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Bill Browne

@browne90.bsky.social
4K followers 773 following 676 posts

Director at The Australia Institute's Democracy & Accountability Program. Views posted are my own.

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Reposted by Bill Browne
The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"So where does the Australian Government fall on the economic implications of AI?" "It really depends on whether you look at their words or their numbers." Read the full piece by @browne90.bsky.social on The Point: sbrew.link/Ls4MtUH2
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The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
“What use is a report forecasting the next forty years by a government failing to tackle the greatest challenge of our time?” said Anjali Sharma. Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/new/260922-intergen…
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The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"The petition, which closed last month as the fourth-most popular electronic petition in NSW history, calls on state parliament to adopt laws against misleading political advertising" writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full piece on The Point: sbrew.link/qzLVkCKN
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
After 1 hour of training, staff at the Attorney-General's Department were sending information classified as "PROTECTED" offshore for processing by Google's under-regulated AI tool. www.ag.gov.au/node/7306
ag.gov.au
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sets how many personal staff each member of Parliament gets -- letting him starve his rivals of resources and punishing those who quit the party. Senator Fatima Payman formed an unlikely alliance last week to call him out.
OPINION
I knew I would be punished for crossing the floor. I didn’t expect my staff to be
Fatima Payman

I certainly raised a few eyebrows last week when I walked into the press pack with my biggest adversary, Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson, to stand on a unity ticket asking the Prime Minister to properly resource our parliamentary offices. I wish I didn’t have to resort to such a tactic, but I was out of options, and I knew this was a surefire way to get his attention.
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Reposted by Bill Browne
The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
“But these two narrow defeats prove that individuals matter, democracy matters, and parliament matters. Nothing is predetermined” writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I am heartened by two recent defeats, because they were close-fought things that could have gone either way. They are proof that our efforts can change the direction of our country.
Even the defeats give me hope for democracy

In the last couple of weeks, two very consequential political debates have come down to a single vote. And these two narrow defeats prove that individuals matter, democracy matters, and parliament matters. Nothing is predetermined.
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Ebony Bennett @ebonybennett.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Inequality does not merely impair economic performance; it is also a profound and direct threat to democracy," writes Professor @josephestiglitz.bsky.social in @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...
thepoint.com.au
Extreme inequality is not a given. It is a political choice and we can unmake it
After a year examining global inequality alongside leading economists and experts, Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz describes the crisis as both vast in scale and dangerous in trajectory. He outlines a ...
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Asked about the state of Australian democracy by independent Allegra Spender, PM Albanese makes a virtue of disclosing his diaries ... something he was forced to do. More on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog -- live.thepoint.com.au?post=8c155fb...
live.thepoint.com.au
The Point Live: Red Lines legislation to be introduced in both houses, new Labor invite only grants scheme under microscope, Hanson under pressure
The Red Lines legislation will be introduced as a private members bill in both houses, while the Greens have secured an inquiry into another 'invite only' grant scheme. Meanwhile, Pauline Hanson is l...
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
It’s perfectly legal to lie in a political ad in NSW – but that could be about to change. More than 31,500 NSW residents have said that they want truth in political advertising laws before the state election next March.
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Reposted by Bill Browne
Rod Campbell @rodcampbell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
You're 9x more likely to die if you're poor in Australia. Shocking data from @aihw.bsky.social, great post by @grogsgamut.bsky.social live.thepoint.com.au?post=7543a9e...
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Zali Steggall is trying today to drag the Albanese Government to implement one of its own policies: truth in political advertising laws. These laws are popular, constitutional and have been pressure tested in South Australia since the 1980s.
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
By a quirk of parliamentary programming, on this day 30 years ago Bob Brown and Pauline Hanson rose at the first time to give their first speeches to Parliament. Many topics Brown and Hanson covered three decades ago remain live – from climate change to immigration.
Thirty years ago today, Bob Brown and Pauline Hanson gave very different first speeches

On the 10th of September 1996, two very different politicians rose at the same time to give their first speeches to Parliament, Bob Brown and Pauline Hanson. The Greens and One Nation have become fixtures of Australian politics. The Greens have almost always had more electoral success and many more parliamentarians than One Nation.
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Reposted by Bill Browne
The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“Now, the secretaries who head government departments are suggesting footage from Senate Estimates should not even make it online” writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...
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The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
What does a vote 17 years ago have to do with next week’s disallowance motion, and what lessons might the Greens take from the CPRS history? Read the full explainer on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Critics of the Greens have compared the Greens’ upcoming decision on the carbon method disallowance to the CPRS vote 17 years ago. But in truth, voting down the CPRS positioned the Greens to negotiate a better climate package the next year.
What does the CPRS vote 17 years ago have to do with the Greens’ decision on carbon offsets this month?

ABC’s Political Editor Jacob Greber said on 730 that the Greens’ decision on how to vote on the carbon credit method’s disallowance motion is “reprising memories of another hard-fought battle over climate policy”, the vote on the Rudd Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) in 2009. What does a vote 17 years ago have to do with next week’s disallowance motion, and what lessons might the Greens take from the CPRS history?  

By Bill Browne & Anara Watson
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
"A group of insiders were there with the NSW Govt for two years, in all the conversations linking the park to offsets. They kept this secret from the public and the rest of the environment movement. That sounds more like the definition of a conspiracy." thepoint.com.au/factchecks/2...
thepoint.com.au
Factcheck: Are native forest carbon offsets 'a really fantastic proposal'? (No)
In an Instagram video, the Executive Director of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation (ACBF), Lyndon Schneiders, discusses the controversial Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) offs...
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Reposted by Bill Browne
the Juice Media @thejuicemedia.com · 07/09/2026
Our latest Honest Government Ad is now also on YouTube. This extended version includes the insane story of California's forest offset program, which set aside 6M offset credits to compensate for a century of wildires for the next 100 years. And wildfires torched 11M offset credits in just 1 decade
youtube.com
Honest Government Ad | Bulls*it™
YouTube video by thejuicemedia
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
God AI is an easy-reading primer to the most extreme danger of AI: that it could kill all human life. Walsh recognises the arguments against this ever happening while refusing to be complacent about the catastrophic consequences if it does eventuate.
Build God, Then We’ll Talk

A review of Toby Walsh’s 'God AI'.
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Reposted by Bill Browne
Rod Campbell @rodcampbell.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
It's a scam, it's a scam, it's a scam. Taxpayers will pay for 95% of the NSW Great Koala National Park. Yet Chris Minns/Bowen say $$ from climate polluters for offsets are essential. Me in The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
"Any money being paid to dine with the PM should be a matter of public record – why is it a secret?" Geoffrey Watson in @australia.theguardian.com on Anthony Albanese's cash-for-access dinners. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
It shouldn’t be a secret who the prime minister has dinner with, and what was discussed. Australians deserve to know | Geoffrey Watson
Any money being paid to dine with Anthony Albanese should be a matter of public record
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
“The culture that developed [was] one of fear, one of intimidation, and one of carefully orchestrated cinema to make it appear what’s happening is legitimate, when it’s not,” Liz Allen told the Senate. ANU apologises for indefensible treatment of academic. thepoint.com.au/new/260825-a...
thepoint.com.au
ANU apologises to Liz Allen after ‘indefensible’ treatment by its former leadership
The Point, helping readers make sense of the issues shaping their lives today.
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
"Is the Liberal Party aging out of Australian politics?" Historian James Watson on how low home-ownership and delays in having children mean younger Australians have less conservative interests than their predecessors, see Liberals as tied to asset-owning class.
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
If the Coalition were not afraid of the “We’ll do the same to you in government” threat, what could they do today to both improve government accountability and make trouble for Labor?
Parliamentary process and open government might be more fruitful ground for Liberals than “Melongate” has been

The Liberal–National Opposition is in a difficult parliamentary position. Still smarting from the worst result in Liberal Party history, they are not a live threat as an alternative government to a Labor Party that holds almost two in every three seats. Nor has the party distinguished itself on policy. 

Bill Browne
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
"Exclusive Brethren secretly paid far-right activists to perform stunts disrupting the federal election" -- lots here from SMH as Brethren and Advance face the Committee on Electoral Matters www.smh.com.au/national/exc...
smh.com.au
Exclusive Brethren secretly paid far-right activists to perform stunts disrupting the federal election
A digital trail of evidence and political and church insiders have revealed how the wealthy Christian sect mobilised influencers around the country to track and heckle candidates.
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Reposted by Bill Browne
The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
“The broad point of the paper remains true: the patterns, habits, and relationships of Australian society have changed remarkably in the 80 years since the Liberal Party’s founding” writes Dr James Watson. Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...
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Andrew Wilkie MP @andrewwilkiemp.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Three times I’ve introduced a Human Rights Bill. Three times the major parties didn’t support it. A petition signed by over 50,000 Australians demands better. Aus mustn’t remain the only liberal democracy without comprehensive national human rights protections. #auspol #politas
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Rick Morton @squigglyrick.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Former aged care min Anika Wells redacted a bunch of FoI docs -- including my name despite my consent otherwise -- because releasing might chill 'frank and fearless' advice from public servants. The FoI Commissioner rubbished that claim, ordered the release. www.crikey.com.au/2026/08/19/a...
crikey.com.au
Anika Wells wanted this information to stay secret. But the FOI commissioner disagrees
The ruling against Wells, related to the $8 million Meals on Wheels scandal, tested the limits of whether 'full and frank advice' from civil servants is impeded by disclosures.
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Reposted by Bill Browne
The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 19/08/2026
Right now it is perfectly legal to publish misleading political advertising in NSW but more than 30,000 people have said that it shouldn't be. Add your name to the petition now ⤵️ theaus.in/4wHCkTr
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
KPMG boasted it was "essentially cleared by 'two separate law firms'", "but the omissions from the work by Ashurst and Allens are so vast as to render their conclusions a joke." Nick Bonyhady in @sydmorningherald.bsky.social www.smh.com.au/business/com...
smh.com.au
The humiliation of KPMG’s lawyers is almost complete
If Allens and Ashurst end up going down with the consulting firm’s ship, they will have only themselves to blame.
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LouiseMorris @louisemorris.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Next week a disallowance motion wtih decide whether state #native #forests are now to have their logging deferred for 100 years if they are used as #carbon trading chips. What even is a disallowance motion you ask? @browne90.bsky.social has the answer #auspol thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...
thepoint.com.au
What is a “disallowance motion” and how could the Senate use it to stop greenwashing?
Politicians who are concerned about greenwashing and due process have the power to stop the dodgy national parks deal later this month, but only if a range of senators vote together. Luckily for those...
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
It's the "Westpac Rescue Helicopter" when things are going well (even though the taxpayer funds most of it) -- but "Northern NSW Helicopter Rescue" when it's in disgrace. Government pays for it, but Westpac gets the credit.
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Reposted by Bill Browne
The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Parties often encourage or compel their elected MPs (and sometimes their political staff) to pay a contribution to the party out of their parliamentary salary. It’s called “the tithe” or a “levy”. Read the full explainer by @browne90.bsky.social on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...
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The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Is the Journalism Assistance Fund being funnelled toward left-wing outlets, like Sky News host Andrew Bolt and former Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes have recently suggested? In short, no. Read the full factcheck on The Point: thepoint.com.au/factchecks/2...
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Richard Boyle tells @kieranpender.bsky.social: "Every whistleblower does have a fire in their belly and maybe a little belligerence. "But it’s good belligerence. It’s belligerence for the purposes of truth-telling and [preventing] harm to community."
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The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
What could the romantic poets of the 18th century teach us about modern politics? For those struggling to convince people to question existing practices, the answer is: quite a lot. Read the full piece by @browne90.bsky.social on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...
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Rod Campbell @rodcampbell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The coal lobby's latest nonsense economics report is due out tomorrow. Coal Australia claims 782,000 jobs. ABS says 40,000 🤔
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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 23/07/2026
Thank you NSW!! Now that our petition has hit 20,000 signatures, truth in political advertising will have to be debated in NSW Parliament! You can still add your name and send a message ⤵️ www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/parliamen…
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The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“It is thanks to these orders that the public – and our elected representatives – have a better idea of what the government is doing in our name” writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full explainer on The Point: thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...
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The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
“The changes will make access to Parliament more difficult, when the Australia Institute has long argued it should be easier, and it will do little to illuminate how power really works in this country” writes @browne90.bsky.social Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...
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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 17/07/2026
AI models make it easier than ever to create convincing misinformation, but New South Wales is still without truth in political advertising laws! It doesn't have to be this way. @browne90.bsky.social #auspol
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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 16/07/2026
Junk food companies can't lie about their products being healthy. So why can politicians in NSW lie in their election ads? ✍️ Add your name to the petition for truth in political advertising laws in NSW! ⤵️⤵️⤵️ #auspol @browne90.bsky.social
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
He's no Matt Damon, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a master of the politics of constraint, drawing on lessons that go back to The Odyssey. Odysseus took literally what contemporary politicians apply only metaphorically: to have your hands tied may be a source of strength.
Odysseus, lashed to the mast, can hear the sirens but not heed their calls.
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned today: "extremists and state actors already use AI ... to spread disinformation that targets democracies." Disinformation on elections, policies and candidates threatens the integrity of our elections. Truth in political advertising laws can help.
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
We think of ourselves as larrikins, but Australia has made it much harder for candidates like @countbinface.bsky.social to run in elections -- and that's our loss.
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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 15/07/2026
Over 8,000 NSW residents have already signed our petition for truth in political advertising laws! If we reach 20,000, NSW Parliament will have to debate it! ✍️ Add your name to the call to stop misleading ads in NSW elections! #auspol @browne90.bsky.social
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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 14/07/2026
In NSW at the moment, it's perfectly legal to lie in a political ad. And if our petition for truth in political advertising gets 20,000 signatures, it will have to be debated in NSW Parliament! #auspol @browne90.bsky.social
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
On @thepointau.bsky.social , @benraue.com warns "democracy isn't an optional extra" as local council tries to leave a position vacant for more than two years. Rule change to use countbacks more often could resolve future vacancies. thepoint.com.au/opinions/dem...
thepoint.com.au
Democracy isn’t an optional extra
My attention has been drawn to a story from Kiama Council in southern New South Wales, where the council has attempted to avoid filling a vacancy on the council with more than two years left on the co...
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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 09/07/2026
"What we should kind of reflect on is...12 months before the election, Peter Dutton was ahead in the polls." Co-CEO Richard Denniss reflected on the 2025 federal election and what insight it might give for future elections in today's Australia Institute webinar! @richarddenniss.bsky.social #auspol
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Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Join @richarddenniss.bsky.social @amyremeikis.bsky.social in 40 mins for a chat about the historic 2025 election, one year on from Labor's landslide. nb.australiainstitute.org.au/after_the_la...
nb.australiainstitute.org.au
After the landslide: One year on from the historic 2025 election
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