Hannah Thompson
@thannaht.bsky.social
Mostly Economics, Housing and links to wellbeing. Plus a bit of nature. World is a fascinating place.
My little donation banned under Albanese but his lobbyists are fine? www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
Incoming laws would have blocked $8m in Climate 200 campaign donations
Climate 200 would have been blocked from making $8.34 million in donations to independent candidates if new election donation laws were in place at the 2025 poll.
www.abc.net.au
October 20, 2025 at 9:50 AM
My little donation banned under Albanese but his lobbyists are fine? www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
The truth can be uncomfortable and not what we want it to be.
October 11, 2025 at 12:02 AM
The truth can be uncomfortable and not what we want it to be.
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
Congratulations to Maria Corina Machado, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize - her incredible optimism has already changed her country. I spoke to her, and wrote about her, at the beginning of this year:
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
The ‘Anthropological Change’ Happening in Venezuela
Maduro is still in place, but a pro-democracy movement is transforming the beleaguered country.
www.theatlantic.com
October 10, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Congratulations to Maria Corina Machado, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize - her incredible optimism has already changed her country. I spoke to her, and wrote about her, at the beginning of this year:
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
The UK Government will tax universities on the income they receive from international students in order to fund maintenance grants for disadvantaged domestic students.
International student levy to fund maintenance grants for disadvantaged British students
Labour will use a proposed levy on UK universities’ international student fees to fund means-tested maintenance grants for domestic students.
thepienews.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:07 AM
The UK Government will tax universities on the income they receive from international students in order to fund maintenance grants for disadvantaged domestic students.
The issue of little interest on Bluesky www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
House prices driven to record highs on back of rate cuts
The Reserve Bank held interest rates steady at its September meeting as economists and homebuyers look for one more rate cut this year.
www.theage.com.au
September 30, 2025 at 11:11 PM
The issue of little interest on Bluesky www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
Like the first 2/3. Disagree with solutions (transparency & green washing- sorry, corporate sponsorship). Imagine if a company whose biz is communication valued & focused on…. communication.
Ditch the AI & intl call centres. Return to doing the job well.
Ditch the AI & intl call centres. Return to doing the job well.
After two Triple Zero outages, a data breach and a $100 million fine for predatory sales in recent years, sorry is not enough. Here’s what Optus needs to do next.
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/the-opt...
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/the-opt...
September 26, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Like the first 2/3. Disagree with solutions (transparency & green washing- sorry, corporate sponsorship). Imagine if a company whose biz is communication valued & focused on…. communication.
Ditch the AI & intl call centres. Return to doing the job well.
Ditch the AI & intl call centres. Return to doing the job well.
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
This column by @jamellebouie.net is a must-read -- if you act like losers, the public will think you are losers
Staying quiet and acquiescing is self-immolation -- the only 'safety' is in vocal, public, popular confrontation
Every CEO and media figure will learn this the hard way as well
Staying quiet and acquiescing is self-immolation -- the only 'safety' is in vocal, public, popular confrontation
Every CEO and media figure will learn this the hard way as well
December 26, 2024 at 5:01 AM
This column by @jamellebouie.net is a must-read -- if you act like losers, the public will think you are losers
Staying quiet and acquiescing is self-immolation -- the only 'safety' is in vocal, public, popular confrontation
Every CEO and media figure will learn this the hard way as well
Staying quiet and acquiescing is self-immolation -- the only 'safety' is in vocal, public, popular confrontation
Every CEO and media figure will learn this the hard way as well
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
For all you non-Finns out there: This is what two years of unfettered far-right governance can do to a Nordic welfare state.
Another small update from #Finland under the most right wing government in history: aside from record breaking, still increasing unemployment- at a time when the rest of the EU has almost record _low_ unemployment - the government’s #austerity cuts will also drop 31 000 kids to below poverty line.
31 000 lasta putoaa köyhyyteen hallituksen toimien seurauksena. Työttömyysaste rikkoi 10 % rajan sitten 90-luvun laman. Jos tämä ei ole talouspolitiikan epäonnistuminen, niin mikä sitten?
yle.fi/a/74-2018449...
yle.fi/a/74-2018449...
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
For all you non-Finns out there: This is what two years of unfettered far-right governance can do to a Nordic welfare state.
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
in retrospect, it was a mistake to teach algebra and geometry but not "statistics for everyone" in high school
we are drowning in lies, partly because we never learned to swim
we are drowning in lies, partly because we never learned to swim
September 23, 2025 at 7:35 AM
in retrospect, it was a mistake to teach algebra and geometry but not "statistics for everyone" in high school
we are drowning in lies, partly because we never learned to swim
we are drowning in lies, partly because we never learned to swim
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
A lot of people worked for years to expose the scandal of Robodebt. But the big lie of ‘mutual obligation’ is still official policy in Australia. Until we treat people seeking help with respect, this stuff will continue
September 24, 2025 at 12:03 PM
A lot of people worked for years to expose the scandal of Robodebt. But the big lie of ‘mutual obligation’ is still official policy in Australia. Until we treat people seeking help with respect, this stuff will continue
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
A mix of high borrowing costs, dwindling job openings and growing economic and political uncertainty have left many U.S. households at a standstill, with many Americans saying they feel unable to buy new homes, take new jobs or move to new cities.
Many Americans can’t buy homes, get jobs or move in this stuck economy
Many Americans feel stuck economically due to high borrowing costs, fewer job openings and uncertainty.
wapo.st
September 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM
A mix of high borrowing costs, dwindling job openings and growing economic and political uncertainty have left many U.S. households at a standstill, with many Americans saying they feel unable to buy new homes, take new jobs or move to new cities.
ALP could have changed incentives on renting but have shown little thought & pretty much no interest in renters www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
'Literally no affordable housing': The holiday homes hollowing out towns
With one of the nation's highest proportions of Airbnbs, some of WA's most popular tourist towns face a dilemma. Tourism is their biggest breadwinner — but with a housing crisis in full swing, short-t...
www.abc.net.au
September 22, 2025 at 10:50 AM
ALP could have changed incentives on renting but have shown little thought & pretty much no interest in renters www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
Reading this now is pretty chilling. Bolt is an evil coward. And Lord Downer. Truth matters. overland.org.au/previous-iss...
feature | John Martinkus - Overland literary journal
Baghdad. Friday, 16 October 2004. Almost as soon as my vehicle left the front gates of the compound, I realised something was wrong. There was a black car behind us that seemed to be following. As we ...
overland.org.au
September 16, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Reading this now is pretty chilling. Bolt is an evil coward. And Lord Downer. Truth matters. overland.org.au/previous-iss...
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
5/6
The point that is often forgotten is that by controlling their own external imbalances, which in turn allows them to control the external imbalances of their trade partners, countries that exercise more economic sovereignty are able to design not only their own industrial...
The point that is often forgotten is that by controlling their own external imbalances, which in turn allows them to control the external imbalances of their trade partners, countries that exercise more economic sovereignty are able to design not only their own industrial...
September 16, 2025 at 5:06 AM
5/6
The point that is often forgotten is that by controlling their own external imbalances, which in turn allows them to control the external imbalances of their trade partners, countries that exercise more economic sovereignty are able to design not only their own industrial...
The point that is often forgotten is that by controlling their own external imbalances, which in turn allows them to control the external imbalances of their trade partners, countries that exercise more economic sovereignty are able to design not only their own industrial...
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
Tacit support enables this.
"Where is the world? Where are the Arab nations?"
This Palestinian girl broke down as she described an Israeli attack that targeted her family’s shelter in Gaza City.
This Palestinian girl broke down as she described an Israeli attack that targeted her family’s shelter in Gaza City.
September 15, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Tacit support enables this.
IMO many of these schemes are set up to make LW voters believe something effective is happening. In reality even HAFF is poor www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
Maya fled family violence, only to spend eight years in housing limbo
As family violence survivor and mother-of-two, Maya was assessed as a high priority for social housing. Eight years later, she's finally moved into a suitable home in outer-suburban Melbourne, with vu...
www.abc.net.au
September 15, 2025 at 12:18 PM
IMO many of these schemes are set up to make LW voters believe something effective is happening. In reality even HAFF is poor www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
Bluesky. Sadly, There’s no debate, you’re acceptable or ignored.
September 14, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Bluesky. Sadly, There’s no debate, you’re acceptable or ignored.
Still hopeful it will change here
August 26, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Still hopeful it will change here
He’s talking bluesky. Hmm…It has been disappointing. I’m back over there for housing discussion, might be in amongst a ton of crap but at least it gets discussed.
August 26, 2025 at 9:31 PM
He’s talking bluesky. Hmm…It has been disappointing. I’m back over there for housing discussion, might be in amongst a ton of crap but at least it gets discussed.
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
My latest for the LRB is on the insights of David Graeber's 'baseline communism', and 'dialling to the left'. As @aycacu.bsky.social puts it, Graeber was an anthropologist of human possibilities.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Richard Seymour · Baseline Communism: David Graeber’s Innovations
In his critique of economics, as in his philippic against ‘bullshit jobs’, Graeber stresses the political decisions...
www.lrb.co.uk
August 6, 2025 at 5:24 PM
My latest for the LRB is on the insights of David Graeber's 'baseline communism', and 'dialling to the left'. As @aycacu.bsky.social puts it, Graeber was an anthropologist of human possibilities.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
The left really need to get onto understanding housing. Here’s a great conv about impacts on young podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
Generation Rent: How Housing Costs Are Exporting Ireland's Future
Podcast Episode · The David McWilliams Podcast · 31/07/2025 · 33m
podcasts.apple.com
August 4, 2025 at 10:03 PM
The left really need to get onto understanding housing. Here’s a great conv about impacts on young podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
Reposted by Hannah Thompson
Success: Six months ago The Klaxon kicked off its Dark Money investigative series, into how fossil fuels and vested interests are using sham “grassroots” fronts to attack renewables.
The Senate has now launched an inquiry into exactly that…(ICYMI:)
theklaxon.com.au/anti-voice-g...
The Senate has now launched an inquiry into exactly that…(ICYMI:)
theklaxon.com.au/anti-voice-g...
Anti-Voice group spreading "whale death" lies - The Klaxon
The group that ran the "No" campaign against the Indigenous Voice in now at the heart of an anti-offshore wind disinformation network.
theklaxon.com.au
August 1, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Success: Six months ago The Klaxon kicked off its Dark Money investigative series, into how fossil fuels and vested interests are using sham “grassroots” fronts to attack renewables.
The Senate has now launched an inquiry into exactly that…(ICYMI:)
theklaxon.com.au/anti-voice-g...
The Senate has now launched an inquiry into exactly that…(ICYMI:)
theklaxon.com.au/anti-voice-g...
Is it still true there is a shortage of psychologists? Has this become a truism, helps undermine & introduce cheaper less trained services & online help? Most psychs seem to have vacancies & clinics not taking less grads. Private services are out of financial reach, but this is a different problem.
The #SundayShot is up for your viewing and/or listening pleasure!
Insights from @cherylkernot.bsky.social & (occasionally frozen but always audible) @beneltham.bsky.social on a big week in local & global politics + an analysis of the dire state of our universities.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTEB...
Insights from @cherylkernot.bsky.social & (occasionally frozen but always audible) @beneltham.bsky.social on a big week in local & global politics + an analysis of the dire state of our universities.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTEB...
Educate thyself - July 27 - Ben Eltham and Cheryl Kernot
YouTube video by The Sunday Shot
www.youtube.com
July 28, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Is it still true there is a shortage of psychologists? Has this become a truism, helps undermine & introduce cheaper less trained services & online help? Most psychs seem to have vacancies & clinics not taking less grads. Private services are out of financial reach, but this is a different problem.
Economists sensibly & respectfully discussing reality of immigration and impacts on housing, infrastructure and wider economy. It can be done podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
Can We Cope With This Level of Immigration?
Podcast Episode · The David McWilliams Podcast · 15/07/2025 · 33m
podcasts.apple.com
July 16, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Economists sensibly & respectfully discussing reality of immigration and impacts on housing, infrastructure and wider economy. It can be done podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...