Joshua Black
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joshuablackjb.bsky.social
Joshua Black
@joshuablackjb.bsky.social
1.4K followers 81 following 81 posts
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Reposted by Joshua Black
alicektg.bsky.social
If you bet on the winner of the Miles Franklin, your windfall is tax free but if you win the Miles Franklin you pay tax. There's an easy and cheap way for the gov to help our best artists and writers. Make prizes tax free.
Thanks to @charlottewood.bsky.social & Melissa Lucashenko for their thoughts
Here's something absolutely cooked about books in Australia
Winning authors pay tax. Mug punters, that's another story.
www.canberratimes.com.au
June 24, 2025 at 11:11 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
A real privilege to talk with @tommcilroy.bsky.social about his book 'Blue Poles' for Australia's Biggest Book Club last week @australiainstitute.org.au. A lively and wonderful conversation about Jackson Pollock, abstract expressionism, 'Blue Poles' and Australian arts policy today!
June 3, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
rodcampbell.bsky.social
Very excited that @ketanjoshi.co is working with @australiainstitute.org.au!!!

Check out his post on Woodside, dodgy offsets and the safeguard mechanism...

australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-saf...
May 27, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Reposted by Joshua Black
australiainstitute.org.au
"The outer-Melbourne electorate of Calwell had "the most complex count in Australia's history", but almost nobody was talking about it before the election.

Why? Only four journalists live in the seat, the least of anywhere in Australia.

@rodcampbell.bsky.social writes ⤵️ #auspol
Why the election’s closest seat went unnoticed: Too close to Calwell - The Australia Institute
The outer-Melbourne electorate of Calwell was named “Australia’s most unpredictable seat” by The Age after the election and was – aside from those going to a recount – the last seat to be called. The ...
australiainstitute.org.au
May 27, 2025 at 5:22 AM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
"the result in Calwell shows that the press has lost touch with the people, the result in Australia shows that the people have lost touch with the press"
Absolute fire from
@skyelark.bsky.social and @rodcampbell.bsky.social
on the coverage of the most interesting electoral race in 2025
May 27, 2025 at 11:15 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
"The long view matters here"
"some things seem more historic than they are, while the truly novel features of Australia’s current political landscape may pass us by"
My piece with @browne90.bsky.social on the size of the crossbench in historical context
australiainstitute.org.au/post/end-of-...
May 23, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
grogsgamut.bsky.social
Hilariously, the AFR is showing just how absurd is the scare campaign against the super tax changes.

They give an eg where someone's super goes from $2m to $3.18m in a year!

Yep a $1.18m increase.

How much extra tax?

$1,528!

OMG!! THAT'S OUTRAG... err... oh actually that's bugger all
Assuming it is $3.1 million, with the $80,000 pension payment it becomes $3.18 million. If your balance on June 30, 2026, is greater than $3 million (say $3.1 million) then Division 296 tax will count a balance of $3.18 million in its calculations even if your balance at the start of the year was less than $3 million (in your case $2 million) One aspect of Division 296 tax where you have a greater than $3 million balance at the end of the year but a balance of less than $3 million at the start is that it will be calculated as if your year started with a $3 million balance. When determining your super earnings for Division 296 tax purposes you add together your year-end balance with pension payments and then deduct your balance at the start of the year from this. That’s $3.1 million plus $80,000 less $3 million. This will give you total super earnings for Division 296 purposes of $180,000. Despite the large increase in your fund from $2 million to $3.1 million, your Division 296 liability will be significantly less given it won’t include the increase in your total super below the $3 million threshold. The 15 per cent tax will only apply to the percentage that $180,000 represents of $3.18 million or 5.66 per cent. While 15 per cent of $180,000 is $27,000, 5.66 per cent of this results in a Division 296 tax liability of $1528. This assumes there is no change in the proposed tax when – and if – it finally becomes law.
May 23, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
australiainstitute.org.au
If the LNP remains split, @joshuablackjb.bsky.social & @browne90.bsky.social note it would be the biggest crossbench since WWII.

But before WWII big crossbenches were common #OffTheCharts
australiainstitute.org.au/post/end-of-...
End of the LNP Coalition would makes this the largest crossbench in the post-WWII era - The Australia Institute
A large crossbench might seem unusual, but before WWII they were commonplace in Australia.
australiainstitute.org.au
May 22, 2025 at 11:44 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
A brilliant brief from @yuan-frank.bsky.social explaining how the Chinese foreign policy establishment views world affairs right now, including their determination to "resist Trump's trade offensive"
australiainstitute.org.au/report/chine...
@australiainstitute.org.au
Chinese Foreign Policy Brief - The Australia Institute
The Chinese foreign policy establishment appear determined to resist Trump’s trade offensive. They have asserted China’s position on Taiwan through both direct pressure and diplomacy, and sought to ma...
australiainstitute.org.au
May 22, 2025 at 10:56 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
Great piece in National Account on declining legacy media influence, and The Oz's logical fallacies in response to that reality

"Printed newspapers are no longer the political kingmakers they once were."

@australiainstitute.org.au @skyelark.bsky.social

www.nationalaccount.com.au/p/newspaper-...
Newspapers spent 30 years picking winners. That streak's over.
A new report has confirmed what plenty of voters have long suspected: newspaper endorsements don’t swing elections like they used to.
www.nationalaccount.com.au
May 21, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
rodcampbell.bsky.social
Absolutely cracking new report from @ieefainstitute.bsky.social @adenisryan.bsky.social

Japanese gas companies on-sell more Australian gas than Australian domestic use.

Read it and weep. Big gas is taking the piss. 1/2 @australiainstitute.org.au
ieefa.org/resources/ho...
May 20, 2025 at 9:23 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
Today’s coalition breakup is the latest in a much longer history of separations and reconciliations between the Libs and Nats #Auspol
Here is my piece on this for @theconversation.com

theconversation.com/the-band-is-...
The band is breaking up: has the Coalition stopped making sense?
This is not the first time the Liberals and Nationals have gone their own ways - but this time they may find going solo is extremely hard.
theconversation.com
May 20, 2025 at 12:38 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
By ‘changing media landscape’ we mean several interrelated forces and features…including this, yes 😂
kfullagar.bsky.social Kate Fullagar @kfullagar.bsky.social · May 19
And by ‘changing media landscape’ do you mean how journos have become rubbish and too concerned to spout their own under researched blathering ? Just asking.
May 19, 2025 at 3:55 AM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
Australian newspapers used to be good at backing winners. Over the past 30 years, most major newspapers backed the winner. Until 2022 and 2025, that is, when newspaper editorials came down on one side and voters came down on the other. 1/6 #Auspol2025
May 19, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
rodcampbell.bsky.social
Here's the great new paper by Skye Predavec and @joshuablackjb.bsky.social

australiainstitute.org.au/report/decli...
Declining legacy media influence on Australian elections - The Australia Institute
Securing newspaper endorsements was once a key part of running a successful Australian election campaign, through which Australian media shaped Australian politics. Televised debates between the prime...
australiainstitute.org.au
May 19, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
rodcampbell.bsky.social
The Aus's Dennis Shanahan devoted a column to @australiainstitute.org.au 's new report on declining media power & this was the best he could do:

"the big election editorial has never counted for
much with voters. To suggest there’s been a decline of their influence ignores the political reality." 🧵
May 19, 2025 at 3:14 AM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
In response to @australiainstitute.org.au research about declining media influence in Aus elections, @theaustralian.bsky.social says newspaper endorsements "never counted for much" in the first place! 🤦‍♂️
Leaders can now govern boldly, without glancing over their shoulder at these guys all the time
May 19, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
glmiller.bsky.social
'The spectre of media moguls as political kingmakers still looms large in the imagination of Australia’s political class': yes, but are they still in control of leaders/factions/duopoly? Will they meet again in 2025? Over to u JB?
@joshuablackjb.bsky.social
www.crikey.com.au/2022/08/29/a...
Labor and Murdoch, a match made in silence
Labor hasn't commented on the prime minister's reported meeting with Lachlan Murdoch. But if it has met with the News Corp billionaire, why is the government dealing with such a company?
www.crikey.com.au
May 16, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
australiainstitute.org.au
“The endorsement of newspapers used to be much sought-after, but these days such endorsements are practically irrelevant,” said @joshuablackjb.bsky.social, report co-author.

A new report explores the declining influence of media endorsements and leaders’ debates on election outcomes.

Read:
Bellowing from the sidelines. The declining influence of Australia's traditional media. - The Australia Institute
The days of media moguls deciding Australian elections are over, according to new research by The Australia Institute.
australiainstitute.org.au
May 15, 2025 at 11:05 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
An op-ed from @jack-thrower.bsky.social and myself in @canberratimes.bsky.social this morning: how ANU became mired in scandal, and what can be done to steady the ship

ANU boasts some of the world's finest scholars and teachers. They deserve better governance ASAP
@australiainstitute.org.au
May 8, 2025 at 10:25 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
"Dosed-up Tasmanian salmon could pose health risks in the long run"
My piece for @thenewdaily.bsky.social on Tassie salmon farming, antibiotic dosing and the ecological + health risks
@australiainstitute.org.au
www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...
Dosed-up Tasmanian salmon could pose health risks in the long run
Tasmania's salmon farming practices are no longer a solely environmental issue – they're a public health issue, too.
www.thenewdaily.com.au
May 6, 2025 at 9:49 PM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
After a brief sleep, here’s my piece for @theconversation.com on the success of independents at the election and their prospects for the next parliament

@australiainstitute.org.au

theconversation.com/independents...
Independents will not help form government – but they will be vital in holding it to account
Yes, Labor has won a huge majority. But it will still need to work constructively with the crossbench in both the House and the Senate.
theconversation.com
May 4, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Reposted by Joshua Black
australiainstitute.org.au
Today's retail trade figures show the RBA failed when it did not cut rates in April #OffTheCharts @grogsgamut.bsky.social
australiainstitute.org.au/post/retail-...
Chart showing retail spending in the March quarter is 3% below the per-pandemic trend
May 2, 2025 at 4:24 AM
joshuablackjb.bsky.social
Huge thanks to WIN News for talking to us about our research on university spending. It's really important that we start to get some proper disclosure about this spending from every university, not just some!
australiainstitute.org.au The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · May 2
Australian universities spend hundreds of millions of dollars on travel, marketing, and consultants, while cutting costs, staff, and courses, according to new Australia Institute research.

📺Postdoctoral Research Fellow Joshua Black on WIN News
#auspol @joshuablackjb.bsky.social
May 2, 2025 at 1:37 AM