This week, we break down Albo's defensive masterclass on Sunrise where he pulls off the classic "I'm not the finance minister" dodge, name-drops Sussan Ley, and attempts the slowest political pivot in history — all while journalists actually hold his feet to the fire about ministerial spending.

Beauty Pageant Politics: The Million Dollar Distraction

While the Murdoch media machine goes into overdrive about Annika Wells' travel expenses, we expose the cherry-picked outrage for what it really is: beauty pageant politics designed to distract you from the real scams. Sure, politicians waste a million bucks on flights — but while you're focused on that, Labor's taking $600,000 from gambling companies and refusing to ban gambling ads that cost Aussies $31 billion a year.

We do the bad maths: if banning gambling ads reduced losses by just 3%, that's a billion dollars back in punters' pockets — or a thousand times more than all the ministerial travel rorts combined.

Transurban's Toll Scam: The Junk Fee Heist Nobody's Talking About

Konrad gets absolutely fleeced by Transurban's toll fee scam — $40 in tolls, $50 in junk fees — and breaks down every single predatory charge this legal monopoly hits you with: $10 admin fees, $0.75 "video matching" fees, $15 non-return tag fees, and a dozen other made-up charges that would make a Nigerian prince blush.

Plus, we float the idea of a digital toll protest: what if 100,000 punters just stopped paying until Transurban pays their fair share of tax? It's a toll hostage situation — you want your money? Start acting like a legitimate business.

Also: Konrad rates his own political redirect performance, we answer Spotify comments about whether One Nation is taking over the Libs, and we're officially on a government-mandated break until February (probably).

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In the aftermath of violence, everyone asks the same question: why?
But what if the way we ask it — and the stories we tell next — decide whether it happens again?

Why Australia Once Refused to Name Killers (And Why That’s Changing)

In this episode, Konrad is joined by Dr Glynn Greensmith, senior lecturer in journalism at Curtin University, to unpack the uncomfortable truth about mass attacks, media coverage, and the hidden incentives shaping what we see, share, and believe. Drawing on decades of research into mass violence, journalism, and copycat behaviour, we explore why attention is often the real reward attackers seek — and how Australia once reduced harm by refusing to give it to them.

We examine how 24-hour news, social media algorithms, and profit-driven media structures collide with public safety, why speculation masquerading as news makes us less informed, and what responsibility journalists, platforms, politicians — and ordinary people — actually carry in moments of crisis.

Dr Glynn Greensmith https://www.smh.com.au/by/glynn-greensmith-p5369d

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This week, we expose the jobs-for-mates scandal the government tried to bury, watch David Pocock absolutely demolish ministers in Senate estimates with straight facts about Japan reselling our gas, and deliver a comprehensive punters audit on Cosplay Canavan that reveals exactly why you should never trust a word he says.

The independent review Labor didn't want released just dropped, confirming the appointment system "looks like nepotism" and isn't fit for purpose—but instead of fixing it with actual laws, they're going with a vibes-based framework and rejecting cooling-off periods so they can keep hiring their mates immediately. Minister Katie Gallagher pulls the classic resume pad when grilled about giving away 50% of our gas exports royalty-free, while Tim Ayres dismisses Japan's billion-dollar gas resale scam as just "dinner party discussion."

Plus, we break down why Matt Canavan deliberately confuses total investment with government spending to mislead punters on net zero costs, reveal his brother's 7% stake in a coal mine and executive role at Peabody Energy, and discuss how a Bachelor of Economics honours graduate who worked at KPMG somehow pretends he doesn’t understand basic economic concepts he's pushing.

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This week, Konrad recaps the TikTok Awards, Konrad’s admits his addication to social media platforms to make and bring on two politicians from different parties who actually agree on something: Australia's getting absolutely ripped off on gas.

Politician Ed Husic (Labor backbencher and former minister) goes full punter mode calling out Japan for reselling our gas and making a billion dollars in profit, independent politician Nicolette Boele breaks down why three-year election cycles kill long-term planning, and we test both politicians' ability to redirect awkward Christmas dinner conversations away from politics using only their parliamentary maneuvering skills.

Topics we spend no time on: Pauline Hanson's Burqa stunt and lunch with Barnaby, and Albo ties the knot at the Lodge while regular punters have to pay thousands for a wedding venue.

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This week, we expose whether Albo's quietly strangling Australia's science sector while claiming to be a "friend of science," reveal how Microsoft tried to scam 2.7 million Aussies with hidden price hikes until the ACCC stepped in, and watch Sussan Ley pull off an absolute masterclass in saving Littleproud from a train wreck press conference with the sleepy koala defense.

Plus, the CSIRO returns $7 for every $1 invested but gets told that's not good enough value, we discover Australia spends $30 billion less on research than comparable countries while shipping our smart people overseas to invent stuff we then buy back at a premium, and Punter Jess alerts us to Microsoft's sneaky opt-out scam that jacked up subscription prices by 45%.

Also: LinkedIn bros needed for lobbyist headhunting, Conrad's bringing cardboard cutouts to the TikTok Awards, and we're officially recruiting Australia's first punter-powered lobbyist with $75K in the bank and a clean conscience as the signing bonus.

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This episode breaks down why the Liberal-National Net Zero backflip is just political theatre designed to distract punters while Labor continues the same gas cartel scams, plus we grade Albo's abysmal transparency record and watch Cosplay Canavan pull off a masterful question dodge that would make any surfy kid proud.

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This week, we pull back the curtain on Canberra’s favourite game: cash-for-access.
When political parties sell $15,000 dinners to billionaires, the punters decided to play along.
We threw our own political fundraiser — real sponsors, real politicians, real access — and raised $75,000 to hire Australia’s first lobbyist for the people.
But while the pollies showed up, the corporate media didn’t. Not one major outlet covered it.
So we’ll show you what really happened, what it proved about our democracy, and what comes next for the Punters Lobbyist.

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We ask whether Murdoch is deliberately tanking the Liberal Party to drag Labor right, unpack Pocock’s “sophisticated toddler” Senate tactic to expose the hidden jobs-for-mates report, and test Monique Ryan’s plan to crack open lobbying and ministerial diaries. Plus, our first punter-funded gala, a cheeky dis-endorsement for that Liberal ad, and Albo’s Joy Division tee that hijacked the week’s headlines.

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We dissect Sky News' propaganda playbook that turned a diplomatic meeting into clickbait while Australia quietly agreed to mine cancer-causing minerals for American weapons, plus the energy news that'll actually make you feel better.

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Punter Konrad and Punter James play the blame game to reveal exactly who's behind your biggest bills - from Adani dodging $400 million in Queensland courts to Santos secretly driving up your mortgage and energy costs, plus the phone company scam that's been stealing an extra month from you every year.

Punter’s Politics Political Fundraiser Tickets: https://www.punterspolitics.com/pages/punters-political-fundraising-dinner
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