Stuart Palmer

Stuart Palmer

@spalm.bsky.social

Professional engineer. Recovering academic. Data. Stats. Visualisation. Officially retired. Opinions my own. https://stuartpalmer2.github.io/spalm/index.html

597 followers221 following9.8K posts

Stuart Palmer reposted

Greg Jericho
@grogsgamut.bsky.social

Yesterday in Senate estimates, the Governor of the RBA said “We’re not worried about the pace of increase in the unemployment rate at this stage” My column. www.theguardian.com/business/gro...

theguardian.comThe RBA has primed the market for an interest rate rise. But what will it mean for unemployment? | Greg JerichoCentral bank forecast that unemployment might have to move even higher makes it clear how much more the RBA cares about inflation than full employment

Stuart Palmer reposted

🐈‍⬛💜 phonakins 🍉🌲
@phonakins.com

Scomo gave jobseekrs $25 a week in 2021 Labour gave $20 a week in 2024 Greens promising $21 a week in 2027 *Insert same picture meme here*

Antipoverty Centre@antipovertycentre.org

It’s no time for tinkering and trade-offs that will barely be noticeable to the people who need help the most – whether they’re in a low-paid job, on Centrelink, or both. Greens coming out with a policy that “increases” JobSeeker less than what Morrison did in 2022 is not how you tackle poverty.

abc.net.auGreens launch $21-a-week tax cut in bid to 'replace Labor'New Greens leader David Shoebridge will address the National Press Club, proposing a new tax cut and a welfare boost and declaring he will pursue "rivers of gold" from the resources sector.

Stuart Palmer reposted

Andy Fleming
@slackbastard.bsky.social

'In 2022, when Anthony Albanese was making his pitch to voters to change the country by changing the government, I was briefly encouraged by one aspect of Labor’s platform.' Rookie error. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.comI couldn’t afford food on jobseeker after bills and rent. Is this really what ‘no one left behind’ looks like? | Travis GilbertTrying to make ends meet on around $58 a day is a cruel joke bestowed upon those who find themselves unemployed in the ‘lucky country’
Stuart Palmer
@spalm.bsky.social

Reminds me of the men's toilet at Deakin waterfront. Buildings and Grounds had put up a sticker above the taps that said "Report Leaks!". Of course someone had put up a ruled sheet and dutifully started recording all their visits, with commentary for each.

Uncle Duke@uncleduke1969.bsky.social

Whoever did this and I would get along well.

Stuart Palmer reposted

Tim Lyons
@picketer.bsky.social

Next year in ABC Estimates "Was Syphilis an appropriate topic for a family-friendly time slot?"

Josh Taylor@joshtaylor.bsky.social

OH in ABC estimates: "For balance, would you consider a program called 'Stuff the British Gave Us'?

Stuart Palmer reposted

Mrs. Betty Bowers
@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social

If you believe Melania Trump negotiated a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, you're the reason "DO NOT EAT" labels are put on soap. If you believe Donald Trump is going to give you a check for $5,000 if Republicans win, you're the reason irons have "NEVER IRON CLOTHES WHILE BEING WORN" warnings.

Stuart Palmer reposted

bronte lee
@brontelee.bsky.social

oh wow so great to see politicians patting themselves on the back after yapping in parliament and signing a civility promise… how about you make a promise to do your fucking jobs and ensure people have the material conditions they need to live a dignified life you soulless fucking ghouls

Stuart Palmer reposted

RUOK Speedwagon
@uberpaul.bsky.social

LinkedIn brain is a thing. I'm sure these 1980 people who have lost their job with nab are relieved to know that they have merely been "released" from their jobs and not thrown out into the most difficult IT market in two decades. What a cunt.

Stuart Palmer reposted

Julian Sanchez
@normative.bsky.social

I feel like I’m living in some weird fucking Beckett play or a dystopian sequel to Being There where the president of the United States is just increasingly obviously a porridge-brained mental patient and everyone nods and smiles like it’s normal.

FactPost@factpostnews.bsky.social

Trump: I love the meat! Ahhhh! I love it, look! *gestures*

Stuart Palmer reposted

Antipoverty Centre
@antipovertycentre.org

It's ridiculous that someone was paid nearly $900k for being fired, but even more outrageous that the Albanese government refuses to say why they abruptly terminated a Secretary when there were hundreds of thousands of unlawful payment cancellations.

View full thread

Stuart Palmer reposted

Antfarmer
@antfarmer.bsky.social

Cool that the USA under Trump has become the new South America for corrupt Nazis post WW2.

MeidasTouch@meidastouch.com

NEWS: The U.S. State Department says it will give U.S. visas to defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family who have fled Brazil after Bolsonaro's loss

Stuart Palmer reposted

Stuart Palmer
@spalm.bsky.social

Replying to @spalm.bsky.social

Palace (only a few cinemas) have have a 20th anniversary screening coming up. I know it's a story about hope, but the trailer doesn't really convey how grim the movie really is. It's also one of the most astonishing things ever got onto film. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VT2...

youtube.comChildren of Men Official Trailer #1 - Julianne Moore, Clive Owen Movie (2006) HDYouTube video by Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

Stuart Palmer reposted

Ben Eltham
@beneltham.bsky.social

Very clear that the Antisemitism Envoy gave misleading evidence to the Royal Commission

Senator David Shoebridge@davidshoebridge.bsky.social

The antisemitism envoy told the Royal Commission that Gaza’s death toll was “grossly inflated” and that the UN accepted this. The UN said otherwise. When I asked she said she “notes” the UN’s views.

Stuart Palmer reposted

Independent Media Australia.
@indymediaaus.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy

Four Corners exposed childcare again. The reforms didn’t touch the thing that’s broken https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/soapbox/suffer-the-little-children-can-we-fix-this-broken-system/ #AUSpol

womensagenda.com.auFour Corners exposed childcare again. The reforms didn’t touch the thing that’s brokenAs early childhood education safety breaches hit the news again on ABC’s _Four Corners_ , many of us are left wondering if the recent reforms are working. Over the past months, much has been done to tighten legislation to improve practices within the sector. This article explores the mandated changes and why the system still isn’t working. After the horrific allegations of child abuse, alongside Adele Ferguson’s _Four Corners_ investigation last year, a suite of changes has been mandated. **The mandated changes include:** 1. Early childhood services need to put children’s safety, rights and best interests at the centre of every decision made in the service. 2. Services have only 24 hours, rather than seven days, to report serious incidents or allegations of abuse. 3. Staff devices are banned when working with children, to reduce the chances of children’s photos being posted online or the creation of child pornography. 4. Staff registers are national, rather than state- and territory-based, to avoid the loopholes. 5. Child safety training has increased and is organised nationally. 6. Vaping bans on all early childhood service sites. 7. Compliance (or breaches) in safety matters is transparent through Government registers and signage. 8. The National Quality Standards (NQS) set by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) were updated to include child safety within Quality Area 2 (Children’s Health and Safety) and Quality Area 7 (Governance and Leadership). 9. Maximum legislative penalties have tripled, and state and territory authorities have expanded powers to shut down services, suspend educators and enforce direct supervision. Federal funding has been withheld when services repeatedly breach safety regulations. Additionally, more reforms are planned, including referee checks before hiring any staff (not just educators), more spot checks for services, and more mandatory training. ### Have the mandated changes worked? Government figures show state and territory regulators doubled their compliance actions in the second quarter of 2026 compared with 2025. In the same quarter, they also rejected 20 times as many approvals as in the same quarter last year. Since May 2022, services meeting the National Quality Standards have risen from 88 per cent to 92 per cent. Staffing waivers in services are down almost half in the second quarter, compared to the previous year. While the Government is proud of the uptake of the first wave of mandatory training at around 99 per cent, it is less clear if this has led to change in the services. Are educators more likely to report incidents as they are more likely to recognise the signs of child sexual grooming? Have abusive educators left the system in fear of being caught? Do they feel more comfortable reporting incidents as they understand the implications of being mandatory reporters? ## Why isn’t the system working yet? It’s hard to gauge the full extent of the changes at this early stage. Many hurdles remain before we can fully realise the hope of having all children safe and well educated. This is partly due to the systems set up long ago and ad hoc actions to support staff shortages. **Staff ratios** While staff waivers have been reduced, over 4 per cent of services still use them, more likely in regional, rural, and remote communities where staffing is scarce. Additionally, ‘under the roof ratios’, and ‘family groupings’ are used and abused by services to reduce child-to-staff ratios. This means many staff are responsible for large numbers of children, especially at the start and close of each day. They can struggle to supervise appropriately, let alone see what other staff are doing. **Educator pay and status** Staffing shortages persist despite incentives for studying early childhood education. This is because, despite the 15 per cent wage rise for some educators, they are still paid far less than school teachers with the same qualification. Despite the pay rise, educators still face high demands and low community status. People often see them as having fun with children rather than as trained professionals. Poor pay and low status combine to cause burnout and increased attrition. Staff shortages mean less suitable staff are more likely to be rostered, and staff issues are ignored. **Precarious work** In for-profit services, educators and other staff are more likely to be casual than in community- and government-owned services. This can mean they are less likely to speak up when issues occur as they fear they will not be rostered on. _C_**hildcare deserts** Georgie Dent, The Parenthood’s CEO, says childcare deserts affecting one in four families result from the current funding model. This model does not incentivise service provision in childcare deserts, where the operational costs are higher. **Poor design** Many early learning services are poorly designed, making it difficult for educators to supervise adequately because they cannot see from one room to the next. **Questionable systems** Overall, successive Governments have turned the education and care of our children into a commodity. Millions of taxpayer dollars are given to private companies, many owned by overseas companies, to provide early learning services. Private providers, many of whom are publicly listed companies, have been big winners. To boost profits and keep shareholders happy, they pull on one of the easiest levers: staffing levels. This puts children’s safety at risk as staff ratios are met and educators can’t see what other educators are doing. **Other services** Over 450 services are not ACECQA-approved services, so they fall outside of the national regulations. This includes services such as Injinoo Childcare Centre in Queensland, run by NPA Family and Community Services, at the centre of recent abuse charges. Children in such services can be particularly vulnerable unless they meet high standards. Fortunately for this service, they installed CCTV cameras, although widespread use can present challenges. Minister for Early Childhood Services, Jess Walsh, says they will bring these services into the national system. She says ‘there has been a reckoning in the system’ since Four Corners shed light on the sector’s issues in 2025. She says the Government’s reforms are ‘on track’. For example, she says 120 have been put on notice, about half have improved, and the others have lost funding. **System failures** The Four Corners program revealed several system challenges. Macquarie University’s Emeritus Professor Gabrielle Meagher has reviewed the number of breaches and argues that the system’s architecture is fundamentally the same. Some providers have high numbers of incidents over a long time. These can include breaches of staff-to-child ratios and staff shortages. Child care subsidies go to services regardless of care quality, location, or whether they are over-casualising their workforce. ‘Working towards’ qualification grace periods for educators are also worrying. That means that someone who is unqualified can be in charge of up to eight babies alone. The Government is reviewing these arrangements, originally introduced because of staff shortages. Not-for-profit providers are less likely to have breaches and more likely to provide higher-quality care. These find it harder to compete with for-profit services because they employ more permanent and more qualified staff. About 70% of services are now for-profit, and this is growing. While some for-profit services can provide high-quality care, many do not. While there have been improvements, we need to ask the big questions. Are we tinkering around the edges when we need major reform? We need to remember that behind each safety breach is a child who is either potentially injured or traumatised. Behind each child is a family that may never trust the system again. This affects them, their parenting, the businesses and organisations that employ them, and the community they live in. Our children, parents and communities deserve a complete overhaul of the system. **_The main image by Sissy Reyes is for theABC’s Four Corners program._ _It depicts the parents of one of the children who were abused._** **This article was originally published onEduResearch Matters. Read the original article.** Share this child safetychildcareearly childhood education by Dr Marg Rogers 20 hours ago ## Stay Smart! Get Women's Agenda in your inbox * Facebook This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. * Email SUBSCRIBE ## Latest news ### Angus Taylor’s found $31 billion in ‘savings’ that women will pay the most for ### Jacinda Ardern joins Sydney University as lecturer and mentor on empathetic leadership ### The best leadership I saw on race day came from a drink station ### Queensland’s new child safety and DV minister Amanda Stoker has a controversial record on women’s rights ### The Lucky Country is now the Hungry Country as food insecurity rises. Single parents are hit hardest ### Podcast: Why it’s time to quit being nice