Lots of people are saying Greens gains in Brisbane electorates are due to climate change. That’s part of it but as someone living on the ground here, people are missing the huge grassroots community approach those candidates have led. The Greens have been holding community forums, providing flood relief and COVID-19 care packages and door-knocking up a storm.

They’ve had thousands of volunteers campaigning for them every weekend. It’s been a massive campaign that was widely underreported.

Frydenberg says “there’s still thousands of postal votes to count”. He acknowledges it’s possible but “difficult” to win in Kooyong. “Maybe after tonight I get the chance to be the most extraordinary dad,”Frydenberg says.

Sounds like he’s not optimistic about a win in Kooyong.

Qld seats to watch tonight 👇
- Brisbane
- Ryan
- Longman
- Griffith
- Flynn
- Leichhardt Other things I’m interested in knowing;
- Will Greens pick up a lower house seat in Qld
- How will Labor go in Qld this time around
- How many Independents will get elected
- Have UAP and One Nation managed to attract more voters with anti-vaccine/mandate sentiment

1/ Exclusive from me: Australian sex workers have reported police inaction, entrapment and expectation of free services by some officers in a new research paper. sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/… 2/ Some migrant sex workers in states where sex work is yet to be decriminalised said police expected free services in exchange for not reporting them. sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/…

New from me: When the pandemic began, the government asked ‘backpackers’ with critical skills to stay and help Australia get through the health crisis.

But these workers have been excluded from the re-opening of international borders next month. sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/… Midwife Roisin has cared for patients with COVID-19 and gone without seeing her family for 18 months.

She said the decision to exclude temporary visa holders from re-entering Australia feels like "a slap in the face."
sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/…

1/ Fox has interviewed 'Real Rukshan' - a prominent livestreamer who attends anti-lockdown protests

He calls himself an "independent journalist" but is notably popular among the anti-lockdown crowd. In his livestreams, protesters have chanted his name & offered him donations 2/ Rukshan claims he isn't accepting donations. At the protest, he was praised while a Ch7 journalist was attacked by protesters & doused in urine.

Rukshan's livestreams have reached 70k viewers & he's been interviewed by global media, as well as Australia's own 3AW.

1/ There is lots of wild speculation about a prominent livestreamer (who reached 70k viewers yesterday) being arrested. This unconfirmed claim has already spread like wildfire and that's why I want to address it. 2/ A key organiser of Melbourne's anti-lockdown rallies has just dismissed the claims, saying the livestreamer isn't there because he's too "unfit" and his "knees are cooked".

Yesterday, the livestreamer was complaining about the long walk. He'd been livestreaming for hours.

Police appear to be going hard and fast in their response today - questioning and arresting people on arrival.

Still a sizeable number of people marching through Melbourne's CBD shown in this live stream 👇 People are chanting "every day" in reference to a flyer issued by a Melbourne anti-lockdown group yesterday asking people to protest every day until their 'demands' are met.

Victorian Premier: I think that was quite a diverse crowd and not necessarily in the best sense of that word. Many different people acting appallingly under the guise of a protest. That's not what it was. Police Minister: If you're thinking about coming into the city today to cause violence and harm, just know that Victoria Police will deploy whatever tactics they need to in order to ensure that you are held accountable.

THREAD: I've spoken to experts about claims that #faketradies infiltrated the construction worker protests in Melbourne.

They told me we're seeing the far-right and anti-lockdown personalities co-opting the concerns of the working class. bit.ly/39ogPyY Experts stopped short of claiming far-right individuals ‘orchestrated’ the event and said the issue needs nuanced reporting.
bit.ly/39ogPyY

There is a heavy police presence today as people rock up to protest outside of the CFMEU building in Melbourne.

An anti-lockdown Telegram group has encouraged people to attend today after the attack on the building yesterday. The protest has been going on for about 40mins. So far there has been a lot of shouting and swearing at the police.

CFMEU boarded up. Mounted police and riot squad in attendance.

#BREAKING: Protesters are now brawling and damaging CFMEU property.

Protesters have smashed windows, kicked in glass and thrown bottles at the CFMEU building. CFMEU are attempting to disperse protesters who have become violent and started destroying property.

I've reached out to the CFMEU about the protests outside their building over mandatory vaccines.

Their spokesperson said they don't have a media statement yet but John Setka will be on 3AW at around 3.20pm. John Setka says he's still inside the CFMEU building.

"All we've ever done is try and keep our industry working safely... How it's all our fault is beyond me."

"Some of their violence, throwing projectiles and stuff like that was absolutely disgusting."

1/ I'm seeing lots of people on the TL musing over why a journalist may not identify themselves at a protest.

I watched a livestream of the Melbourne protest on Saturday where protesters screamed and jeered abuse at a journo from a major news network. 2/ This was all captured by a livestreamer whose coverage appears to be sympathetic to protesters.

I say this as protesters continuously came up to the livestreamer and praised him for 'doing a great job'.

Some construction workers are protesting mandatory vaccine requirements outside a CFMEU office in Victoria. It looks like the office they’re protesting out the front of is actually closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

#BREAKING: Victoria Police arrested 235 people today, with 193 people fined for breaching the state's health orders.

10 members of the police were injured and six were taken to hospital. sbs.com.au/news/article/2… Commander Mark Galliott denied the protests were about freedom.

He said those who attended were "angry, aggressive males" who were there to "take on and fight with police." sbs.com.au/news/police-ar…