Emeritus Professor. Tweets about Media and Politics.
Central Coast, NSW
Joined December 2013
- Tweets7.3K
- Following1.7K
- Followers1.7K
- Likes18.7K
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
This is a very disturbing account and good on @SharriMarkson for setting it all out.
It reminds me again why I do not use X for private messages.
When I received a message from a former Trump administration official in August, asking me to meet with his team at a prestigious think-tank, I never could have imagined I was conversing with an Iranian intelligence agent.
It was the start of a two-month sting - described by ASIO chief Mike Burgess as "sophisticated and targeted" - that ended with the notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gaining access to my personal emails and details in a major security breach.
The message from a former senior Trump administration contact I forged through my Wuhan reporting, who has a prominent profile with hundreds of thousands of followers, came on August 18 this year.
I had worked with him on my investigation into the origins of Covid-19. I trusted him and had met him in person during one of his visits to Australia.
Unbeknownst to either of us, his genuine X account had been infiltrated by an Iranian operative, using the ‘delegate feature’ on X, which gives a third party access to manage and operate your account.
Full story here:
news24.com.au/politics/austr…
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
Washington has discovered a brilliant financial strategy. Cut benefits for people who need them, cut taxes for people who don't, and borrow the difference from people who aren't old enough to vote.
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
Absolutely. It’s not a ‘sport.’ It’s the cruel mistreatment of animals, many of them butchered when they have no further use.
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
The death of Bruce Baird Brings to an end a chapter of remarkable integrity in politics. His moral rejection of Howard’s cruel asylum seeker policies cost ho
I’m his promised ministry. He did not buckle and for that he was a beacon of principle above career opportunity.
RIP
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
Congratulations News Corp -- ten great years of appearing in the ATO's company tax data without paying a cent in tax on tens of billions of revenue!
But keep on lecturing us about how the country should be run!
crikey.com.au/2026/10/01/new…
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
We mourn the death of Peter Manning, a transformative leader of Australian public interest journalism . Peter died yesterday at RPA Sydney. A tribute video of his work at the ABC, the Seven Network and academia is accessible @walkleys.
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
The HILDA chart that puts the lie to the 'cost of living crisis'. Financial stress is perhaps up a little post covid but remains at levels typically below 20 years ago. Roughly we're average since 2001.
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
Will Albanese's grovelling to Lachlan Murdoch ever stop? smh.com.au/politics/federal/…
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
Tomorrow I will remember the inspiration of Don Dunstan born on Sept 21 100 years ago in Fiji. Don’s leadership saw South Australia become our nation’s pacesetter for legal, democratic and social reform. For me it was an immense privilege to work for him almost 50 years ago.
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
2006: "This vaccine will give young women a license to be promiscuous." Barnaby Joyce.
2021: One Nation tried to ban the vaccine mandates (Lost 44-5)
2026: Zero cervical cancer cases in women under 25
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
This is a table you didn't know you wanted but now realise you did all along.
Seats won by ALP at 2025 federal landslide ranked by number of earlier ALP wins. Menzies (the old boy is turning in his grave) is really the only first timer.
Just the top of the table here.
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
His politics are awful. But he is an upright and honourable man, as opposed to Ol’Gutfull, The Beetrooter and the rest of the One Notion grubs…
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
Andrew Hastie has more integrity in a toenail than Ol’ Gutfull and her entire babbling rabble of hangers-on…
smh.com.au/politics/federal/…
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
This may sound nice but:
* For a 30yr old would mean ~$91k less at retirement
* Would only cover ~12 wks of rents
* Can already take out $10k for hardship anyway
* Would only cover ~1.8mths of mort payments
* Would drive higher home prices if for deposits
abc.net.au/news/2026-09-07/o…
Rodney Tiffen retweeted
"Either you print it the way I draw it, or I quit.
How's that?"
Charles Schulz.
Initially, many newspapers threatened to cut the "Peanuts" strip, but soon realized that Schulz was telling the truth.
In 1968, after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin debuted.
Predictably, some racist readers complained, especially because a black kid was seen in same classroom and house as white kids.
Charles Schulz remembered a particular letter he received about Franklin from a Peanuts reader:
"Who said something about, 'I don't mind you having a black character, but please don't show them in school together.' Because I had shown Franklin sitting in front of Peppermint Patty.
I didn't even answer him".
