Lead poisoning Cover-Up & Robodebt Fallout + Australia's Perfectly Legal 'Corruption' Problem + 🍽 The Punters Political Fundraiser
Lead poisoning Cover-Up & Robodebt Fallout
THE TLDR LEAD POISONING: The NSW environmental watchdog (EPA) intentionally suppressed a scientific report for four years that proved current mining operations were causing widespread lead poisoning in children in Broken Hill, to avoid damaging the mining industry's profits.
KEY FACTS:
1️⃣ 49% of children under five in Broken Hill were found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood, which can cause permanent brain damage, developmental delays, and learning difficulties.
2️⃣ Internal emails reveal the EPA's strategy was to "quietly" release the report with "no proactive media" and "no finger pointing at the mines," and they even offered to give the mining companies a "heads up" about any media requests.
Delve deeper with our Punter Citations:
The Guardian - Environment watchdog buried report on lead in children’s blood to placate mining companies, emails show
THE TLDR ROBODEBT: The Australian government implemented an illegal automated welfare debt scheme ("Robodebt") that falsely accused hundreds of thousands of people of owing money, causing immense hardship, and has now been forced to pay a $1.8 billion settlement to its victims.
KEY FACTS:
1️⃣ The scheme caused severe financial distress and mental anguish, with the host noting it led to people self-harming and taking their own lives.
2️⃣ Despite a royal commission and the scheme being ruled illegal, no high-level officials or politicians (including its architect, Scott Morrison) have faced jail time or significant personal consequences.
Delve deeper with our Punter Citations:
The Guardian - Robodebt: court approves $1.8bn settlement for victims of government’s ‘shameful’ failure
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Australia's Perfectly Legal 'Corruption' Problem, Explained
THE TLDR: A system of "cash for access" exists in Australian politics, where major political parties sell privileged meetings with senior ministers and the Prime Minister to corporations and lobbyists for up to $110,000. This legal practice creates a significant conflict of interest, undermines government integrity, and explains why policies often favor corporate donors over the public interest.
KEY FACTS:
1️⃣ Political parties facilitate paid access through official "business forums." The Federal Labor Business Forum (FLBF) and the Liberal Party's equivalent offer expensive membership packages that include policy briefings and dinners with key decision-makers, earning parties millions annually.
2️⃣ The government is increasing secrecy around these dealings. Freedom of Information requests to reveal which ministers met with which donors have been rejected, making the system more opaque and less accountable than under previous governments.
3️⃣ This system directly influences policy outcomes. The analysis points to the government's failure to act on banning gambling ads as a prime example, coinciding with a massive increase in donations from the gambling industry to the governing party.
Delve deeper with our Punter Citations:
The Conversation: Governments are becoming increasingly secretive. Here’s how they can be made to be more transparent
The Guardian - Albanese government worse than Morrison era at producing documents for public scrutiny, report finds
AFR - Cash for access: The private meetings earning Labor millions
🍽 The Punters Political Fundraiser
THE TLDR: With over 2,000 unregistered lobbyists currently influencing policy in Parliament House - often favoring corporate interests - we’re raising $75,000 AUD to fund a lobbyist who truly represents the people. You are invited (get your ticket below) and so are the Politicians! So who's coming and who's ghosted?
We have identified two types of political maneuvers from the politicians:
1️⃣ The Great Ghost-Off: We're witnessing an Olympic-level competition of avoidance, with pros like Jim Chalmers and Penny Wong sending the world's politest "yea, nah - busy" emails, while others are just straight-up ghosting us.
2️⃣ The Phantom Follow-Up: Their favorite move? The classic "we'll circle back next month!" which is political code for "I will forget this the second I close this email." Absolute masters of the dodge.
So who's actually brave enough to face the music, and a room full of punters?
- Senator Fatima Payman: She didn't just RSVP, she bloody donated $250!
- Senator David Pocock: Confirmed! Looks like he'd rather ruck with punters than dodge them.
- Senator Tammy Tyrrell: The independent queen is in!
- Kate Chaney MP: Another stellar independent who knows who signs the checks (hint: it's us).
Get your ticket below!
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