Word-whore. I write 'em. I talk 'em. Information, politics, media, and the cybers. I drink. I use bad words. All publication is a political act. All communication is propaganda. All art is pornography. All business is personal. All hail Eris! Vive les poissons rouges sauvages!
The winter series of The 9pm Edict continues with a sunshine and rainbows-filled chat with special guest Claire Connelly. She’s a researcher, freelance journalist, and Policy Fellow at the Sydney Policy Lab at the University of Sydney.
Continue reading “The 9pm Doom before the Revolution with Claire Connelly”
Is Australia ready to embrace an official digital currency? How is the government cracking down on crypto and Buy Now, Pay Later payment systems? I was the special guest on this week’s Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News.
Continue reading “The 9pm Extra: Vertical Hold episode 358, “Australia considers adopting digital currencies, cracking down on crypto and BNPL cowboys””
This is my fourth outing as guest co-host of Well May We Say, the Australian progressive politics podcast from Jeremy Sear-Pirko in Melbourne. This episode is titled “Anti-Vicsers” because… well I assume you’ve been following the COVID-19 news.
Continue reading “The 9pm Extra: Well May We Say episode 147, “Anti-Vicsers””
In this episode we learn the science of the virus, a Melbourne woman reaches the limits of her endurance, and we hear reasons to doubt the ability of public servants to stay informed. Plus there’s a lot about COVID-19, Donald Trump, and conspiracy theories.
Continue reading “The 9pm Economically Rational Sovereign Cognition Effect”
It’s Day 19 of Stilgherrian’s coronavirus isolation. People are starting to realise that things might be different in the Aftertimes, and some of them don’t like it. Also, God bless Jared Kushner.
Continue reading “The 9pm His Plague Diary 4”
I’ve commented on Australia’s federal Budget for Crikey every May since Labor took power in 2007. This year will be no exception — but how will I top last year’s rant?
Why do politicians and their groupies always go on about the budget “sending a message”? Can’t they just use Twitter, email and the phone like we all do? But there is indeed a message in the budget: the government has no real vision for transforming Australia, and isn’t particularly interested in developing one with us.
I talked about the $240.3 million allocated to new IT systems for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); $43.7 million for upgrades at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC); adding a further $233.7 million to the $477 million already spent on the National e-Health Initiative; $198 million for an “aged-care gateway”; $17 million to “enhance” the MySchool website; and so on. And then I concluded:
Why, in a cashed-up nation that is, or was, renowned for its eagerness to develop and adopt new technologies, is all this stuff just mouse nibblings at the edges, buried under the dull plod of business as usual? Sometimes I just want to cry.
To see how I approached the topic in previous years, check out the summary I wrote last year.
So once more I’ll be up early local time — I’m currently in San Jose — to knock out something before or perhaps in between conference sessions. Are there any particular angles you think I should look out for?
[Update 25 May 2013: Crikey decided they didn’t need my input after all. Rather than waste my notes, today I wrote Australia’s Budget 2013 keeps us stuck in the past.]