Launch editor @POLITICO_AUS. You know me from @axios, AI Leadership Lab, @EU_Commission and @UKgovcomms 🏳️‍🌈 🇦🇺 🇧🇪

Canberra
Joined April 2009
Late to my own news here: I'm re-joining @politico, to launch the company into Australia. We're heading heading Down Under🇦🇺 first with a Canberra Playbook. More here politico.com/blogs/politico-…
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Firefighters say put Vic Labor last, in blow to union solidarity against One Nation politico.com/news/2026/10/22…
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News24 is over-egging the situation with its description of the file as “gutter tactics.” But it wasn’t sent out as a love letter to Haines. It was sent as a tactic to deflect heat from the Marrickville Golf Club funding drama, and the government should be honest about that.
PM Anthony Albanese on ABC 702 suggests the dirt sheet (my words) was created to highlight Helen's integrity achievements🙃. The title of the doc was 'In the past two years - the member for Indi has asked for more than $1.8 billion worth of funding for projects she's selected.'
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"Definitely billions" -- the size of the budget hole created by rising bond yields, @JEChalmers tells @POLITICO_AUS Canberra Playbook Podcast politico.com/news/2026/10/22…
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Full report: Labor women confronted Meta about threats to Australian MPs before Haines attack politico.com/news/2026/10/21…
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In @POLITICO_AUS Canberra Playbook -- Labor women took on Meta over online threats to MPs — Police want advance warning of MP events, AI tools to fight threats — Read the “dirt file” Labor shopped about Helen Haines politico.com/newsletters/can…
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Female Australian Labor MPs confronted Meta about threats to them on the company's platforms -- before the Helen Haines attack. They claim that Antigone Davis, global head of safety at Meta, was shocked to hear rape and death threats are common. politico.com/news/2026/10/21…
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Australian police to use counterterrorism tech to tackle rising threats to MPs politico.com/news/2026/10/20…
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When you hear Trump's team brag about how much they have given to Ukraine, here are the actual numbers.
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Australian police to use counterterrorism tech to tackle rising threats to MPs @Paul_Karp reports on the AFP's new plans to extend their new terror work to the protection of MPs, after Helen Haines attack. politico.com/news/2026/10/20…
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EU to Australia: "Once negotiations are done, they're done" The @EU_Commission has ruled out renegotiating its free trade agreement with Australia, putting it on a collision course with Australia’s Coalition opposition that is threatening to block the deal in the Senate. #trade politico.com/news/2026/10/20…
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Australia's lobbying industry is rebranding in the wake of One Nation's rise. The major party focus of Australia’s lobbying industry is shifting, with Australia’s political influencers betting that a three-way political system could be emerging, reports @miriamlwebber. While the party is still in scaleup mode, that’s a major opportunity for lobbyists to influence, and to show they're trendsetters. Case in point: Former Liberal adviser David Gazard, who runs DPG Advisory, has leaned into media coverage of his decision to hire Hollie Hughes — a former Liberal senator who became a One Nation party member earlier this year. politico.com/news/2026/10/20…
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My interview w/ @politicoryan on writing Gough Whitlam's biography, his political gifts and governing failures, lessons to learn and how he would push Anthony Albanese to go ‘bigger and bolder’ on economic/social reform. @POLITICO_AUS @politico #auspol politico.com/news/2026/10/19…
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Exclusive: A former Vice Chief of Defence will join top technology experts on a new taskforce to help Australia tackle artificial intelligence threats in the wake of the OpenAI breach of Services Australia @caitlynrintoul thenightly.com.au/politics/t…
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It is just horrible what has happened to Helen Haines MP. She is a simply wonderful human and MP. Micro case in point: the last time I interviewed her, which was on the topic of increasing integrity in public funding (of course!), she — a nurse and midwife — saw I had an irritated eye, saw it was distracting me. She laid me out on her couch and administered some special eye drops she had on hand, before she would let the interview start. No person in public life should face violence — and yet it hurts all the more because it's Helen. politico.com/news/2026/10/19…
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Andrew Hastie blasts One Nation's "MAGA-style politics" after the party published a cartoon mocking Lambie's prolapsed vagina, as @PaulineHansonOz tells Sen. Jacqui Lambie to "get over it" politico.com/news/2026/10/19…
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Crypto is going mainstream, and so is crypto tax transparency. Labor is bringing crypto transactions into the global tax reporting framework, helping ensure everyone pays their fair share. Have your say on our draft legislation by 28 October. consult.treasury.gov.au/c202… #auspol #ausecon
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One Nation has gotten good at sitting week agenda setting — now getting in the habit with non-sitting week Monday table-setting statements
Media Release: One Nation will reverse Dr Chalmers’ budget experiments One Nation will fix Dr Jim Chalmers’ destructive budget experiments by reversing his capital gains tax and trust changes. One Nation will also protect negative gearing for up to two investment properties and vows to fight any plan by the Treasurer to impose death taxes and taxes on the family home. One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said Australians were paying for a Treasurer who had no idea what he was doing and the Albanese Labor government who just cannot stop spending and driving up inflation. “Dr Jim Chalmers is experimenting on the Australian economy, and everyday Australians are his guinea pigs.” Senator Pauline Hanson said. “He’s playing with your home, your rent, your business and your savings. When his experiments fail, Australians will pay dearly. “He has smashed business confidence, cut off business investment and helped send the property market into free fall. “Already, more than 1,100 households who bought through Labor’s expanded five per cent deposit scheme are now estimated to owe more than their homes are worth. “Labor encouraged them into the market, then pulled the rug out from under them. “They botched the ATO credit card ban and lied about their involvement. They were forced to back down on their widow tax. Now accountants warn Labor’s trust changes could cost Australians billions in unnecessary advice and restructuring. “Labor couldn’t run a corner shop. But they know how to send one broke. “One Nation will restore the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount and scrap Labor’s proposed 30 per cent minimum tax on trusts. “The status quo of allowing unlimited taxpayer concessions for property tycoons was not working for Australians. The Liberal plan to back the broken model protecting property moguls makes no sense. “One Nation would continue to allow Australians to negatively gear up to two investment properties. “Anthony Albanese has pulled the ladder up behind him on young people trying to break into the property market, protecting tax concessions for existing properties. This includes the Prime Minister’s own ocean view clifftop house in Copacabana, the hundreds of properties held by his own cabinet and the thousands of properties held by property tycoons. “The Labor government must answer whether members of cabinet who benefited from grandfathering negative gearing concessions recused themselves from voting on the measures given their conflict of interest. “Australians should be able to work hard, invest and get ahead. For many young Australians, an investment property was one way they could get a foot into the property market. “One Nation will end this disastrous experiment and reverse Chalmers’ destructive budget experiments. “And we will draw a line around the family home and stop any plans for Labor’s death taxes. “It’s not enough that you already work several days a week to pay for Labor’s uncontrolled spending. Because Labor cannot control their own spending, they will keep coming back to shake you down for more. “My warning is that your family home, your super, and what you leave your children will be in the firing line next. “Labor broke its promises on negative gearing and capital gains tax. Why would Australians trust anything they say? “One Nation will never impose a death tax. We will never impose a tax on the family home. “You should not have to spend your life paying for Labor’s spending addiction, then have them send your children the final bill.”
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Ed Husic is today's Canberra Playbook Podcast guest: He says Cabinet is turning into a "cucumber sandwich society" and that if Labor doesn't learn how to debate more internally, it'll lose the ability to beat One Nation at the ballot box playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=POL…
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