The Policy Guy

Strategic thinking is complicated in a democracy. Strategic thinking is even more complicated in a federated (Commonwealth and States) system Strategic thinking is near impossible with 3-year (short term) electoral cycles Strategic thinking is dead in this country, where constituents fail to identify and execute means for exacting accountability from the elected

Nicole Kidman is enjoying the view upstairs, I heard. But how to maintain this serenity, peace and prosperity is up to us. Where is Australia in its strategic thinking ? Like Japan, high time to get out of complacency and sycophancy to the regional bully.

This was such an obvious play. Astounded it took this long. I'm not in Vic - so I'm unsure what Jess Wilson / LNP had proposed. If they had not already prompted this initiative, they're confirmed losers. Why? ALP was always going to do this. You want to steal credit by making it look like you're the one with foresight, compassion, etc

'Free public transport in Victoria through April as fuel prices continue to climb' So its Victoria that takes the lead on fuel conservation, not Albo... abc.net.au/news/2026-03-2…

not a big deal. for those who've ever implemented HR/Payroll systems, they should appreciate this is possibly the first function, and the first set of processes, targetted for automation (agentic AI blah blah). I personally know of one mining company (behemoth) where HR are desperately trying to find their own way into core operational environments (project co-ordinators and the like) as they have the early news on what is coming down the highway these rats won't be around long.

Firm handshake used to be all you needed to get a solid graduate job back in the day Now you’re gonna be subject to humiliation rituals where you have to send a 1 minute video showcasing your unique flair to HR for their amusement Adult day care

@RizviAbul @TMFScottP This is possibly the dumbest take that one could possibly muster...well done you

@TMFScottP What level of subsidy to oil multinationals would that have cost the taxpayer over the past 10 years? How many extra days of fuel would that have provided?

With the fuel crisis front and centre, I'm pushing this again. We learned *nothing* from COVID. We should have had redundancy in the system, in the form of stockpiles. We have been badly let down by the last government, and by this one.

Adam, Scott is 100% here. The flaw in your logic was to dissociate 'stockpile' from 'long term'. I'm not sure why you didn't see that. You were bang on about the sovereign risk however, to which my question simply becomes 'what do you define as long term' (which in this case is a perpetually adjusted volume of diesel for instance, measured in megalitres) From which.....you can adjust your stockpiles accordingly. Another aspect that is missed (i swear, 99.9% of commenters are missing 99.9% of what matters) is that what we're discussing here is in the realm of risk management. As you will appreciate, there are many means to treat risk (mitigate, avoid, transfer, insure, etc etc). Which means we ought also adjust our risk exposure in the first place, by considering - when viable and feasible to do so - mechanisms to reduce the risk before we need to treat it, i.e by shifting away from diesel where we can

@TMFScottP Firstly, I’m not calling for a taxpayer funded industry. Not having Diesel is an existential threat. If we can’t grow or transport food, we’re done. Stockpiles run out! Long term solutions are required

Scott, whilst it's great you're promoting a conversation on this, it's disappointing you walk away with the line "it's not enough" You've got a critical mass on this platform. You're also not a complete fucken Muppet like 95% of the influencers on here. So why not prosecute to that next level? I note, with disdain, the predictable idiotic commentary that exasperates on this, suggesting it'll lead to a Logan's Run or a Soylent Green. Even more frustrating and demoralising, these idiots usually sit on the same side of the political spectrum as I... to the right. The difference is that most of these individuals are utterly intellectually hijacked by the fabricated lies of their 'book' (Bible, Quran, etc). I don't have significant experience with or exposure to the elderly. But i have enough. And their experience is appalling. Inhuman. Why any even remotely empathetic person would wish this 'end of the journey' on others is beyond me. If more people actually observed the conditions at a retirement home or aged care facility, they may reflect as you are now. But here's the reality. Most elderly in these environments receive no visitors. Their children still exist, but simply do not bother to visit. This is not merely my observation, it's a statistical fact. We condemn these people to utterly inhuman 'lives', where they lie in a tiny bed, intellectually and physically wasting away. Maybe overfed. Maybe underfed. Occasionally assaulted, as we have evidence of. Maybe sexually assaulted. Certainly frequently neglected....not rolled in bed, not cleaned and washed as they ought to be. This is humanity's last outpost of immorality. Not murder, not rape, not slavery. Because with each of these we realise they are wrongs, to be prevented or punished. Strangely, in condemning the elderly around us, we also condemn ourselves. But what is most antagonising about this... 1. If you do not wish for this sort of practice to support your own end of life... that's entirely on you. But how dare you project this upon others. 2. It's generally conservatives who are so 'anti' this level of humanitarianism. I even know a few of the 'absolute libertarian' type (freedom of this, that and the other) for whom 'absence of freedom' is their take on this matter 3. You'll notice the immediate 'idiot fringe' response tantamount to "so we just kill everyone who's inconvenient, i see".....but absolve themselves of ANY thinking of what you call guardrails (governance mechanisms). This is proof positive they don't want to help, they're just inculcated buffoons wanting to propound their ideological bias. They should be shamed and ignored and society should progress with haste on this important matter

If we're truly a caring society, this is a no-brainer. VAD is a huge step forward, but it's not enough for those with dementia, and their families.

@KosSamaras Kos Samaras - proudly cheering on the ALP whilst ON soldiers into government. First it will be federal upper house BoP, then DD, then majority senate if not house.

The fuel crisis isn’t going to save the Coalition. It might actually finish them. Not because Albanese is popular. But because the voters the Coalition desperately needs, outer-suburban, culturally conservative, economically stressed, some are still there. Just. And every week of performative grievance politics, and empty noise brings them one step closer to a door marked One Nation. These aren’t natural protesters. They don’t leave easily. They value loyalty. They’ve been quietly filing away disappointments for years and giving the Coalition the benefit of the doubt. But there’s a threshold. And the Coalition keeps walking toward it. I’ve written about why crises don’t automatically punish governments and why the real danger here isn’t for Albanese. It’s for a conservative movement that still hasn’t learned the most basic lesson: even right-leaning voters want adults in the room. Link in the thread.

@MarioNawfal Pounding an enemy into submission is a key tenet of military strategy. But @MarioNawfal ... You seem to think this is unusual or unwarranted?

🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷 For 4 decades Iran watched the West try to strangle its economy through sanctions on oil and banking. So it built steel. Cheap to produce, domestically sourced, $6.5 billion a year in exports that bypassed every restriction the West could impose. Mobarakeh. Esfahan. Khuzestan. 3 plants that became the financial spine of a country learning to survive in isolation. Last night all 3 were hit simultaneously by Israel. Whoever planned these strikes were targeting Iran's will to keep going.

Glad to provide some comments to this story. The overwhelming question in my mind, is what happened to the same subsidy deal announced by the QLD government two years ago?

Pauline you're right to look to cull significant portions of our regulatory environment. I have far more experience than most of these environments, and many Aussies would be shocked to see what little value they're getting from such entities. Some can be culled outright, immediately Others given a clear set of objectives to work to and dramatically scaled back At a minimum, 90% of regulators should take a 20% haircut, which they can save from inevitably failed CAPEX projects.

@Lochness4000 Abolish the climate change department, abolish aboriginal affairs and make it based on need, cut and cap the NDIS, tax gas properly, pay down debt to reduce interest expenses

The coalition calling for a halving of the fuel excise is welcome news. We look forward to working with them to achieve One Nation's policy of a full removal of the excise with compensation for truckies and dealing with the GST on fuel. After 3 months, let's review how that's going but Australians need relief now. We also need to have an emergency declared under the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984 so that we can force Big Oil to put supplies into the regions and stop the price gouging.

Pauline you're right to look to cull significant portions of our regulatory environment. I have far more experience than most of these environments, and many Aussies would be shocked to see what little value they're getting from such entities. Some can be culled outright, immediately Others given a clear set of objectives to work to and dramatically scaled back At a minimum, 90% of regulators should take a 20% haircut, which they can save from inevitably failed CAPEX projects.

@AlboMP If that's what you call help, I'd hate to see what you call hindrance

Our top priority is helping Australians with the cost of living.

Good morning Australia, The prime minister called you dark forces Labor MP Patrick Gorman called you rats and rejects They all call you racists and bigots The blame you for the fuel crisis They give immigrants houses, whilst Australians go homeless Vote one nation 🇦🇺

@PaulineHansonOz Sorry this one's off topic Pauline - but let's make sure we call out Albanese's constant efforts to hoodwink Australians. x.com/negativevortex…

@MRobertsQLD Thanks Malcolm. Yes, I'm aware of your tireless efforts in the Senate. Two things (among others) we should value in our Senators, are their efforts to: * Increase transparency * Demand accountability We see your pretty indefatigable efforts on both these fronts. Thank you.

@negativevortex_ Agreed That’s why we opposed it when it was first announced I mentioned it again in senate a couple of days ago

Although the Coalition-Labor Uniparty did not bomb Iran, they destroyed our energy independence They killed our fuel independence: • oil exploration • oil production • oil refining They push UN Net Zero They destroyed our energy security They made us dependent on others

With so much horseshit floating around X, it is a shame that intelligent discourse like this isn't in the frame more. Relates to independence of the role of GG and whether Sam Mostyn should feel - and be at liberty to pursue such ideologically bent pursuits

@Katherine_deves then the first thing to do is stop complaining & start acting. if you don't like politicians, you don't want even more of them correct? by that logic - the attached article outlines the problem, and the course of action. x.com/negativevortex…

Want to know why our societies are self-destructing? Albanese, Starmer & Khan All Fabian Society wolves in sheep’s clothing Communism by stealth - not bloodshed & revolution, but slow, systematic capture of all the institutions & mass control of the people #AustraliaFirst

@AlboMP x.com/negativevortex…

Things are uncertain around the world, and we’re responding the Australian way - by looking after people.