Australians are being warned democracy is under stress as trust in politics declines, although it hasn’t reached breaking point, AAP reports:

Fewer than one-in-three people reported having trust in government officials, with the main concerns including the lack of transparency around decision-making, public sector inefficiency and a disconnection between politicians and the community. 

Democratic backsliding across the world has become a norm,” Charles Sturt University deputy vice-chancellor of research Mark Evans said on Wednesday, as he launched his report into Australian democracy at Parliament House.

“We see a picture of a democracy in Australia under stress, but not in crisis,” he said.

There were concerns about “the perceived failure of governments to deliver solutions to pressing issues such as the cost-of-living crisis” as well as political donations and government advertising undermining the fairness of elections. 

Australia needs to breach the trust divide by making the system of government more representative, accountable, collaborative and responsive to the policy needs of citizens,” he said 

There had to be “a stronger focus on integrity in politics, ensuring that governments and politicians deliver tangible policy outcomes for the public”, he said.

“They want to see more collaborative politics, they want to see more cleaner politics,” he said.

Which makes complete sense. You can read some of Bill Browne’s work in that same area, here.

The Jewish Council of Australia has come out with very strong condemnation of Donald Trump’s suggestion the United States will ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip and move Palestinian people elsewhere:

“We furthermore condemn the cynical use of humanitarian language by Trump to justify his egregious plan. This language  adds insult to injury given the mounting evidence collected by human rights organisations about Israel’s gross violations of International Humanitarian Law in its 15-months long attack on the Gaza strip. Palestinians have a right to return and a right to remain in Gaza.“

Dr Max Kaiser, Executive Officer, Jewish Council of Australia, said: 

Donald Trump’s declaration that the United States should ‘take over’ Gaza and ‘own it’ is a plan for ethnic cleansing. This reflects the most extreme and dangerous elements of Israel’s far-right agenda. Forced displacement of Gaza’s population would be a blatant violation of international law and an assault on the fundamental rights of Palestinians.

We unequivocally condemn Trump’s rhetoric and the push to erase Palestinian presence from their homeland. The idea that the US or any other power can claim ownership of Gaza is a grotesque colonial fantasy, one that disregards the suffering of millions and paves the way for further violence.

Palestinians have the right to return to their homes, to rebuild their lives, and to determine their own future. We call on the Australian government to reject this dangerous rhetoric and reaffirm its commitment to international law and Palestinian self-determination.’

Antony Loewenstein, independent journalist, author of The Palestine Laboratory, and Jewish Council of Australia Advisory Committee member, said:

‘The ethnic cleansing of Palestine has been a long-term dream of the Israeli Right and it’s a view shared by many in the Israeli public and Jewish Diaspora. We must stand against the forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza, the West Bank or Israel itself. What Trump and Netanyahu are proposing will not bring Israel security but in fact the opposite; growing global outrage against Jewish supremacy in Palestine dressed up as a humanitarian act.’

More Australian politicians are responding to Donald Trump’s planned illegal invasion and take over of Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians who live there – but so far, the major parties are sticking to either silence, or old lines.

We are now in a situation where the president of the United States, who controls a military Australia has agreements with and ADF personnel stationed within, is speaking about using that military to ‘take over’ and ‘own’ another sovereign nation and forcibly resettle the population into surrounding sovereign states or face collapse themselves, like its a real estate deal and not a complete break in international law – and our leaders are silent.

Lidia Thorpe is among those using her platform to fill the silence.

As is former Labor senator and left firebrand, Doug Cameron:

Just on the looming health insurance rise, Greg Jericho has already covered off why private health is such a dud in Australia:

https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/private-health-insurance-is-a-dud-thats-why-a-majority-of-australians-dont-have-it/

Any looming rise in health insurance premiums would be “proportionate”, Mark Butler has said, in this report from AAP – that is in response to fears of a large increase:

Data from comparison business Compare Club has shown a projected rise for 2025 of six per cent, up from previous increases of 3.03 per cent in 2024, and 2.9 per cent in 2023.

Under such an increase, customers would be forced to fork out an extra $369 per year for their policy. Young families could be hit with an increase of up to $248 per year, while retired couples face an average premium of more than $5967 a year. But Health Minister Mark Butler said attempts by health insurers to impose a six per cent rise would be slapped down, after previously rejecting suggestions by companies.

“It is my responsibility as health minister to ensure that any private health insurance premium increase is justified and proportionate,” he said.

“I’ve written to a number of private health insurers and asked them to resubmit a more reasonable figure that is in the best interest for Australian consumers.”

Mr Butler previously wrote to 29 insurers in December calling for an increase in premiums that was more in line with expectations of the community. The letter came after insurers proposed a rise of between five and six per cent, which would be among the largest increases in 10 years.

“Based on the resubmissions the Department of Health received, I am not inclined to currently approve their proposed premium increases,” the health minister said.

Customers are being urged to review their policies to ensure they’re getting the best bang for their buck.

On the Coalition side, it was the Peter Dutton show (with guest appearances from Sussan Ley and Michael Sukkar)where Albanese was repeatedly when he was told of “the planned mass casualty terror attack against Sydney’s Jewish community?”. This is the second QT in a row where Dutton and the Coalition have made this the priority and today they belled the cat on why – it is part of the ongoing narrative to paint Albanese as weak. Dutton claimed, without evidence, that Albanese was not told as police thought he might leak the information.

He presented this as a “fact” despite the lack of evidence or facts to back it up and then, when pushed on the imputation included in his question revealed everything you need to know about Dutton’s political strategy: “if the prime minister claims to have been misrepresented there are avenues available to him at the end of Question Time to make that point. The statement I have made is a statement of fact. It is a statement of fact”. But based on what? Everything is a contest to Dutton, where his pronouncements are ‘facts’ but actual facts are dismissed as partisan.

Once again, Labor focused all their dixers on cost of living and recent policy announcements; the $1.7bn in additional health funding announced today, the child care fast tracked changes, as well as energy and education. Who Labor chose to ask the questions was also informative, given how close we are to the next election.

Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour was given an early, and prominent question for the second day in a row which shows you how worried Labor is about holding the seat. Labor’s vote in the NT has not recovered from the lashing Labor received in the territory election, where independents also gained a foothold in the Country Liberal Party tsunami to power.

Sally Sitou was also prominent because Reid is one of the seats Labor will also be defending. These little things, at this point of the election cycle matter. It is a way the party can show their MPs have influence and why we don’t pay attention to dixers, MPs can cut them up for their socials and use it to show that they are representing the community. Same with Tracey Roberts, the member for Pearce. Keep an eye on who pops up for the rest of this sitting.

Thankfully, Anthony Albanese calls time on question time, with an announcement he is going to be asked questions by budding journalists for Behind the News. He invites “Dennis” up in the press gallery to come and watch it, which can only be the Australian’s political editor Dennis Shanahan and truly, I do not know what the young journalists would have done to Albanese to deserve such treatment.

The Greens MP for Ryan, Elizabeth Watson-Brown (who is facing a challenge from both Labor and the Liberals to hold on to her seat and will need to finish ahead of Labor to have any chance to win (Watson-Brown won from third at the last election in a fun example of three cornered contests) asks the next independent question:

“Gambling reform is unfinished business in this parliament and parents are angry their kids are bombarded with gambling ads online and when they watch sports and other shows. After three years, your government has still refused to ban gambling ads. Will you accept the Greens compromise offer to ban gambling ads online that target our kid and during sport when families are watching?”

It is not going to surprise you that Labor use this question as an opportunity to attack Watson-Brown and the Greens in general. There are two sure-fire ways to judge an election is close – the shelve index skyrockets (the amount of legislation a government shelves from its agenda) and attacks against the Greens become more common than Teslas on Canberra roads.

Michelle Rowland focuses on the Greens receiving donations from a high roller gambler, which would maybe be a stronger attack if the Greens weren’t arguing to have gambling advertising reform made a priority. I mean, the Greens aren’t arguing for easier ways to gamble here?

Michael Sukkar then asks the same question Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley have been asking all question time. That sound you hear is my eye twitch taking over my brain.

Sukkar:

When was the Prime Minister first informed of the planned mass casualty terror attack against Sydney’s Jewish community?

Anthony Albanese:

“As I said before, it sounds pretty similar to previous questions. You can be – before the Australian Federal Police, ASIO and our security intelligence agencies in peopling people safe or you can be for playing politics.”

There is a point of order on relevance. We are 17 seconds in. Good Dolly.

Albanese continues:

“I was asked a question about the police and agencies and I was speaking about the police and agencies. I am for them. We on this side are for them. Simple as that. We have confidence in them to do their work and we will back them in doing their job. That is what we will do. Continuing to engage information that is made public, they make decisions about, for example, on the day of the Maroubra child care incident, the AFP made it clear that it was their view that people were being paid to engage in some of this anti-Semitic actions. If people are being paid, who are criminals, maybe it’s a good idea to use intelligence to find out who is paying them. Maybe that’s the priority, not this political game-playing.

Those opposite, on a day in which we have announced $1.7 billion of additional health funding, they can’t ask any questions about health. They can’t ask any questions about education or TAFE, on a day in which the parliament has passed free TAFE. They can’t ask any questions about cost of living, even though they say that’s the number one priority because the only policy they have is free lunches. That is why they’re reduced to criticising and undermining the work of our police and our security agencies.”