Lachlan McKenzie, Author at The Australian Independent Media Network

Man presenting complex aged care system diagram.

When Systems Work as Designed – and Still Fail

26 March 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 4

Australia’s aged care reforms were built for consistency and control. But as complaints rise and appeals stall, a familiar pattern is emerging – one seen in similar systems around the world. Something isn’t sitting right […]

Island formed from excessive product packaging waste.

The Packaging Scam We All Pay For

23 March 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 2

We’re paying more for packaging than the product – and it’s costing us the planet. You go to the supermarket to buy food. You come home with plastic, cardboard, film, trays, wraps, seals, labels, inserts […]

Notebook with doodles during business meeting.

KISS off – we’re now using CLUSTERF

19 March 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 0

The system will improve as it “matures”, the government says. The question is, what’s actually growing? INT. GOVERNMENT OFFICE – MEETING ROOM (UTOPIA) Long table. Laptops open. Slide on screen: Ø “Transition from KISS to […]

Cartoon of president distributing lies to crowd.

There Was an Old President Who Got Them to Swallow a Lie

18 March 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 7

There was an old president who got them to swallow a lie. I don’t know why they swallowed the lie – perhaps it sounded better than the mundane truth passing by. There was an old […]

Elderly couple reviewing financial documents, looking concerned.

Aged care funding: Pay now, or pay later – but later always costs more

10 March 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 4

Australia’s aged care system is confronting a strange paradox. Across the country, older Australians are being formally assessed as needing support – yet many must wait months before that support actually begins. The official justification […]

Elderly couple assisted by caregiver, emergency room.

When Need Meets the Algorithm

1 March 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 1

Sustainability, Safety, and the Real Cost of Ageing at Home Australia’s aged-care reforms aim to deliver fairness, consistency and sustainability. The introduction of the Support at Home program and the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) represents […]

UTOPIA: “Nobody Likes PILES”

28 February 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 1

🎬 UTOPIA: “Nobody Likes PILES” Scene 1 – Department Meeting Room Tony (brisk): Good news. Complaints are up 50%, which means engagement is up. (1-second pause) Nat looks up slowly. Slow blink. Nat: That’s not […]

UTOPIA: Episode – “Consistency”

21 February 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 4

Cold Open A television in the Nation Building Authority reception area plays a news clip: Ø “The new assessment algorithm is delivering unprecedented consistency.” A ticker scrolls beneath: COMPLAINTS UP 68% Staff stare silently. TITLE […]

Man asking for more sovereignty humorously depicted.

Australia Isn’t Revolting. It’s Oliver Twist – Asking for a Spoonful More Sovereignty

7 February 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 4

Australia isn’t plotting rebellion. It isn’t burning flags. It isn’t storming embassies or tearing up treaties on live television. It’s Oliver Twist at the end of the table – bowl in hand, asking for a […]

Dark figures surrounding a concerned man.

Trump and the Three Ghosts of Accountability

2 February 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 21

The Choice Trump Makes When Accountability Appears Donald Trump is not unraveling. He is not “cornered,” “panicking,” or undergoing some tragic psychological collapse. What we are witnessing is far simpler – and far more familiar. […]

Man interviewing two humanoid robots on stage.

We Asked Two AIs What’s Driving the Doomsday Clock: The Answer Was Human Power

1 February 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 4

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists recently set the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight – the closest it has ever been to catastrophe. Predictably, some commentary rushed to place artificial intelligence at the […]

When the cameras did not look away

25 January 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 20

When the cameras did not look away, and what we cannot unsee The street is bright with winter glare. Snow is packed hard at the curb, greyed by traffic and footprints. A cluster of men […]

Control room manipulating reality and perceptions.

Beyond the Overton Window: The Reality Dashboard

24 January 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 10

What Australians were told was “normal”, what we experienced instead – and why the old model no longer works For a long time, the Overton Window was a useful way to describe Australian politics. It […]

Cartoon of women presenting evidence to man.

Daddy Issues, Castrati, and the Political Pathologising of Women

19 January 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 5

I watched a short clip of Miranda Devine attempting to explain why younger women dislike Donald Trump. It was awful. Not “controversial.” Not “provocative.” Just awful – in the way that makes you sit back […]

We Can’t Stop All Bushfires. But We Can Stop Pretending Total Loss Is Inevitable

18 January 2026 Lachlan McKenzie 1

Australia is rightly having another conversation about bushfires, housing vulnerability, and what can realistically be done to reduce loss. A recent article in The Age argued for a “simple system”: a standardised way to assess […]

The Australian Independent Media Network

The AIMN is an online platform that provides a space for citizen and public interest journalists to engage in and contribute to independent media, focusing on politics, democracy, environment, and identity.

Articles by Lachlan McKenzie