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Monday

9 out of 10 based on 21 ratings

111 comments to Monday

  • #
    Ronin

    Disgraceful scenes as Anzac Day is hijacked by the welcome to country crowd, who is organising this farce and who is paying for the Uncles to earbash us.

    570

    • #
      Graham Richards

      The socialist/ commie mob in Canberra finance all the divisive movements in the country.
      The majority of us are not actually welcome because we have the power to remove from their ideologically insane quest. The “ opposition “ had best take note & ensre they understand that they too will be removed for trying to mimic the ALP & it’s socialist insanity!!

      510

      • #
        David Maddison

        The socialist/ commie mob in Canberra finance all the divisive movements in the country.

        Australia needs a DOGE department to find out where the money comes from and where it goes.

        541

        • #
          Graeme No.3

          The “Public Service” won’t find anything despite searching.

          Their word is SPUDDLE (from the 1700’s meaning to work ineffectively e.g. to look extremely busy while achieving nothing) unless they are working from home.

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      • #
        Just Thinkin'

        “The “ opposition “ had best take note ……..”

        They won’t because they are the other wing of the UNI-PARTY.

        Doomed..Idiots..

        350

      • #
        Dennis

        They are the culprits, and looking into the distant past the minority activist indigenous groups were mentored by the Australian Communist Party and were introduced by them to the US Black Panther Movement, see Freedom Bus 1960s led by the late student Bachelor of Laws Charles Perkins and other graduates that as student activists led the mob, and associates within the Australian Labor Party including the PM today.

        50

    • #
  • #
    David Maddison

    Despite the best intentions of parties like One Nation, Australia’s only significant genuine conservative party, I don’t think Australia is easily fixable, if at all.

    Reasons include but are not limited to the the following:

    Lack of a TRUMP-style leader in any party and the Westminster system that doesn’t support that style of leadership or politics.

    There is dramatic demographic change being engineered by the Government of mass importation of Labor voters abd fast track to “citizenship” so they can vote. Especially their placement into critical Labor electorates. https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/labor-denies-rushing-pre-election-citizenship-ceremonies-20250221-p5le2s

    The dumbed-down education system not teaching real history, science, literacy, general knowledge or critical thinking. Teaching self hatred of Australian and Western values. Promotes seeing the past as all bad, not mostly good. Does not teach the marvels of Western Civilisation or its achievements in science, technology, human rights, effective and fair systems of Government and management etc..

    Societal division by promotion of the opressor-opressed mentality. (This originates in Hegel’s Master-Slave Dialectic introduced in his 1807 work, The Phenomenology of Spirit and in the 20th Century, Critical Theory of the Franklin School, an extension of Communism.)

    Heavy influence of the trade unions in Government policy, indeed the Labor Party is no more than the political arm of the union movement.

    Huge Government projects which are massively overcharged by Government contractors and for which trade unionists earn huge amounts of money. Often its Chicomm contractors who get the jobs. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/labourers-raking-in-200k-in-west-gate-wage-bonanza-20191017-p531pz.html

    Huge drain on financial resources to poorly conceived political-engineering projects like SH2 which will cost at least $12 billion (six times over budget) but will likely cost $20 billion or even $40 billion taking into account transmission lines. All thst for an energy-consuming battery which will give an average power output of a mere 88 MW averaged 24/7/365.

    Economic destruction caused by a fanatical obsession with wind and solar and destruction of power stations and even their associated coal mines.

    Moral decay.

    Lawlessness.

    Lack of maintenance of the built environment, e.g. no graffiti removal in Sicktoria. Poor road maintenance.

    Distrust of all legal and political institutions.

    Infiltration of the Left into just about all institutions, public and private (Rudy Dutschke’s “long march through the institutions” fulfilled).

    Unrestrained Government spending. Federal, State and Local Government debt now $2.27 trillion. http://australiandebtclock.com.au/

    Largely dumbed-down and ignorant public.

    Energy poverty.

    Huge mismanagement, corruption and waste of various government programmes e.g. NDIS and just about any Government project, especially in Sicktoria. Corruption in NDIS is so bad even some members of the Labor Party claim to be aware of it.

    Increasing levels of censorship, control, monitoring by Government of citizenry but despite all that missed out on the Bondi terrorist despite one of them already being on a terrorist watch list. Who was watching?

    A Leftist, anti-Western, anti traditional Judeo-Christian values agenda constantly pushed by the media, especially the taxpayer-funded ABC. No criticism is ever made or permitted of the radical followers of the specific religion that is in fact currently conquering Europe and to a slightly lesser extent other Western countries including Australia and which is responsible for a vast majority of terrorism. This is the so-called Red-Green Alliance and the “green” does not refer to the Gaia worshippers in this case.

    Mass compulsory medication of untested, ineffective substances during covid and banning of possible alternative treatments. Massive unnecessary economic, relationships and other damage during the world’s most oppressive lock-ups. Australians at thst point realised they were no longer the free country they thought they were and just how few rights they had. And police in Victoria patrolled the streets in armoured personnel carriers and shot citizens with rubber bullets. They would have also been happy to use lead bullets as they were highly willing to “just follow orders”. Only two Victorian police officers resigned over what they were asked to do.

    General anti-intellectualism. Emphasis on sports.

    Many younger people not even believing in freedom or democracy.

    Etc.. Etc.. Etc..

    580

    • #
      Asp

      Add to the above malaises:
      -complete abandonment of spending on critical infrastructure such as water storage, water reticulation, sewerage etc
      – an abysmally low birth rate, currently 1.5, lowest on record

      280

    • #
      el+gordo

      ‘Lack of a TRUMP-style leader in any party and the Westminster system that doesn’t support that style of leadership or politics.’

      Both political systems have their drawbacks, but its fair to say the charismatic style is unAustralian.

      34

      • #
        Vladimir

        You are correct and that is what we, old timers love this place for.
        But will it serve as well to grandkids?
        I say – the sooner payback day comes the better; the overall toll will be smaller.

        110

        • #
          el+gordo

          ‘But will it serve as well to grandkids?’

          Its out of our control, with the world in political turmoil we shouldn’t expect any change in the near future.

          Only a third of Australians have any faith in the American government acting responsibly.

          ‘Australians’ trust in the United States to act responsibly in the world fell by 20 points, with only 36% of the public expressing any level of trust — a new low in two decades of Lowy Institute polling. Correspondingly, almost two-thirds of the public (64%) say they hold ‘not very much’ trust (32%) or no trust ‘at all’ (32%) in the United States to act responsibly.’ (Lowy Institute)

          American democracy is seriously flawed.

          210

          • #
            Asp

            To say that democracy in the USA is seriously flawed on the basis that only one third of Australians ‘have trust’ in the USA is a non-sequitur.
            Since when has Australian opinion been the arbiter of what is democracy and what is not?

            90

            • #
              el+gordo

              I’m saying the Constitution was framed during a time when the Empire might have struck back with a large invasion to crush the rebels.

              The Second Amendment is a prime example, if you didn’t own a gun it was a treasonable act.

              24

            • #
              el+gordo

              Australian opinion on US politics is important because it will impact the Alliance.

              We can all see that putting so much power in the hands of someone who is mentally challenged illustrates clearly that US democracy is flawed.

              110

    • #
      Dennis

      That is not correct, your version of Liberal National Coalition contains many errors and omissions as I have attempted to correct over past months, and I do acknowledge the Turnbull left faction influence, in my experience from after the 2007 election when Howard Government was replaced by Rudd Labor in November 2007 and the undermining (relentless negativity) he and the left directed at the right being centre/centre-right MPs. See Dr Brendan Nelson Opposition Leader for less than one year, Turnbull replaced him, and by 2009 the majority replaced him with Abbott who led the Opposition to effectively defeat Gillard Labor in 2010 forcing them into a Green and other MPs alliance minority Labor Governmemt.

      In late 2015 PM Abbott was replaced by PM Turnbull and at the 2016 the seats gained in 2010 were all lost and one National gain saved the Coalition from losing government. And that period was when the Turnbull led Coalition was Labor Green leaning too often.

      Back PM Turnbull was replaced late 2018 by PM Morrison who remained in that role until May 2022.

      Morrison dealt with the 2020-2022 COVID-19 Pandemic supporting the State Governments that have primary responsibility for public health, hospitals, hotel quarantine, interstate border closures and even emergency legislation and increased police and health powers and enforcement. I recall the critics here who failed to understand the Federation of States, Commonwealth of Australia and Federal Government created at Federation time, and the Constitution, the powers and responsibilities. And they assisted the Labor Federal and State pile on undermining Morrison Government.

      Even the 2019 bushfires, also State Emergency Services responsibility and Premiers, but PM Morrison was blamed for being on leave with family in Hawaii, ignoring that the Deputy PM was on duty which is the normal situation when a leader is absent.

      There is much more, but please get the facts and do not parrot or mimic Labor Green propaganda.

      72

    • #

      Beware wishing for “strong leadership”.

      You might just get it; good and hard, without relenting.

      10

  • #

    Change “misinformation” to “skepticism” or “rational resistance”.
    https://renews.biz/111172/windeurope-2026-report-flags-wind-misinformation-risk/

    “Across Europe, wind energy projects worth billions of Euros have been halted or cancelled, often following protests and campaigns underpinned by dis- and misinformation claims.”

    Woohoo. Great to hear. Keep it coming.

    431

    • #
      David Maddison

      Meanwhile, Australia is ignoring what’s going on in the rest of the world and remains fanatically committed to energy poverty via wind, solar and Big Battery plantations.

      Australia is also trying to ban supposed “dis- and misinformation claims” to protect Big Green.

      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-29/senate-report-misinformation-climate-change-recommendations/106497978

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      • #
        Graeme No.3

        Well, the simplest solution of “banning dis- and misinformation claims” would be banning the ABC.
        Not that I would like to see that and I am sure that those who actually watch it (about 8% I think) would be against it.
        I get about 6 channels from them on my TV. I don’t look at them except (occasionally) for the weather forecast and for a repeat of Antiques Roadshow (when the commercials on other channels are tedious).
        Surely some of these could be converted into single influence like (I think) one has for children’s shows, and the public having to pay for access (say, about 8¢ a day).
        That would be their best seller. Slogan? Juvenile minds go for the ABC.

        260

      • #
        Dr Faustus

        “Australia is also trying to ban supposed “dis- and misinformation claims” to protect Big Green.”

        The 21 Senate Committee recommendations, while 100% predictable given Whish-Wilson was Chair, could well be the subject of a separate post.

        https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Information_Integrity_on_Climate_Change_and_Energy/ClimateIntegrity/Report/List_of_recommendations

        They include calls for:

        – Uniformity with UN climate information restrictions
        – More resources and support for the Environmental Defenders Office and other activist agencies
        – Continued (and presumably increased) funding for public broadcasting (to make sure the correct message gets out there)
        – Review of sources of political funding – presumably targeting ON, rather than Teals. (Or maybe both.)
        – Reaching into climate curriculum in schools
        – A slush fund of OPM for “community led engagement driven by organisations with proven track records in local communities.”

        And, incredibly, boosting the input of social sciences into the renewable energy regulatory and facilitation system. Because too much unscientific misdirection and ploppy policy is not enough.

        All quite predictable.
        Including the Liberal Party support.

        100

        • #
          Dennis

          Donald Trump has rejected net zero commitments, focusing instead on increasing fossil fuel production and rolling back environmental regulations. His administration’s policies have significantly obstructed progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

          10

      • #
        Dennis

        And the Liberal-National-LNP Coalition has turned away from net zero emissions Glasgow 2021, where PM Morrison did not “sign up” as alleged often.

        Noting before it is mentioned again that Paris Agreement 2015/16 signed/ratified was Turnbull Coalition doing, later US opted out via POTUS Trump but now ignored POTUS Biden signed back on again, and Trump has not bothered to repeat the exercise that took some time to complete as most countries are now ignoring net zero agenda.

        11

    • #
      Jethro Bodeen

      Meanwhile in Australia, the Snowy Pumped Hydro scheme has blown out to a staggering 42 billion. That is literally 42 billion down the plughole. It can never possibly pay for itself.

      80

      • #
        Dr Faustus

        It can never possibly pay for itself.

        No. But that was never really the objective.

        Snowy 2.0 was always political cover for the build-out of non-dispatchable renewables. Not only the blown out cost, or the parasitic drain on the grid by transforming low price electricity into high price electricity, but it simply can’t be operated as a long-term generator without impacting on the operation of the 1.8GW Tumut-3 (with which it shares the Talbingo reservoir).

        110

      • #
        Ross

        This post just popped up on my X feed. Posted by Craig Tindale ( a private investor who has spent nearly four decades working in software development, business strategy, and infrastructure planning, including in leadership positions at Telstra, Oracle, and IBM. @ctindale)

        Would be interesting to those on this website with angeology background.

        “Back in November 2025, people were shocked that Snowy 2.0 had blown out from $2.3 billion to $11 billion.

        Now, just six months later, it has reportedly blown out to $43 billion.

        My point at the time was that nobody knew the final cost, because the final cost was unknowable.

        Why was it unknowable?

        Because the project was physically commenced before a full geological feasibility study had been completed. It began without the extended geological work needed to determine whether the project was actually viable.

        They started the project and decided to do the feasibility study on the run. In other words, they would discover whether it was unfeasible by experiencing the delays in real time, rather than doing the proper work upfront.

        That is the level of technical competence inside our democratic bureaucracy: people deciding to proceed with a project before having the experience, background, or humility to know whether it should be done in the first place.

        When I was living in Jindabyne during the early stages of Covid, I spoke to an old Snowy engineer at a coffee shop and ended up buying him lunch. He would be in his nineties now, and I have no idea whether he is still alive.

        He had written a piece in the paper a few days earlier, which is how I recognised him. The headline was something like: “Snowy engineer says it’s impossible.”

        I sat with him for an hour and a half while he carefully took me through what was wrong. He said that during the original Snowy feasibility studies, when he was a very young man, they drilled and cross-sectioned every tunnel, then adjusted pathway for geology.

        With Snowy 2.0, they didn’t do that before commencing. He explained to me exactly what would unfold, we would constantly run into geological catastrophe and have to change directions.

        That is the difference. One generation respected geology before politics. The next treated geology as something it could discover after the announcement.

        It’s ballooning at $5b a month it should be closed down and fully evaluated. It potentially should be abandoned because the ROI now makes no sense.”

        170

      • #
        Dennis

        Snowy 2.0 was of course a PM Turnbull project and he indicated at the time that the electricity for pumping water back uphill would be “renewable” from wind turbines, in other words using their supply which is often delivered when not needed by the grid. Another addition to the renewable energy industry vested interests wealth creation opportunities.

        However, $6 billion was the buyback of shareholding in Snowy Mountains Scheme from State Government shareholders, Snowy Hydro is now wholly Federal owned public assets.

        00

  • #
    David Maddison

    The myth of renewables doesn’t recognise a basic principle of thermodynamics.

    Just because something contains energy doesn’t mean it is useful or easy to harvest”.

    While the First Law of thermodynamics dictates that energy is always conserved, the Second Law dictates that energy tends to degrade from concentrated useful forms to dispersed, useless, low-energy density forms due to entropy.

    Wind and solar are highly dispersed, low energy density sources of energy which is why they need huge and expensive (total system cost), environmentally destructive installations of short service life to produce tiny amounts of energy at random times as compared to a power station which has a high energy density source (chemical or nuclear reaction) has a tiny footprint and can produce energy inexpensively, 24/7 for many decades.

    Hydro power stations use gravitational potential energy which is low energy density so need vast amounts of water storage but that is generally accepted as hydro is cheap and controllable and the water has secondary uses for irrigation, flood control and recreation.

    350

    • #
      Chad

      There is no better example of energy being degraded then the current rush for data centers.
      Multi Mega Watts of input for a primary output of Data storage , …plus a little heat !
      No way to return that data to any form of useful energy. 🙄

      70

      • #
        Jon Rattin

        From the 2nd law comes the adage- you can’t unscramble an egg. At the moment we have Big Wind Bowen and sous chef Albo making a giant mess in the kitchen. The floor is littered with egg shells as they incompetently try to assemble their unreliables omelette.

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    • #
      Dennis

      Environmental benefits

      If you are serious about meeting our international climate change targets, then you must include zero emission nuclear as part of your energy mix. Zero emission nuclear power plants produce no air pollution or carbon emissions.

      Zero emission nuclear power plants also use much less land and raw materials than large scale renewable projects. For instance, a next generation nuclear power station, including all auxiliary buildings and the security perimeter would cover about 45 acres (roughly the size of a mid-sized shopping centre). For every MWh of electricity produced:

      Wind requires 360 times more land than nuclear.
      Solar requires 75 times more land than nuclear.
      In addition, unlike a modern nuclear plant, which can be plugged into the existing grid, Labor’s expensive renewables-only grid requires up to 28,000km of new transmission lines.

      By reducing impacts on our landscape, zero-emissions nuclear will not only protect regional communities, but our environment and wildlife.

      50

  • #
    David Maddison

    Fifty percent of AI data centres have been cancelled or delayed as of 26 Apr 2026.

    Supply of electricity is now the limiting factor, even in energy rich United States.

    Politicians are kidding themselves if they think energy-poverty-stricken Australia will become an AI data centre hub running on “green” energy.

    Gulag Gemini responds:

    The report you are seeing is accurate. As of April 2026, industry data indicates a massive execution gap in the AI infrastructure boom, with roughly 50% of planned U.S. data centers facing significant delays or outright cancellations.

    While Big Tech (Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft) has earmarked nearly $700 billion for AI infrastructure this year, they have run into a “physical reality wall” that money cannot solve.

    The Bottleneck: It’s Not the Chips
    Unlike 2024–2025, where the primary constraint was GPU supply (Nvidia chips), the current crisis is driven by “boring” electrical infrastructure:

    The Transformer Crisis: Power transformers—essential for stepping down high-voltage grid power—now have lead times of 3 to 5 years. Before 2020, this was 2 years. Since AI data centers typically target an 18-month build cycle, the math simply doesn’t work.

    Grid Capacity: Utility grids are struggling to accommodate the massive power draws required by AI. In many regions, the wait time for a grid connection now exceeds the time it takes to build the actual facility.

    The “Vaporware” Gap: Of the 16 gigawatts (GW) of capacity slated to come online by the end of 2026, only about 5 GW is currently under construction. The remaining 11 GW exists mostly as “announced” projects that lack the necessary hardware orders or power permits to proceed.

    Key Casualties & Market Shifts

    Stargate Stalled: Reports indicate that even high-profile projects like OpenAI and Microsoft’s $500 billion “Stargate” initiative have faced timeline setbacks due to these infrastructure hurdles.

    Bifurcated Market: Companies that already own “energized” data centers (like IREN or Cipher Digital) are seeing their value skyrocket because they have already secured the power that newcomers cannot get.

    Nuclear Pivot: The delays are forcing hyperscalers to invest heavily in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and “behind-the-meter” generation to bypass the public grid entirely, though these solutions won’t scale until closer to 2028–2030.

    Bottom Line: The AI boom hasn’t run out of ideas or money, but it has run out of transformers and electricity.

    260

  • #
    Peter C

    Farrer By Election
    Early voting in the Farrer by election starts tomorrow.

    The possibility that One Nation takes the seat has improved since both the Libs and Nats are preferencing ON.

    A recent poll suggested primary votes as
    Milthorpe 30%
    ON 30%
    Libs 16%
    Nats 7%

    Not all Liberal voters will preference ON, but hopefully it will be enough.

    300

    • #
      RickWill

      Water resource appears to be a big issue for the region and ON has chosen a candidate well suited to favouring farm production over lowering salinity in the Coorong.

      200

      • #
        Dennis

        During 2018 I was in Mildura and noted the Murray Darling rivers were flooded in parts in the middle of that severe drought that ended 2020, the locals explained it was from water released for environmental purposes !!!

        20

    • #
      el+gordo

      ‘The limited polling carried out in the seat suggests his main opponent is the independent Michelle Milthorpe – a 47-year-old teacher, backed by the Voices of Farrer and partly funded by Climate 200 …’ (Guardian)

      Getting the preference vote could be the template going forward.

      10

      • #
        Dennis

        And backed as most often Independent candidates known as green Teals are by union established (AWU) and funded GetUp activist organisation, they of course work for Labor and Greens as well.

        10

      • #
        Dennis

        And backed as most often Independent candidates known as green Teals are by union established (AWU) and funded GetUp activist organisation, they of course work for Labor and Greens as well.

        00

  • #
    Greg in NZ

    ANZAC Day Long Weekend continues…

    -55 C South Pole, Antarctica (snow + ice fog)
    -24 C Greenland Summit
    -14 C Arctic / North Pole (spot-on ‘average’)

    +31 C SST max North Indian Ocean
    +0.6 C Central Pacific Niño 3.4

    https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/ocean/

    Still waiting for thee oceans to boil and the mountains to melt: in the meantime, a nasty little mini Beast from the East appears to be forming over Europe, just when they thought Spring had sprung! 🌼

    140

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW – Coffee & Covid on yesterday’s assassination attempt

    “THIRD TIME IS NOT A CHARM”

    https://open.substack.com/pub/coffeeandcovid/p/third-time-is-not-a-charm-sunday?

    60

    • #
      David Maddison

      All US Presidents get many threats but TRUMP has survived the most actual realised assassination attempts of any US President, three so far.

      If you’re copping flak, you know you’re over the target.

      The Lunatic Left and Deep State are not happy that they can’t tell this President what to do.

      240

    • #
      David Maddison

      From the linked article:

      Outlets like PBS and the awful New York Times are calling it “an incident” instead of an “assassination attempt.” They are one euphemism away from calling it a “spirited disagreement.” As of going to press, the Times refused to name the shooter, babbled about how the president was never in danger, and basically called it a mostly peaceful shooting.

      300

      • #
        Dave in the States

        I was shocked by the sympathetic bent giving the attempted assassin by local, not our their ABC, news reports.

        30

    • #
      Dave in the States

      Guy is an awarded school teacher from Kalifornia…

      10

    • #
      Peter C

      To summarise Jeff Childers;
      Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.

      Trump has survived three assassination attempts. Is someone coordinating them?

      41

      • #
        yarpos

        If someone is, that someone is doing a cr@p job. The disturbing part is, if three amateurs can get this close , what could a couple professionals do?

        60

  • #
    david

    G’Day David

    Your 5:25 post sums up our problems very well.
    There are too many problems to solve without a change to a fair dinkum Conservative government.
    Mass migration from Islamic countries results in pain we cannot get rid of. Maybe energy and education can be improved but may take a few decades to realize.
    It is quite depressing even for an 80yo like me especially when our young grandchildren have little understanding or interest in any of these topics.

    240

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    “European energy policy: full speed towards the wall”

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/04/26/european-energy-policy-full-speed-towards-the-wall/

    60

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    “IEA Head Fatih Birol: UK should forego North Sea Oil Expansion Because Nobody Needs Oil and Gas”

    “The damage is done’: global oil crisis has changed fossil fuel industry for ever, IEA chief says

    Exclusive: International Energy Agency’s Fatih Birol, the world’s leading energy economist, also says UK should largely forgo North Sea expansion

    Fiona Harvey Environment editorSat 25 Apr 2026 01.00 AEST

    Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), also said that, despite pressure, the UK should forgo much of its potential North Sea expansion.

    Speaking exclusively to the Guardian, Birol said a key effect of the US-Israel war on Iran was that countries would lose trust in fossil fuels and demand for them would reduce.”

    More at

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/04/26/iea-head-fatih-birol-uk-should-forego-north-sea-oil-expansion-because-nobody-needs-oil-and-gas/

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    • #
      David Maddison

      The IEA is another institution that has succumbed to takeover by the Left and their anti-energy policies.

      Sourcing IEA documents, Gulag AI says:

      Net Zero Focus: In recent years, the IEA has shifted focus toward accelerating the global transition to clean energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels to meet net-zero emissions targets by 2050.

      Reducing Oil Dependence: The IEA actively promotes policies aimed at reducing oil demand, such as increasing energy efficiency, supporting renewables, and strengthening EV adoption.

      Emergency Demand Measures: During supply disruptions, the IEA often recommends lowering speed limits, promoting public transport, and encouraging working from home to cut oil consumption, rather than just increasing supply.

      It no longer has the interests of the energy consumer.

      As it is an anti-energy agency, naturally Australia gives them taxpayer money. Gulag AI says:

      Types of Financial Contributions

      Assessed Contributions: As an IEA member since 1979, Australia is required to pay annual dues that contribute to the IEA’s core operating budget.

      Voluntary Contributions: Australia often provides additional “voluntary” funding for specific programs. For example, in 2022, Australia committed $2 million to the IEA’s Clean Energy Transition Programme (CETP) to support energy cooperation with India.

      Participation Grants: The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) provides up to $5 million in grant funding through its International Engagement Program to support Australian experts’ participation in IEA Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs).
      Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

      What are Australia’s annual dues?

      The exact figure for Australia’s annual assessed dues (membership fees) to the International Energy Agency (IEA) is not typically published as a single line item in public budget summaries. Instead, these are part of broader departmental budgets for international engagement.

      You can bet it’s a lot of money.

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      • #
        KP

        “$5 million in grant funding through its International Engagement Program to support Australian experts’ participation in IEA Technology Collaboration Programmes”

        So, this is five “experts” getting a million dollars each to fly first class around the world and stay in expensive resorts at conferences..

        You can see United Nations written all over this! In a real democracy all these budgets for every Govt Dept would be up on the web in front of the public.

        60

    • #
      Sambar

      Saw the CEO of the Geelong refinery interviewed was it last night? Asked should Australia build another refinery, his answer was not what I expected.
      So paraphrasing cause I cannot find a link.
      “Why would anyone build a refinery in Australia, it would take 4-5 years to build, take about 10 years before any return on investment and by then “peak oil” will have passed, so a new refinery would face declining profits and productivity.,with little chance of recouping investment”

      20

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    “WE DON’T KNOW ENOUGH TO ENGAGE IN THESE GEOENGINEERING PROJECTS: Building a massive dam between Alaska and Russia could prevent AMOC collapse, scientists say.”

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/building-massive-dam-between-alaska-180000669.html

    “Related: China Planted 78 Billion New Trees—and Seriously Messed Up Its Water Cycle.”

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/china-planted-78-billion-trees-123442502.html

    Via https://instapundit.com/792596/#disqus_thread

    30

  • #
    KP

    The editorial on the SMH deftly spun the booing over the welcome to country into a racist rant from neo-nazis and One Nation people who hate abos and do not honour the fallen…

    No surprises there.

    https://www.smh.com.au/national/booing-welcome-to-country-does-not-honour-the-fallen-20260426-p5zr4e.html

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    • #
      wal1957

      A few years ago I turned my back when a WTC was being performed.
      I guess that makes me a waaacist as well…..oh well…
      BTW, a gent in the row behind me gave me a smile and a nod when I turned my back.

      If I know a WTC is going to be “performed” at any gathering I am planning to attend I either turn up late or do not go.

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        Ian George

        I noticed that Mitchell and Walker for the Rabbits didn’t join in the singing of the National Anthem at the Storm-South’s game during the ANZAC ceremony. This justifies what I believe should be done as you did – just turn your back. If they show no respect, then ………

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    • #
      David Maddison

      How much does a “Welcome to Country Ceremony” cost?

      https://code.visualarts.net.au/payment-rates/fees/first-nations-cultural-ceremonies-and-services

      Welcome to Country $300-$750

      Smoking Ceremony $700-$1,500

      I guess more tribute has to be paid for larger events or when the taxpayer is paying. (Then the public serpent will sign any invoice they are presented with, no questions asked.)

      It’s not clear if you can do a package deal to get the WTC and the smoking ceremony together.

      The WTC is a modern invention by Earnie Dingo and Richard Walley, 1976.

      The smoking ceremony is supposedly an ancient tradition.

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      • #
        KP

        “The smoking ceremony is supposedly an ancient tradition.’

        hell yes! Especially around Nimbin!

        “A few years ago I turned my back when a WTC was being performed.”

        Yes, I walked out when I was a Council candidate and the Maori candidate started his speech with a maori ‘prayer’. Like I always say, Aussie is 30years behind NZ when it comes to the natives taking over the country… it won’t stop!

        By the way, what’s the abo name for ‘Australia’, better start learning it now.

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        • #
          Sambar

          “By the way, what’s the abo name for ‘Australia’, better start learning it now.”

          Nothing to learn as there isn’t one. No tribes knew they lived on an island, they only had names for locations within the territory they controlled, no idea what lay beyond this territory. Genuinely a “live for today ” society.
          Given their lack of understanding of their “greater world” they still managed to be the worlds first
          Astronomers
          Mathematicians
          Aquaculture developers
          etc.

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      • #
        Vicki

        My understanding is that “welcome to country” was performed when clan groups met for ceremonies such as corroborees. These groups had distinctive areas of habitation and only entered the territory of other groups for these ceremonies, for initiations of young men, and to arrange marriages and/or deliver promised women. As a consequence, there were particular ceremonies, such as “welcome to country” to be performed.

        This implied lack of “rights” to enter land without the appropriate ceremony reflects poorly, I think, on the now established performance of “welcome to country”. These contemporary ceremonies continually assert, by inference, that we are aliens in our own country.

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        • #
          Dennis

          That could well be the objective of the minority activist groups within the three percent of population represented by the “mobs”, now UN Indigenous Peoples and First Nations.

          I am however certain that the vast majority want us to all be Australians together and build the future nation for the young people.

          Consider the recent SA indigenous voice election of delegates, a substantial majority of eligible voters did not vote.

          30

        • #
          Sambar

          The “smoking ceremony ” part has a distinct resemblance of a smoking ceremony as performed by North American First Nations people ( from memory particularly members and sub groups of Cree people) have no idea how long this tradition has existed over there. Just coincidence I suppose.

          40

          • #
            Dennis

            Several years ago a group of Canadian First Nations people visited Australia and comments I read from some of them was expressing surprise at seeing locals wearing similar feathers and other typically Canadian performance dress styles

            30

  • #
    STJOHNOFGRAFTON

    Name one thing the Albanese government has spent our money on to improve Australia.

    140

    • #
      Dennis

      Post Covid economic recovery delivered windfall tax receipts that from May 2022 Albanese Labor were advantaged by in government. Not acknowledged is the Freydenberg-Morrison Budget for 2019/20 forecast a surplus for the first time since 2007/08 Costello-Howard Budget. The pandemic from January 2020 put a stop to that surplus being realised.

      The Budget for 2022/23 and pandemic economic recovery starting forecast a deficit, being conservative, and then five months into the financial year Albanese-Chalmers announced a new Budget revision for the remainder of 2022/23 financial year, a budget surplus forecast.

      That surplus was of course creative accounting including cancelling, deferring or cutting back Defence Procurement expenditure budget, other cuts, and windfall tax revenue flowing in.

      00

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    “ROGER KIMBALL: Chekhov’s Lesson for Tehran: Trump isn’t negotiating with Iran—he’s dismantling its regime piece by piece, leaving a hollow state with nothing left but bluster and collapse.

    What I notice is that in the on-again off-again negotiations that lead nowhere, Trump is doing to the Iranians what they once did to us: “Asked what he had recommended to the President when no hostages were freed after arms shipments to Iran in February 1986, Mr. Regan said, ‘I told him that we’d been snookered again, and how many times do we put up with this rug merchant type of stuff?’” He’s jerking them around with vague prospects of getting something while the clock continues to run. Serves ’em right. He’s a better rug merchant than these guys.”

    https://instapundit.com/792728/#disqus_thread

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  • #
    another ian

    FWIW – on-line Courier Mail today

    “Solar battery bombshell for hundreds of Qld homes
    Fears dodgy retailers taking advantage of a federal government scheme have put hundreds of Queensland homes at risk through unsafe solar battery installs.”

    “Pink batteries” making the rounds

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  • #
    David Maddison

    Snowy Hydro 2 now $42 billion.

    https://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/snowy-hydro-20-cost-spirals-to-42bn-sparking-calls-for-royal-commission/news-story/009ad060aa7ad71ecc1adab8b5a4bcbc

    Snowy Hydro 2.0 cost spirals to $42bn sparking calls for Royal Commission

    Shaping up as ‘one of the biggest disasters’ in Australian infrastructure history, Malcolm Turnbull’s $2bn vision now costs 20 times more and here’s why.

    April 26, 2026 – 7:00PM

    The true cost of Snowy Hydro 2.0 has spiralled to $42bn and should be the subject of a Royal Commission into “one of the biggest disasters” in Australian infrastructure, economist Bruce Mountain and energy executive Ted Woodley said.

    Former Snowy Hydro chief executive Paul Broad says the delays facing the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project are “not surprising”. “They’re a fair way behind still, right from day one it was always going to be complex,” Mr Broad told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “You’re always going to have these delays and problems, and it doesn’t surprise me one little bit they’re having it.”

    Former Snowy Hydro chief executive Paul Broad praises the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project, referring to it as “phenomenal”. “This is a really good project. The engineering going into this project is phenomenal,” Mr Broad told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “At some point, someone will step back from this and say what has been achieved on this site in 10 or 15 years’ time will set new engineering standards.”

    More Coverage

    Halting nightmare Snowy Hydro 2.0 is a matter of urgency

    Snowy Hydro’s staggering list of stuff-ups

    PAYWALLED

    Oh, don’t worry, the Government can just print more money….

    All this for an energy-consuming battery that will deliver and average of 88 MW over a year, assuming it works at all if there’s enough water.

    This is why politicians shouldn’t be allowed to make engineering decisions. And engineers should speak up.

    90

    • #
      Dr Faustus

      This is why politicians shouldn’t be allowed to make engineering decisions. And engineers should speak up.

      Engineers from the energy resources, electricity generation, and gas and electricity distribution sectors have been speaking up in multiple government fora for the past 15+ years to my certain knowledge. Unfortunately to Arts/Law and BEcon policy officers and decision-makers we may as well have been reciting Vogon poetry.

      It’s surprised me how quickly you get sidelined as a dim quibbler when your response to bright shiny policy suggestions is ‘Sure. We could. But if we do that, then this will happen…’

      Two or three times and you are marked off as obstructing the process.

      Most of the ‘this that’s happening’ was predicted in quite fine detail many years ago. It’s actually not very difficult.

      140

    • #
      David Maddison

      According to Gulag AI cheaper alternatives to politician-engineered SH2 would have been:

      Several alternatives to Snowy 2.0 have been proposed by energy experts and environmental groups, ranging from modifications within the existing Snowy Scheme to entirely different technologies.

      1. Augmentations Within the Snowy Scheme

      Instead of the massive 27km tunnel required for Snowy 2.0, several smaller projects within the existing network have been suggested to increase storage flexibility with less environmental impact:

      Blowering Pumping Station: Installing a pumping station at Blowering Reservoir to pump water up to Jounama Pondage or Talbingo Reservoir. This would allow the full active storage of Talbingo to be recycled, increasing Tumut 3’s flexibility by an estimated 500%.

      Tumut 3B: Constructing a new, smaller pumped hydro station (Tumut 3B) that could utilise existing infrastructure more efficiently.

      Jindabyne-Eucumbene Link: Installing a tunnel and pumped hydro station between Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene.

      Smaller-Scale Snowy 2.0: A reduced version of the project (around 1,000 MW instead of 2,000 MW) that could potentially use existing transmission lines rather than requiring massive new infrastructure like HumeLink.

      2. Alternative Pumped Hydro Sites

      Critics point to the thousands of potential sites identified in the Atlas of Pumped Hydro Energy Storage as more efficient alternatives located closer to demand centers:

      Port Kembla Project: A proposed sea-water or fresh-water pumped hydro project near Wollongong that would use existing industrial infrastructure and be closer to Sydney’s load center.

      Baw Baw PHES: A proposed 2,000 MW plant in Gippsland, Victoria, designed to be closer to the state’s transmission backbone.

      Oven Mountain: A 900 MW project in New South Wales designed to support regional renewable energy zones.

      Of course, nothing would have been needed at all if the Government wasn’t so determined to destroy the power stations.

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    • #
      RickWill

      That is higher than my estimate. I thought $40bn would see it through. Must be a few union bosses getting new holiday homes.

      20

      • #
        Graeme4

        The initial $40bn estimate included the extra 1000 kms of new transmission lines required. The current cost of new lines, including infrastructure, is $13m/km.

        00

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    Chiefio has a look at Oz

    “Australia, Fuel History, Present Risks”

    https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2026/04/24/australia-fuel-history-present-risks/

    10

  • #
  • #
    Vladimir

    As an active participant of Chernobyl disaster…
    Sorry, that was bad taste joke considering how many people indeed suffered.
    I meant that since the first time I heard about it I tried to find the facts.., it must have been Sunday night, 27 April 1986 and I am not sure today why it took my attention.
    The world knew nothing yet.
    The first thing I learnt that increased radiation was detected in the NW (about Leningrad) and soviet specialists suspected a leak at Swedish(?) power plant.

    Anyway, 40ies anniversary was yesterday and I listened to a fellow formerly from CERN who recaps what, in his view, were lessons. Quite interesting facts and numbers, apologies – no link.
    One important thing I picked – he mentioned in passing that many, if not all institution like his, use in their calculation Linear Non-threshold Models rather than factual registered numbers / facts in their statistic, though rarely admit it.
    He thinks that is where huge difference in disaster descriptions come from WHO and UNSCEAR.
    For example – tens, if not hundreds thousands people affected v 28 people were killed by radiation and 134 developed Acute Radiation Syndrome. Both statements are correct.
    In case of Chernobyl he points to inept Process, not just days of evacuation but many months and years relocation which negatively affected huge cohorts. Affected was put too mildly.

    Also, I picked an example of calculating “industrial death” not by the number of locations, plants etc.. but by a throughput, eg – Energy Industry:

    Industry: Fatality per TW/year
    Coal 120
    Oil. 99.5
    Gas. 71.9
    Offshore wind (UK). 8.5
    Onshore (Germany). 1.78
    Solar. 0.245
    Nuclear ca 1

    I could not ask why the “Solar number” is so precise when “Nuclear” is approximate….

    40

    • #
      Dr Faustus

      For example – tens, if not hundreds thousands people affected v 28 people were killed by radiation and 134 developed Acute Radiation Syndrome. Both statements are correct.

      Facts not usually reported.
      The reported 28 (or 30) killed and the radiation sickness victims were station staff and first responders – mainly brave guys who exposed themselves while controlling the radiological mess.

      Other victims are guesstimated or indirectly measured in population statistics.

      50

    • #
      Graeme4

      Believe hydro also has a surprisingly high rate.

      00

      • #
        Hanrahan

        [Verse 3: Waylon Jennings & All]
        I was a dam builder
        Across a river deep and wide
        Where steel and water did collide
        A place called Boulder, on the wild Colorado
        I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
        They buried me in that gray tomb that knows no sound
        But I am still around
        I’ll always be around
        And around, and around, and around
        And around, and around, and around…

        20

  • #
    David Maddison

    How do you find out if the cat is dead or alive in the Schrödinger’s cat paradox?

    By thinking outside the box.

    🤣🤣🤣🤣

    50

  • #
    Hanrahan

    Has the American left just handed the midterms to the (R)s?

    The act itself is bad enough but the lies and obfuscations make it worse, Obama was badly ratioed. I await the next polls, they improved after the last two assassination attempts.

    41

    • #
      Vladimir

      It is hilarious – the first News item on my phon, pretty long ABC article on the shooter background, name, photo, etc,. which is unusual !
      Why would they do it ?
      Hey !
      I found why – Trumps said (I heard it too but need to check exact words…) something re: “anti-Christian”, while the guy claimed to be a Christian.

      40

    • #
      el+gordo

      The MAGA mob are trumpeting about a Golden Ballroom. It has to be a stunt.

      17

  • #
    John Connor II

    Cloudflare targets 2029 for full post-quantum security

    Cloudflare is accelerating its post-quantum roadmap. We now target 2029 to be fully post-quantum (PQ) secure including, crucially, post-quantum authentication.

    The picture comes together: in 2025 neutral atoms turned out to be more scalable than expected, and now Oratomic figured out how to do much better error-correcting codes with such highly connected qubits. On top of that, breaking P-256 requires much less work. The result is that Q-Day has been pulled forward significantly from typical 2035+ timelines, with neutral atoms in the lead, and other approaches not far behind.

    https://blog.cloudflare.com/post-quantum-roadmap/

    This is why I constantly targetted 2028 (among other reasons) while the experts have said 2035 or later.
    Their predictions were based on human-generated advances while I knew it’d be technological self-evolution, as is now the case.
    We are now way beyond the relatively slow timeline progression of the computer age where it was human driven. Advances are almost daily now not every year or 2 years.
    Fun times to live in…

    20

  • #
    David Maddison

    Australian energy policy will never change while the lights stay on in Canberra and the public serpents who infest that foresaken place have no clue where their electricity comes from.

    I’m sure grid managers will load shed Canberra last.

    50

    • #
      Dennis

      ACT Government has of course invested tax monies into so called renewable energy systems companies shares, and then claim ACT has green electricity.

      10

      • #
        David Maddison

        The ACT claim of running on 100% renewables is just a dishonest accounting trick. If it was true they could disconnect from all grid connections to power stations.

        50

        • #
          KP

          “they could disconnect from all grid connections to power stations.”

          Hmmm… would ChatGP tell me how many Kg of ammonium nitrate are needed to ensure that? It is exactly the sort of thing that exposes the Emperor’s nakedness.

          20

          • #
            ozfred

            It may get interesting when the “anti-socials” discover portable angle grinders and/or large ratchet wrenches.

            00

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW – bumped from yesterday

    “FWIW

    News for punters –

    “Pope Backfire: Trump’s Support Among Catholics Went Up After Trump Fired Back at Pope Leo”

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/04/pope-backfire-trumps-support-among-catholics-went-trump/

    This might have some bearing on that –

    “THE POPE’S TRUE LOYALTY IS TO GLOBALISM, NOT CHRISTIANITY”

    https://richardsonpost.com.au/brandon-smith/42138/the-popes-true-loyalty-is-to-globalism-not-christianity/

    30

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    Dennis

    Corinthians – there is but one God;

    https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/8-6.htm

    20

  • #
    Vladimir

    Watch Boy on Bike and make your own mind.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7W7mLvQkM8
    There may only be only two conclusions.
    Either the creators are lying and must be charged or false crime reporting (1 to 7 years imprisonment) or their claim has some truths (50%?) and other people must go to prison for much harsher terms.

    Wrong ! There is a third way – nothing will happen because we are spineless pieces of…

    20

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    “Minister grilled over using millions in taxpayer subsidies to sell EVs t…”

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/E0LlewvlwXI

    00

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    Sarah Hoyt’s weekly meme collection – SPLC takes a beating

    https://accordingtohoyt.com/2026/04/25/laissez-faire-laissez-memer/

    01