As the USA-Israel war machine kills and injures more people in Iran and beyond, driving the world towards recession, or more likely depression, Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago mate Pauline Hanson has been doing what she does best, fear-mongering and lying to the Australian public.

Federal parliament has now wrapped for 2025, but there was a last minute scuffle last week over the government's proposed amendments to Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, described by Team Albo as necessary and by opponents as undemocratic, or worse.

In the midst of a freezing Canberra winter, federal parliament returned last week for the first time since the May election. The 48th Australian Parliament is the Albo show, with 24 new Labor members spreading across to what have traditionally been the Coalition benches, in an encroaching red wave.

Following a disastrous election for the Liberal Party, in which the deputy leader of the Nationals Perin Davey also lost her seat, Nationals leader David Littleproud has formally ended the Coalition agreement which has underpinned conservative politics for decades.

Last week, Simon Holmes à Court and Clive Palmer presented two very different visions for the future of independent politics at the National Press Club in Canberra. They're both wealthy men, and interested in influencing the next federal parliament via the election of independent candidates, but that's where the similarities end.

While the national media was focused on the federal election announcement being delayed by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, for those of us who were close to the storm it was striking to see how differently state and federal leaders handled this situation to their predecessors.

Electoral reform legislation to cap political donations passed the Senate last week, with many crossbenchers expressing their fury at the process and the major parties claiming the moral high ground as they joined forces.

2024 is now officially the hottest year ever recorded on our planet, easily beating the previous record year of 2023 as we collectively travel up the exponential curve towards catastrophe.

In the time-honoured Australian tradition, a crucial government decision with national and international implications is about to be made while most of us are distracted by the silly season.

In the olden days, politicians would use the Christmas break to have a break, and give us a break from them. Remember Acting Prime Minister Doug Anthony running the country from a caravan at New Brighton?