The Socialists have reached Queensland, and here’s how they plan to help you!

Posted in Advertising, Human Rights by tjwithersauthor

This week, I found out the Victorian Socialists, spearheaded by Jordan Van Den Lamb (aka Purple Pingers), have made it to the sunshine state.

Yayyyyy!

As they launch their campaign to build an official political party in Queensland, like the one they have down south, I have joined with gusto.

I mean, founding members like me pay only $10 a year, which I can actually afford omg.

But I also genuinely think they are so cool, no sarcasm, just a desperate Millennial finding hope in fighting back against the establishment in this, Australia’s version of late stage capitalism. 😎

Some inspiring words from Rebecca, one of their organisers, are below in quotes.

The rest is my own commentary and praise of their efforts. 👏👏🤩

check out the Queensland Socialists on insta

Why Queensland Socialists?

They say – and I agree! – that:

“Queensland desperately needs a political force that stands up to the powerful, and stands with the people who are fighting back.”

The greater Brisbane region has been dubbed the homelessness capital of Australia, and it’s for the worst of reasons:

Soaring rents…

Climbing house prices where no first home buyer has a chance anymore…

Renter’s “rights” that give you just a hint of hope, before you get to the Queensland tribunal – which is run by rich white men who are actually, surprise surprise, landlords…

Oh, and luxury skyscraper apartment blocks popping up so often that they started calling us the City of Cranes, but you can’t afford to live there unless there’s 6 people sharing a 2-bedroom… 🏗️

And all of that nonsense, which is easily avoidable by changing policy, has tragically pushed many people and their families into housing stress.

Tent cities have popped up all across South East Queensland.

But that’s not enough for the fat cats in Queensland parliament. No, in 2025, the city councils of Moreton Bay and Brisbane have “coordinated with the police to forcibly” – and in my opinion illegally – evicted residents of the tent cities in Moreton Bay and in Brisbane’s Musgrave Park.

Rebecca of the Socialists says, “Since taking office in 2024, the Crisafulli LNP government has initiated a crackdown on government spending, whilst pledging $3.8 billion to construct an Olympic stadium over public green space at Victoria Park. They have put forward a government wages policy behind inflation for Queensland’s public servants, threatening to further drive back living conditions for nurses, teachers and paramedics.”

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30Aug2025

Adolescence “uncovers” the misogyny and violence that women have been talking about for decades

Posted in Human Rights by tjwithersauthor

I forgot to post this one in March when I drafted it! Everyone, pretend you already saw it in March! 😅

Image source: compilation of stills from Adolescence on Netflix

Netflix’s popular new 4-episode show, Adolescence, is being hailed as a masterpiece in unveiling incel culture in young boys. And I agree, it is a brilliant performance by talented actors, and it is well-filmed, with each hour -long episode being filmed in one shot.

But even the show’s male producer, Stephen Graham, doesn’t seem to understand how his own misogyny creeps into his performance as Jamie’s father on the show.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Graham claims that his character is just an ordinary Dad, “a hard-working man” who works long hours.

“I didn’t want him to be a violent dad who would raise his hand to his children,” says Graham.

So why do we see this supposedly non-violent male character, being abusive against his wife and children throughout the series, before he violently attacks a young man in public in episode 4?

If this is what the “good guys” think makes a good father… If this is the type of non-violent man who “couldn’t stop” his son from becoming a murder?

Or – more likely – is this series just one more example of a man looking for someone else to blame for men’s violence?

In fact, social media itself isn’t the only scapegoat in this series.

Katie, the girl who was brutally murdered by Jamie, is blamed for her own death.

The detectives and Jamie’s family claimed Katie was “bullying” Jamie, when all she really did was say “no” when he asked her to go out with him, and posting a single emoji – albeit loaded with meaning – on one of Jamie’s posts.

Yes, and this gets cleared up fairly early in the series: In Episode 1, CCTV footage shows Jamie and Katie in an altercation. She pushes him, and he pushes her, and then he stabs her repeatedly.

What’s being said on the internet is not new. This was first all said in grumbling tones by men at the pub, and then shouted at women when those men stumbled home.

Social media isn’t the problem.

Men’s violence is.

Take action against men’s violence today:

Sign the petition to the federal government petition to STOP abusers from suing victims who dare to report to police or speak up to warn others.
Donate to frontline services who are actively helping women and children leave – and stay out of – violent relationships. I recommend DVConnect for their crisis helpline, RizeUp Australia for providing accommodation and emergency furniture, BRISSC for free counselling and art therapy, and Women’s Health and Equality Qld (WHEQ) for community events and education.
Loudly disagree whenever you hear victim-blaming language. (No matter who’s saying it!)
Hold boys accountable whenever they hurt girls or women.

Stay safe, friends. xx TJ

28Aug2025

Family Court cases you have to read to believe: Josey & Meibos

Posted in Human Rights by tjwithersauthor

The Family Court of Australia has made some really odd decisions in the past decade, which it uses as precedents when making decisions now.

There are a long list of cases that will blow your mind, and today, here’s just one of them.

In Josey & Meibos [2009] FMCAfam 470, the Family Court harshly reprimanded a mother when she changed her kids’ school to try to keep herself and her children safe from their father, who had a history of violence and anger against them.

Not only that, but the court ordered her to re-enroll the kids in their original school and creche, and ordered the mum to make all decisions like this jointly together with the dad in future.

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11Aug2025

1 in 3 Aussie men admit to abusing their partner

Posted in Human Rights by tjwithersauthor

New research released by the Australian government has found that more than 1 in 3 average Aussie men freely admit to having committed domestic violence against their partner.

It proves what many women in Australia have known for years – even if it’s “not all men”, it’s more than 1 in 3.

And that is just the men who are happy to say, yep I’m committing violent acts against against people I claim to love. The rest, we are left to wonder about.

These statistics come from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), in a longitudinal study that compares men’s health and self-reported behaviour in 2023-24 and 2013-14.

I dislike the name of this study, but I really hate the truths that the study uncovered.

In 2013-14, it was only 1 in 4 Australian men (25%) who freely admitted to having committed domestic violence against their partner.

It is not okay that more Aussie men than ever before are abusing women.

And it’s not okay that more men than ever before think this behaviour is so normal, that they’ll happily admit to committing literal crimes against women.

It cannot be overstated – these are self-reported behavioural statistics, from a huge sample size of 26,000 men.

This means these statistics really do represent what men think and do in Australia.

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1May2025

Election: What political parties did when 4 women died in one week in Australia

Posted in Human Rights by tjwithersauthor

Horrifically, during 2025’s Australian federal election campaign cycle so far, 4 women have died in one week (see Women’s Agenda).

A 45-year-old woman was murdered and her two young children grievously injured in Sydney.

Louise Hunt (42 years old) was allegedly murdered by her husband in Geham, Queensland.

Kim Duncan (65) was shot in her own living room.

And Claire Austin (38), who died in hospital after fleeing from a man believed to be her abuser. She had a court date set to get an apprehended violence order (a restraining order / protection order).

The men involved were all known or suspected of being violent or abusive before killing these women.

So with the election on this Saturday, and early voting happening at record levels, we should all ask ourselves: What are the political parties doing to keep women and children in Australia alive?

It’s a huge question, but the response from the Big Boys, Peggy Sue (Peter Dutton) and Albo (Hon. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese), has been tiny, and tokenistic at best.

In contrast, the response from The Greens and some keys independents has been massive, and meaningful for victim-survivors.

Want to keep women and children alive? Here’s who you should vote for in the Australian election.

Let’s break it down by political party.

What The Greens are doing to stop domestic violence

The Greens already do a lot to help victim-survivors of domestic and family violence (DFV) and advocate to prevent further men’s violence.

My local Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather puts a huge amount of their own salary into providing free community dinners every Monday, free school breakfasts, and advocating for housing for people at risk of being evicted.

They work with residents to fight against big developers who are trying to force them out of their own homes.

They were in the mud during the floods of Cyclone Alfred, making sandbags together with volunteers, and helping people get back on their feet.

They’re campaigning to stop pubs and clubs from adding more pokies, because we know that along with alcohol, gambling and debt are some of the most common factors in men choosing to commit violence against women.

They even have a free food pantry at their office, so you can come for a free meal, and ask for help with housing or homelessness.

Looking to the future, The Greens have launched a $15 billion comprehensive plan to address the national crisis of family, domestic, and sexual violence.

And it’s all funded by making the big corporations and mining giants pay tax – because they currently pay less tax than I do as a student teacher and support worker.

So the Greens’ plan will protect women and children, without any tax hikes against vulnerable workers like women, non-binary, and child workers.

But they’re not waiting until election day to act!

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1Nov2024

The famous Lidia Thorpe speech to King Charles (a fabulous day in the colony)

Posted in Human Rights by tjwithersauthor

Always was, always will be, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land, air, and waters.

So I was delighted to see First Nations Senator Lidia Thorpe call out the current King Charles… and disgusted to see mainstream media reporting it as “angry woman attacks 80-year-old man with cancer”.

Senator Thorpe is a Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurrung mother, grandmother, and advocate.

Senator Thorpe had tried earlier that month and that week to arrange a private meeting with King Charles to discuss these matters outside of the public forum, but he had refused.

She waited politely until King Charles had finished his speech before she made her statement to him.

Then Lidia Thorpe delivered her now already-famous speech.

Lidia Thorpe’s speech to King Charles

“You are not my king. You are not sovereign. You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us, our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country. This is not your land. This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king. Fuck the colony.”