Guardian AU
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation withdrew more than $800,000 of election spending claims after AEC inquiries
One Nation quietly withdrew over $800,000 in election spending claims after the Australian Electoral Commission raised questions about the legitimacy of the expenses. The withdrawals are part of a broader AEC examination into the party's $6 million public funding claim following the last federal election. The scrutiny raises serious questions about One Nation's financial compliance and whether taxpayer-funded election payments were properly accounted for.
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‘Enforcement mode’: Australia must take fight to tech giants to make social media ban stick, experts warn
Australia's decision to double fines for social media platforms breaching its youth ban to $99 million means little without robust enforcement, experts warn. Larger penalties are only effective if regulators actively hold tech giants accountable for the content hosted on their platforms. The government must now shift from legislating to enforcing, or risk the landmark ban becoming little more than symbolic.
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‘Tech firms are losing the public’: social media age bans near tipping point
Governments worldwide are moving toward minimum age requirements for social media access, with the UK joining Australia and others in pushing back against big tech's grip on young users. The shift marks a growing political consensus that platforms have failed to self-regulate, fueled in part by whistleblowers like former Meta engineer Arturo Béjar, who says parents globally share a deep fear of their children going online. Tech giants are fighting the restrictions hard, but the tide of public opinion may have finally turned against them.
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Treasurer promises to 'fix' property tax oversight, but won't say how exactly
The Treasurer has pledged to address a flaw in the government's property tax reform that leaves widows and divorcees financially exposed, but has stopped short of detailing any specific plan. The vague commitment has drawn scrutiny given the targeted nature of those affected. Until concrete measures are outlined, the promise offers little certainty to the people it claims to protect.
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Does Pauline Hanson's claim of growing support in the ACT pass the pub test?
One Nation is setting its sights on the ACT as the party rides a wave of rising national support, challenging assumptions about Canberra's reliably left-leaning political character. While the territory remains a tough battleground for minor right-wing parties, shifting voter sentiment across Australia suggests the capital may not be as immune to populist appeal as once thought. Whether the numbers translate into real electoral traction will be the true measure of Hanson's ambitions in Australia's political heartland.
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