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. Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com 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 Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com 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 Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com 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 Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com 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 Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

One Nation's byelection win in Secret Harbour – an 18 per cent swing in a WA Labor seat held for 37 years – is a warning sign for the Albanese government, and branding Pauline Hanson “dangerous and divisive” isn't working after three decades of using the same message. This episode explores why cost-of-living pressures, unaffordable housing and stagnant wages are driving voters toward populist protest even in a strong economy, why Labor risks legitimising One Nation by chasing its agenda, and what recent wins in South Australia, Farrer and now Secret Harbour reveal about One Nation's growing capacity to win seats ahead of the 2028 federal election. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Allegations involving five Sydney Swans players have sparked one of the AFL season’s most serious controversies, yet much of the media coverage has focused on suspended players, damaged careers, premiership prospects and the club’s reputation rather than the women who reported the alleged sexual assaults. This episode of New Politics examines AFL culture, consent, masculinity and accountability, asking why education about respectful relationships continues to fail across elite sport and whether powerful football clubs are more concerned with brand protection than cultural change. Standing down players may be necessary, but genuine accountability also requires supporting complainants, cooperating with investigations and placing women’s safety ahead of football. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Nick McKim’s refusal to apologise for saying the Labor government has been “captured by Zionist interests” has opened a wider debate about political lobbying, influence and transparency in Australia. This episode examines the role of pro-Israel advocacy organisations, sponsored trips to Israel for Australian politicians and opinion-makers, and whether these relationships can influence political attitudes and policy on Israel, Gaza and Palestine. We also look at Australia’s political donation system, including the $138 million in funding that has remained outside immediate public scrutiny, and ask the big question: if lobbying governments is considered a legitimate part of Australian politics, shouldn’t scrutiny of that lobbying be legitimate as well? #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Waverley Library’s removal of Adam Johnson’s “How to Sell a Genocide” raises a question that goes far beyond one book or a Sydney council: who decides which political arguments the public is allowed to debate? While the distress of survivors of the Bondi Beach terror attack must be treated seriously, it cannot become a veto over what an entire community is allowed to read. This episode examines public library censorship, freedom of expression, Israel and Gaza, the contested use of the word “genocide”, and attempts to conflate criticism of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism through the IHRA definition. When institutions remove lawful material because they fear organised complaints or controversy, libraries risk becoming political gatekeepers rather than independent sources of knowledge. Public institutions should help communities confront difficult ideas – not hide them when influential groups object. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

The Liberal Party’s crisis is no longer temporary. After two consecutive federal election defeats and a collapse in its primary vote, the party remains divided between the political centre and the conservative populism of One Nation and Donald Trump’s Republican Party. While Anthony Albanese and Labor remain vulnerable on housing affordability, the cost of living and declining living standards, voters still regard the Coalition as an unacceptable alternative. With dysfunction across Liberal Party branches, strained relations with the Nationals, the religious right’s growing influence, damaging evidence emerging from the NSW ICAC’s Operation Rosny and Andrew Bragg promoting lower housing standards and attacking compulsory superannuation, the party appears more interested in culture-war rhetoric than practical policy. The Victorian election will provide its next major test – but benefiting from an unpopular government is not the same as rebuilding political relevance. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

The Minns government says its proposed expansion of NSW Police digital surveillance powers is necessary to combat organised crime, but allowing easier access to mobile phones through Digital Evidence Access Orders – and compelling people to surrender passwords and PINs – threatens privacy, civil liberties and judicial oversight. With restrictive protest laws, expanding facial-recognition technology and questions surrounding data collection and retention, NSW risks normalising extraordinary police powers that could eventually target protesters, journalists and political activists. The use of phone-extraction technology from Israeli digital-forensics company Cellebrite further demonstrates why warrants, independent scrutiny and strict data-protection rules are essential. As surveillance technology becomes more powerful, democratic safeguards must become stronger – not be swept aside in the name of security. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Malcolm Turnbull’s warning that AUKUS is a “colossal mistake” is becoming harder to dismiss. Australia is spending hundreds of billions on nuclear submarines that depend on uncertain American production, Britain’s troubled shipbuilding industry and decades of geopolitical stability. With an expanding US military presence at HMAS Stirling, AUKUS risks surrendering Australian sovereignty while making the country more vulnerable in a future regional conflict. Shielded from proper scrutiny by bipartisan support, the deal may leave future generations trapped in an expensive military structure they never approved and will never be able to escape from. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

With Labor holding a record 94 House of Representatives seats, Anthony Albanese has the power to pursue substantial reform – yet his government remains cautious, deferential to corporate interests and resistant to its own membership. Once associated with Palestine, progressive politics and scepticism about the US alliance, Albanese has instead entrenched AUKUS, restricted internal debate on Gaza, weakened gambling advertising reform, protected gas exporters from meaningful taxation and embraced AI data centres without adequate scrutiny. Is the Prime Minister constrained by power, or does this reveal the real Anthony Albanese? We examine Labor values, One Nation’s influence on immigration policy and a political system that presents delay and symbolic legislation as responsible government. Perhaps the real Albanese has already emerged – and power without purpose is all that remains. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism has expanded into a wider debate about Australian education, free speech and control of the national curriculum. Jillian Segal’s proposed antisemitism programs – from early childhood through schools and universities – raise questions about whether combating prejudice could blur the distinction between genuine antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Zionism, Israeli government policy, occupation, apartheid and alleged war crimes. With the controversial IHRA definition at the centre of this debate, can Australia protect Jewish students while preserving critical thinking, academic freedom and open discussion of Israel and Palestine – or will classrooms become the next battleground in the culture wars? #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘ La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Australian democracy isn’t broken, but political power is increasingly concentrated among wealthy donors, corporate lobbyists and party powerbrokers. From Anthony Albanese’s $10,000-a-head fundraiser to divisions within Labor and the Liberal Party, we examine how vested interests shape Australian politics – and the reforms needed to return democratic power to the public. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Jacinta Allan’s resignation ends the Daniel Andrews era and leaves Victorian Labor confronting the political cost of its ambitious Big Build agenda. Despite the achievements on major infrastructure, housing and an Indigenous Treaty, project delays, cost overruns, rising state debt and allegations involving the CFMEU shifted attention towards integrity and public trust. New Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has announced a royal commission into the construction sector, but with the 2026 Victorian election approaching, can he restore Labor’s credibility – or will the divided Victorian Liberal Party under Jess Wilson fail to capitalise on the government’s troubles? #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Andy Burnham’s arrival as British prime minister will test whether a modern Labour government can finally break with Thatcherism and neoliberalism by tackling the cost-of-living crisis, expanding social housing, rebuilding public services and confronting corporate power. His agenda – and a potential shift on Gaza and Palestine – also presents a challenge for Anthony Albanese and Australian Labor: if Burnham can deliver meaningful economic reform, Labor’s cautious incrementalism will become harder to defend. As members gather for the party’s 50th National Conference, demanding stronger action on Gaza, AUKUS, gas exports and gambling advertising, both countries face the same question: can labour governments deliver genuine change, or will powerful interests continue to protect the status quo? #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

One Nation’s falling support is exposing the gap between Pauline Hanson’s media profile and electoral credibility. Her European roadshow offered culture-war attacks on multiculturalism, migration, transgender people and net zero, but no solutions to Australia’s housing crisis, stagnant wages or rising cost of living. Hanson cannot indefinitely pose as the champion of Australian battlers while keeping company with the billionaire class – and voters may finally be seeing through the contradiction. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

The Federal Court might have ended pianist Jayson Gillham’s legal battle with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, but the controversy raises broader questions about artistic freedom, political censorship and Palestine advocacy in Australia. After Gillham dedicated Connor D’Netto’s Witness to Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza, the MSO cancelled his performances, revealing how quickly free expression can become conditional when donors, boards and commercial reputations are involved. We examine the court ruling, apparent double standards within Australia’s cultural institutions and the chilling message it sends to artists: political expression is tolerated – until it challenges the wrong interests. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Australia’s Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was created to confront genuine antisemitism, but is it instead silencing criticism of Israel and deepening division? We examine the uneven treatment of Zionist, progressive Jewish and pro-Palestinian witnesses; Jillian Segal’s proposals for scrutinising ABC and SBS coverage; pressure to adopt the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism; and the threat to free speech, editorial independence and legitimate debate about Israel, Palestine and Gaza. Antisemitism must be confronted, but selectively testing evidence and redefining political dissent as prejudice will not strengthen social cohesion – it will erode public confidence and create even greater division. #AUSPOL Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au Support New Politics: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com Song listing: ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.