Ben Oquist

If you believe politics can be a force for good, if you are interested in research that makes a difference, this is for you. 2022 annekantorfellowship.org.au A paid graduate style program providing on-the-job training either at @TheAusInstitute or with a partner organisation

Mission accomplished with 800 kids planting over 2,300 trees and shrubs for @OneTreePerChild here with @GreaterDandy city council in Dandenong. A great day! A big thanks to all the schools and kids who took part. #SchoolsTreeDay

Such a loss and such brutal unfairness to lose Sophie like this. Her work on raise the age and getting kids out of prison has been groundbreaking. I’m certain it has turned hundreds, and in time will turn thousands, of young peoples’ lives in the right direction 😢⚖️💔

Great news. Fine appointment.

Still time to register for the 4th National Manufacturing Summit 2-3 August, Old Parliament House. Co-sponsored by @WeldAustralia, @CntrFutureWork & others. Theme: maximising the domestic manufacturing spin-offs from the energy transition. Program & rego: manufacturingsummit.com.au

It's promising to see the @WhiteHouse taking action on AI today, while acknowledging that we can't repeat the same social media mistakes. This is just a first step, and we look forward to supporting lawmakers in creating safe & humane AI guardrails. bit.ly/3O67aAG

I find myself clinging to the deepest core of my being — from which emotions emerge, from which inspiration flows. I want to build a wall around this region and say: “This is essence of being human. It is never going to be replicated by machine.” nytimes.com/2023/07/13/opi…

The hardest thing I have done, to give my darling husband Hugh a funeral that celebrated his life, his astonishing career. Friends and family came with love and I arranged the all-Australian flowers for his coffin. It almost broke me to tuck an English rose into the gum leaves

Amazing story, beautiful footage and massive #economic worry out of China.

What a great reminder of past Royal Commission stitch-ups from ⁦@J_C_Campbell⁩ Sunday ⁦@dailytelegraph⁩ ⁦@theheraldsun⁩ dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/c…

This podcast explores why it’s so hard to get it right when it comes to money and politics. Transparency is a great start but there’s a real risk we reduce competition in politics by embedding incumbents. We need a level playing field. #auspol podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/fol…

Todays Canberra Times. Thanks to the Australia Institute ⁦@RDNS_TAI⁩ for this tribute. ⁦⁦@MondayStory⁩ ,⁦@HughSaddler⁩ ⁦@simonahac⁩

Starting very shortly, if you’re at home and wanted to watch link below. Join @RichardCBeasley, @river_man9, Michael Vanderzee and myself for a yarn. Livestream - youtube.com/watch?v=idRdS0…

So many important things in this @ezraklein @nytimes piece for politics and #economics ⬇️ afr.com/world/north-am…

I wrote about Threads, but was actually an excuse to reflect on how much I miss @Colvinius afr.com/technology/eve…

It’s Robodebt day. Imagine this.. Your money, our money, commissioned a report that found deep flaws within a scheme that drove countless Australians to suicide. But the company (PWC) that was paid nearly $1 million, buried its findings because their masters would not like the findings. After all, there is always the next contract that they could get wrong or bury. We, taxpayers, paid them to reveal lethal and destructive flaws in a scheme that hounded many loved ones into their grave. The poorest and most marginalised Australians. Leaking confidential tax information is bad. This is much worse and if you are on my side of politics you should indeed consider it much much worse. Why did it take the leaking of tax information to trigger a broader look into this mob? Why not this? Simple answer really. On this occasion the victims were the poor.

(New from me): Australian energy ministers to consider renaming natural gas to ‘fossil gas’ in law theguardian.com/australia-news…

Coming up on @abcnews @MattDoran91 #afternoonbriefing to chat some #auspol with @rynoliddell #adelaideabc

Energy transition titan Hugh Saddler’s quest to cut emissions leaves lasting legacy theguardian.com/australia-news…

For those who can’t attend Hugh’s funeral in person please join us virtually norwoodpark.com.au/service-stream…