Opinion

Western Australia’s Premier Roger Cook is becoming one of the more intriguing figures in Australian politics. His latest intervention—opposing the Federal Government’s "Nature Positive" environmental laws—must be leaving the Green Left spluttering into their organic green tea.

If the plan was to accelerate environmental degradation, wipe out family farms, increase costs, and dramatically reduce water availability, then the Murray-Darling Basin Authority would have achieved top marks ... While the Wentworth Group has been advocating for more water buybacks, which will no doubt aid the water trading industry returns, while doing very little to address the fundamental failings of the Basin Plan, local Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton, has released a 13-step plan to aid in getting the current trainwreck back on the rails.

The irony is rich: this bill will likely create a generation of kids who are not just social media experts but also adept at cybersecurity and very comfortable breaking the law. Well done, Canberra, for teaching Australia’s youth skills that will take our kids deep into the dark web where everything and anything is available.

Vic Jurskis. No matter what the cost of the Great Koala National Park it’s a scam and NSW’s Environment Minister has real numbers which prove it. Unfortunately, the numbers will no longer be politically dangerous once the Park has been legislated and the renewable timber industry has been destroyed to appease the Greens.

Peter Hobbs. ... three major issues ... The first is the invasion of arable land which will reduce the capacity to grow the primary products for food production; the second being the thoughtlessness in procuring land that has been with families for generations; and the third and perhaps the most devious is the government’s divide and conquer tactics resulting in friendship and harmonious neighbourhood destruction.

Emeritus Professor of Oncology at St Georges, University of London and Principal of The Institute for Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy (ICVI) Professor Angus Dalgleish didn’t mince his words this week in response to Australia’s response to Covid. “Why on earth did they do this?” said Professor Dalgleish in an interview on Sky this week.

In his latest attempt to channel Australia’s wealth into government-approved projects, Chalmers announced plans to steer the Future Fund toward housing and renewables, claiming these priorities will secure both national prosperity and a moral high ground. But if the Treasurer is serious about backing industries with real potential, it’s time to herd the Future Fund into the sheep yards of Western Australia, where $200 million could establish a state-of-the-art abattoir to breathe life into a sector gasping under the weight of Canberra’s policy redirection.  

With election season upon us and rural mobile networks pushed to their limits during harvest, it’s an ideal moment to examine the persistent gaps and dropouts in mobile coverage. Before diving into the political and economic factors shaping mobile connectivity, let’s take a step back and explore the history of Australia’s mobile network rollout. By tracing its development, we might uncover how so much of the bush was left behind.

"The Albanese Labor Government has introduced a new Bill to the Federal Parliament that gives the government and its bureaucrats extraordinary powers to regulate speech and decide what is classed as misinformation ... We have seen the Bill opposed by the Victorian Bar Association, the NSW Solicitor-General, Human Rights Commission, and the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties": Member for Page, Kevin Hogan.

Here’s an idea for you: Australia has around 15 million taxpayers, but only 50 per cent are net contributors, meaning they actually pay more than they receive back in rebates and deductions ... Now, with the government forecasting a surplus ... wouldn't it be nice if those of us contributing more than our fair share had a say in how that surplus is spent—or, dare I say, saved?

After the Albanese Government recently announced a proposal to introduce new laws to prohibit youths aged 16 and under from accessing and using social media, citing the changes are aimed at mitigating the harm social media is inflicting on Australian children, the Clarence Valley Independent decided to conduct a street survey.

As bracket creep pushes more and more people into the top tax rate ... it is only a matter of time before Australians who are mobile enough decide they don’t want to pour an ever-greater part of their annual income into funding Albanese's political priorities. For those who can pick up and leave the country to escape our high tax rates I thought I would give you a quick world tour of where you can park yourself ...

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen,” wrote George Orwell in the dystopian classic 1984. We, on the other hand, had a temperate day in November, and the masses appeared more worried about the outcome of the US election than an authoritarian coup by the Albanese Government ... Would you consider it wise to enshrine a profession famous for lying as the sole arbiter of truth?

Well, he’s back. This time, he’s not just set on “Making America Great Again,” but is doubling down with a pledge to “Make Our (American) Farmers Great Again.” But how, exactly, does he plan to pull this off? And should Aussie farmers brace for impact? A glance at Trump’s past as President, alongside his promises for the next four years, paints a picture that’s hard to ignore.

A single bus route in a small community might seem trivial to the Cook Labor government, but for the families who depend on it, it’s far more than just transport. It’s a lifeline that keeps communities viable, allowing families to live and work on the land while ensuring their kids can attend school without spending hours commuting each day ... This decision underscores the growing divide in our state ...

Honestly, I’m stumped, and I say this as someone who once worked for a Minister for Agriculture and “Food.” In all my years in government, I don’t recall anyone requesting a sit-down with the Minister for Food ... If a food giant like Kraft Heinz or Mars Wrigley came sniffing around WA, do you think they’d trawl through the yellow pages for the Minister for Food?

Every generation has its automotive obsession, and for farmers, it often revolves around a ute. Farmers can almost be defined by the aspirational utes they dreamed about owning in high school—often working long hours to pay for their first one, then adding custom touches to make it their pride and joy.

Labor have introduced a new Bill that gives the government and its bureaucrats extraordinary powers to regulate speech and decide what is classed as misinformation. Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan says he strongly opposes the legislation and has described it as an attack on free speech.

Rent land, don't buy it. Produce agricultural raw materials, don't process agricultural products. By following these rules of Ukrainian farmers, foreign investors might achieve great success in Ukrainian agriculture.