New Politics: Australian Politics, News, Analysis & Commentary

The Albanese Labor government came to office promising integrity, transparency and accountability, but four years later those standards are being tested by allegations of pork-barrelling, politically targeted grants and questionable corporate benefits. A $560 million infrastructure program heavily favouring Labor-held electorates, a $6 million grant to Marrickville Golf Club in Anthony Albanese’s electorate, and Transport Minister Catherine King’s lifetime Qantas Platinum membership raise a fundamental question: is Labor applying the same standards to itself that it demanded of the Morrison government? At the same time, changes to the NDIS are being justified through the familiar language of sustainability and value for money, while billions more flow into defence, missile systems and the expanding cost of AUKUS. #AustralianPolitics #AusPol #Labor #AnthonyAlbanese #PorkBarrelling #PoliticalIntegrity #NDIS #AUKUS #NewPolitics.  

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Song listing:
‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Political power doesn’t always operate through governments or legislation – it can work through vexatious litigation, lobbying, money, professional pressure and the ability of influential organisations to impose consequences on those who challenge powerful interests. The experiences of former SBS journalist Mary Kostakidis in Australia and musician Macklemore in the United States raise the difficult questions about Israel, Palestine, Gaza, Zionism and free speech: Kostakidis endured almost two years of legal proceedings before the Zionist Federation of Australia discontinued its Federal Court case without a judgment, while Macklemore faced organised pressure and was removed from the remainder of Ed Sheeran’s US tour after his outspoken advocacy for Palestine. Set against the entertainment industry’s inconsistent response to Kanye West’s explicit antisemitism and praise for Adolf Hitler, these cases raise a broader democratic question: when journalists, musicians and public figures fear litigation, professional exclusion or reputational campaigns for criticising Israel or supporting Palestinian rights, does censorship need to be imposed by governments at all – or does the outrageous effect achieve the same result? #AUSPOL  

Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au  

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Song listing:
‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Almost a year after Australia recognised Palestine as an independent and sovereign state, what has actually changed? The Albanese government has imposed no meaningful sanctions on Israel, restricted no trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and maintained Australia’s involvement in the F-35 military supply network. The killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza remains unresolved, while Foreign Minister Penny Wong continues to defend a deeply contradictory policy: recognising Palestinian sovereignty while supporting the occupying power. With Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir promoting the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, Australia’s inaction is becoming a test of its democracy, political independence and commitment to international law. Recognition of Palestine was an important step, but it should have marked the beginning of a new Australian policy on Israel, Gaza and the West Bank – not the end of it. #AUSPOL  

Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au  

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Song listing:
‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

One Nation may be slipping in the polls, but Pauline Hanson is still setting the direction of conservative politics in Australia – and Liberal leader Angus Taylor appears determined to follow her to the fringes. Rather than addressing housing affordability, stagnant wages, healthcare pressures and inequality, the Coalition is escalating the culture wars with proposals targeting Australian flag burning, the date of Australia Day and Respectful Relationships education in schools. It is a familiar strategy: manufacture outrage, exploit resentment and promise punishment, while presenting programs designed to reduce domestic and sexual violence as attacks on men. With Labor and the Coalition level in the latest Essential poll and One Nation close behind, imitating Pauline Hanson will only legitimise her agenda and alienate moderate voters. The same pattern can be seen in tobacco policy, where the Liberal Party has gone past One Nation’s proposed 75 per cent tobacco excise cut with an 80 per cent reduction – a policy that would benefit Big Tobacco, make cigarettes more accessible and potentially create a new generation of smokers and cancer patients. #AUSPOL

Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au  

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Song listing:
‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

The catastrophic Nepal–Tibet floods, triggered by a collapse of glacial ice and rock in the Himalayas, have killed more than 1,250 people and left thousands missing, exposing the escalating dangers of climate change and glacial melting. As Nepal bears a devastating cost despite contributing little to global greenhouse-gas emissions, Anthony Albanese faces questions about Australia’s climate policy and the familiar political insistence that “now is not the time” to discuss the causes of disaster. This episode examines climate injustice, Australia’s continuing coal and gas expansion, Labor’s renewable-energy promises and the contradiction between presenting Australia as a Pacific security partner while supporting fossil-fuel developments. With the Himalayan water system sustaining almost two billion people, this disaster is not only an environmental warning—it is a growing humanitarian, economic and geopolitical crisis. #AUSPOL
Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au 
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Song listing:
‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.