Punters Politics

This week, Konrad's Senate inquiry testimony sparked a media firestorm, from "zinger box" clips on ABC to Sky News pundits losing their cool over his Parliament House t-shirt and supposed "grifter" status. While former Treasury Secretary Ken Henry and Senator Jacqui Lambie joined the "Legends List" by demanding the gas cartel "stop the crap" and pay their fair share, Shell executives were absolutely smoked, failing to explain why they paid zero PRRT despite billions in revenue. We’re exposing the "Lobbyist Playable Characters" like Angus Taylor while celebrating legends like David Pocock and Ed Husic, all while fueling a $102,000 war chest for our May 8th Newcastle pub crawl to prove we should be taxing gas, not beer.

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This week, Albo dodges the gas tax question with a masterclass in political deflection, Channel 7 runs cover for fossil fuel interests, and the lobbyist war chest smashes through $96,000. We break down the propaganda playbook, expose corporate media conflicts of interest, and celebrate two massive high court wins that just struck down rigged election laws and anti protest powers.

Albo's Gas Tax Dodge: Political Maneuver of the Week

Triple J Hack asks the Prime Minister the question every punter wants answered: are you taxing gas exports? Albo responds with peak confused grandpa energy, saying "we'll have the budget next month" while physically turning away to invite the next question. We score the maneuver, break down why he's probably not taxing gas profits at all, and explain why punters should expect a useless windfall profits tax that targets zero dollars in actual profit because Santos and Woodside conveniently make nothing on paper.

Channel 7's Fossil Fuel Propaganda Exposed

Channel 7 reporter Liam Bartlett ambushes Environment Minister Chris Bowen, demanding he resign over his "renewables obsession". We watch the full unedited exchange, score the political maneuvers, and then reveal that Liam used to work as Global Head of TV Creative Visual at Shell International, Channel 7 is owned by billionaire Kerry Stokes who has major gas interests through SGH Energy and Beach Energy, and both companies pay around 2% to 5% tax while earning billions. Conspiracy or coincidence? Punters decide.

High Court Strikes Down Rigged Election Laws & Anti Protest Powers

Feel pepped, punters. The high court has struck down Victoria's rigged electoral donation laws that allowed major parties unlimited donations through nominated entities while capping independents at $5,000, and New South Wales anti protest laws that gave one police commissioner the power to block protests across huge chunks of Sydney. Both rulings confirm what punters already knew: politicians rig the system to protect themselves, and the courts are the last line of defense.

Nanny State Alert: Cops Fine Superintendent for Riding a Bike

South Australia's top traffic cop gets fined for using his phone while riding a 9 kilogram carbon road bike at 20 kilometers an hour after a Karen dug through his Strava and reported him. We sound the nanny state alarm, call out the absurdity of applying one and a half ton car rules to bicycles, and defend the superintendent even though he'd probably give us a ticket for the same thing.

Konrad Goes to Canberra: Senate Inquiry Witness

Konrad is heading to Canberra to testify as a witness in the Senate inquiry into gas taxes, courtesy of a loaned Polestar 4 from Whipsmart EV leasing. The lobbyist war chest now sits at $96,000, the free sauce campaign launches on Chuffed to put 200 stickered bottles into pie shops across Australia, and punters can now grab free source bottle stickers at punterspolitics.com.

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This week, we expose the real scam behind NDIS fraud that nobody's talking about. While YouTubers rack up millions of views chasing dodgy providers and the media runs endless clickbait about disability rorts, we break down why privatization is the actual problem. We explain how pseudo privatized government services create rent seeking middlemen, bloated overheads, and fraud riddled systems that cost more to police than they would to run properly. Plus, why this exact same pattern keeps repeating in childcare, aged care, vocational education, and every other marketized government program.

The Gas Lobby Attacks Me Personally In A Million Dollar Ad Campaign

The Australian Energy Producers have released attack ads featuring an actor who looks suspiciously like me, complete with oversized tee, light features, Australian accent, and a smug delivery in a green screen bar. We break down why they've stopped saying taxes and royalties and started outright lying by claiming gas companies paid $21 billion in taxes when that number includes royalties, how David Pocock's beer tax versus gas tax clip went viral in Senate Estimates, and why the gas lobby acknowledging my existence is the biggest strategic mistake they've made yet.

Sticky Bandits Strike Again & The Free Sauce Quest Continues

Punters have been out slapping stickers on Liberal Senator campaign signs, welcome to Western Australia road signs, and one absolute legend stuck the Norway versus Australia gas royalties sticker on the back quarter panel paintwork of their car. We break down the costings for the free sauce side quest, reveal that shipping 200 stickered sauce bottles would cost $17.75 per unit, announce the Chuffed fundraiser to get sauce bottles into pie shops, and confirm we're in talks with Heinz after most other sauce companies politely declined our collab request.

Punter Confessions: The E Bike Penance & The Skydive Discount

Konrad admits he accepted a heavily discounted skydive in New Zealand from Punter Miles, a skydive instructor who enjoys the show, and puts it to the punters whether that's acceptable or a breach of trust. Plus, footage of Punter Alex getting a 20 minute ride on the back of the Punters e bike on New Year's Eve, proving the penance system is working, and a correction on where Australia's fuel actually comes from after Patreon Punter Kenneth provided two citations proving some of it does come from the Middle East via Singapore.

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This week, we unpack the 26 cent fuel excise cut that's supposed to save you money at the pump while the government quietly hands over $10 billion a year in petrol subsidies to Gina and her mining mates. We break down why this three month discount costs taxpayers $2.5 billion, how 15 mining companies pocket $3 billion a year from fuel tax rebates punters never get, and why even Fortescue's CEO Dino Otranto is calling out the scam on LinkedIn.

CBA Boss Backs Gas Tax & The Lobbyist Power Play

The head of Commonwealth Bank publicly backs a windfall profits tax on gas companies, and we explain why corporate Australia is finally picking sides. We meet Punter Rachel, the crowd funded lobbyist hired with your $80,000 to take on the gas cartel in Canberra. She breaks down her strategy for targeting marginal seats, lobbying crossbenchers, and preparing for budget week to expose exactly what the gas lobby asked for and what they got.

Nanny State Update: P Platers Banned From Google Maps

Queensland police confirm that learner and P plate drivers are banned from using Google Maps on their phones, even hands free, even through Bluetooth, but they're legally allowed to unfold a street directory while driving. We sound the nanny state alarm again and explain why this rule is peak Karen policy that makes young drivers less safe, not more.

Card Surcharge Ban Finally Arrives & The Free Sauce Quest Launches

From October 2026, Australians will no longer be slugged with card surcharges at checkout, ending the $1.6 billion annual cash grab by banks on Visa and Mastercard transactions. We celebrate the win, call out the final cash grab delay, and launch the free sauce side quest with stickers, bottles, and a heat map at freesauce.quest to track every pie shop in Australia giving punters a fair squeeze.

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This week, we unpack ASIO's new secret detention powers that let them jail you without a warrant, without telling anyone, and without you being able to say a word about it. Both major parties waved it through while punters were distracted by $3 diesel. We break down how the Attorney General can now rubber stamp interrogations, why kids as young as 14 can be nabbed off the street, and how Albo went from quoting Nazi speeches against these laws in 2003 to passing even worse versions today.

Japan Demands Free Gas & The Gas Bludger War Escalates

The Japanese ambassador rocked up to Canberra demanding we keep handing over gas royalties for free because they hate surprises. We've got a surprise for them. The gas lobby is now running full page newspaper ads trying to convince punters that beer tax is higher than gas tax by stacking multiple tax categories into one number. We fight back with punter propaganda, break down their dodgy maths, and explain why every punter needs to be all hands on deck as the May budget approaches and Labor considers a windfall profits tax.

Nanny State Alert: E-Bike Crackdown Explained

We sound the nanny state alarm as Queensland and New South Wales introduce roadside dyno testing for e-bikes, lower legal power limits to 200 watts, introduce licensing requirements, crush powers for illegal bikes, and footpath speed limits of 10 kilometres an hour. We sit down with Patrick from Streets and Scars of City Past to break down why this is classic Karen overreach, how Europe handles e-bikes with tiered licensing that actually works, and why Australian politicians would rather ban alternatives than build cycling infrastructure.

Pauline Hanson's Private Jet Defense & The Sticky Bandits Strike Again

Pauline Hanson gets grilled over undeclared flights on Gina Rinehart's private jet and pulls off a solid pub crawl defense, stumbling from no cost to the taxpayer to name dropping Anika Wells while Barnaby Joyce swoops in for the alley oop. We score the maneuver, break down the propaganda tactics, and celebrate the return of the sticky bandits who've been slapping punter stickers on Liberal and Labor MP signs across the country.

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