Ghost Leviathan posted:

I'm pretty sure at that point it's when the yanks are at least threatening to coup them and purging anyone who has actual motivations.

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

Phuc’in hell

FreeRangeHexagon posted:

Makes sense, how bad would a theoretical National Party government be? I'm assuming they are at least somewhat more competent than their Australian counterparts.

slinkimalinki posted:

National always does awful poo poo when they're in power, it's just not clear what specific awful poo poo. I'd expect tax cuts for the rich and benfit cuts for the poor, plus some other random poo poo that they'll figure out at the time.

Snowglobe of Doom posted:

Unfortunately only the protective perspex in front of the painting got spraypainted, the painting itself is untouched

Inceltown posted:

Hell yeah, taking out 100 year old white guy art to protest mining companies blowing up aboriginal art

https://twitter.com/9NewsAUS/status/1615934385743880193

Inceltown posted:

Whole thread here about how robodebt hosed up a $0 debt to try get $65k out of an old age pensioner working part time.

https://twitter.com/SquigglyRick/status/1617321745853321216

Inceltown posted:

Whole thread here about how robodebt hosed up a $0 debt to try get $65k out of an old age pensioner working part time.

ModernMajorGeneral posted:

‘Absurd’: Spider venom researcher banned over fears work could be weaponised
https://www.theage.com.au/national/queensland/absurd-spider-venom-researcher-banned-over-fears-work-could-be-weaponised-20230123-p5ceoq.html

quote:

An international student has been denied the opportunity to continue her research into potential new painkillers because Defence officials feared it could be used to develop weapons of mass destruction.

The Chinese national was well-regarded at the University of Queensland and during her undergraduate studies produced six research papers on the potential use of modified spider venom for pain relief.

But when the student applied for a visa to return to complete a PhD, and continue working with experts in the field, the Department of Defence intervened - because venom could potentially be weaponised by foreign powers.

“She was actually declared unfit to study in Australia on that topic because she might be developing weapons of mass destruction,” said the university’s Professor Glenn King.

“It was the most absurd decision I’ve ever heard and shows a complete lack of knowledge at a government level about what the research entailed.”

The Defence Trade Controls Act allows the department to regulate the supply of technology relating to military and so-called strategic goods, which in the Queensland case extended to information regarding the use of toxins from venom.

King said their “many letters of complaint” confirmed the lack of appeal rights, and that the student would not be granted a visa to continue her work.

“She’s now doing a PhD in Japan,” he said.

SMH posted:

Crowds pelt police with rocks, bottles, bricks in Perth CBD Australia Day riots

An officer was struck in the head as police donned riot gear to quell separate mass fights in Perth’s CBD late on Australia Day.

A WA Police spokeswoman said officers were first called to the Perth Train Station on Wellington Street just after 10pm on reports of two large groups of people fighting.

As officers moved to disperse the crowd of about 150 people, rocks and bottles were thrown at police, and the regional operations group was called in as the incident was declared an out-of-control gathering.

The police spokeswoman said multiple people were arrested however no injuries were reported.

Carly Higgins, who manages the Shoe Bar at Yagan Square, down Wellington Street from Perth Train Station, said she closed early as police began to congregate.

Higgins told 6PR police were congregating near the Horseshoe Bridge, and within 20 minutes of closing officers “rolled through” to break up the gathering.

“You [could] see normal patrons trying to get through the square and getting abused, and it wasn’t a very nice place to be,” she said.

“At the start of the night, maybe about 8.30pm, I got a chair almost thrown out me, so that’s about when it started.”

Higgins said she had people yell abuse at her, drinks stolen from the bar, and found someone in the closed downstairs cafe.

She said people drinking outside legal areas in the square the bar overlooked did not help the situation.

WA Police Senior Sergeant Adrian Fuller said “significant resources” were deployed to quell the incident.

“[Officers] were greeted with significant number of persons outside Wellington Street, outside the train station, into Forrest Place, as a result of their behaviour with projectiles being thrown towards police, police got additional resources and formed up some lines tactically to separate the persons and execute some arrests,” he said.

Several hours later, about 2am on Friday, police were called to Moore Street in East Perth near the McIver train station on more reports of a mass brawl and people armed with paving, bricks and even a tomahawk.

An out-of-control gathering was declared and the regional operations group was called in again to disperse the crowd.

Fuller said people within the crowd began to hurl bricks and broken pavers at police as officers worked to move everyone on.

“Unfortunately two officers were injured and one of those is seeking hospital treatment,” he said.

Police are calling for anyone with vision or information about the incident to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online.

Police did not give any indication of the motivation behind the mass brawls, however acting WA Police Union president Paul Gale condemned what he saw as escalating political violence.

“I have one simple message for anyone thinking about carrying out political violence against a police officer: if you have a problem with the politicians, take it out at the ballot box,” he said.

“Don’t take it out at police officers who are working unsocial hours and doing their best to protect property and keep the community safe.”

The turbulent end to the public holiday followed a muted day of celebrations at the foreshore, including for the City of Perth’s lights show.

Invasion Day rallies were also held in the CBD, joining the chorus of protests across Australia calling for the date of the holiday to change.

Australia Day crowds in Perth have waned over the years on the back of a shift in sentiment towards the national holiday and a decline in council spending on public events.

Inceltown posted:

Lostconfused posted:

https://twitter.com/Ewol81648883/status/1620082503079047168

Ahahaha, wonder if this will go any better than the last french australian arms deal.

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/c...nce-ministerial

Frosted Flake posted:

With the Australia-France thing, Thales has a significant presence in Australia, having completed purchase of the privatised Australian Defence Industries in 2006. Thales Australia and the EADS-owned Australian Aerospace would be responsible for considerable sums of both imports and exports of ETMs.So it's a France-Australia thing because they sold the state arsenals to a French company a few years back. lol neoliberalism rules.

LIVE AMMO COSPLAY posted:

Seems like we are constantly on the verge of crushing Russia when we aren't on the verge of running out of bombs

Frosted Flake posted:

lol I know we've been talking about Neoliberalism eroding state capacity and now defence, but ... lol actually producing submarines could not have been anyone's goal here. From the Australian decision to privatize their arms industry, to the decision to sell it to a French firm, to the decision to gently caress over France, to the American pressure on Australia to do so despite not being able to produce submarines for them, to denying the lol French owned Australian shipyard the licence, all of these decisions pushed actual submarines delivered to the fleet further and further away.

Inceltown posted:

https://twitter.com/mjrowland68/status/1620893450055950338

spaceblancmange posted:

Big day for Dutton going to a pedo funeral and complaining about the king not being on the $5 note. The Australian culture war is going great

spaceblancmange posted:

Big day for Dutton going to a pedo funeral and complaining about the king not being on the $5 note. The Australian culture war is going great

spaceblancmange posted:

Big day for Dutton going to a pedo funeral and complaining about the king not being on the $5 note. The Australian culture war is going great

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

Inceltown posted:

I'm sure he's said something about the voice to parliament too. We are a sick people.