Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi has spoken with Yahoo News about why she urged parliament to no longer use the word "invasive" when referring to introduced species.
Wild horses, pigs, deer, cane toads, cats, and foxes are among the biggest threats to native species, and she agrees they need to be managed. 
But she argues this doesn't negate the need to treat them humanely.
And she worries that the language we use to describe an animal can have real-world consequences.
"Language does matter, because how you label animals is how people view them," she said.

I'm currently in the market for a wagon and I can't believe the lack of options in this sector.

Nearly two-thirds of all new vehicle sales are SUVs which is fucking insane. Can anyone ever see this stupid trend ever reversing? Will SUV owners ever wake up to how obnoxious their cars are to other drivers, the road toll, the lack of room in car parks etc.?

Australia’s budget would remain mired in deficit for more than 10 years under One Nation’s plans for lower migration, delivering an economic blow that would drive up national debt by an extra $275 billion.

As political parties of all stripes come under pressure to appease public anxiety about immigration, a 10-year analysis of lower migration scenarios using Parliamentary Budget Office tools exposes the economic and fiscal consequences of blunt measures to bring fewer people to the country.

According to the analysis, Pauline Hanson’s three-year negative migration scenario would also reduce Australia’s economic output by $212 billion by the middle of next decade, when there would be 820,000 fewer taxpaying workers in the economy.

Former Coalition finance minister Mathias Cormann, now head of the OECD, on Saturday warned against setting “arbitrary migration caps” without thought to their impact on businesses, hospitals or universities.

“An ageing country that chooses to shrink its working-age population while promising to spend more on health, care and defence has not developed a plan. It has put forward a contradiction,” he said in a speech.

Full article. PW bypassed.

You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, I Am Sam.

Source: E L I C I A B A R N E S

C'mon Ken, lets all make sure the gas industry makes lots of money! Unlike electricity which is generated by renewables and doesn't profit mining billionaires.

An Australian lawmaker has condemned racist stickers targeting Indians that were put up in Cessnock, a town about 150 km from Sydney, saying such material did not represent the local community and would not go unchallenged.

Dan Repacholi, a member of the House of Representatives for the Hunter electorate in New South Wales, said in a social media post on Wednesday that the stickers were "disgusting" and urged people to report their locations so they could be removed.

"Racism isn't welcome in Cessnock. It isn't welcome in the Hunter. And it won't go unchallenged," Repacholi said.

Repacholi shared an image of one such racist sticker depicting a man defecating on a street, alongside the message, "Is this your culture? We don't like it".

The image also claimed that 32 per cent of Australia's population was foreign-born, asserted that India was "at the top of that list" and called for "REMIGRATION NOW!"

"Enough of this," Repacholi said in his post, adding that those spreading such material did not represent the community.

"We're better and stronger than the hate and division these people are trying to spread. If you've seen one, let me know where it was located so it can be reported and removed. Don't give these cowards any more publicity than they deserve," he said.

source

In two weeks, Donald Trump faces his moment of truth; transformational midterm elections that will drastically influence the rest of his presidency, for better or for worse.

Assuming that he cannot find a way around the constitutional ban on him running for a third time in 2028, he now has a limited time left to make sure he leaves office the most consequential president ever. Again, for better, or worse.

Motivated deeply by fame, that could make for an (even more) volatile ride than we’ve seen so far as his administration enters its final stages.

Whatever happens in the House and Senate elections, he remains commander in chief of the US armed forces with the power to unleash conflict, perhaps with even less restraint than he’s shown in his intemperate and economically reckless decision to go to war against Iran.

More in article.

The senator said he was not on leave, contrary to Shoebridge’s comments last week, and that he had been pressured by the leader to request leave on Thursday as Nine’s story was breaking.

“I feel that he used those meetings to repeatedly pressure me to say that I would take leave,” Steele-John said.

The senator said “survivors of family violence are entitled to make decisions about their own lives and the Greens have always said so”.

“It was a bad call from David. We’ve all made those in politics. So, to be clear, I am not on leave and did not agree to the inclusion of that line within David’s statement.”

Took my family out on weekend and went to a Cafe in Bondi. Didn't think twice re surcharges and paid bill for weekend food. But once home got a notification for my bank that the price was higher I paid than I was quoted verbally when I paid. Rung up Cafe to be told they apply 10% on Saturday and 15% on Sunday. Most venues don't tend to charge 10% on Saturday. Sure they gotta cover costs but we thought it was mentioned to be clear the amount charged this particular Cafe have the menu online and it olos shown in small print at bottom of menu but not clearly at top we were under impression cafes/restaurants have to be up front and clear about fees... also turns out prices charged for meals were not prices on menus and then claimed their menus were correct but we looked at old prices. Thoughts please?