You don’t - and can’t - connect to wifi on the trams. It doesn’t provide internet connection, it just logs devices that have their wifi turned on and scanning for wifi networks.

From the article:

To opt out of the trial, passengers must either have wi-fi capabilities turned off on their devices before they get on the light rail or give their MAC address within three hours of it being collected by filling out an online form.

This isn’t as directly tied to people’s identities, but trams in Sydney also collect device data via wifi: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-18/transport-nsw-light-rail-data-collection-raises-privacy-concerns/104559538

No idea what the protest in question was about

The protests were in relation to Palestine/Israel:

• https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/20/university-of-melbourne-surveilled-students-pro-palestine-protest
• https://overland.org.au/2024/10/unimelb-staff-statement-on-the-right-of-protest-and-academic-freedoms/

I can’t tell if this is a joke or not, so I’ll just say ‘read the poem’: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_They_Came

There’s tools online for parents that want this kind of information.

E.g. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews

The big star on the left represents what you see right before you are vaporised by the Laser Kiwi

The list of all films ever banned in Australia, for anyone interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_banned_in_Australia

And get together a meeting of your colleagues to discuss it, or at least establish lines of communication among yourselves in some way

Sure it’ll save a few lives, but millions will be late!

Israel is capable of being shitty on its own.

Is it, though?

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-military-aid-for-israel-tops-17-9-billion-since-last-oct-7

The fucking gall of Albo to imply the protest movement is just empty slogans when he hasn’t lifted a fucking finger, whereas members of the protest movement have put their bodies on the line to obstruct weapons exports.

It’s not about lobbying, it’s that the USA owns Australia.

It won’t.

If they thought it would do any good, then they wouldn’t have the spine to do it.

We know they don’t have the spine to do anything with any practical effect, because otherwise they would have done it by now. They could have instituted broad trade sanctions, or prevented the export of military goods including F-35 parts and steel armour plating.

“What we need to do here is to have very clear statements and actions by the Australian government that make a difference …” Mr Albanese said.

Oh, cool, so are you planning on taking any actions, then? Anything at all?

they do these timid little flash mobs when most people are asleep because they keep getting beaten up or humiliated whenever they do anything in daylight

Here’s a recent Tom Tanuki video on the subject for anyone interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXgiVhdvyiI

I was not expecting a headline that goes that hard from the ABC

This article from November last year covers Israeli “immigration” programs being conducted in Australia: https://michaelwest.com.au/lone-soldiers-new-australian-idf-recruits-due-to-arrive-in-israel-in-january/

Despite it being illegal to recruit soldiers for foreign armies, the Israeli Defence Forces recruiters are hard at work here enticing young Australians to join Israel’s army. Yaakov Aharon investigates.

Letters in the Sydney Morning Herald include seem to align with my experience of events: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM9IfNwzD5o/

why doesn’t Osko/PayID work like this?

The article provides a probable answer to that question, right? The US would come down on it like a tonne of bricks and our government would fold immediately.

I’ve seen local market stalls using Osko as an improvised way of taking electronic payments, though. It wasn’t integrated into any point-of-sales system, just the person behind the desk checking their bank account on their phone.