Australia’s card surcharge ban forces cafes, shops into price increases

https://amp.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3369406/australias-card-surch...

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSbUTt1kU/

Consumers should be able to pay how they choose.  If people want to pay with cash, good luck to them.   

Roger Franklin, Oct 21 2026

On Monday, mere hours after Indi MP Helen Haines was attacked in Wodonga, allegedly by tree-hugging local Hamas admirer Brendan Nugent, our Prime Minister pushed the pathos button and delivered what amounted to an address to the nation.
“Helen Haines,” he said, voice dripping with what many might take for sincerity, “is incredibly hardworking. She is fiercely intelligent, but most importantly, she’s just a thoroughly decent human being, full of integrity, and respected right across the Parliament, and from everyone who comes into contact with her.”

So how does Anthony Albanese interact with “a thoroughly decent human being”? Why, he slanders her by slipping tame reporters  the “dirt file” reproduced below!

According to the document’s metadata, it was compiled by a certain Joshua Lloyd, the Office of the Prime Minister deputy director of communications. One can safely assume it was approved for circulation by a boss intent on punishing Ms Haines for questioning the $6 million by-invitation-only grant to the Albanese’s local golf club.

The resulting document is a masterpiece of sleaze and innuendo, providing no evidence whatsoever that Haines has played fast and loose with the public purse. But if obliging reporters want to see it that way, well so be it.

Read on, and wonder as you do if Albanese can stoop this low to smear a woman, as he puts it, “of boundless integrity”, what libels is he spreading about those “tories” he believes it is his life’s mission to fight?

https://quadrant.org.au/news-opinions/qed/anthony-albosleazy/



Typical gweggy and sub-continental toosh tactics by Albosleazy/ Tsk, ts 

Independent senator David ­Pocock has described Anthony Albanese’s actions as “not good enough”, after the Prime Minister claimed a dirt sheet distributed from his office about Helen Haines was merely aimed at highlighting that “people of ­integrity stand up for their ­electorate”.

Mr Albanese’s claim on Thursday was at odds with the document released last month, which clearly questioned whether the Indi MP had conflicts of interest over funding proposals for which she was advocating.

As deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume declared Mr Albanese’s comments showed he had “a problem with the truth”, Senator Pocock accused the Labor leader of dodging accountability. “Dr Haines’ integrity is beyond question. Helen is one of the most principled people I know,” Senator Pocock told The Australian. “It seems clear that staff in the Prime Minister’s office have been caught engaging in underhanded behaviour.

“Trying to explain this away rather than acknowledging what happened, taking responsibility and apologising is not good enough. Whether or not this behaviour was authorised, it was wrong, and there should be accountability.”

The cartoon says it all

https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/371b3cb2e7a9bc908102e269fe79a831?width=65...

Albo, you squirmy, shifty little git.

Carl D wrote on Oct 23^rd, 2026 at 8:02am:



If Labor survives in Victoria (where it clearly doesnt deserve to), it will survive federally.

PM urged to sack Chris Bowen after shock Snowy Hydro cost blowout as Australia's biggest green project balloons to $25 billion
The Prime Minister is facing calls to sack his Energy Minister Chris Bowen after it was revealed the cost of the troubled Snowy 2.0 project will blow out to $25 billion.



Turnbull's idea, originally costed at $2 billion.