Newly released Australian Electoral Commission disclosures show the major parties reported $417.2 million in donations and other receipts in 2024 to 25, up 58.2 percent on the post 2022 election figures, with $129.6 million, about 31 percent, coming from undisclosed sources, the dark money problem that voters only get to see after they vote.  We walk through the biggest chequebooks, including Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer, major individual and corporate donors, and the role of third party campaigners like Advance Australia, which reported $13.5 million in receipts while disclosing sources for only $5.2 million, leaving about $8.3 million untraceable, alongside pro climate fundraising vehicle Climate 200 and its donor base.  Read the full story by Stephanie Tran at Michael West Media. https://michaelwest.com.au/political-donations-money-doesnt-buy-you-happiness/ Our Journalism, michaelwest.com.au Support us, patreon.com/thewestreport Merch, https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree, https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Is Albo's invite for Isaac Herzog a clever ruse or a disastrous wedge? Scam of the Week is back; we look at the big distractions and the big deals, Iran as the next war drumbeat, Pauline Hanson climbing in the polls, the Coalition leadership soap opera around Sussan Ley, and the looming Rio, Glencore mega merger and the tax game that follows. Also rates and cost of living #auspol  Support independent journalism, become a patron, and read the investigations on the Michael West Media website. Support us ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au 00:00: Intro  00:20: Twitter Arrest  00:54: Ley Pressure  01:16: Iran Drumbeat  02:01: Tax Breaks  03:09: Donations Capture  03:56: Herzog Visit  05:29: Warrant Call  06:35: Double Standards  08:18: Pauline Polls  08:49: Leadership Knives  09:23: TikTok Chaos  09:55: UpScrolled Launch  11:52: Rates Bite  12:43: Lawfare Threat  13:40: Charity Links  14:25: Rio Merger  16:13: Writers Week  17:46: Iran Psyop  20:18: Thanks  20:52: Scam Winner  22:16: Wrap  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Social media was meant to be your friends, your family, your community. Now it is outrage on tap, AI slop in the pipes, and invisible rules deciding what you see, what you miss, and what gets quietly buried. In this West Report video we look at UpScrolled, a new app claiming it is building a feed with visible rules, less manipulation, and less censorship, right as TikTok and Meta face fresh allegations of shadow banning, political throttling, and feeds that seem to tilt toward power. We break down what a “transparent algorithm” actually means, how UpScrolled says its Following and Discover feeds work, what it claims about AI content, moderation, and monetisation, and why the real test is whether any platform can stay clean once money and scale show up. Read the full article at Michael West Media. https://michaelwest.com.au/tiktok-crashes-in-the-us-will-upscrolled-make-the-algorithm-great-again/ Support us ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au #tiktok #facebook #freespeech #news Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Three shark attacks in Sydney are a 'Black Swan event': unexpected, highly unusual and high impact’. They have had a chilling impact on coastal communities and despite the heat of the Australia Day weekend, few are in the water like usual. Everybody has a view on sharks. Some are pretty zany. Amid the calls for culling, we check out the theories, the blame, the numbers, and what can be done - drones and so forth. but the reality is that surfers and sharks co-exist peacefully most of the time. Support us ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Swellnet story: https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2026/01/22/bull-sharks-are-spending-longer-in-sydney Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Are you subsidising Israel and the IDF? Australian charities are meant to relieve suffering, not cause it. A growing list of Australian registered charities has been identified by Michael West Media which funnels money to entities in Israel linked to the IDF and illegal West Bank settlements. They enjoy tax concessions in Australia, including in some cases Public Benevolent Institution status.  We look at how the media covers the Israel lobby, the power of the lobby over mainstream media, and the rushed introduction of the Hate Speech laws. #auspol #israel #freespeech Support us ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Chapters 00:00 The Newsroom 03:03 Money trails 08:32 Fear, antisemitism, lobbying and hate speech laws  14:31 The five charities named so far Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Labor and the Coalition are close to Parliament rushing through a package of antisemitism, hate speech, extremism, and gun reform laws. #auspol Prohibition does not work, neither will these laws work. We unpack what the Hate Speech Bill is trying to do, why “adjacent terms” could become a compliance nightmare, and why vague definitions can hand enormous power to the executive to decide who counts as a hate group, and who gets targeted next. David Shoebridge on the hate group plotting: https://x.com/DavidShoebridge/status/2013412134236168389 #auspol Chapters 00:00 Context, satire, and the “ban words” farce 01:05 Adjacent terms, Nick Riemer, and the chilling effect 03:19 Senate power plays, protest rights, and censorship pressure 09:05 Palantir, surveillance politics, and what gets ignored Links and support Support us ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Sponsors Thanks to Island Optical and Optical Superstores Credit to Alan Moir. Moir.com.au #TheWestReport #AusPol #FreeSpeech #HateSpeech #MediaLiteracy  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Albanese government is trying to ram through a new set of vilification laws, bundled into an “omnibus” bill alongside gun reforms, and it’s already exploding before Parliament resumes. Labor calls it the Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, but that title alone tells you what’s going on, one form of racism gets special priority, right there at the top. The Liberals and Greens are both refusing to support it, and for good reason. The Bill lowers the legal threshold from speech that incites violence to speech that merely “promotes hate”, and hands huge power to a highly subjective “reasonable person” test. Not a law anchored in harm, but a law anchored in vibes. Support our journalism ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au 00:00 Hate speech laws, the “biggest hate crime” carve out 01:41 Adelaide Writers Festival meltdown, Murdoch spin cycle 08:38 The Omnibus Crash, “Combating Antisemitism” bill breakdown 20:54 Wrap up, final hit + call to action Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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They've wrecked Adelaide Writers Week, South Australia's premier cultural event. We examine the Israel lobby's sabotage and the craven capitulation of Premier Peter Malinauskas and the board of the Adelaide Festival under pressure from the Murdoch press. This is just the latest destruction. We unfurl the list of other ideological demo-jobs from Bendigo Writers to assorted arts and media attacks; and Cathy Wilcox, the Herald and Age cartoonist who they just threw under the bus. #auspol #censorship Read more: michaelwest.com.au Support us ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Australia now has a Royal Commission into antisemitism, announced belatedly in the wake of the Bondi attacks. But how did we get here, and who shaped the agenda? We examine the terms of the RC, and the coordinated media and lobbying campaign that followed the Bondi tragedy, the role of political advocacy groups, and the pressure placed on the federal government to narrow the scope of the inquiry. To stick a PR judge in the job. We look at attempts to derail the appointment of former High Court Justice Virginia Bell, questions around the proposed terms of reference, and whether the Commission will examine all drivers of antisemitism, including political extremism, foreign influence, and institutional failures. Will it cover the behaviour and role of Israel and its proponents in Australia? We also discuss the distinction between antisemitism and criticism of the state of Israel, the use of the IHRA definition, and the implications for free speech, protest rights, and social cohesion in Australia. Support our journalism ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our reporting 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.