David Shoebridge

I have deep concerns about the direction this platform is taking. We will continue to post here about key matters (for the moment) but please follow bsky.app/profile/davids… for comprehensive updates.

400 people in Afghanistan have just been killed in a horrific air strike on a rehabilitation centre by Pakistan. The patients were eating dinner when the attack hit. This is an abhorrent breach of international humanitarian law.

In the shadow of war in Iran and Lebanon, other governments are using this as a distraction to commit atrocities. Pakistan just carried out an appalling strike on Afghan civilians in a rehabilitation centre. We absolutely condemn this attack. theguardian.com/world/2026/mar…

What if the leader of the US, who is in effective control of Australia's defence and foreign policy, is clearly unhinged? Would the War Parties here rethink their obsequious obedience to Washington? Because that's the state of play, as this latest Trumpian outburst proves.

Read the full assessment, with all its US bias of course, here intelligence.senate.gov/wp-content/upl…

The just published US Annual Threat Assessment tells us that the US has not been able to defeat the Houthis in Yemen. Remember their drone strikes that can shut down much of the Red Sea - from Yemen that is tiny, non-industrialised and in a civil war? Compare that to Iran.

The Albanese Labor Government supports this war based on a series of lies. The US now admits that Iran was not on a credible pathway to getting nuclear weapons, yet this is a core justification the Labor Government continues to use.

We don't want Trumpian politics in Australia, but that is exactly what Labor sought to do with these laws. The question is, will they learn from another loss in the High Court, or will they continue to demonise people seeking asylum for cheap political points.

We have seen the Labor, One Nation and the Liberals whip up fear and division around immigration and try to set up a two-tier justice system based on where someone is born. It is good to see the courts pushing back.

The Albanese Labor Government has chosen to work hand-in-hand with One Nation and the Liberals to push through extreme anti-migrant and anti-refugee policies. These policies were always going to be challenged in the courts because they are so contrary to basic human rights.

Time to take Trump up on his offer - we matter so little to the US and they dominate our entire defence and foreign policy - time to end this damaging dependent relationship and have an independent foreign policy.

A high-tech Australian military surveillance plane deployed to the Middle East is providing valuable data to a United States run military operation centre which is coordinating strikes against Iran thenightly.com.au/politics/defen…

Defence Minister admits that Australia’s Wedgetail aircraft in the UAE is sending information direct to the US Combined Air Operations Centre that controls US airpower across the Middle East. This is not defensive, it’s critical to US attacks across Iran. abc.net.au/news/2026-03-1…

Hearing from both the WA Commissioner for Young People and Inspector of Custodial Services that national minimum standards for youth detention is critical - and surely not controversial to have a national law that says “you cannot torture children”

Heading into a hearing from 930 Perth time (1230 Sydney) and feeling the weight of it. The organisations appearing today including ALS WA, Hello Initiative, and FISH are on the ground every day doing what parliament should be supporting. Our job today is to listen hard.

“Lesson learned.” Eric and William deserve the “2026 most chilled out kayakers hit by hot air balloon on Canberra lake” award. Good stuff. abc.net.au/news/2026-03-1…

Wrapping up today’s hearing, to head off to Perth for tomorrow’s hearings, and ending with a clear call for legislative and policy reform. Don’t fall for the “tough on crime” rhetoric, instead do what’s effective.

Australian Association of Restorative Justice setting out the compelling evidence, based on randomised trials and decades of study, that shows how restorative, rather than punitive, responses to youth offending works. Keeps communities and young people far safer.

We are kicking off hearings for our National youth justice inquiry in Naarm Melbourne this morning. Starting with a powerful panel urging action from the Commonwealth government to support children and young people’s rights.

Trump, who’s dangerous war Labor, the Coalition and One Nation all support, is now desperately calling for China and NATO to help him. He has spent years mocking, insulting and attacking them. Now as his illegal war unravels he makes this call. Here’s how to fix it - end the war.

Labor, Liberal & PHON gambled with the world's economy when they first backed the US and Israel’s illegal war. Now, they’re doubling down by sending troops, missiles and planes. This bad call is leading to a wartime economic crisis here and countless civilian deaths overseas.