you so much for supporting Independent Australia and high-quality independent journalism in Australia.

Kind regards,

Michelle

(Michelle Pini and the IA team)

FEATURED

Australia's skilled temporary migration issue Skilled migration will be critical for Australia's economic recovery – as it was after the GFC – but this requires a well-designed visa system, writes Abul Rizvi. KRISTINA KENEALLY argues that when we come out of the current crisis we should aim for a lower level of temporary migration to make sure “Austra [ read online ] Continue reading... Why does the Morrison Government loathe Daniel Andrews? Why does Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews seem to hold pride of place as the Morrison Government’s most-detested state premier? Viewers of ABC’s Insiders on Sunday (3 May) were stunned at the spectacle of Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan attacking Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, only to recant and make an apology, of [ read online ] Continue reading... Morrison Government deception over COVIDSafe app puts Australians in peril In the midst of a global pandemic, the Australian Government is lying to its people about a protective tool that really offers no protection at all, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson. PRIME MINISTER Scott Morrison continues to insist that the staged removal of COVID-19 restrictions and a return to a more ordinary life depends on the number of [ read online ] Continue reading... Premier Andrews victorious in the ''Battle of the Dans'' Education Minister Dan Tehan has criticised Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for heeding medical advice and keeping schools closed, writes Peter Wicks. NOT ONLY is Australia a participant in the battle against COVID-19, but we are also apparently bearing witness to the “Battle of the Dans” — Federal Education Minister [ read online ] Continue reading... ICC rejects Morrison Gov''t plea for Israeli exemption from war crimes prosecution When it comes to the Morrison Government and war crimes, there's one rule for Israel and another for everyone else, it seems. Peter Wicks reports. I WANT YOU to imagine a scenario; it’s a fictitious one, but a relevant one. I want you to imagine that the Chinese Government has been investigated by the International [ read online ] Continue reading... The ABC is on the IPA''s hit list The Institute of Public Affairs is determined to go against public wishes and needs and privatise the ABC, writes Mark Buckley. New book with old ideas published In 2018, two researchers from the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) wrote a book titled ‘Against Public Broadcasting: Why We Should Privatise the ABC and How [ read online ] Continue reading... COVIDSafe: For many, privacy isn''t a luxury to give up Many ordinary Australians have a right to be wary of the COVIDSafe app and aren't in a position to forfeit their privacy, writes Noely Neate. UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN living under a rock, you will know all about the poorly-named COVIDSafe app. Yes, I say poorly-named as it will not keep you “safe” from COVID-19 as the name [ read online ] Continue reading... The problem isn''t technology - but self-interested politicians The world we live in has reached a critical juncture. We are faced with many challenges and the decisions we will now make will define our future. The recent bushfires in Australia and the global coronavirus pandemic are bringing the message very close to home. These developments should be enough to seriously start looking at different [ read online ] Continue reading... Press freedom in Australia weak and getting weaker Another global agency has found freedoms in Australia are declining under the current Coalition Government. Alan Austin reports. POLITICAL ATTACKS on investigative journalism by the Morrison Government pose a significant threat to Australia’s democracy. That’s according to the 2020 World Press Freedom Index published by Repo [ read online ] Continue reading...

RECENT NEWS

CARTOONS

Morrison Government''s stimulus: Banking sector will reap the benefits 14 May 2020, 12:00pm | While the Government offered assistance to those in need during the COVID-19 crisis, it's the banking sector that will [ read online ] Jones and Morrison: Doing right by our country's double standards 14 May 2020, 7:45am | Like the shock jocks it encourages and applauds, there is always one rule for the Morrison Government and its allies [ read online ] EDITORIAL: Jones and Morrison doing right by our country's double standards 13 May 2020, 5:00pm | No sooner had Alan Jones announced his retirement than Scott Morrison rushed to the phone to deliver his personal praise [ read online ] ''Pandemic bonds'' squander global health funds for COVID-19 13 May 2020, 4:00pm | Global health experts say last month’s $133 million writedown on the World Bank’s pandemic bonds is "too litt [ read online ] The Trump presidency has brought on the self-destruction of Western civilisation 13 May 2020, 12:00pm | Effects of the Trump presidency, mired in controversies and bad decisions, can be felt beyond the borders of the USA [ read online ] The fossil fuel industry has corrupted our democracy 13 May 2020, 8:00am | Despite the devastation of last summer's bushfires, Australia remains captive to the coal mining industry, writes [ read online ] Angus Taylor and the need for a Federal ICAC Now! 12 May 2020, 5:30pm | Mired in scandal and controversy, people simply don't trust the Government; now is the time for a real push for a [ read online ] ICC rejects Morrison Gov''t plea for Israeli exemption from war crimes prosecution 12 May 2020, 11:32am | When it comes to the Morrison Government and war crimes, there's one rule for Israel and another for everyone else, it [ read online ] Morrison Government deception over COVIDSafe app puts Australians in peril 12 May 2020, 7:30am | In the midst of a global pandemic, the Australian Government is lying to its people about a protective tool that really [ read online ] Australia's skilled temporary migration issue 11 May 2020, 4:30pm | Skilled migration will be critical for Australia's economic recovery – as it was after the GFC – but [ read online ] The King of Synth-Pop Florian Schneider remembered 11 May 2020, 12:00pm | Kraftwerk founder and synth-pop virtuoso Florian Schneider has died following a battle with cancer. He was 73. He was born [ read online ] Press freedom in Australia weak and getting weaker 11 May 2020, 8:00am | Another global agency has found freedoms in Australia are declining under the current Coalition Government. Alan Austin [ read online ] West Papuans fear virus as Indonesian Government slow to shut borders 10 May 2020, 4:30pm | For decades, West Papuans have been fighting for their independence and now – with the onset of [ read online ] Down and out: The homeless fight for survival during COVID-19 10 May 2020, 3:30pm | The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the homeless into further peril, difficulty and suffering, writes Kevan Sangster. MEN [ read online ] Australia in the world: An interview with journalist Hamish McDonald 10 May 2020, 12:30pm | Walkley-award winning journalist Hamish McDonald speaks to Branko Miletic about the state of journalism, his career and [ read online ] A pandemic in an era of U.S.-China rivalry and neoliberalism 10 May 2020, 9:00am | The coronavirus has further divided the world, while neoliberalism has made things worse, writes Dr Oliver Villar. THE [ read online ] New Music Through Old Ears: A little ray of sunshine 9 May 2020, 4:30pm | As Australia faces a gradual release from lockdown with many entertainment activities still months away, music man John [ read online ] Australia''s homeless situation - we need to do better 9 May 2020, 12:00pm | The response from our government during the pandemic has raised questions as to how to combat homelessness moving forward [ read online ] Premier Andrews victorious in the ''Battle of the Dans'' 9 May 2020, 8:00am | Education Minister Dan Tehan has criticised Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for heeding medical advice and keeping schools [ read online ] Vale Dave Greenfield: Style and substance of The Stranglers 8 May 2020, 4:30pm | Legendary keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter Dave Greenfield – best known for his role with the English rock band [ read online ] The ABC is on the IPA''s hit list 8 May 2020, 12:00pm | The Institute of Public Affairs is determined to go against public wishes and needs and privatise the ABC, writes Mark [ read online ] Plan to return to work doesn''t look after Indigenous Australians 8 May 2020, 8:00am | As our government pushes for us to return to work, it's clear that issues faced by Indigenous Australians are being [ read online ] Trickle-down theory continues to feed the rich 7 May 2020, 4:30pm | Continuing his examination of archaic economic models, Professor John Quiggin looks at problems associated with the tric [ read online ]

CARTOONS: Mark David goes back to school CARTOONS: Mark David in isolation

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Hi Noah,

Please find Independent Australia’s latest stories below.

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Dear Noah,

You may not have heard from us for a while, because our records indicate you are not – or are no longer – an Independent Australia subscriber*.

We thought you may like to read David Donovan's last editorial as managing editor, which looks at the problems ailing Australia and how "Quiet Australians" are unwittingly contributing to the issues we face.

If you would like to find out more about subscribing to Independent Australia, please click HERE.

* If you are a subscriber and have received this email in error, we apologise. Please email us and we will remove you from this list.

(See more cartoons by Mark David at Mark David Cartoons, on Twitter @MDavidCartoons and throughout this newsletter.)

The end of the financial year, in true Coalition tradition, brings news of cuts to stimulus payments and, of course, further savage cuts to its nemesis, the ABC. 

Read about IA founder Dave Donovan's thoughts on what ails Australia in his brilliant and incisive editorial below.

This week, as always, we have continued our ceaseless mission of presenting important progressive news. But also this week, there is a changing of the guard to mark Independent Australia's tenth birthday. You can read more about this following the editorial.

There is also audio of Dave's ABC interview on Brisbane Drive with Steve Austin below. Topics covered include IA's ten-year contribution to the media landscape, the future of Australian media and much, much more!

Listen to the audio by clicking on the image below.

EDITORIAL: What is really wrong with the country

People often ask me what the problem is with Australia. And for ten years, as managing editor of news website Independent Australia, I have been closely studying our nation.

I have personally edited and published thousands of articles on practically every feature of Australian life and read thousands more. I have also dug deep into primary sources and interviewed a host of people, and written hundreds of articles myself. Consequently, I feel reasonably well-qualified to diagnose the sickness in our country — and it does ail.   

RULING ELITES   

The problem with Australia, in short, is that a small group of small-minded people with regressive, radical and authoritarian tendencies have taken control of our nation. Only when we are able to wrest control of our country back from the ratchet grip of this dangerous minority will Australia be able to regain its lustre and integrity.

Independent Australia was established to oppose these dark forces. It will continue to do so.

Australia has always been a rather conservative nation. After almost 120 years of near-nationhood, we still pay lip-service to a foreign monarch, we are chary to change our outdated Constitution and we celebrate our military history in an almost Mongol fashion. Conservatives have held power federally in Australia for about two-thirds of the time since our 1901 Federation.

This means that they have had the opportunity to place fellow conservatives into most of the important positions in the establishment, including the courts, the police, the military, the ABC and so on.

Corruption thrives via this network of mates, giving and returning favours, especially in the absence of any federal anti-corruption watchdog. Even the few non-conservatives in official positions know they must not anger the “born-to-rule” mob if they wish to retain their sinecures. That is the case even when Labor occasionally manages to secure power, because official appointees know it won’t be long before the Right retains its rightful ruling place.

And the Right is vengeful and capricious — as, for instance, the ABC knows all too well. Just this week, the national broadcaster was again subjected to further fiscal pain. 

QUIET AUSTRALIANS

Drifting becalmed in the backwaters of the world, the majority of Australians are “quiet” — contented, placid, languid and self-satisfied, though wary of any threats to their comfortable existence. They are also largely anti-intellectual — a state encouraged by increasingly poor standards of education in the population as public schools find their funding cut year after year. A well-educated, questioning hoi polloi is not in the interest of the ruling elite. Peasants only need to be literate enough to operate the owners’ machines and do their paperwork.

Meanwhile, conservative governments lavishly fund private schools with public money, for reasons too obvious to elucidate.

Most of these “Quiet Australians” consider themselves fortunate to live in the “greatest nation on Earth”. What interest they have in politics happens around elections because of compulsory voting, which they resent. Their interest in politics, obviously, is superficial.

MEDIA MONOPOLY

This does not necessarily mean they are unintelligent, it merely means that, outside of elections, they receive their political messaging in a more subliminal fashion. Such as sandwich boards outside newsagents, snatched FM radio broadcasts, the television in a doctor’s waiting room, or newspapers perused in coffee shops.

Quiet Australians – the bulk of the population ? are, as a consequence, ripe for exploitation by a self-interested minority.

In general, major media owners support conservative causes because they believe it is in their financial or business interests to do so. But because Australia has the most concentrated media landscape in the world, dominated by one quasi-crocodilian rightwing despot, who shunned his Australian citizenship to the lure of filthy lucre, our media is even more skewed toward the Right than other so-called Western democracies. The message blared out in this almost forgotten colonial outpost, day after day – both subliminal and overt ? is the same: conservatives good, progressives bad.

RADICAL RIGHT 

But here’s the real kicker: our conservatives aren’t conservative anymore. Over the last 50 odd years, a radical “new” economic ideology ? neoliberalism ? has gained orthodoxy throughout the world. Of course, the only thing new about it is its name, because these same laissez-faire economic theories have been tried and failed since Tulip mania hit Amsterdam in 1637.

The idea is that markets operate according to invisible metaphysical laws and magically bestow riches on all — so long as they are not encumbered by laws and regulations.

Of course, markets are the contrivances of men ? and they are mostly men ? and they are able to be manipulated by men. Usually the men with the most money. The rise and collapse of markets is a brutally repetitive plague on the population. Only laws and regulations can operate to mitigate the worst excesses of the market. For centuries, the men with the most have been trying to remove these regulations. And for the last 50 years, these radicals have been in the ascendancy.

These same men now hold sway in Australia. Aided by that crocodilian media mogul, a strongly conservative establishment and a largely complacent public, a mean but achingly familiar paradigm has again taken hold. That the rich are virtuous – lifters, not leaners. That the poor and disadvantaged are dole-bludging parasites. That overly pigmented refugees fleeing terror are economic migrants, gangland thugs, or terrorists. That our First Nations people are lazy and entitled, and their sacred sites can be bomb sites, if they lie atop riches. That digging immense holes in the ground to extract dirty black rocks is our nation’s sovereign goal. That our civil rights must be curtailed and we should consent to constant surveillance, all to “keep us safe”. That we should send our children to more pointless wars. That we should be quiet and compliant — because a Quiet Australian is a good Australian.

INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIANS

As an Independent Australian, you are clearly not a Quiet Australian. These radicals must be overcome. With more like you, noisy and well-informed Australians may take back control of our country.

Independent Australia will continue this fight.

Please help enlist more noisy Australians to reject radicalism masquerading as conservatism. Together, we can drive out the rapacious and malevolent minority who have entranced our fellow citizens and temporarily taken control of our Australia.

Comment and catch up on this editorial and past ones in the IA members only area HERE.

Forgotten your members-only password and/or username? Email us for your details HERE. 

Not a subscriber? Get full access to Independent Australia HERE.

You can follow managing editor Dave Donovan on Twitter @Davrosz. 

Follow Independent Australia on Twitter at @independentaus and on Facebook HERE.

EDITOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT: New exciting chapter for IA, but chicken dances and hard-hitting stories to continue

I am sharing these announcements with Twitter first* because this platform has been key to Independent Australia's success. By design. Yes, Facebook is bigger, but Twitter has certain features that have been fundamental in enabling us to share our message with more people.

This is nothing to do with personal preferences, but rather with dodgy algorithms, the multiplier effect, perceived comparative IQ and more. But that’s not important right now. Point is, Twitter is essential to Independent Australia, but more essential are Twitter users. You. Thanks.

The first announcement, which is kind of a biggie, I guess, is that am stepping down as managing editor of Independent Australia. Current executive editor Michelle Pini will take over as managing editor on 1 July.

I have been editor of IA for ten years (on 24 June). For the first five years, I worked 16 to 18 hours a day, seven days a week.

Putting all the stories up, gathering most and writing many. It has been one of the great joys of my life and I loved every second.

But ten years is a long time and all things must pass. So, I decided about two years ago to pass over the IA supremo role to Michelle Pini, who is brilliant and astute. And has been, to be candid, the effective editor of IA for at least 12 months. She is exceptional.

I will still be deeply involved in IA, though, but in a non-editorial role, as chairman of the board (or some better title). Obviously, this means we are also establishing a board of directors. A small five-person board to begin.

All this is about IA’s growth from being a tiny little blog I started in my bottom room, to becoming a very professional, transparent and accountable media organisation. As readers, subscribers, supporters, or even just democracy enthusiasts, you should expect nothing less.

Oddly enough, I believe this change will free me up to devote more time to do what I love and I think I am best at, investigating corruption, writing news stories and making dopey politicians do the chicken dance. It’s a win-win!

This announcement does not mean Independent Australia will be changing our subversive, progressive, fearless approach. If anything, I think this change will mean IA will be even sharper and do many more news stories. Also, it will have a true professional as editor, not a cranky pants!

Oh, and in case you think we have come into some money and have become another News Corp — Nah. We hate all the corporate &+%$ and have no more money than we did yesterday, which ain’t much. We just want to be the best little truthteller we can possibly be. But we’re excited!

We hope that you can join us in the next exciting chapter of Independent Australia. We need all the support we can get because we run on the smell of a not even very oily rag.

Please subscribe if you don’t already. It really is worth it. link

Or maybe even throw us a zac or two, if you can afford it. We desperately need your support if we are to make this work.

Thanks for all your kindness and support. We really are very grateful to the East and West Coast Twitterati. We are grateful too, for our loyal supporters far and wide who do not engage on social media.

Dave Donovan

*This announcement was first made on Twitter on 13 June 2020.

EDITOR'S REPLY: A legendary benchmark

Dave's announcement was flattering to read and I am proud, honoured, nervous, confident and excited all at once, to be managing editor.

Of course, I am proud and honoured to be entrusted with continuing Independent Australia’s incredible tradition of fearless journalism and making it even stronger.

However, even though I am excited and confident that my five years at IA (two as executive editor), as well as my masters in communication, four years as a radio broadcaster and seven years as a community newspaper reporter have given me the skills, I am also nervous.

Ten years of fierce truth-telling, standing up to power, building a loyal following and creating a legendary publication. No pressure at all!

This is because IA has mirrored the qualities of its founder, Dave Donovan: it has been honest, persistent, highly principled, subversive and never conventional. He has been described as "a maverick of the Australian media".

It is now ten years since IA exploded onto the media landscape — an achievement in itself. Since then, there have been many descriptions for this vehemently independent publication – mostly flattering, occasionally libellous – but Dave’s favourite is “a beacon of hope in a vast, dreary sea of misinformation”. 

IA's success is nothing short of legendary. It is this beacon I will attempt to maintain.

Michelle Pini

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM

Please help us by subscribing and, when it comes due, by renewing your subscription.

Also, if you can afford to, please support IA by making a donation – even a small one – HERE. 

Please feel free to share this newsletter with a family member, friend or colleague and encourage them to subscribe as well. We really appreciate your support.

Not an IA subscriber? Find out more about subscribing HERE. 

And make sure you follow Independent Australia on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

You may also support us by visiting the Independent Australia store HERE.

Thanks so much for supporting Independent Australia and high-quality independent journalism in Australia.

Warm regards,

Dave and Michelle

(Dave Donovan, Michelle Pini and the IA team)

FEATURED

The Morrison Government''s assault on critical thinking - and dissent The Morrison Government is penalising degrees that foster critical thinkers so it will have fewer people attempting to hold it to account, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson. THE Morrison Government has announced its intention to double the cost of humanities degrees in an effort to persuade students to undertake courses that it&nb [ read online ] Continue reading... Scott Morrison''s robodebt to society Labor has joined the Greens' call for a royal commission into "robodebt" — an unlawful Morrison Government debt recovery scheme. Executive editor Michelle Pini reports. IT'S A SEEDY TALE spanning four years, linked to 2,000 premature deaths*, three senior ministers, two prime ministers, unlawful government behaviour [ read online ] Continue reading... Wren''s Week: Conservatives blame Dan Andrews for second COVID-19 wave Right-wing politicians and reporters have targeted Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews as responsible for the state's surge in COVID-19 cases, writes John Wren. THE “GET DAN” CAMPAIGN has continued unabated by the Coalition and its Murdoch surrogates. Even the most cursory glance at Sky News’s Facebook page shows endless [ read online ] Continue reading... ''The NBN is finished'': What''s next? The Government's NBN plan is undeveloped and lacklustre, writes Paul Budde. WHEN THE Coalition Government scrapped the fibre to the home (FTTH) project, the then-Minister for Communication, Malcolm Turnbull, proclaimed that we would build his newly concocted multi-technology mix version of the NBN for $25 million and that it would be [ read online ] Continue reading... Unemployment numbers likely worse than projected Unemployment in Australia has been baking for a long time. Still, the issue lately under consideration is whether during the pandemic, has it merely risen like a puff pastry or just exploded. Measuring unemployment in Australia has been the focus of much dissent of late, and the variations post-COVID-19 have been extreme. Rigour [ read online ] Continue reading... Victory for Andrews Labor Government as anti-wage theft law is passed The Andrews Government has had a victory in Victoria with the passing of new laws that will serve as a win for industrial relations, writes William Olson. IN A VOTE which will undoubtedly please workers and unions alike, Victoria’s parliament passed a Bill criminalising the intentional practice of wage theft on Tuesday 16 June. The [ read online ] Continue reading... The birth of Federal ICAC Now Independent Australia readers have registered their interest in joining a single-issue political party focused on the creation of a federal independent commission against corruption. Investigations editor Ross Jones reports. HERE is a ray of sunshine in a dark world: the birth of the Australian political party, Federal ICAC Now. It’s [ read online ] Continue reading... Trump the Triumphant Lucky enough to be among the 6,000 at Trump's Tulsa rally triumph, an IA team member recorded highlights. I WANT my legacy to be that of a President who cured many, many diseases – including the Chinese virus COVID-19 –which have killed millions of our people over the years. Not only that, but I want to [ read online ] Continue reading... McManus says disappointing pay rise short-changes workers Fair Work Commission's paltry pay rise will leave many Australian workers struggling to feed their families. William Olson reports. THE GOOD NEWS coming out of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) from its Annual Wage Review 2019-20: a pay rise is coming. The bad news: it is only going to amount to a mere [ read online ] Continue reading...

RECENT NEWS

CARTOONS

What is really wrong with the country: 10 Years of Quiet Australians 2 Jul 2020, 8:00am | Quiet Australians need to become noisy and well-informed Australians and take back control of our country, writes [ read online ] EDITORIAL: What is really wrong with the country 1 Jul 2020, 5:00pm | People often ask me what the problem is with Australia. For ten years, as managing editor of news website Independent [ read online ] Artificial intelligence is on the rise 1 Jul 2020, 4:30pm | New developments and opportunities are opening up in artificial intelligence, says Paul Budde. I RECENTLY followed a [ read online ] 'No one cares about us': Lives of detainees in alternative places of detention 1 Jul 2020, 12:00pm | Hotels have become detention centres for many asylum seekers, each with their own problems and sometimes worse than offs [ read online ] Is this another JobKeeper bungle? 1 Jul 2020, 8:00am | After an initial $60 billion bungle, the JobKeeper figures still don't seem to be adding up. Tarric Brooker [ read online ] Reviews and audits ignored as environment faces existential crises 30 Jun 2020, 4:30pm | In 2009, the first independent review of the Federal Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) was [ read online ] McManus says disappointing pay rise short-changes workers 30 Jun 2020, 12:00pm | Fair Work Commission's paltry pay rise will leave many Australian workers struggling to feed their [ read online ] Moselmane, Liu, Chinese spies and AFP raids 30 Jun 2020, 8:00am | China has become that most convenient of cartoon villains in primary school-style politics, writes Dr Binoy Kampmark. It [ read online ] Rainbow of change for LGBT+ rights 29 Jun 2020, 4:30pm | Equal rights for gay and lesbian people have been hard-fought and progress has been painfully slow. Alan Austin believes [ read online ] Politics in the Park proves popular 29 Jun 2020, 2:00pm | The third "Politics in the Park" was held on Wednesday 17 June with Greens candidate, Cathy Griff, and Independe [ read online ] Trump the Triumphant 29 Jun 2020, 12:00pm | Lucky enough to be among the 6,000 at Trump's Tulsa rally triumph, an IA team member recorded highlights. I WANT [ read online ] The birth of Federal ICAC Now 29 Jun 2020, 8:00am | Independent Australia readers have registered their interest in joining a single-issue political party focused on the [ read online ] Screen Themes: Space Force vs Tommy 28 Jun 2020, 3:30pm | As reality TV continues to clog the airwaves, entertainment editor John Turnbull checks out a couple of small-screen dramas [ read online ] Denying protest: The university sector and freedom of expression 28 Jun 2020, 12:30pm | There have been countless pieces written on the coronavirus' impact on the Australian higher education sector.& [ read online ] Unemployment numbers likely worse than projected 28 Jun 2020, 9:30am | Unemployment in Australia has been baking for a long time. Still, the issue lately under consideration is whether [ read online ] Post-pandemic cities: Urban life in the wake of COVID-19 27 Jun 2020, 4:30pm | City infrastructure has felt the effects of the pandemic in various facets from public transport to social density, write [ read online ] Too many sheep have ruined the paddock 27 Jun 2020, 12:00pm | The world population in 1950 was about 2.6 billion; today, in one human lifetime, it is about 7.6 billion. IT WAS A [ read online ] Wren''s Week: Conservatives blame Dan Andrews for second COVID-19 wave 27 Jun 2020, 8:00am | Right-wing politicians and reporters have targeted Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews as responsible for the state's [ read online ] Victory for Andrews Labor Government as anti-wage theft law is passed 26 Jun 2020, 4:30pm | The Andrews Government has had a victory in Victoria with the passing of new laws that will serve as a win for industrial [ read online ] Dave Donovan discusses 10 years of truth-telling with Steve Austin 26 Jun 2020, 4:00pm |   For ten years, a local independent news website has been running on the whiff of a hint of a smell of an oily [ read online ] The madness of a gas-led recovery and what you can do about it 26 Jun 2020, 12:00pm | The Government''s reliance on the gas industry is killing our planet, but medical professionals are raising awareness, write [ read online ] Branch stacking rife across all political parties 26 Jun 2020, 8:00am | Branch stacking has been a problem across all political parties. Peter Wicks looks at ways to remedy Victorian Labor's [ read online ] First step to economic recovery is a change in political thinking 25 Jun 2020, 4:30pm | A return to a strong post-pandemic economy will require our governments to rethink their political agendas, writes Profe [ read online ] Staff and unions need to take up the fight for the ABC 25 Jun 2020, 12:00pm | The ones who should be fighting the hardest to save the ABC are those whose jobs depend on it and the unions supposedly [ read online ]

CARTOONS: The marketing of Mark David CARTOONS: Mark Davids matter! CARTOONS: Mark David on the beach

Copyright © 2020 Independent Australia. All rights reserved

PO Box 260, Isle of Capri, Qld, 4217 | P: +61 403 237 880

 Warning - This email transmission may contain confidential information. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately on (+61 403) 237 880 or reply by email to the sender. You must destroy the email immediately and not use, copy, distribute or disclose the contents. Thank you

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Dear Noah,

You may not have heard from us for a while, because our records indicate you are not – or are no longer – an Independent Australia subscriber*.

Over the coming months, we will be delving more closely into conflicts of interest among our elected leaders.

We thought you may like to read managing editor Michelle Pini's latest editorial, that considers the Morrison Government's questionable dealings and systemic lack of accountability.

Please consider subscribing to Independent Australia HERE.

* If you are a subscriber and have received this email in error, we apologise. Please email us and we will remove you from this list.

(See more cartoons by Mark David at Mark David Cartoons, on Twitter @MDavidCartoons and throughout this newsletter.)

It's the last sitting week of Federal Parliament until February next year. Not only are our politicians the highest paid in the world, they are also clearly the hardest working.

The big stir was caused by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who in Question Time accused former PM Kevin Rudd of abusing his privileges by travelling around the world and back again during the Covid lockdown. Thing is, Rudd hasn't left Queensland since March and promptly demanded a retraction and apology.

Scotty from Marketing did front up to Parliament the next day to correct the record. Morrison accepted no responsibility whatsoever, blaming the mistake on poor advice from an underling, of course. As for apologising to Rudd, Morrison did mention the words, "I apologise," that's true. But then he launched into a frothing, belligerent attack on Rudd and the Labor Party. It was an unedifying display from this graceless public figure.

In the past, leaders lost their jobs for misleading Parliament. But not in this Government. You can read more about this and other examples of the utter lack of accountability of the Morrison team – including some highly interesting new revelations – in Michelle Pini's excellent new editorial, below.

Also, we have a great new non-fiction book available free for keen reviewers in the IA Book Review Club: 

• Legendary Labor Party speechwriter Don Watson's new book, Watsonia, in hardcover.

Read more about this book below. If you want to review it, simply reply to this email expressing your interest.

EDITORIAL: Morrison's Anti-Accountability Vaccine gets L-NP off Scott-free

This week’s questionable ministerial dealings for which no one is likely to be held accountable, are brought to you courtesy of Scott Morrison, Stuart Robert, Paul Fletcher, Matt Canavan and Dave Sharma.

There is no behaviour, it seems, that warrants scrutiny or disciplinary action if you are a member of the Morrison Government. This is because the government of the day, today, is in a league all of its own.

And when you’re responsible for the laws that make people accountable but also happy to manipulate them to size, there is not much that can rain on your parade.

Gone are the usual checks and balances applied to earlier administrations. Disappeared out of sight – apart from the occasional, usually mild media protests – is the cacophony of outrage that accompanied past scandals. And buried, along with our social conscience and most of our natural habitat, is even the semblance of shame exhibited by former leaders when their ministers act inappropriately, or even illegally.

This Government has shown itself to be a law unto itself, accountable to no one. Its members appear to have been exclusively inoculated — not with the COVID shot but with a custom-made Anti-Accountability Vaccine.

MISLEADING PARLIAMENT

In days gone by, government ministers never survived misleading parliament, for example.

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s offensive, bellicose ramblings about former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Monday (7 December), provide another case study in how to avoid scrutiny.

Morrison was asked by Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles in Parliament:

"Why have Tony Abbott and Alexander Downer been able to leave and re-enter Australia multiple times this year when there are thousands of vulnerable, stranded Australians who haven't been able to get home once?"

Morrison replied by alleging Rudd had also obtained privileged travel exemptions. Except Rudd hadn’t.

And the former PM immediately took to Twitter to set the record straight:

'Morrison claimed in the Parliament today that I have obtained exemptions to travel into and out of Australia, taking quarantine places from other Australians. That is an utter falsehood. I haven't left Queensland since March. Morrison has misled Parliament and should apologise.'

The PM, now unable to conceal this blatant lie, was forced to write to the parliamentary clerk to retract his comments and apologise, apparently. It is fair to assume that the man who has turned refusing to apologise or answer questions into art form, would not have done so unless there was no alternative.

Nonetheless, this is known as misleading parliament. And it’s a bit of a regular occurrence.

Such as when Energy Minister Angus Taylor cited a falsified document (known as fraud) to discredit Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, but got away with it, despite, allegedly, deliberately showing contempt of parliament and misleading the parliament.

And here we thought government ministers furthering their own ends by lying and cheating was a big deal.

BULLYING THE POOR

Then there’s the issue of monumental stuff-ups. Such as the Robodebt debacle. Sure, this was found by the Federal Court to be unlawful. Yes, it is linked with 2,000 suicides. And yes, the Government had to settle the class action on the day it was scheduled to go to court, costing $1.2 billion.

Nonetheless, current responsible minister Stuart Robert refused, point blank, to admit fault. And his boss and engineer of the plan still defends his role in the indefensible money grab. 

In fact, so completely insensitive to his own culpability in this heinous scheme that destroyed the lives of thousands of Australians is Robert, that he went as far as to claim credit for the eventual payout to victims. This is despite his blatant refusal to discontinue the disastrous program or even consider it might be “flawed” – which it was – at every possible juncture.

A cursory glance at Robert’s own record shows a Minister with an impressive rorting record, for which he was sacked by previous PM Malcolm Turnbull, following a “private” trip to Beijing to oversee a mining deal, involving a major Liberal donor and a member of the Chinese Government. Of course, he was later promptly promoted again once Morrison became PM, to his current role as Government Services and NDIS Minister.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

And the list goes on.

In a bizarre development this week, a coal mine belonging to the brother of former Resources Minister, Senator Matt Canavan, has gone broke. How is it that one of the most ardent proponents of coal, who just happens to have a brother who owns a coal mine, is able to act as Minister for Resources? No conflict of interest, there, obviously!

Other questions that may arise, but probably won't be answered, involve the rehabilitation of the mine and what, if any, role the Government will play in this.

INTIMIDATION

And look out anyone who dares try and penetrate the Morrison Government’s protective layer of immunity.

When the ABC's Four Corners aired a program exposing misogyny and sexual harassment within the top tiers of the Cabinet, recently, was there a government inquiry into the behaviour?

Of course not!

One of the perpetrators, Alan Tudge, at least, admitted fault. But the other alleged perpetrator, Attorney-General Christian Porter, threatened legal action. One of the victims is now struggling to get a job. And, in a final don’t-fuck-with-us move, one Communications Minister, Paul Fletcher, has blustered and complained and threatened to sack the entire ABC board for even allowing the program to go to air.

NOT WHO YOU KNOW...

This, from the Minister who brought you the Western Sydney Airport land deal, which, while it was revealed only a few weeks ago, is already but a dim memory of another rort that passed without consequence.

To refresh our collective memories, that’s the one where a desolate vacant lot worth $3 million was purchased with our money, for a whopping $30 million. The block was ostensibly acquired, in a sudden fit of forward planning by Fletcher, for a project that won’t, if it happens at all, come to fruition for another 30 years. And in a final colourful twist in the deal that the Auditor-General pronounced "unethical", the recipients of this windfall just happened to be Fletcher’s friends and Liberal Party donors, billionaire brothers Ron and Tony Perich.

That’s how it’s done, folks. It’s not who you know, but which member of the Morrison Government you know.

And, in a far from exhaustive list of recent, questionable Government activities for which there are no answers, perhaps it’s also a question of what you know, as the following coincidences involving the fortuitous purchase of shares may indicate.

Liberal Member for Wentworth Dave Sharma holds a sizable stock portfolio, as indicated in his declared pecuniary interests. In two separate coincidences, companies in which Sharma recently invested, subsequently enjoyed sudden sizable boosts to their share price.

On 17 March, Sharma’s register of interests shows a purchase of Qantas shares, which were then trading at $2.86. The next day happened to be the day Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack announced a $715 million relief package for the aviation industry.

Qantas shares were trading at $5.38 at the time of publication.

On 30 June, Sharma bet on big pharma, purchasing CSL shares, which were then trading at $287.

A couple of months later, on 7 September, the Prime Minister announced a $1.7 billion supply and production agreement between the Australian Government and pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and CSL. And then in November, the PM revealed a vaccine manufacturing plant at a cost of $800 million would be established in Melbourne.

At the time of publication, the share price for CSL had risen to $304.91.

It could be that Sharma was just fortunate in the timely increase of his investment portfolio, but reasonable questions should be asked.

Independent Australia will be looking more closely at this and other possible conflicts of interest among Government representatives in the coming weeks.

Because, only when Australians demand that our entitled political class exercise proper probity, as is expected from the rest of us, will we see an end to this systemic lack of scrutiny. 

At the moment, though, the lesson from this accountability-immune Morrison Government is simple: if you want to do whatever you want, to whoever you want, for whatever price you can get, become a friend or member of the Morrison Government.

Comment and catch up on this editorial and past ones in the IA members only area HERE.

Forgotten your members-only password and/or username? Email us for your details HERE. 

Not a subscriber? Get full access to Independent Australia HERE.

You can follow IA founder and director Dave Donovan on Twitter @davrosz and managing editor Michelle Pini on Twitter @vmp9. 

Follow Independent Australia on Twitter at @independentaus and on Facebook HERE.

NEW BOOK IN IA BOOK REVIEW CLUB

There is a fantastic new book available for budding reviewers in IA's exclusive subscribers-only Book Review Club!

If you can write a considered 400 to 600-word review for this excellent book, we'll send it straight out to you — and it's yours to keep!

Watsonia by Don Watson

Watsonia gathers the fruits of a writing life. It covers everything from Australian humour to America gone berserk; from Don Bradman to Oscar Wilde; from birds and horses to history and politics. Wherever Don Watson turns his incisive gaze, the results are as illuminating as they are enjoyable.

Watsonia displays the many sides of Don Watson: historian, speechwriter, social critic, humorist, biographer and lover of nature and sports. Replete with wit, wisdom and diverse pleasures, this comprehensive collection includes a wide-ranging introduction by the author and several previously unpublished pieces. No other writer has journeyed further into the soul of Australia and returned to tell the tale.

Simply reply to this email expressing your interest and we will send this book out to you.

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FEATURED

The Budget confirms Morrison wants to reboot mass migration It took a world pandemic to derail the “big Australia” program. The economists’ dogma is itching to restart it, says Sustainable Population Australia. And not the evidence or the electors. Sorry SPA - dogma wins. In these pages, I guessed that Scott Morrison would “formally reintroduce” mass immigratio [ read online ] Continue reading... Morrison Government throws another Royal Commission on the fire Will the findings of the Bushfire Royal Commission create much-needed change, or is the Morrison Government just "polly waffling" until the next disaster strikes? Managing editor Michelle Pini reports. WITH THE blackest of summers – in which bushfires extinguished the lives of 33 Australians, destroyed 3,000 homes, annihila [ read online ] Continue reading... MUNGO MACCALLUM: That''s all she wrote Acclaimed veteran journalist Mungo MacCallum is retiring from his life's work. IA is grateful for Mungo's contributions over a long period of time and wish him the best going forward. I NEVER THOUGHT I’d say it, but I can no longer go on working. It takes all my effort to breathe and I’m not managing that too well. [ read online ] Continue reading... Why that ABC Four Corners episode was excellent journalism The ABC's Four Corners episode exposing misogyny in Parliament was not biased against the Liberal Party, writes Chris Haviland. THE ABC’s Four Corners program “Inside the Canberra Bubble”, an expose of inappropriate behaviour within the Morrison Government’s Cabinet ranks, certainly caused a stir [ read online ] Continue reading... JobSeeker recipients sacrificed in $507 billion stimulus spend Despite the groundswell of support from across the political and ideological spectrum, the Morrison Government continues to resist calls to permanently raise JobSeeker, writes Tarric Brooker. WHEN the coronavirus pandemic first began impacting Australians significantly back in March, the Morrison Government suddenly became acutely aware [ read online ] Continue reading... MUNGO MACCALLUM: China, China, CHINA! It may be a statement of the bleeding obvious, but a face-off with the People’s Republic of China would not be a good idea. From any perspective – military, economic, political, simple weight of numbers – Australia cannot hope to compete on a level playing field with our dominant neighbour. And to pretend that somehow we [ read online ] Continue reading... Company profits soar and wages fall while the media continues to mislead The process of shifting wealth and income from the poor and middle to the rich is continuing and accelerating. Alan Austin examines the latest official data. FOR THE SECOND consecutive quarter and only the second time since 1959, the share of Australia’s income going to employees is below 50%. For the first time ever, the [ read online ] Continue reading... Rachel Downie Stymies the hidden bully   “If I can’t keep them safe, I can’t teach them anything.” ~ 2020 Australian of the Year for Queensland Rachel Downie Bullied or abused people are familiar with a sick feeling that sits deep in the pit of the stomach. Was the abuse warranted? Did I cause it? Will anyone believe me? It’s a shameful [ read online ] Continue reading... Scott Morrison is not a prick Many people seem to think Morrison is a good leader. Others think he is a prick. Either way, he has lasted longer as PM than anyone – prick or otherwise – could have imagined. Founder and director David Donovan and managing editor Michelle Pini delve deep to uncover the truth. IF AUSTRALIA'S wildly inaccurate and [ read online ] Continue reading...

RECENT NEWS

CARTOONS

Morrison''s Anti-Accountability vaccine gets L-NP off Scott-free 10 Dec 2020, 7:00am | This week’s questionable Government dealings, for which no one is likely to be held accountable, are brought to you [ read online ] EDITORIAL: Morrison''s Anti-Accountability Vaccine gets L-NP off Scott-free 9 Dec 2020, 4:00pm | This week’s questionable ministerial dealings for which no one is likely to be held accountable, are brought to you [ read online ] The Morrison Government''s unfair treatment of disabled job seekers 9 Dec 2020, 3:30pm | Job seekers with disabilities claim job providers are cutting their Centrelink payments when they have missed appointments [ read online ] Murdoch and the Nationals join forces against NSW and "renewable energy stuff" 9 Dec 2020, 11:00am | “The one difference in this country, the massive difference between the Labor Party and the Liberal Party, is energy [ read online ] Massive renewable energy projects underpinned by ICT technologies 9 Dec 2020, 7:00am | The internet and communications field present new ways of tapping into the possibilities of renewable energy, says Paul [ read online ] How Rudd and Turnbull could activate climate change bipartisanship 8 Dec 2020, 3:30pm | Following the Rudd petition, Rudd and Turnbull could further extend their example to inspire bipartisan action on [ read online ] Scott Morrison is not a prick 8 Dec 2020, 11:00am | Many people seem to think Morrison is a good leader. Others think he is a prick. Either way, he has lasted longer as PM [ read online ] JobSeeker recipients sacrificed in $507 billion stimulus spend 8 Dec 2020, 7:00am | Despite the groundswell of support from across the political and ideological spectrum, the Morrison Government continues to [ read online ] Why we do not need to fear trade sanctions 7 Dec 2020, 3:30pm | Tensions have resulted in trade restrictions with China, but there may be a silver lining to what seems like an unfavour [ read online ] The political and economic effects of COVID-19 on immigrant communities 7 Dec 2020, 11:00am | Australia's immigration industry was profoundly affected by the pandemic along with life for immigrants already living [ read online ] Company profits soar and wages fall while the media continues to mislead 7 Dec 2020, 7:00am | The process of shifting wealth and income from the poor and middle to the rich is continuing and accelerating. Alan [ read online ] Social media: It might be dumbing us down 6 Dec 2020, 4:00pm | Social media is growing, but it appears our ability to critically evaluate it is not keeping pace, writes Anushka Britto [ read online ] WA''s horrid cycle of injustice must end 6 Dec 2020, 12:00pm | We cannot sit idly by and allow Western Australia to leper the homeless and carry on as the mother of all jailers of First [ read online ] Young elected officials urge Joe Biden to take climate action 6 Dec 2020, 7:00am | Current and former elected officials with a focus on saving our planet have urged Joe Biden to join their cause in prior [ read online ] MUNGO MACCALLUM: That''s all she wrote 5 Dec 2020, 3:30pm | Acclaimed veteran journalist Mungo MacCallum is retiring from his life's work. IA is grateful for Mungo's [ read online ] MUNGO MACCALLUM: China, China, CHINA! 5 Dec 2020, 11:00am | It may be a statement of the bleeding obvious, but a face-off with the People’s Republic of China would not be a good [ read online ] A subsidy a day keeps the farmer in play 5 Dec 2020, 7:00am | If Australia has an over-subsidised industry sector, it sure isn't the renewable energy that the mining lobby and the [ read online ] The Budget confirms Morrison wants to reboot mass migration 4 Dec 2020, 11:00am | It took a world pandemic to derail the “big Australia” program. The economists’ dogma is itching to [ read online ] CARTOONS: Trouble in China? 4 Dec 2020, 9:00am | WATCH: @mpbowers talks pictures with Canberra comedian @boombennyboom. #Insiders #auspol pic.twitter.com/U [ read online ] America''s ''let them eat cake'' moment 4 Dec 2020, 7:00am | America's failure to alleviate mass poverty during COVID-19 demonstrates the depths to which the country has sunk [ read online ] Former Obama adviser Jeff Bleich: Trump cannot overturn election results 3 Dec 2020, 3:30pm | IA recently interviewed Jeff Bleich, one of America’s great legal minds and a longtime friend and adviser to Barack [ read online ] COVID-19 development strategy could be damaging to the environment 3 Dec 2020, 11:00am | Western Australia's plans to revitalise tourism may have unintended environmental consequences, writes Eleanor [ read online ]

CARTOONS: Trouble in China? CARTOONS: Mark David is up, up and away CARTOONS: Mark David is staying put CARTOONS: Mark David''s big face-off CARTOONS: Mark David wins hearts and minds CARTOONS: Mark David is telling tall tales CARTOONS: Myth-busting Mark David CARTOONS: Mark David''s media mantra CARTOONS: It''s not a hoax, folks!

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Dear Noah,

You may not have heard from us for a while, because our records indicate you are not – or are no longer – an Independent Australia subscriber*.

We thought you may like to read executive editor Michelle Pini's latest editorial, which analyses PM Scott Morrison's increasing popularity in the face of the current pandemic.

If you would like to find out more about subscribing to Independent Australia, please click HERE.

* If you are a subscriber and have received this email in error, we apologise. Please email us and we will remove you from this list.

(See more cartoons by Mark David at Mark David Cartoons, on Twitter @MDavidCartoons and throughout this newsletter.)

So many things happening, most of them relating to the dreaded Coronavirus virus in one way or another.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has gone from the dithering dolt who took Hawaiian holidays as the nation burned, and went to the footy as the virus took root, to being the father of the nation, according to one mainstream media dolt. Executive editor Michelle Pini discusses this in another great editorial this week, below.

In other news, the Government looks to relax some of the lockdown restrictions, while increasing mass surveillance. According to Oberfuhrer Dutton, you could also get a $50,000 fine if you don't give him all your passwords. Doesn't that sound just peachy?

Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull dishes the dirt on his erstwhile colleagues, including Dutton, Cormann, Morrison and Rupert Murdoch in his new book. These memoirs were leaked to the media days before its release by a staffer in Morrison's office. Strangely, these same media see nothing untoward about this scandalous breach of copyright. Funny that!

Also, there are two terrific new books available in the IA book review club below. They could be yours if you agree to write a review.

EDITORIAL: 9 reasons why Scott Morrison isn’t our Big Daddy

Somehow, Scott Morrison has managed to exploit the current crisis so that he is now being presented as a sage leader, a statesman, even – most disturbingly – the father of our nation.

Gone is the “accidental” Liberal leader, the daggy dad and the kingpin of rorts.

Missing, feared dead, is the outrage at the PM’s negligence bordering on criminality, which allowed a cruise ship – known to be carrying coronavirus-afflicted passengers – to disembark without issue.

This single profound act of negligence has led to 

'... more than 600 cases [of coronavirus] ... and at least 21 deaths, making it the single biggest source of infection in Australia.'

Forgotten are the many transgressions, which, just a few short weeks ago, exposed a ruthless, self-interested, incompetent politician. In his place, “ScoMoses”, the benevolent father figure, has risen.

And the mainstream PR machine is lapping it up, only stopping short of bringing him slippers and a pipe after a hard day’s 40-minute media conference. The PM’s pressers are now presented as public information sessions, in which Scotty from Marketing’s self-congratulation for Australia’s COVID-19 response is repeated incessantly — lest we forget the previous day’s key talking points.

We can hardly fail to get the picture. Australians are tucked away from reality, self-isolating and feeling nervous for our future and that of our children — we are vulnerable. Many of us long for a kindly, decisive father figure to rescue us.

Enter Scotty from Marketing and his mainstream media publicity department.

But when it comes to this Government, caution is key and we should beware the marketing manager bearing gifts and positioning himself as Australia’s father of the year. Has ScoMo really saved us from COVID-19 or has the pandemic saved the PM from getting toppled as Liberal leader and the political purgatory which would await him?

For those whose memory needs a little jogging, here are just nine of the many reasons not to embrace Scotty from Marketing as our big daddy:

SOMEONE ALERT CHILD SERVICES

1. Daddy Morrison abandoned his “children” during the bushfire crisis. He also covered up his Hawaiian holiday location, lied about it and, when he was found out, pretended to cut his holiday short for the sake of the nation. His chief responsible ministers were also missing in action. Upon his return, Morrison made his chief priority a publicity campaign to appear as though he was actually doing something.

2. Aided by his chief henchman, Peter Dutton, this particular Daddy made it his mission to torture the children of refugees along with their parents — even reopening a previous island persecution location, just to stop them receiving medical care. A family of four with two small children is still being held captive on Christmas Island, serving as a case in some convoluted but cruel point.

THE "GOD" FATHER

3. As Prime Minister, Daddy ScoMo has overseen the biggest rorts scandal since ... well, since those of his two predecessors, the "choppergate" and the "travel rorts affair". Most of the ministers who had previously been demoted for various rorts have also since been rewarded for their misdeeds with promotions — by Morrison. The latest "sports rorts" saga has seen only one demotion, despite indications that Morrison himself was well aware, if not directly responsible for the shenanigans.

4. The surplus is probably the least worrying of the many areas where Morrison has been derelict in his duty — since not delivering a surplus is unlikely to lead to death and destruction. However, given that this, along with the promised tax cuts enabling this promise to eventuate, was the only policy this Government took to the election, the fact that it hasn’t materialised is a major problem. The fact that debt had also doubled prior to the coronavirus has also apparently been forgotten.

Where are the catcalls of "worst economic managers" from the mainstream media?

PLAYGROUNDS OF MINEFIELDS AND PLAGUES

5. When it comes to ensuring a safe environment for his “family”, this PM has not only failed dismally, he has actively engaged in harmful practices, such as worshipping coal, ignoring the science and even bragging about doing something positive while simultaneously and deliberately increasing our carbon emissions.

Even when the evidence of the link between climate change and Australia burning down before our eyes became undeniable, Scotty stubbornly refused to do anything remotely helpful to alleviate the climate emergency and future disasters, to which Australia is particularly vulnerable.

6. Australia was aware of the coronavirus well ahead of any action on the part of the PM. Indeed, his initial response mirrored that of Trump. "Let’s all go to the footy", cried ScoMo. Followed by, "We must go into lockdown for the sake of our health! ... But only after my mates from all over the world attend the essential Hillsong mega-church conference."

Then it was only adults that needed to stay home, despite sending their kids to school and kinder with other adults.

It’s hard to know what triggered the change in his behaviour, perhaps it was the state premiers, who mostly did act quickly and decisively, largely ignoring ScoMo. Perhaps that marketing instinct just kicked in. But although Morrison did, eventually, take crucial steps to deal with the pandemic, he did so kicking and screaming — even threatening schools with loss of funding if they closed.

And, as if allowing the kids to run free in a pandemic wasn’t enough, Daddy ScoMo decided to give the babysitters months off at the same time, inexplicably shutting down Parliament until August.

MIXED MESSAGES

7. Then there was the ongoing comedy of mixed messages where we were allowed out, but only in some states, during a full moon and for the purposes of getting our hair cut, but not coloured.

And when Labor suggested a stimulus package to offset business and job losses, Morrison and chief bean counter Josh Frydenberg ridiculed the idea.

Eventually, a huge stimulus package was created. However, it is important to remember that – like the bushfire relief package – most of this promised money has not yet been received by workers or businesses. Many people will also be required to pay it back – Robodebt style – since the qualification criteria is open to interpretation.

And while this Government has been completely opaque about almost everything else, it has been clear about the so-called “snapback”. That period immediately following the pandemic when it will, supposedly, get that budget "back in the black" but sometime in the future. Expect austerity. Big time.

8. "Stopping boats" except when the are coronavirus-infected cruise ships, is perhaps the most criminally negligent failure of Scott Morrison and his fellow “adults” in charge. How on or Earth did this happen and will anyone be held responsible?

9. Lastly, not content with his bizarrely increased popularity, Morrison is once again milking this crisis for all it is worth and using that patriarchal authoritarianism to increase surveillance on his own citizens. An app, tracking our every move, ostensibly to ensure we are conforming with social distancing rules, has been created for our own good, of course.

Seizing the opportunity, Home Affairs Minister and chief bouncer Peter Dutton also wants to fine us $50,000 if we fail to give him our passwords, for good measure. After all, we might be playing up on social media behind our parents' backs.

There is no doubt Australia has fared well compared to many of our counterparts with respect to this pandemic. Australians have accepted the restrictions and, for the most part, heeded the warnings indicated by the experience of countries such as Italy. But even a cursory analysis of Morrison’s individual part in this comes up short, if not completely negligible. 

The man who engineered Turnbull’s demise, the daggy dad pretending to ride around in a blue bus while cramming in as many photo ops of pie eating and beer drinking as possible and the leader of rorts just happened to hold the title of PM.  We are "flattening the curve" of the pandemic in spite of Morrison rather than because of him.

Comment and catch up on this editorial and past ones in the IA members only area HERE.

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Not a subscriber? Get full access to Independent Australia HERE.

You can follow executive editor Michelle Pini on Twitter @VMP9. Follow Independent Australia on Twitter at @independentaus and on Facebook HERE.

NEW BOOKS IN THE BOOK REVIEW CLUB!

Independent Australia offers paid subscribers the chance to receive free books by participating in our book review club.

If you are able to prepare a solidly written review for one of the books we are sent by publishers, we will publish it in Independent Australia — and the book is yours to keep.

This week we have two new hardcover books from Exisle Publishing's four-part Timeless Wisdom Series, edited by Renee Hollis.

Volume Three of the series, Struggle and Success:

We must all start somewhere. In this collection of real-life stories, 25 people take readers on an inspiring journey through the struggles they have overcome in pursuit of success. From small personal triumphs to large career goals or lifetime achievements, each success, big or small, offers an insight into the inner workings of lives from around the globe, highlighting one of humankind’s greatest traits — resilience.

The third book in a diverse series of true stories collected from around the world.

Volume Four of the series, Love and Loss: