phonakins-blog

[phonakins-blog]

I got what I wanted for my 43rd Birthday (Takoyaki for lunch at Umi in Toronto) but what do I want from the 48th Parliament?

Labor is back with a bigger majority and only really needing to appease the Greens in the upper house to get anything done. But what will they use this for and will it be at all progressive? Or will they still pretend they can’t do things their supposed base want – such as all the local groups calling for sanctions on Israel, or community groups seeking investment in public housing or increased…

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The last V-Set ran to Newcastle last night tonight

I was born in 1982, a couple years before the line was electrified all the way to Newcastle, so I’ve been catching V-sets since 1984. To Sydney, for day trips with my parents, my Aunty and cousin. Back where there were smoking carriages and I remember trips so full I sat on my Aunty’s lap in the smoking carriage all the way from Fassifern to Central. I used to be terrified of crossing between the…

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Brunch at Vulture Street Espresso

Skim cappuccino, $4.50. What a whirlwind! Just spend Thursday to Monday up in Magan-djin/Brisbane for the People Against Poverty summit that I helped organise! I’ll post a recap of the event sometime this week (including my presentation which I’ll hopefully get the audio of soon and plan to do an online version of when we all have spoons again), but I’m excited to do a food blogging post for the…

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Promises, Promises - Health Announceables vs Their Likely Reality this Election

(aka why GPs aren’t going to go back to bulk billing but it might save the few remaining bulk billing practices if you’re lucky to have one near you that caters for ongoing patients and more complex needs aka not an urgent care clinic which has a place but isn’t the answer we’re looking for) The Claim So, this is the measure that Labor reckons will get bulk billing at GP’s back to 90% of…

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So, Labor, are you going to use your power for the good of the vulnerable or for the good of your donors?

Ahh, well, that was a little disappointing. I remember last election, when Labor got in my mental health nurse saying “you must be happy with that result” and I was extremely cautious in my response, feeling like I was expected to be happy, but very much wanting to wait and see how it panned out for me and the causes I care about. It all started here. Growing up, mum was in and out of hospital.…

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Routine and Pacing - staying sane when you get a little off

Touch grass they say – but don’t repeatedly kick the same toe on things, it gets tiring after awhile, and it doesn’t give it a chance to heal and somehow you’re still hobbling weeks later. So I got overloaded, took on too much mental load, spread myself too thin, so I’m cutting back on somethings, to make life sustainable. I’m ensuring I follow my little routine, that includes meds and white hot…

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Language matters but so do your goals

You know how some people use all the right buzz words but their heart’s not in the right place? Usually in activist spaces they talk the talk and can focus on the hot topics, but move on once it’s not cool anymore, or there’s a better opportunity elsewhere. Or, their methods don’t work to lessen or get rid of the root cause of a problem but mainly build systems to sustain bandaids around it.…

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I get confused (and clumsy) when I'm tired

So tired. My foot hurts. It’s not about a particular charity, I just talk about Foodbank because I’m a “customer” and we all need food. I went into their ACNC listings today and this bit got to me (yes in amongst all the large amount of money changing hands for wages and rent and transport and buying food and selling food and school breakfast and so much more rather than just going directly to…

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Anzac biscuits cost more at the food bank than Aldi. That's it. That's the title.

So, I got access to a FOI (freedom of information) request about a grant “Grant agreements and expenditure reports for identified grants with Oz Harvest, SecondBite, Foodbank Australia” through my Antipoverty Centre connections. I’d like to say it’s shocking but then it’s all so fucking broken out there than it doesn’t surprise me any more that these organisations use language like “capturing new…

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What do you mean I'm disappointed in Jim's Election Budget? I thought I'd given up hoping for better from Labor by now.

I went to Canberra last week, it was fun, tiring and good to spend time with the people who I work with every day, but in person. It was to mark 5 years since the Covid supplement was introduced, but it was also to get our own stuff in the media before the Budget this week and the inventible election being called (today). Nothing about us without us I felt a bit like a “cosplay lobbyist” to…

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Five years since the Covid supplement - 'member?

My notes for today: We’re here today to remember the absolute relief people felt when the Covid supplement was announced. The coronavirus supplement in 2020 showed that governments can choose to lift people out of poverty overnight. With the supplement, people were happier and healthier – able to buy fresh fruit and vegetables and the medications they needed. Many were able to actually find work…

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Talking about talking about poverty

Last night’s workshop was intense, but thank you for the opportunity to have my say! My brief for last night was “How people in poverty communicate online, to each other, our allies and our detractors” Social media and other online communities are a literal lifeline to people on welfare – It’s a relatively cheap way to get social contact using tools we already have to have for all the external…

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What will YOU spend your $3 indexation on?

It’s here guys! After the webpage being embargoes for what seemed like forever, the March 20 indexation of welfare payments has finally come out, and are you ready to spend up? https://twitter.com/phonakins/status/1893930096840314929 Let’s start with the pension rates, since that’s what I get and what they claimed to have increased… Pensions indexation On my partner rate pension, I’ll be getting…

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Step By Step - Labor Hoping to get a Second Time Around

Who remembers the 90s family sitcom Step By Step? Step by step Day by day A fresh start over A different hand to play The deeper we fall The stronger we stay And we’ll be better The second time around SO we’re getting Labor’s election promises now, ahead of a probably March 25 budget and some time before May 17 election. Today’s was building on their increased bulk billing incentives for…

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A thousand days - How's the social cohesion?

A thousand days. A thousand days of the Albanese Labor government. Have we been at all surprised, pleasantly or unpleasantly with Labor? I remember when they won the election in 2022 the nurse at my mental health and substance use program commenting that I must be happy with the result. I told her I was skeptical and we’ll see what happens. Pleasantly, I’ve remained sober for that time, even the…

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Why we get upset with little lines like "They have aggressively increased pensions and benefits"

Aside from it not being true? Or that it was in an article lamenting that Labor and Albanese weren’t getting enough credit for helping people and the economy? https://twitter.com/AveryHowardAU/status/1651744114491408386 I think it’s that most Labor supporters seems to be okay with Labor’s record this term on welfare. After insisting in opposition that welfare payments weren’t enough, and that…

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Poverty and Vulnerability

Poverty makes people vulnerable to exploitation. Whether that’s remaining in an abusive personal relationship because you can’t afford to live anywhere else, or you take on unsafe or underpaid work, it’s anything that means you have to give up safety or your values to just survive. This week, it looks like some of the racist / antisemitic / anti-Islamic attacks and graffiti in the Sydney area may…