Sign in

gardenmuser

@gardenmuser1.bsky.social
321 followers 306 following 577 posts

Concerned citizen and planet lover. Formerly health and education. Now painting, planting and pondering: how to bequeath a fairer, kinder world to my grandkids. Transferring from Twitter.

PostsRepliesMedia
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
theconversation.com/we-can-final...
theconversation.com
We can finally measure the damage each new coal, gas or oil project will do to people and nature
For decades, we couldn’t trace the link between new fossil fuel projects and their damage to people and planet. But now we can.
000
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
"Treating the Anzac legend as an untouchable, colourblind civic religion allows Australia to avoid confronting its historical exclusions." In my lifetime I have seen this country manipulated into this maudlin reverence for a myth. We can thank Howard. #auspol thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/2026...
thesaturdaypaper.com.au
Who gets to be a traitor?
When Pauline Hanson labelled SAS veteran and Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie a ‘traitor’ eight times, then animated the insult and pinned it to the top of her social media feed, she did more than p...
121
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
We need to protect (enshrine in law) Freedom of the Press urgently. #auspol www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Trump’s decision to ban journalists from the White House – and One Nation’s actions – shows why Australia urgently needs a media freedom bill | Peter Greste
Australians can’t afford to be complacent – Pauline Hanson also thinks it’s OK to shut out reporters she doesn’t like
042
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"The action needed is not the sort of appeasement or tinkering on offer from Tony Burke....For the ALP and Albanese stubbornness about talking to and with ordinary Australians is the greatest single threat to Labor's future. And possibly Australia's." #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
One Nation will not be defeated by tiny tweaks
Labor’s new migration restrictions respond to public concerns about immigration, but tighter visa rules alone cannot resolve deeper anxieties about housing, economic security and social change.
132
Reposted by gardenmuser
Senator David Shoebridge @davidshoebridge.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
AI data centres are projected to use 13 per cent of Australia’s electricity and 20 per cent of Sydney’s water within a decade. These things are mushrooming across the country and Labor has issued a “consultation paper”. Like New York, we need a moratorium not a survey.
17235114
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"A system that has for too long treated (the electorate) as an audience to be managed rather than citizens to be served." #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
One Nation and the trust crisis, part two: Give people a reason to believe politics can work
In the second of a two-part series, rebuilding trust requires more than competent economic management – Australians also need institutions that listen, include and respond.
021
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
@senatorwong.bsky.social Penny! Are 191.5 tons of nitrocellulose we sent to Israel “nonlethal in nature”?  theshot.net.au/uncategorize...
theshot.net.au
Penny! Are 191.5 tons of nitrocellulose we sent to Israel “nonlethal in nature”?  - The Shot
Like Macklemore and Ed Sheeran, and Ed Sheeran’s band and Ed Sheeran, relations between Penny Wong and myself are “complicated”....
110
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Yep. #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
Albanese’s credibility problem is becoming a political liability
Repeated reversals and broken promises are feeding a broader collapse of trust that reaches from economic policy to government transparency and defence.
211
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Howard's ruthless exploitation of the desperate Tampa incident has ensured decades of subsequent dog-whistling prejudice and intolerance in this country. Some legacy! #auspol www.themonthly.com.au/karen-middle...
themonthly.com.au
Turnback time
The decisions made 25 years ago during the Tampa crisis are still shaping politics
032
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
"A better solution would be for Labor to start telling the truth, to explain their policies to the electorate and not be defensive when they actually work." This is the one thing this government is getting right. Chalmers needs to be unshackled. #auspol www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/edit...
thesaturdaypaper.com.au
The necessity of falling house prices
Labor is in a curious position: it has a policy that works, but it cannot say so. Treasurer Jim Chalmers should be able to say: yes, house prices are coming down slightly; they need to. That is the po...
010
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The US "is a model of what not to do - a cautionary tale of extreme inequality, democratic erosion, corruption, and social division." So why is our Labor government dominated by such US sycophants? #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
Trump is hastening the decline of American power
Trump’s threats against countries trading with Iran expose the limits of US economic power, as allies resist Washington’s demands and the global economy moves towards a less American-dominated order.
001
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
Australia is under strain – and politics is part of the problem
Financial stress is rising and life satisfaction is falling, but Australians’ discontent runs deeper than household budgets to growing distrust in politics and government.
041
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The ruthless bastard our gutless government won't condemn. #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
‘Bombshell’ report says Netanyahu was warned before 7 October – and Israel rejected an offer to free civilian captives
An Haaretz investigation says Netanyahu failed to pass on a warning of a major Hamas operation, while Israeli officials later rejected an unconditional offer to release civilian captives.
01210
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"The Albanese government turns out to be an exemplar of performative leadership: as long as you make the voters think you're a good guy getting on with it, you don't have to actually do much." #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
Australia is under strain – and politics is part of the problem
Financial stress is rising and life satisfaction is falling, but Australians’ discontent runs deeper than household budgets to growing distrust in politics and government.
041
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"National capability without social capability risks becoming merely nationalism with an industrial policy." What's it all for ultimately? Great article. #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
What kind of country is Australia actually trying to become?
Australia has no shortage of wealth, projects or policy targets. What it lacks is a coherent strategy for building the capabilities its future society will need.
001
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Says it all. Great choice of photo. This lot aren't listening. Bring on more Indepents. #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
Albanese governs with insiders and leaves voters outside the room
The Albanese government may be adept at negotiating with insiders, but its failure to explain decisions and engage voters is deepening public distrust.
041
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Wake up, Australia! We have to make foreign and defence policies an election issue. The Duopoly are setting us up as the next Hiroshima. Lining their own pockets? Lucrative sinecures when they exit politics? Appalling mismanagement without our permission. #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
The US now has access to more than half Australia’s military bases – could it drag the country unwillingly into war?
Exclusive: US-controlled weapons corporations and forces have control or access to more than 100 facilities across the continent, which some analysts describe as a ‘colonisation’ of Australia’s milita...
062
Reposted by gardenmuser
koz @auskoz.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
#auspol ".. countries around the world have been left scurrying to re-evaluate their needs and their friendships." "Except Australia" Laura Tingle www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Everyone but Australia reconsiders relationship with America
No-one inside federal politics seems interested in discussing the large orange elephant in the room and how it is materially changing every other country's views of the world.
0178
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
How do we get to be led by such dunderheads? I never voted for Marles to gift our country to the US. #auspol www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Everyone but Australia reconsiders relationship with America
No-one inside federal politics seems interested in discussing the large orange elephant in the room and how it is materially changing every other country's views of the world.
010
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Making housing more affordable is the one positive, sorely needed policy change this government has got right. Their one claim to fame. They need to brazenly spruik it and explain it more to the electorate. #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
Labor is in damage control over falling house prices. Why not take credit instead? | Tom McIlroy
In the long term Chalmers, O’Neil and Albanese will want to own any improvement in intergenerational equity, so maybe it’s better to start now
010
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
"It's not just about you." Will we ever realise that the best way (really the only way) to support the individual is to support the whole community. We are part of a matrix. We should nationalise all private schools and level the playing field. #auspol elizabethfarrelly.substack.com/p/more-reaso...
elizabethfarrelly.substack.com
MORE REASONS TO BAN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Schools, of course, are not solely responsible for appalling student behaviour. Parents and culture also figure - and culture-building is the biggest single reason to end edu-tribalism.
143
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Albo should have trusted his instincts instead of bowing to pressure for a Royal Commission from pro-Zionist members of Australia's Jewish community. It has only inflamed the problem and heightened animosity on both sides. Most unwise. #auspol open.substack.com/pub/joeljenk...
open.substack.com
Turning on the Royal Commission
There is no reason to believe that there is something uniquely Australian about antisemitism.
051
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
"The median house price in Australia is roughly double the median house price in America." And we think they're crazy! #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
House prices are falling. Now we’ll find out who really wants affordability
Australia cannot make housing more affordable while protecting homeowners from falling prices. The current downturn may reveal how serious politicians really are about fixing the system.
273
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
So interesting. Demographics. #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
The major parties collapsed. Why didn’t the Greens rise?
As Labor and Coalition support has collapsed, the Greens have remained stuck around 12 per cent – constrained by geography, culture and a changing generational base.
021
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Meanwhile our political class are in thrall to USA. #auspol www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
China’s demise was gleefully predicted by the west – meanwhile, it built an AI revolution | Larry Elliott
Free AI models that are as good as the investment-hungry US versions will disrupt global markets, and offer Britain a lesson, says Guardian columnist Larry Elliott
021
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
"Busyness is not substance." Are you listening, @albomp.bsky.social? The electorate is aching for some visionary leadership, not managerialism keeping yhe seats warm. #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
‘Timidity is a virus’: Paul Keating fights the fading of the light as he seeks to enshrine his legacy
As a major new biography of the former prime minister goes on sale, he talks about meeting the Queen, Trump’s aims, and why his big vision will never fade
054
Reposted by gardenmuser
George's Σουβλάκια🏺🥙 @thebigsouvlaki.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
How badly is the @australianlabor.bsky.social political party misreading the mood of Australians ? We will try a little trick in WA whilst promoting our climate change credentials (lack of) at the Pacific Forum. They wont notice a thing. #auspol kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com
How Labor spoon-fed One Nation the state seat of Secret Harbour in WA
Western Australia’s Labor Party spoon-fed Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party the state seat of Secret Harbour last Saturday (29/8/26) by running gas lobbyist Georgia Tree as their candidate. The Labor ...
0124
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
"Requires political courage and regulatory rigour." Qualities sorely lacking in this and previous governments. Bring on more Independents! #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/09...
pearlsandirritations.com
Australia has one chance to get data centre energy policy right
Data centres could consume 13 per cent of National Electricity Market power by 2036. Australia should require them to bring new firmed renewable energy rather than add pressure to the grid.
043
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
No wonder Labor lost when their candidate was a gas lobbyist. How grubby and cynical! #auspol kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/09/03/h...
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com
How Labor spoon-fed One Nation the state seat of Secret Harbour in WA
Western Australia’s Labor Party spoon-fed Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party the state seat of Secret Harbour last Saturday (29/8/26) by running gas lobbyist Georgia Tree as their candidate. The Labor ...
291
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
George Monbiot brilliant on Britain's wealthy oligarchs manipulating government at expense of people and planet. Exactly the same here. Albo sells us out to vested interests. Only a miniscule improvement on Libs. Bring on more Independents! #auspol www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham has already made a mistake that will cost him his premiership: he lost his nerve over political donations | George Monbiot
Being subservient to the interests of the wealthy now means that his hands are tied, and he will be unable to tackle Britain’s most pressing issues, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
161
Reposted by gardenmuser
SAB @earthtree33.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Dear PM - where are you ? I cannot believe how different our nation has become since you were first elected as PM The messaging is now wrong & weak Please find the courage & intestinal fortitude you once stood for ? We cannot afford any more corrupted, climate destroying, inhumane fence sitting
087
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Ironically, the Israeli government's actions guarantee the perpetuation of antisemitism. Karma. #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/08...
pearlsandirritations.com
Palestinian deaths continue and the numbers are horrifying
There has long been significant undercounting of Palestinians deaths as the Genocide continues.
011
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Maybe could work in Oz as well? #auspol www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Could this policy fix the care system and slash student debt at the same time?
Andy Burnham is in need of radical proposals. A ‘care first’ year in exchange for 50% off fees could be just what he needs
000
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
open.substack.com/pub/newpolit...
open.substack.com
Breaking the silence on the Zionist influence in politics
An Australian Greens Senator is asking the questions that too many politicians are afraid to ask, and it could uncover some very uncomfortable truths about Australian politics.
000
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Our "blood and treasure have been spent by submissive governments in all the defeats that America suffered...gained nothing but lost much, including a great deal of our sovereignty. The AUKUS madness is the latest example of this wanton profligacy." #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/08...
pearlsandirritations.com
America’s failed wars should be a warning for Australia
America’s record of failed wars exposes the limits of military power and raises serious questions about Australia’s continued reliance on the United States.
042
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Welcome to our Surveillance State! We all need to wise up to the myriad ways we're being screwed and imprisoned by technocrats, with our governments in their pockets. #auspol theshot.net.au/uncategorize...
theshot.net.au
PM and Premiers endorse the fascist digital dystopia - The Shot
The NSW Minns government has introduced legislation (more of it) expanding police powers, this time to extract data from mobile...
072
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Albo is more loyal to the Labor Party than to the electorate. They deserve a drubbing. Bring on more Independents. #auspol 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
1176
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
"You can't credibly lament the misogyny of elite male institutions while supporting them." Bernard Keane nails the hypocrisy that is the nub of the problem. #auspol It’s hypocrisy, not disillusion, that’s the problem about elite male institutions www.crikey.com.au/2026/08/24/s...
crikey.com.au
It's hypocrisy, not disillusion, that's the problem about elite male institutions
Football fans professing disillusionment at an alleged sexual assault investigation involving football players either haven't been paying attention, or have hypocritically supported a sports culture t...
010
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
A sane and incisive voice of reason, shining a laser light on the manipulative sophistry of Jillian Segall's RC. ##auspol Justice Desmond Fagan confirms Israel's genocide in Gaza and exposes the Antisemitism Royal Commission's big lie kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2026/08/23/j...
kangaroocourtofaustralia.com
Justice Desmond Fagan confirms Israel's genocide in Gaza and exposes the Antisemitism Royal Commission's big lie
NSW Supreme Court judge Desmond Fagan has published a judgment that exposes some of the biggest lies being tendered as evidence and submissions by Zionist Jews at the Antisemitism Royal Commission and...
172
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
"What people think is acceptable in Australia is increasingly alarming. You can't call that a cultural win." Wrong values, glorification of money and status, entrenching privilege. Kind of hoped our Labor government might address this - but nah! #auspol www.themonthly.com.au/karen-middle...
themonthly.com.au
Footy isn’t the problem
This is what happens when power, money and entitlement get to swagger
240
Reposted by gardenmuser
3wombats @3wombats.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Precedent bsky.app/profile/3wom...
021
Reposted by gardenmuser
Kathy @kedawson.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
"Children are sent to these schools to confirm their advantage. It is a system unlike any other in the world, where the government pays for the rich to build a special network of people like them, almost from birth."
021
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Hallelujah!! #auspol pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/08...
pearlsandirritations.com
A judgment that challenges the IHRA definition of antisemitism
A NSW Supreme Court judgment has sharply distinguished criticism of Israel from antisemitism, raising important questions about the IHRA definition and its use by governments and institutions.
295
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
"Private education is a sacred cow in the false fairness of Australian politics. Each year the country pays to enshrine this gross disparity and smilingly calls it a choice." This injustice is the real threat to social cohesion. #auspol Baronial mindset thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/edit...
thesaturdaypaper.com.au
Baronial mindset
Ian Lambert sees no link between privilege and abuse. ‘We do not accept that charges against individual students establish a failure of education, or that a difference between our methods and others’ ...
1148
Reposted by gardenmuser
Dennis Neader @denzosaurus.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
If we just talk about the +++enriched U waste #HEU and all the ramifications, the #Subs will lose their social licence #Auspol lol
031
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
"Morrison's strategic concept for #AUKUS was deeply flawed...he wrapped Australia in the anachronistic cloak of sub-imperial dependency." Nothing will change while the obsequious Marles is Minister for Defence. #auspol www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/defence...
thesaturdaypaper.com.au
US leases open AUKUS escape hatch
ANALYSIS: Hosting nuclear-armed US submarines will soon put Australia in breach of its international treaty obligations, opening the door for Labor to reset defence arrangements with America.
0134
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
"A Labor Party that cannot deliver housing to its base will eventually lose it." #auspol www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
smh.com.au
Australia’s voters are now split three ways, but not by party
Voters are now aligning themselves with the bloc that reflects their economic experience.
000
gardenmuser @gardenmuser1.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Finally, Albo's ALP has gotten at least one thing right! Falling house prices are actually a cause for celebration. #auspol www.theguardian.com/business/gro...
theguardian.com
Isn’t it amazing what a policy that actually tackles the cause of outrageous house prices can do? | Grogonomics
Labor has shown what a government can do to improve housing affordability, exposing how pathetic previous attempts had been
031