Colin Penter

The media has not bothered to thoroughly fact check Hansons National Press Club address so I’ve done it for them. 18 false and / or misleading statements. John Paul Janke was the journalist who pushed back on her claims and Sarah Martin questioned her about her daughters position as campaign advisor (rightly so) and was called a “trashy journalist” by Hanson and told she would be banned from future pressers. Nothing else was challenged by the so called journalists in attendance and she continues to be unchallenged on the facts in every interview she sits.

Could be a good time for the media to mention that the system unemployed ppl get funnelled into is operating unlawfully Two damning ombudsman reports, a sacked secretary, & hundreds of thousands of illegal payment cancellations. I cover the scandal here: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260…

#4Corners Why is Australia’s longest running serious current affairs program @4corners allowing Murdoch hack @PatsKarvelas to present. Is there nothing on the @ABCTV or radio that Karvelas hasn’t infiltrated.

Vale Howard Pedersen

Stoked to have picked up 3 nominations for the upcoming Australian IT Journalism Awards next week. So great to see my work for CHOICE on data and privacy for consumers recognised among so many other amazing finalists @influencingau #Lizzies

'At its base, the debate over the future of mental health is not a matter of scientific disagreement; it is a political struggle over the meaning of care and of society itself' interesting reflection by @_Eric_Reinhart on current politics of mental health newrepublic.com/article/1918…

Israel has launched a deadly new offensive against the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, just days after reaching a ceasefire in Gaza. "The ultimate goal of Israeli colonial practice is to push Palestinians out," says Palestinian journalist @MariamBarghouti.

It is disgusting to see the psychiatrists here attacking Joanna for exposing the giant myth of chemical imbalance, which has brought so much disrepute on psychiatry. Instead, they should be attacking Steven Stahl, Charles Nemeroff, and many, many other psychiatrists who took millions of dollars from the drug companies to spread this lie. They published textbooks written by the drug companies, they wrecked the careers of those who pointed out the lie, they made oceans of money by exaggerating and distorting, all to help their paymasters sell more pills. Why is there silence within psychiatry toward those who led the corruption of the profession? Why is there outrage only to those who point out the myth, the falsity that has severely damaged psychiatry? The remarks, which range from slashing to snide, are for those who tell the scientific truth about these pills, not for those who spout marketing lies for cash. And then psychiatrists wonder why there is an anti-psychiatry movement. Because instead of you critiquing yourselves as a profession and acknowledging the gross distortions you engaged in for profit, you ignore them. The task of addressing the mistakes falls on others, who are angered not just by the deception for profit campaign psychiatry engaged in, but the refusal to acknowledge the mistakes and come clean about it. Every profession makes mistakes. Psychologists helped the US military develop enhanced interrogation and torture techniques. The American Psychological Association acknowledged that this was grossly wrong and chastised those involved. But until psychiatry admits that many members took $$$$$ from drug companies to spread a myth, and that this was wrong, it will continue to have this truth pointed out to it. It will play the victim "Why is there an antipsychiatry movement?" instead of taking responsibility for the mistakes it made, implementing reform, and growing from this episode.

Rejecting the complicity or the silence of the political elite, standing up to the threats and attacks ravaging academic freedom, they have spoken. Members of the American Historical Association, the country’s largest group of professional historians, approved a resolution on Sunday evening condemning Israel’s military action in Gaza. It argued that the destruction of most of the enclave’s education infrastructure, along with many archives and libraries, amounted to “scholasticide.” nytimes.com/2025/01/06/arts/…

The Strawman of Antisemitism “A spate of incidents has taken place in Australia giving sheer delight to the simian-resembling Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton.” The Strawman of Antisemitism: Banning Protests Against Israel - CounterPunch.org counterpunch.org/2024/12/23/…