By John Mikkelsen
Whatever happened to “Keeping the bastards honest?”
There’s an old hackneyed joke about how you can tell a politician is lying – his or her lips are moving. But has it become so commonplace these days that some people just accept it as a fact of life under Australia’s present Labor Government?
That’s where the so-called Fourth Estate – the media – should step up and in the words of the late Don Chipp, “Keep the bastards honest.”
Chipp pronounced his lofty intentions when he launched the Australian Democrats in 1977 but if that was the main goal, it failed dismally and the party collapsed with the loss of all seats by 2007.
Things have gone downhill since then and in the second term of the Albanese Government, truth is on a very slippery slope. It was elected and then re-elected on a litany of lies including the much repeated promise that our power bills would show savings of $275 by 2025 thanks to “cheap renewables” (they’ve gone through the roof and heading for the stratosphere), the Coalition was going to axe Medicare and other essential services to pay for its nuclear energy policy (Mediscare Mark 2), a Labor Government would be open and accountable (really?), and a personal pledge by PM Albanese in October 2023 that he would “not let anti-Semitism ‘find so much as a foothold here’ in Australia”.
That was the biggest fail in this very condensed list, as witnessed by the Bondi massacre targeting jews attending a religious festival where they should have been as safe as any other visitor to any of our great beaches or other public spaces around the country. It was the horrific culmination of a wave of anti-semitism which has been obviously festering since the riot at the Opera House in the wake of the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October 2023, slaughtering about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages.
What has our government done since then? Recognised Palestine; sent taxpayer cash to Gaza; granted many more visas to largely unvetted Gazan ‘refugees’ than any other country; tossed around the word ‘genocide’ in relation to Gaza; included ‘Islamophobia’ in the same breath as “anti semitism” as if there is some twisted moral equivalence; tolerated years of demonstrations demanding the destruction of Israel; did nothing to rebuke the vile hate preachers, let alone deport them…
Is it any wonder our weak Prime Minister and his apologists continue to stonewall a royal commission as demands for a sweeping judicial inquiry grow? Last week it was
top legal and business leaders calling for a royal commission; today it is our leading sportsmen and women.
Terrible as the Bondi attack which claimed 15 lives was, it took the heat out of another scandal embroiling the Albanese Government as 2025 drew towards an ignominious end – the travel rorts scandal where several key players including Sports and Communications Minister Anika Wells faced intense scrutiny for their profligate spending from the public purse, which they insist was “within the rules”. Here’s what Google AI has to say:
Anika Wells has spent significant taxpayer money on travel, including nearly $9,000 for her husband to attend three AFL Grand Finals, over $100,000 for a New York trip, and thousands for family trips to sporting events like the F1 Grand Prix and skiing at Thredbo, sparking public criticism for her “generous” use of entitlements despite claims they’re within guidelines.
Key Expenses & Incidents:
AFL Grand Finals (2022-2024): Claimed over $8,500 for family travel to Melbourne for these events.
New York Trip (September 2025): Over $100,000 for flights for herself, a staffer, and a senior public servant to promote Australia’s social media ban.
Thredbo Ski Trip: Billed taxpayers for flights and allowances for her husband and children to join her for a Paralympics event.
Adelaide Trip (June 2025): $3,681 for flights, hotels, and transport, including attending a friend’s birthday party.
Melbourne F1 Grand Prix (2024): Almost $1,800 for flights and transport for herself and her husband, despite receiving free tickets from Motorsport Australia.
Australian Open (2023): A $1,000 Comcar charge for a driver to wait seven hours while she attended the tennis final.
Wells defends these expenses as being within the rules for parliamentarians, allowing for “family reunion” travel for spouses and children on business trips.”
Maybe it’s just a strange coincidence that another example of Albanese treating the truth like playdough occurred on Christmas Eve during a Canberra press conference involving both the Bondi massacre and the travel rorts.
After talking about the terrorist killings and a proposed honour system for the heroes who emerged on the day, a journalist raised the question, “Do you accept that what Ministers have been claiming through entitlements is out of step with community expectations?”
In a rambling reply, the PM made the following statements: “ I’ve seen some comments from the Coalition who don’t seem to recognise two things. One is that the system that has been operating is the system that was established in the wake of Sussan Ley’s sacking as a minister and it is, we have not made changes to those entitlements before now…”
This reply can be seen in the interview footage at around the 12 minute mark here
https://www.youtube.com/watch? And it made me sit bolt upright in the lounge chair.
I was waiting for one of the Canberra Press Gallery journos to pull him up on that obvious clanger but not one did. They just shrugged their shoulders and let the spinner go through to the keeper before Albo waffled on a bit more about his proposed changes being more in line with community expectations before wishing them all a Merry Christmas.
For anyone else with short memories, the rules were changed by none other than Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell, back in February 2025, as acknowledged by Energy Minister Chris Bowen in an interview in The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/13/bowen-says-turnbull-era-travel-expenses-rules-changed-to-simplify-them-despite-criticism-they-became-broader
The changes expanded the definition of “party political duties,” which critics argued made it easier to claim taxpayer-funded travel by broadening the scope for politicians’ staff to claim travel for campaign activities.
Farrell himself was also caught up in the travel scandal; Google AI again: Senator Don Farrell has spent over $100,000 on taxpayer-funded family travel since the 2022 election, with figures around $90,000 to $120,000 reported for family reunion flights to events like AFL Grand Finals, the Australian Open, and Uluru experiences, making him a high-profile user of these entitlements amidst broader scrutiny of parliamentary expenses.
Now if I remembered all that and a lot of commenters on some social media sites recognised it for what it was, what is the PM’s excuse? Why did the journalists let it slide? I doubt if Seinfeld’s mate George Costanza’s excuse would pass the pub test here: “It’s not a lie if you believe it Jerry…”
John Mikkelsen is a former editor of three Queensland regional newspapers, columnist, freelance writer and author of the Amazon Books Memoir, Don’t Call Me Nev. (https://www.amazon.com.au/Dont-Call-Nev-John-Mikkelsen/dp/B09S244GP1/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?
Joe Bogan – I have just read your comment from earlier today. You really are delusional and have a weird take on the whole history of Israel and all. Copied from ‘A Brief history of Israel’: “THE HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, AND THEIR ROOTS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL, SPANS THIRTY-FIVE CENTURIES. IT IS HERE THAT THE CULTURE AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE WAS FORMED. THEIR HISTORY AND PRESENCE IN THIS LAND HAS BEEN CONTINUOUS AND UNBROKEN THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES, EVEN AFTER THE MAJORITY OF JEWS WERE FORCED INTO EXILE ALMOST 2,000 YEARS AGO. WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL ON MAY 14, 1948, JEWISH INDEPENDENCE WAS RENEWED.”
It is not necessary to go back over these thousands of years as this particular CN article by J Mikkelsen is about the CURRENT GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA and their underhanded ways of deceiving the Australian Taxpayer.
For those detractors who have such weird ideas about 7th October, 2023, this video is worth watching to remind you. Please take notice of what ex PM Julia Gillard has to say also – she was a real leader – and also others who comment not too far in from the beginning of the video, titled NEVER AGAIN. This documentary is worth viewing again. I hope some of the detractors will listen to the comments from ex PM Julia Gillard and others not too far in from the beginning of this video, titled ‘NEVER AGAIN”. Unfortunately it has been brought to our shores now when it should be left way back in the countries most affected by HAMAS. https://www.skynews.com.au/stream/documentaries/never-again-the-fight-against-antisemitism
Hamas was created by Israel, the reasoning is the Zionists assisted Hamas with everything while allowing the PLO ( Yasser Arafat ) nothing. So everyone voted for Hamas, because like here, they’re stoopid too. As for al-Jazeera, I heard it was started by MI6 or some BBC type of arrangement, obviously it’s better to have some control than no control, it’s a balancing act.
Refer Swiss Policy Research swprs.org for a readable account of the above. Zionism is nothing to do with Galileans, Hebrews and whatever, the Ashkenazim did not come from nowhere, I say they came from the Venetian silk road and before that from Ptolemic Egypt. The ancient Venetian official language was Greek while the commoners ( later wave of refugees ) spoke vulgar Latin, while the trade route was always through Osterreich so they had all the languages going, but the sentence structure of Yiddish is Germanic, just like the sentence structure of English is Norse. I say the Ashkenazim have just a small infusion of Hebrew blood, almost incidental, but they were allowed bankstering by THE VATIKAN. Many deals were done in old times as now. Pre-British Palestine did not include Gaza did it. The British annexed Gaza and 100 years later it’s being cleared out. Because these are the timelines they use to deceive the commoners, who have barely any idea who their great-grandparents were, let alone a bloodline going back centuries.
People should stop being so pigheaded and belligerent about this topic, sit on the fence instead, it has the best view.
The Bondi Massacre was against ALL Australians not just Jewish Australians.
Just a little history for those blaming Israel for all the evil in the world.
”On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted on the partition plan, adopted by 33 votes to 13 with 10 abstentions. The Jewish side accepted the UN plan for the establishment of two states. The Arab states rejected the plan and almost immediately formed volunteer armies that infiltrated into Palestine against the Jews.”
These mostly Arab descendants have been fighting ever since. There is no country of Palestine.
HAMAS RULE Gaza currently. WHY did HAMAS attack Israel on 7th October 2023? To go back further historically is a waste of time.
All those protesting Palestine supporters over the many months have to accept some guilt for the senseless killing of fifteen innocent people also.
Anthony Albanese lack of leadership allowed TERRORISM to come to our shores on 14th December, 2025. PM Albanese would have been warned by our security organisations (we all were) about these terrorist groups. It has come back to hit him with a bang but it seems he hasn’t felt it yet.
Why didn’t he try to calm the particular Imams who continually chanted hatred from their pulpits? Why did he decide to abandon his Electorate office instead of ordering the law to disperse these people away to allow entry to his office?
For this PRIME MINISTER to be stonewalling the demands for A ROYAL COMMISSION is unfathomable. He was all for Royal Commissions when in OPPOSITION, such is the hypocrite that he is.
Australia had TWO YEARS of warnings that terrorism was likely here – Our supposed leaders in those portfolios let Australians down. The weak and treasonous Albanese, Wong and Burke have let this massacre occur on their watch.
The Prime Minister’s performance since his election in 2022 has been totally lacklustre. He is more like a public Bureaucrat rather than OUR PRIME MINISTER.
Farnortherner – So refreshing to read some rational, truthful input against the totally delusional tripe from the antisemitic, mouth-foaming Jew haters on this thread. Honestly, I think if any normal person clicked on any of their dodgy links with their weird conspiracy theories, they’d need a Rabies shot!
Farnorthener,
You are just another sycophant with the same mental affliction as your fellow copraphagist, Lone Deranger!
How much are you getting paid to kiss the zionazi arse like you do? The confused idiocy and lies of your comment is absolutely pathetic!!
Lone Deranger
Aha, showing your complete lack of understanding of the situation, but that is only to be expected from an obtuse and ignorant zionist onanist and hasbara troll like yourself, shitska!
Zionism is a cult and a mind infection supported by an antisemitic terrorist regime at the head of which is e cowardly, vulgar psychopathic Pollack, Milekowski!
My goodness there sure are some weird thinkers who read this platform. Steven Ginn has a real problem with all his made up crackpottery.
Don’t the detractors of this article realise that the media from Gaza comes through Al Jazeera head office in Doha, Qatar? They spread news that they want all of the world to believe from over there. Our western journalists all believe what Al Jazeera puts out.
If you dig a little deeper, you would discover this and should not be so taken in by what you see from the ABC etc.
Gazan leaders are tucked away safely in Qatar living in luxury and these are all people against Israel. The normal Gazans are treated like dirt by their leaders. You need to direct your anger about Israel to the HAMAS rulers of that area. Israel is not the country stopping food getting to the Gazans – HAMAS has been stealing all the time themselves.
From the link below: “While Gazans face death amid the recent flare-up with Israel, some Hamas figures live a life of comfort away from the impoverished Strip. Ismail Haniyeh, widely considered the Palestinian group’s overall leader, has been residing in Qatar, often seen flaunting his riches” https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrjaoVKYVt pyoMyvwA36At.;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Nj/RV=2/RE=1767625162/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.firstpost.com%2fexplainers%2fgaza-poverty-hamas-leaders-life-of-luxury-in-qatar-ismail-haniyeh-israel-war-13270412.html/RK=2/RS=i9igwbeIB5SQwqKaM6krbyT5QHQ-
Ah, the revelation from Steven Ginn’s apt name – maybe he’s on too much gin.
So much total derangement from him and others here who probably believe in the tooth fairy if they really think that the despicable Hamas is the innocent party in that horrible massacre and it was all implemented by Israel. (And the moon landing no doubt was fake, and the earth really is flat, it’s all just a zionist plot…)
Lone (De)Ranger.
It is patently obvious that it is you who is on hallucinogens as you are the one who has fallen for the zionazi genocidists version of events!!
This is despite the videos taken from the IOF Blackhawk helos while they are shooting the punters at the rave concert and those attempting to leave, these murders were corroborated by the IOF and the deaths of the illegal zionist settlers who were killed by IOF tanks in kibbutz Be ‘Ari, the murders of whom were also stated by the IOF “heros”!!
Your blatant lies about rapes and deaths of babies have long since been debunked by the facts that these “events” never occurred unless they were at the hands of the maniacal IOF zios.
You are obviously being paid off by the zio state for your lies and misinformation as nobody with a functioning frontal cortex would post such utter garbage!
Well I thought the main thrust of this interesting article was to highlight the lies that are becoming a daily event under this poor excuse for a government, but it seems some subscribers possibly high on hallucinogens actually believe the real footage of Hamas terrorists shooting music festival patrons with machines guns from aero gliders, or raping, beheading and burning Jewish people even babies on Oct 7 2023 is somehow fake and the real culprits were the IDF who also must have taken their own people as hostages… even worse, the Bondi massacre was a dress rehearsal which our authorities were aware of. Talk about weird conspiracy theories…
“Manchester Arena” Zionist-Freemason false-flagged HOAX.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/7wdDU1JWNoKP
Boo-hoo, boohoo…for the “poor victims”…that became millionaires overnight.
Yeah, they really don’t want too many people realizing the Bondi thing (and many others) was a “emergency drill” staged to be presented as a real “attack”.
With no deaths or injuries.
But because they’re live and in public it’s not hard to see their theatrical and procedural mistakes and absurdities.
If one part can be seen to be faked, then all of it was faked.
But the general public only gets some headlines, official stories, and edited clips and believes it automatically. They’re too busy and too fearful to actually do their due diligence before assuming anything…
Just like the COVIDHOAX, and numerous other psychological warfare events.
Bullshit, all the “sorrow” and “respect”, and “condolences”, and “sympathy” is a charade. A stupid show.
Sympathy for The Devil.
It loves that.
It’s pretty disgusting actually.
Especially since there have been many people over the years that have exposed these frauds over and over. I’m grateful for their work.
The (criminal) government and media telling (selling) the people what is (a false) “reality”, AND WHAT TO THINK AND HOW TO FEEL ABOUT IT…if that’s not the devil capturing their minds/soul/being what is?
It’s called Trauma-based mind-control, and both; believed fake, and actual real attacks, will have the same effect on the targeted audience.
It’s doubtful there has been an actual “Islamic terrorist attack” (or “mass-shooting”) in a Western country that wasn’t faked, or otherwise a real murderous attack planned and executed with patsies and proxies by the Western +Mossad “security agencies” and NOT WHO THEY BLAMED.
But that’s too fearful of a thought for many. They’d rather pretend the “politics” charade is real. And anyone that points out the charade is a “conspiracy nut”!
“Narrow is the gate that leads to [real] life, and few go through it…”.
To be a parliamentary reporter you obviously have to be an absolute dog, I remember when Senator Heffernen was trying to get the word out about all the pedos in high places and the reporter was just laughing at him.
Elbow’s biggest failures also include trying to get the MaD bill and the UNDRIP scam through, which since failing they are piloting in Melbournistan, the place Trump SHOULD invade but there’s nothing in it for anyone.
So long as Canberra keeps paying for submarines on the never-never they are unfortunately safe too.
Best idea is not to work too hard or you’;re working for THEM.
Tradies used to give out Bunnings ABN instead of registering for GST.
Protesters should forget about protesting for Venezuela that boat has sailed.
Instead protest outside the RBA, lets see the books, open the books.
Maybe time for a follow up article:
‘Cairns News editor handles the truth like an AWFL coward.’
Doesn’t matter which corporation puppet the Rothschilds put in charge of Australia they all follow the boss’s orders!
Dennis said – “… Why hasn’t the Bondi Islamic killer been hung by now for terrorism and murder…”
Whay haven’t the savage mass-murdering bastards responsible for the Port Arthur slaughter been hauled into public view and strung up by now?
Hint – all a bit much to expect, don’t you think, when all the organs of fake foreing-owned corporate “governance” are IN ON IT?
And Dennis said – “… We do not need a trial as it was all on full display, and court proceedings are totally unnecesssary…”
Was it? Was it really? Seems a certain passing dog wagging its tail didn’t think so. And all the rest.
We’ve got WAY more tangible and compelling video and photographic evidence of the mass murder committed way back when on 7 October over there in the Middle East, but all that evidence directly contradicts the official narratives, being so clearly done as it was by the IDF to their OWN PEOPLE and then BLAMED on a bunch of out-of-work circus clowns on ride-on lawn mowers and motorised hang gliders complete with bicycle horns and wiffle bats.
And no-one has been strung up for THAT blood-thirsty little adventure either, the only ones paying the price are the INNOCENTS all across Gaza by their HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
So who exactly ARE the guilty bastards at Bondi beach, and what exactly is it that they are guilty of, and most importantly WHO ARE THEIR HANDLERS pulling all those strings from behind the curtain and ordering the incompetent hired mercenary gangsters to stand down, and who was PAYING for this cringingly clumsy poorly scripted circus performance?
All rhetorical questions of course, because none of it matters anyway, we already KNOW it’s all BS and they don’t give a rat’s arse that we know, because NONE of these bastards actually work for us nor do they answer to us, and if we really want to know who dunnit, just ask who are we FORBIDDEN to question and who are we FORBIDDEN to criticise?
The article’s author John Mikkelsen said – “… It was the horrific culmination of a wave of anti-semitism which has been obviously festering since the riot at the Opera House in the wake of the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October 2023, slaughtering about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages…”
Horrific culmination? Perhaps it was horrific, I wasn’t there so can only go on the BS media reports. But it was also a patently abundantly obvious FALSE FLAG carried out on behalf of Polish Benny himself who literally THREATENED exactly that event, like a Mob Boss threatening the shop proprieters with violence if they don’t tow the line.
In exactly the same spirit of Perma-Victim skulduggery as the notorious 7 October FALSE FLAG was executed at the expense of hapless Israeli victims variously incinerated and blown to pieces by IDF helicopter gunships and IDF tanks, hundreds and hundreds of them, all expendable, all SACRIFICED for Polish Benny’s vision of Greater Israel starting with the systematic thoroughly pre-planned and ruthlessly implemented GENOCIDE of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
So maybe Mr. Mikkelsen should take a few steps back and RECONSIDER whatever it is that he’s trying to say, because whatever barrow he’s pushing is rolling on very shaky premises with scant connection to reality.
Yes it Was a “False Flag”, “Murder their Own Soldiers”. Israelis Widely Used “Hannibal Directive” on Oct. 7: Israeli Report.
By Global Research.
7th September 2024.
Full Article >
https://www.globalresearch.ca/israelis-hannibal-directive-oct-7/5862017
To Steven Ginn. 👍
Don Farrell is a Special Minister of State as defined by our original constitution.
Given the obvious involvement by the 5 eyes + 1 intelligensia at Bondi, I would be very surprised if the PM and Special Ministers were not briefed on the plan prior to “The Event”. The fact that John Howard came out the day before with a rant about gun control tells me he was “briefed”.
These psychopaths must have rewired brains to be able to look into the camera and utter mind boggling falsehoods. Maybe there was some bullying, bribery and blackmail involved too?
https:// old.bitchute.com/video/8K0QCv6LRXFf/
Lots of sirens and noise, but little counter action in this video.
When socialism morphs into communism, the population has to fight to get out of the trap.
It is quite obvious the Labor Government doesn’t give rats about the people funding their life styles.
Dennis,
The same action should be applied to the zionist illegal occupiers of Palestine for their genocide of the Palestinian people!!
Why hasn’t the Bondi Islamic killer been hung by now for terrorism and murder.
We do not need a trial as it was all on full display, and court proceedings are totally unnecesssary.
The courts are not legitimate as Admiralty courts anyway, as they have no jurusdiction on any landmass, as they are ancient courts of the British high Seas.
He should be publicly whipped with a cat of nine tails for the pain and deaths he has caused.
There should be no compassion for such acts of violence.
The public need to see justice served as do all criminals in order to make them consider the penalties for evil deeds.
Mikkelson needs to get his facts straight before he prints that BS!
Hamas DID NOT slaughter 1200 people on October 7th!! Those people at and nearby the rave concert were slaughtered by the Israeli Occupation Forces flying Black hawk helicopters and by the IOF using tanks to kill the zionist settlers at Kibbutz Be’Eri.
He ignores the fact that the IOF have illegally imprisoned and tortured thousands of Palestinians, stolen their homes and land and slaughtered thousands and thousands of Palestinian men, women and children during the last 80 years, which led to the October 7th incident!!
And just how many of these individuals crying about “antisemitism” are actually SEMITES and not just zionist converts to judaism?!
Dear President trump.
Can you please currette the traitorus perverts here like you did in venezuela.
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