Australian Politics
Hatred of feminism linked to violence, report finds
Rubbish! The headine above may perhaps be accurate but the "Report" that underlies that headline shows no such thing. the "Report" is here
https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/items/9c386698-5d92-4667-8bbb-4060ed59f42b
All it shows is that various negative attitudes tend to correlate with one-another. There is NO demonstrated link to violence or any other form of behaviour."Reports" are a common way of bypassing the critical scrutiny that publication in academic journals articles requires
A new report has warned that anti-feminist beliefs are a strong predictor of violent extremism, with 20 per cent of Australian men surveyed believing feminism is dangerous to society and should be fought with violence if necessary.
According to the survey of 1020 men and women, 30 per cent of all respondents agreed or slightly agreed with hostile sexist attitudes and 19.4 per cent of the men believed it is legitimate to resist feminism using force.
Some of the statements put to the respondents include that feminism has ruined modern relationships and feminists are trying to get more power than men.
The research found hostile sexist attitudes and attitudes permissive of violence against women are strongly associated with most forms of violent extremism, including extremism motivated by religion, ethnicity and incel ideologies.
The Misogyny, Racism and Violent Extremism report said addressing the role of racial and gendered biases as underlying drivers of violent extremism and terrorism is significant but an “overlooked” security concern.
Report author Dr Sara Meger, who teaches international security and gender in international relations at the University of Melbourne, said she sent her research to commonwealth agencies in the hope it will help the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation redefine what is recognised as violent extremism.
“The biggest shortcomings we had this year with the Bondi Junction attack is that the current acting definition of terrorism can’t grasp how someone is motivated for a hatred of woman or anti-feminist ideology,” Dr Meger told The Australian. “We were motivated to do this research because … we thought we needed some empirical data to corroborate the growing recognition that there is some sort of element of gender ideology driving violent extremism.”
Independent MP Allegra Spender has called for a greater focus on violence against women following the Bondi stabbings.
The report also found that if policy were to define violent anti-feminist beliefs as a form of extremism, it would be the most prevalent form in the country.
It said that young people and boys are more likely to support violent extremism in all forms and those in the 18-39 age bracket are more likely to agree with restricting a woman’s right to choose her sexual partners compared to older respondents.
Dr Meger said “online echo chambers” are the biggest influence on younger generations preferencing these views over older people.
“These young men for whatever reason who are struggling socially, financially, emotionally, they’re looking for answers in these online forums. They find an easy one and blame feminism. Some forums might say feminism is the reason your life isn’t as good,” Dr Meger said.
She said it would take a whole-of-society approach and more online content regulation to prevent young Australians from adopting harmful views.
“I think it’s going to be a very difficult issue as there’s such mistrust with authority figures that goes along with this radicalism and polarisation,” she said.
The report said terrorist attacks and incidents of mass violence in Australia were found to have gendered and racialised determinants, and pointed to the Lindt Cafe siege terrorist who had a domestic violence intervention order against him at the time of the attack, and the Bondi Junction killer who was described by his father as frustrated by his lack of dating success.
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Government guarantees tax breaks for private schools
The Albanese government has buckled to a private school backlash by ruling out plans to axe tax breaks for donations to more than 5000 schools within five years.
The Productivity Commission on Thursday unveiled radical tax reform proposals that were condemned as a “direct attack’’ on religious schools.
Despite a storm of protests from private and Catholic schools, the commission refused to back down on its controversial call that parents and other donors be stripped of tax deductions for donations to school building funds.
But Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, immediately ruled out changes to school donations.
“The recommended changes to tax settings for donations to school building funds are not being considered,’’ he said.
“A world-class education system is essential to tackling inequality, driving economic growth and supporting well-paid, secure jobs, and our school system is a key part of it.’’
In its final report on philanthropy, released on Thursday, the commission calls on governments to directly fund school infrastructure instead of relying on public donations.
It also recommends the Albanese government axe tax deductions for donations that pay for religious instruction or ethics education in schools.
Tax breaks benefit wealthy parents in private schools, the report states, adding: “The capacity of schools to raise donations varies widely, depending on the wealth and income of the school community. There is a material risk that higher levels of indirect government support to schools through tax-deductible donations would benefit communities with higher socioeconomic advantage.
“A DRG (deductible gift recipient) status for school building funds is unlikely to deliver support to the areas of greatest need.’’
The PC warns donors could benefit financially, because building funds lower the cost of school fees. “There is the potential for a donor to be able to directly or indirectly convert a tax-deductible donations into a private benefit,’’ the report states. Potential donors are most likely to be people directly involved with the school and benefit directly from donations, such as students, their parents or alumni. Alternative government funding arrangements should be put in place.’’
The commission calls for a five-year transition period before schools are stripped of their DRG status. The report states that “it is highly unlikely that donations would fall to zero without it’’.
The commission found that private schools make up 3500 of the 5000 schools with building funds. Its analysis of donations shows that 20 per cent of all donated money went to just 1 per cent of schools, with 71 per cent of total donations shared between 10 per cent of schools.
The commission says tax breaks should be granted to education charities that have “an explicit equity objective’’ – such as scholarships for poor students.
It says universities and TAFE colleges should retain their DRG status because they “tend to be involved in public research’’.
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Australians pay the price for CFMEU tactics, figures show
Australians are paying the price for union tactics that add billions to the nation’s building costs and weaken productivity, as the federal government works on an urgent draft law to ensure it can overcome any attempts to block an overhaul of the CFMEU.
Labour productivity has fallen 18.1 per cent in the construction sector since 2014, far worse than in other parts of the economy, while the CFMEU is being blamed for a cost surge in the industry.
The work on the draft law comes after the federal government said the Fair Work Commission would seek to impose an external administrator on the CFMEU after days of revelations from an investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes into the union’s ties to organised crime.
Employment Minister Tony Burke is preparing the new laws so they are ready to go next month if needed to impose the changes despite union objections.
Union to go to war over bid to stamp out CFMEU corruption
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has turned the dispute over the CFMEU into a political test over the cost of living, claiming the union has added 30 per cent to the cost of major projects.
The changes have the potential to influence costs across the economy because of the central role of the construction sector and the way major projects can be a burden on taxpayers and can impact households through housing and other costs.
Dutton’s cost claim is backed by Master Builders Australia and has some support from independent economists as well as the former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Rod Sims.
“If somebody said the behaviour of the union was pushing up costs by 30 per cent, that would not surprise me,” Sims said.
“I don’t have any evidence to support the 30 per cent, but directionally it’s got to be right, and I suspect the quantum is not far out.”
Sims said construction affected everything from new supermarkets to office blocks and the cost increases were passed on to consumers.
“It also means there are projects that are not going ahead because they can only proceed if costs are below a certain level, and if the costs are pushed up because of activity by the CFMEU, then that means some projects don’t go ahead,” he said.
“It’s quite clear to me, from general observation over a long time, that that is exactly what’s happening.”
Master Builders Australia commissioned Queensland Economic Advocacy Solutions to analyse CFMEU wage deals that imposed sweeping conditions that could stop work, limit hours and put other restrictions on how work was done.
The analysis said an apartment project would be 3.5 per cent more expensive with a low application of the CFMEU provisions, 18.2 per cent more costly with a medium application and 33 per cent more expensive with a high application of the rules.
This meant a two-bedroom unit in Brisbane would cost $287,000 more than otherwise, it said. A three-bedroom unit would cost an extra $430,000, pushing its cost to $1.7 million.
CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith has not responded to requests for comment since the government’s announcement on Wednesday, and it is not yet known whether he will support the administration process.
Independent economist Harley Dale, who was the Housing Industry Association’s chief economist for 17 years, said CFMEU conduct at building sites had hampered productivity and added costs to consumers in both the residential and commercial sectors.
Labour costs were also a factor alongside issues such as planning delays, the cost of construction materials and the shortage of skilled workers, he said.
“There’s been a trend in the decline of labour productivity in construction since 2014 and it had a fresh low in 2023 after more than 10 years,” he said.
“I would argue that some of the obstructive behaviour on the part of the CFMEU has certainly been part of that.
“All of that’s got to feed through to the bottom-line pricing of these construction projects. Absolutely, it has to be passed on.”
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‘Reckless renewables’: The NSW community fighting a massive solar farm
The residents of the tiny hamlet of Wallaroo in the NSW Southern Tablelands are quick to say they support renewable energy, yet they are united against a proposal for a giant solar farm on their doorstop.
In a microcosm of the problems besetting the broader renewables rollout, the community sent a clear message to the NSW Independent Planning Commission at a public meeting on Thursday: the proposed Wallaroo Solar Farm is the wrong project in the wrong place.
Many of the 570-odd community members – farmers, vineyard owners, commuters to Canberra and retirees – have solar panels on the roofs of their own homes or farm sheds, and some have a biodiesel generator as back-up.
But a massive solar farm, with about 182,000 photovoltaic modules, a substation and battery storage system spanning 165 hectares across two properties in Wallaroo, is a different proposition.
The project, which could power about 48,000 homes mostly in Canberra, is deemed state significant, and is supported by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
Community member Adam Gresham told the meeting his main concern was the number of trucks travelling on the narrow country roads each day during construction and beyond.
He said there were 56 children, including his own – aged 16, 12 and 10 – who catch the school bus from the end of their driveways or across the road.
“The verge is quite small and to think that people would allow multiple trucks to come through that area daily, and not think that is a risk, is quite scary for us,” he said, speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald after his presentation.
His wife Christy added that they were “not wealthy people”, and with a “monster mortgage”, they would be unable to move if prices dropped.
Gresham, an ACT firefighter for more than 20 years, is also concerned about the fire risk both in Wallaroo and on the outskirts of Canberra since the area is prone to bushfires and battery storage systems can be volatile.
“To have something within hundreds of metres of residential properties and the toxins that will be created if something goes wrong, that will be carried through smoke to these residents is a major concern,” he said.
At the Murrumbateman Community Hall about 20 minutes from Wallaroo, the public meeting stretched over four hours, with a break for lunch. Twenty-five residents spoke against the project, raising issues about the impact on views, tourism, traffic and road safety, and fire risk.
Only the development manager for the project, Ben Cranston, spoke in favour. He said the project would deliver $1.6 million for community projects over 30 years, employ 150-200 people during construction, and four to five during the operational phase.
“If the project is approved, we will remove approximately 215,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere [annually],” he said.
Cranston said the project had been amended in the past week to reduce the footprint, as well as previous concessions to add landscaping, reduce glare, and control traffic.
Community member Ben Faulks told the Herald the landowners would make money, but the rest of the community would pay the price in lost amenity and lower property values.
“This is a transfer of wealth from the residents of Wallaroo to one or two landowners,” Faulks said.
Faulks said he supported renewables, but argued the project location was driven by the proponents rather than a planning decision about where a solar farm should be sited.
Real estate agent Mark Johnstone, a resident of 23 years, told the meeting he expected a 20 per cent drop in property values from the loss of scenic beauty.
“I support renewables but not reckless renewables,” Johnstone said. “This is not the right location.”
Community member Andrew Cunich told the meeting he bought his property in 2020, paying a premium for the view, and building an outdoor lifestyle around it.
“Imagine if you bought yourself a brand new telly and somebody came up with a black texta and just went right across the centre of it and said ‘enjoy your TV’,” Cunich said.
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http://jonjayray.com/covidwatch.html (COVID WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com (TONGUE-TIED)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
http://jonjayray.com/short/short.html (Subject index to my blog posts)
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Evelyn Rae, a conservative Australian political commentator
Margo Robbie -- a beautiful australian
My son Joe at ANU
One of the happiest pictures ever -- Cleo Smith, aged 4
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