Skye Predavec is a Researcher at the Australia Institute. Her publications cover a range of topics, including Australian elections, democracy, media, arts, firearm laws, and education. Prior to the Australia Institute, she worked mainly in campaigns and advocacy on issues such as public transport, education, housing and queer rights.
Think back to 2010, on the 2nd of May, one week before the year’s federal budget, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is announcing a new Resources Super Profits Tax. Just 53 days and $22 million in mining company ads later, Rudd was out as PM. Now, fifteen years after the Resources Super Profits Tax was abandoned, a new resources tax debate is raging.
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When asked about his legacy, Anthony Albanese has always been clear about what he wants to be remembered for: universal childcare. It’s a headline vision he shares with a prominent politician on the other side of the planet: New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani. But while both politicians have stated that universal childcare is their ambition, there’s a big difference between them when it comes to the details.
Yes, they do. Polling surveys consistently show that Australians support strengthened gun control.
Liberal leader Angus Taylor claims that expanding Parliament “could cost taxpayers more than $620 million”. This figure is misleading, relying on unclear assumptions and omitting important context.
A "25% tax on gas export would make “17 billion dollars a year”, and, as ARIA-award-winning musician Montaigne claims, “if even a fraction of [that money] was directed to music and the arts, it could change the game”. They're right — if less than one fiftieth of the potential annual revenue from the 25% gas exports tax went to arts funding, that alone could be transformative.
Artists, authors, musicians and other creatives have a huge impact on Australian culture, how Australians see themselves, and how the world sees Australians. Australia’s arts and culture cannot be produced overseas, and cannot be moved offshore. It can only be made here.
On the 18th of March, the High Court released its judgment on EGH19 v Commonwealth of Australia, ruling that conditions requiring a curfew and ankle-bracelet monitoring on someone released from indefinite immigration detention were not compatible with the Constitution.
To get a gun licence in Australia, an applicant must have a “genuine reason” to use a gun. You can’t just have a gun because you want one -- firearm ownership is a privilege in Australia, not the sort of right that United States gun owners never tire of talking about.
One month ago, Sussan Ley was the leader of the Liberal Party. Two weeks later, she retired from Parliament altogether after losing the leadership to Angus Taylor. And now, Speaker of the House Milton Dick has announced the date for the by-election to replace her: Saturday the 9th of May
Today, the Albanese Government pulled its “friendless” Freedom of Information Amendment Bill.
