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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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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22Mar2025

The Better Blokes podcast is the Aussie version of Andrew Tate, but less intelligent

Posted in Human Rights by tjwithersauthor

If you’re ready for a hilarious and engaging listen this weekend, start with Pod Like A Girl’s breakdown of the charity fails by “The Better Blokes” podcast.

You can listen to Pod Like A Girl on all the podcast apps, or visit the website to listen to it there:

Pod Like a Girl: 07. Why are the Australian podcast bros crashing out? With Rach McQueen

Or you can watch this important conversation with video on YouTube:

Image from video of Mia and Rach speaking about how the Better Blokes project has been encouraging men's violence against women.

Or you can even download the mp3 file to listen to it another way.

Full disclosure, it’s not just amazing, it’s also enraging, but only because we’re talking about the unashamed misogyny and idiocy of these two man childs.

And Rach and Mia are absolutely the right women for the job, because they’re intelligent and informed.

They’ve also spent years advocating to eliminate misogyny, sexism, and violence from Australia’s culture – and advocating for victims of this misogyny, which we know also harms men themselves.

The men who are going to The Better Blokes project for advice are more likely to be harmed, not helped, by what these blokes are spouting.

It’s the Aussie brand of the Andrew Tate manosphere, where men are encouraged to be a real man, and women are NOT welcome.

Like their videos telling women to “shut the f*** up” and let men speak (direct quote). 🤢 🤮

Which is a problem, because their governing legal documents, their charity charter, says they exist to improve men’s mental health… Not to indoctrinate men with misogyny and encourage violence against women, non-binary people, and even kids.

Cover image of the Better Blokes podcast.

So are they actually helping men’s mental health?

Let’s see…

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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.”