Australian Options is a quarterly journal ‘which aims to challenge the ideas dominating Australian mainstream debate’. Major articles are by ‘activists and progressive thinkers on contemporary political, social and cultural issues’. It is now heading into its 19th year of publication – and of my ‘cartoon commentary’ illustrating many of the articles. Here are some from the last couple of issues.
‘Prime Minister Tony Abbott has placed the abolition of the charity regulator, the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission) on the top of his repeal day hit list describing the process as the biggest bonfire of regulations in the country’s history’ writes the Pro Bono news website post ACNC In Repeal Day Bonfire. Social Services minister Kevin Andrews has introduced a Two-stage Plan to Abolish ACNC, removing ‘unnecessary regulatory control’ and directing the sector to ‘self-manage’.
9500 other ‘unproductive regulations’ are also to be abolished. Hey, who needs government?
‘Advocacy and Disability Not for Profits have reacted strongly to suggestions that funding for the National Disability Insurance Scheme [NDIS] may be cut back or the roll-out slowed. The Coalition Government indicated for the first time that the National Disability Insurance Scheme may be hit by funding cutbacks as part of so called “budget savings”’. Read more from the Pro Bono news website here.
Pro Bono is the ‘online hub for people engaged with Australia’s Not for Profit Communities’.
Here is my NFP Kneebone take on the report:
The focus of this month’s issue of New Internationalist is fracking. As NI Co-operative member Dinyar Godrej writes in his web-only extra: ‘The even greater madness is to put the urgency of doing something about climate change on the back burner (in a manner of speaking) just because fracking may offer a few more years’ worth of fossil fuel’.
There is plenty more in the magazine – and on the website, covering a wide range of issues. Here is my Scratchy Lines cartoon from page 8:
The mainstream media – generally – having glimpsed, will move on.
Here is this week’s Pro Bono news website cartoon:
Here is today’s Pro Bono News cartoon.
The not-for-profit sector is set to do it tough under our new conservative government. The government has said it will abolish the charities regulator (ACNC), and the minister in charge of the new Disability Care (NDIS) is not in the cabinet. Read more here.
On the bright side, the UN World Happiness Report has ranked Australia in 10th place. Read the Pro Bono article here.
The new Australian government will be writing all it’s own punchlines…
Support alternative media – become a member of Australian Options – and get to download copies of the journal. The Winter issue features articles on taxation, climate change and more – including an interview with Frank Stillwell, political economist.
If you thought that Governments reducing taxes, but spending on health, education and the things governments should invest in (not to forget saving the planet), doesn’t add up … you were right.
Here are a few cartoons from the issue:
Simon Kneebone - cartoonist and illustrator 