⏱️This edition of the National Account’s newsletter is a three-minute read.
👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
A smaller Newsie today, as I’m right in the thick of a big yarn, digging into the reports used by the Nationals to make their decision on dumping net zero.
Hopefully, we will have that for you in Friday’s newsletter.
We aren’t chasing perfection we’re chasing meaningful difference
🗣️ Why did she say that?
A clearer picture is emerging on what the government’s under 16 social media ban - coming on December 10 - will actually look like.
Reddit and Kick have now been added to the list of platforms that will be off limits for under 16s. The ban also includes Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and X, with eSafety continuing talks with Bluesky and Yubo about compliance.
For my full breakdown, check out today’s video:
Around the Grounds 🦘
Across the country, things are happening at a local level that have an impact nationally. Here are the stories you might not hear about in the traditional media.
🃏 Pokies off by midnight?
In the NSW state parliament, North Shore MP Felicity Wilson has thrown her support behind a Greens bill that would force pubs and clubs to turn off poker machines at midnight.
As the North Shore Lorikeet’s Huw Bradshaw reports, supporters argue the change could reduce gambling harm, with 2.9% of NSW residents now problem gamblers, and save more in social costs than it loses in revenue.
Opponents, including some rural Coalition MPs and Labor, warn it could hurt local businesses. A vote on the bill is expected in the final sitting period of the year.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
🌊 Rising seas, falling home values
In Victoria, 8.7 percent of homes - over 250,000 properties - are now at risk of flooding.
Venus Bay resident Sarah Gilligan told Jacob Wallace at the Gippsland Monitor that storm surges have been getting worse over the past six years, and she’s confronting the reality that her family home may become uninsurable.
Experts say climate change is driving more severe floods, and solutions range from levees and storm surge drains to voluntary government buybacks for at-risk properties.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
Pauline for PM…not likely
Polling shows One Nation support has jumped to 14% nationally since May, but with zero Lower House seats and just four Senators, the party faces huge hurdles. Past candidate controversies and the challenge of fielding dozens of vetted candidates make holding real parliamentary power unlikely.
Thanks for catching up with me. I hope you enjoyed this issue, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just reply to this email and I’ll be on the other side 👋.
I’ll be back on Friday.
Cheers, Archie
Thumbnail: AAP Image, MICK TSIKAS