Inside Story
@insidestory.bsky.social
Books, ideas, current affairs and culture from a (mainly) Australian perspective
Reposted by Inside Story
Me on the new Liberal leader. insidestory.org.au/will-angus-t...
Will Angus Taylor stop the One Nation rot? • Inside Story
It’s possible, but will that impress the rest of the electorate?
insidestory.org.au
February 13, 2026 at 5:16 AM
Me on the new Liberal leader. insidestory.org.au/will-angus-t...
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Handy analysis of another middle-ranking power in the world with whom we are going to need to work closely in the age of Trump (and beyond)
insidestory.org.au/carneys-cana...
insidestory.org.au/carneys-cana...
Carney’s Canada • Inside Story
The high-profile banker turned prime minister is following through on his strategy of resistance
insidestory.org.au
February 7, 2026 at 8:51 AM
Handy analysis of another middle-ranking power in the world with whom we are going to need to work closely in the age of Trump (and beyond)
insidestory.org.au/carneys-cana...
insidestory.org.au/carneys-cana...
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Very good piece by Murray Goot on why compulsory voting has not 'saved' us from the rise of the far right
insidestory.org.au/is-compulsor...
insidestory.org.au/is-compulsor...
Is compulsory voting a bulwark against parties on the extremes? • Murray Goot
Polls and international experience complicate the conventional wisdom
insidestory.org.au
February 2, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Very good piece by Murray Goot on why compulsory voting has not 'saved' us from the rise of the far right
insidestory.org.au/is-compulsor...
insidestory.org.au/is-compulsor...
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Yes, Freedom House has said that its rating of the occupied territories at -1/100 is the lowest it has given since the report’s inception in 1973! Here’s something I wrote on the regime there in case of interest, in a book review.
insidestory.org.au/silent-terror/
insidestory.org.au/silent-terror/
Silent terror: Russia’s occupation of southeastern Ukraine • Jon Richardson
A chilling account of occupied southeastern Ukraine reveals a systematic program of Russification combined with chaos, brutality and corruption
insidestory.org.au
January 19, 2026 at 1:44 AM
Yes, Freedom House has said that its rating of the occupied territories at -1/100 is the lowest it has given since the report’s inception in 1973! Here’s something I wrote on the regime there in case of interest, in a book review.
insidestory.org.au/silent-terror/
insidestory.org.au/silent-terror/
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Everyone is convinced that London is an extremely unsafe place to live - with the sole exception of Londoners.
January 11, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Everyone is convinced that London is an extremely unsafe place to live - with the sole exception of Londoners.
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insidestory.org.au/a-kind-of-so... “Connective labour hasn’t been crushed across the board. But it is exploited, expanded or squeezed in different ways in different employment settings, each of them unfair and enraging in different ways.” #measureofcare
A kind of social architecture • Frances Flanagan
The case for valuing and protecting “connective labour” in an increasingly automated and disconnected world
insidestory.org.au
January 7, 2026 at 3:36 AM
insidestory.org.au/a-kind-of-so... “Connective labour hasn’t been crushed across the board. But it is exploited, expanded or squeezed in different ways in different employment settings, each of them unfair and enraging in different ways.” #measureofcare
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Nonsense. You have to be really arrogant to pontificate
like Stephens, with no expertise on Australia. Anti-Semitism is not embedded in the culture, that’s a fiction. iWhat was the government supposed to do, apart from kicking out the Iranians? Ban all protests against Israel’s Gaza action?
like Stephens, with no expertise on Australia. Anti-Semitism is not embedded in the culture, that’s a fiction. iWhat was the government supposed to do, apart from kicking out the Iranians? Ban all protests against Israel’s Gaza action?
December 15, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Nonsense. You have to be really arrogant to pontificate
like Stephens, with no expertise on Australia. Anti-Semitism is not embedded in the culture, that’s a fiction. iWhat was the government supposed to do, apart from kicking out the Iranians? Ban all protests against Israel’s Gaza action?
like Stephens, with no expertise on Australia. Anti-Semitism is not embedded in the culture, that’s a fiction. iWhat was the government supposed to do, apart from kicking out the Iranians? Ban all protests against Israel’s Gaza action?
“We asked the question a little differently: did places with more gun buybacks experience a larger drop in gun homicide and suicide? The answer turned out to be a resounding yes.”
The upsides of the gun buyback • Andrew Leigh
John Howard’s buyback scheme had more than one clear benefit
inside.org.au
December 15, 2025 at 6:31 AM
“We asked the question a little differently: did places with more gun buybacks experience a larger drop in gun homicide and suicide? The answer turned out to be a resounding yes.”
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Barnaby Joyce's 'repertoire over two decades in parliament hasn’t included “dog-whistling” of the kind favoured by John Howard in his time and enthusiastically embraced by Peter Dutton.'
Fairy nuff statement?
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...
Fairy nuff statement?
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...
Exit, stage right • Peter Brent
Can One Nation continue to capitalise on the Coalition’s internal divisions?
insidestory.org.au
December 12, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Barnaby Joyce's 'repertoire over two decades in parliament hasn’t included “dog-whistling” of the kind favoured by John Howard in his time and enthusiastically embraced by Peter Dutton.'
Fairy nuff statement?
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...
Fairy nuff statement?
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...
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An excellent piece on the bumpy road ahead for #Republicans as @realDonaldTrump enters lame duck territory.
insidestory.org.au/maga-meltdown/
insidestory.org.au/maga-meltdown/
MAGA meltdown? • Sam Freedman
Why the Republicans are in serious trouble
insidestory.org.au
December 12, 2025 at 9:57 PM
An excellent piece on the bumpy road ahead for #Republicans as @realDonaldTrump enters lame duck territory.
insidestory.org.au/maga-meltdown/
insidestory.org.au/maga-meltdown/
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Me on the One Nation surge and Related Matters. How many House seats does 18% get you? It depends ...
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...
Exit, stage right • Peter Brent
Can One Nation continue to capitalise on the Coalition’s internal divisions?
insidestory.org.au
December 11, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Me on the One Nation surge and Related Matters. How many House seats does 18% get you? It depends ...
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...
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Good wide-ranging analysis.
Where he gives his opinions they are always well-supported.
Where he gives his opinions they are always well-supported.
“Trump’s support has fallen particularly sharply with young people and minorities. Much reporting of last year’s election focused on the ‘realignment’ of these groups away from the Democrats. But they have quickly reverted back.“
MAGA meltdown? • Sam Freedman
Why the Republicans are in serious trouble
inside.org.au
December 7, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Good wide-ranging analysis.
Where he gives his opinions they are always well-supported.
Where he gives his opinions they are always well-supported.
“Trump’s support has fallen particularly sharply with young people and minorities. Much reporting of last year’s election focused on the ‘realignment’ of these groups away from the Democrats. But they have quickly reverted back.“
MAGA meltdown? • Sam Freedman
Why the Republicans are in serious trouble
inside.org.au
December 7, 2025 at 6:18 AM
“Trump’s support has fallen particularly sharply with young people and minorities. Much reporting of last year’s election focused on the ‘realignment’ of these groups away from the Democrats. But they have quickly reverted back.“
Reposted by Inside Story
Wonderful description of an encounter with Tom Stoppard. Highly recommended
insidestory.org.au/a-day-with-s...
insidestory.org.au/a-day-with-s...
A day with Sir Tom Stoppard and his biographer • Glyn Davis
On the death of the playwright this weekend, a brief memory
insidestory.org.au
December 3, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Wonderful description of an encounter with Tom Stoppard. Highly recommended
insidestory.org.au/a-day-with-s...
insidestory.org.au/a-day-with-s...
“On the face of it, then, Albanese’s minister for Pacific Island affairs is supporting the case his own government opposed at The Hague and lending his weight to the notion his prime minister and the environment minister continue to reject.”
Headwinds blow in from the Pacific • Hamish McDonald
A muddled year in the region for Labor ends with the Pacific affairs minister disagreeing with his own government
inside.org.au
December 3, 2025 at 2:25 AM
“On the face of it, then, Albanese’s minister for Pacific Island affairs is supporting the case his own government opposed at The Hague and lending his weight to the notion his prime minister and the environment minister continue to reject.”
“However often the Europeans, Latin Americans and small island states demand an explicit commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels, they will not get it. The COP30 stalemate will continue. The question is, does this matter? There’s a strong case for saying that it doesn’t.”
Regime change • Michael Jacobs
Australia’s COP31 presidency gives it a chance to reshape the UN climate talks
inside.org.au
December 3, 2025 at 2:19 AM
“However often the Europeans, Latin Americans and small island states demand an explicit commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels, they will not get it. The COP30 stalemate will continue. The question is, does this matter? There’s a strong case for saying that it doesn’t.”
“The Dismissal will continue to play a role in telling us something about who we are: but as an event capable of shaping everyday action and understanding, as a truly lived history, it is fast fading.”
The Dismissal from below • Frank Bongiorno (with James Watson)
Fifty years later, what impact has the Dismissal had on Australian democracy?
inside.org.au
November 29, 2025 at 2:23 AM
“The Dismissal will continue to play a role in telling us something about who we are: but as an event capable of shaping everyday action and understanding, as a truly lived history, it is fast fading.”
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Best summary of #COP30 issues yet in @insidestory.bsky.social insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
'It's not about the science (except in US)'... it is geopolitics esp OPEC+... but don't forget the power of #forests while the vested interests lobby.
'It's not about the science (except in US)'... it is geopolitics esp OPEC+... but don't forget the power of #forests while the vested interests lobby.
Not so good COP • Inside Story
The latest UN climate summit was buffeted by geopolitical headwinds
insidestory.org.au
November 24, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Best summary of #COP30 issues yet in @insidestory.bsky.social insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
'It's not about the science (except in US)'... it is geopolitics esp OPEC+... but don't forget the power of #forests while the vested interests lobby.
'It's not about the science (except in US)'... it is geopolitics esp OPEC+... but don't forget the power of #forests while the vested interests lobby.
Reposted by Inside Story
The conclusion of COP30 in Brazil has left a bitter taste in the mouth. A new ‘axis of obstruction’ has emerged to block stronger commitments to reduce emissions - Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia - with Donald Trump urging them on. My analysis for inside Story: insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
Not so good COP • Inside Story
The latest UN climate summit was buffeted by geopolitical headwinds
insidestory.org.au
November 23, 2025 at 11:07 AM
The conclusion of COP30 in Brazil has left a bitter taste in the mouth. A new ‘axis of obstruction’ has emerged to block stronger commitments to reduce emissions - Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia - with Donald Trump urging them on. My analysis for inside Story: insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
Reposted by Inside Story
“People who attend UN climate conferences are loathe to describe any of them as a failure.”
Michael Jacobs telling it straight here. There is now a powerful and organised global resistance to climate action. What is to be done?
insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
Michael Jacobs telling it straight here. There is now a powerful and organised global resistance to climate action. What is to be done?
insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
Not so good COP • Inside Story
The latest UN climate summit was buffeted by geopolitical headwinds
insidestory.org.au
November 23, 2025 at 2:14 AM
“People who attend UN climate conferences are loathe to describe any of them as a failure.”
Michael Jacobs telling it straight here. There is now a powerful and organised global resistance to climate action. What is to be done?
insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
Michael Jacobs telling it straight here. There is now a powerful and organised global resistance to climate action. What is to be done?
insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
“The schism in global climate politics revealed at COP30 in Brazil will surely make Australia’s negotiating task even more difficult next year. But that may no longer be the point. If COP31 can prioritise implementation and investment it may make greater progress…”
Not so good COP • Inside Story
The latest UN climate summit was buffeted by geopolitical headwinds
insidestory.org.au
November 23, 2025 at 1:23 AM
“The schism in global climate politics revealed at COP30 in Brazil will surely make Australia’s negotiating task even more difficult next year. But that may no longer be the point. If COP31 can prioritise implementation and investment it may make greater progress…”
Reposted by Inside Story
Lea Ypi's new book Indignity: A Life Reimagined was inspired by her discovery of the photograph below of her grandparents on their honeymoon. I reviewed the book for @insidestory.bsky.social
insidestory.org.au/finding-the-...
insidestory.org.au/finding-the-...
Finding the right words • Inside Story
Accusations that her grandmother was a communist spy or a fascist collaborator — or both — sent Lea Ypi back to Albania and into her own imagination
insidestory.org.au
November 17, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Lea Ypi's new book Indignity: A Life Reimagined was inspired by her discovery of the photograph below of her grandparents on their honeymoon. I reviewed the book for @insidestory.bsky.social
insidestory.org.au/finding-the-...
insidestory.org.au/finding-the-...
“Baker was famous during the interwar period for her role in La Revue Nègre and her scandalous ‘banana skirt’ dance at the Folies Bergères… Yet here she was, being honoured in the Panthéon alongside Voltaire and Victor Hugo.”
A spy in the Panthéon • Véronique Duché
Audacious African-American singer, dancer and actor Josephine Baker earned her place among France’s wartime greats
inside.org.au
November 14, 2025 at 11:46 PM
“Baker was famous during the interwar period for her role in La Revue Nègre and her scandalous ‘banana skirt’ dance at the Folies Bergères… Yet here she was, being honoured in the Panthéon alongside Voltaire and Victor Hugo.”
“Back in December 2009, Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership of his party was disposed of over climate change policy. Or was it? Deep down, his demise was driven by terrible opinion polls that put the federal Coalition way, way behind the Rudd government.“ Peter Brent on the Libs’ net-zero decision
Zero-sum game • Peter Brent
A change of Liberal policy will bring electoral pluses and minuses for the opposition
inside.org.au
November 13, 2025 at 5:13 AM
“Back in December 2009, Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership of his party was disposed of over climate change policy. Or was it? Deep down, his demise was driven by terrible opinion polls that put the federal Coalition way, way behind the Rudd government.“ Peter Brent on the Libs’ net-zero decision
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COP30 is up and running. What are the issues on the agenda? This is my first report from Belem, which is not actually ‘the capital of the Amazon’, but is nevertheless an appropriate venue for a conference in search of sustainable and equitable economic development. insidestory.org.au/for-whom-wil...
For whom will Belém toll? • Inside Story
President Lula’s climate summit failed to defy Donald Trump in the way some had hoped, but COP30 has the chance to tackle two key challenges — if they can get on the agenda
insidestory.org.au
November 12, 2025 at 9:26 PM
COP30 is up and running. What are the issues on the agenda? This is my first report from Belem, which is not actually ‘the capital of the Amazon’, but is nevertheless an appropriate venue for a conference in search of sustainable and equitable economic development. insidestory.org.au/for-whom-wil...