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Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I lived fast and hard dealing drugs while hooked on meth… then came the sliding doors moment that completely turned my life around
A reformed drug dealer has recalled the horrific moment he found his brother trying to save his friend after he choked on his own vomit and died from an overdose. Braiden Tonks, 32, has lived through a decade of addiction, violence and crime that ultimately left him scarred, alone and hanging on to life by a thread. Mr Tonks managed to turn his life around and is now a father of three, partner and activist who is trying to help other addicts by sharing his own life experiences. The young father said he was the son of a pub brawler who had a reputation among locals and that he leaned into his violent legacy. Six-foot-five, covered in tattoos, and sporting stretched earlobes, he began smuggling methamphetamine into the Apple Isle in his 20s. His exploits afforded him nice cars, Harley-Davidsons, and enough cash to use meth on the side. But his addiction took it all away, leaving him with a stolen mountain bike and no roof over his head. 'I went from that guy with all the money, all the assets, and dealing drugs, to the absolute bottom of the spectrum,' he told Daily Mail Australia. When he thought he'd lost everything, he sought solace in other users. One introduced him to heroin – the worst drug he ever tried – and soon he was on the brink of death. In a hotel with his brother, Mr Tonks tried some, felt dizzy, and collapsed. CPR from his brother saved him, but the next morning he had to watch as his new friend wouldn't wake up. His brother tried CPR again, then turned to Mr Tonks, bile in his mouth, and said: 'This is exactly what I was doing to you'. The incident rattled Mr Tonks. The turning point came when he was caught in a hailstorm, wearing a T-shirt with nothing but a suitcase of drug paraphernalia behind an electrical box. He weighed just 68kg at the time. 'I remember sitting down behind this thing and bawling my eyes out,' Mr Tonks said. 'I wasn't born a Christian or anything, but I just remember sitting there and all of a sudden looking up, saying, "God, if you are real, help me, or kill me". 'I literally had nowhere to go. Nobody. My family had given up on me, my mum was in jail, my dad is completely anti-drugs.' It was a moment he's now grateful for. Soon after, he was nabbed at Hobart Airport following a failed trip to purchase $20,000 of meth. Detectives hauled him from the tarmac. 'They fully strip searched me, they found the cash, a couple of satchels with residue from drugs in the bag. That was enough to take me back to the station,' Mr Tonks said. He copped a 12-month suspended sentence with two years on good behaviour before a variety of minor offences landed him inside Risdon Prison Complex for six months. After leaving prison, he knew he couldn't stay in Tasmania. He feared he'd be pulled back into old habits. His mother, just out of jail herself, and his ex-partner – who is the mother of his two kids – gave him a chance to stay in their lives if he cleaned up. He said his current partner, Bec, and their daughter was a 'big factor' to his recovery. Mr Tonks said surrounding yourself with people who want the best for you is key to overcoming addiction. While working in construction and raising his kids, he started talking about his previous experiences on a podcast and trying to become that helping hand for others. His content joins a growing group of 'underworld' podcasters - like Sydney phenom Spanian - speaking to forgotten Australians and those curious about life on the edge. An estimated 10.2million Australians aged 14 and over have used an illicit drug in their lifetime. Drug use has declined in most age groups since 2019, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. But street drugs are growing more dangerous due to synthetic ingredients and powerful cutting agents. Mr Tonks also shares stories from others on the path to recovery. He has received dozens of messages a week from young people wanting to turn their lives around. Not everyone likes what he has to say – and that's fine with him. 'There's 100 per cent way more positivity than negativity on social media for me through the message I carry, but once upon a time I wouldn't have been able to handle it,' Mr Tonks said. 'My father was a very violent man... I sort of copped that reputation of him myself.' He admits he used to threaten those who criticised him, a habit shaped by his upbringing. 'Since I went to jail, I wouldn't say I found the Lord, but I found something,' Mr Tonks said. 'I believe in a higher power, whatever it is. I definitely believe in something higher than me. It's helped me, man, to switch off, grow more and not deal with a negative s***.' His podcast is available on Tonksy Media Podcast via social media, YouTube and Spotify. Lifeline: 13 11 14
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Aussie mum-of-two who quit her job to become a stay-at-home 'tradwife' reveals what her new life is really like
An Australian mum-of-two who quit her job to focus on her husband and two kids says she is embracing the 'tradwife' lifestyle - without the oppression. Stacey Knight has built a loyal following on social media with videos of her in summer dresses making meat pies and finger buns from scratch in her idyllic kitchen. Formerly a nurse, the 26-year-old gave up her job in 2023, swapping 'scrubs for spatulas and nappies', to raise her two young children. 'I got to a point where I was like, "Oh, I don't want to do this anymore",' she said about her job. While pregnant with her eldest son, Dusty, she studied a postgraduate course in injectable and dermal science because she wanted to start her own business. 'I was really struggling with the thought of being a stay-at-home mum,' she told Daily Mail Australia. However, after Dusty was born, her perspective shifted, and following six months of working just one day a week, she resigned. Two years later, she said she 'absolutely does not' miss her old job. Some of her content uses #tradwife, which is associated with women embracing traditional gendered roles at home and often associated with the archetype of 1950s housewives 'I much prefer to stay at home with my kids in these early years. I'd rather savour that moment,' she said. Neither her husband, Tom, nor her friends cared about her decision to leave the workforce, she said. 'I have lots of friends that love going to work,' she said, adding that people just have 'different interests'. 'I think women are expected to get a full-time job, plus do all the stay-at-home, mum things – like meal prep and caring for the children – and never get much of a break. 'I think that expectation is unfair but obviously some people do not have the choice and have to go to work.' Ms Knight chose to share her life on 'Staying home with Stacey' – a recipe website and set of social media channels inspired by her gardening and homemade meals. Whether in a flowing, white skirt gesturing with a natural lollipop, or with a basket on her arm filled with vegetables from her garden, she is the picture of a 'traditional wife'. The content is similar to that of other mothers in their 20s and 30s who have rushed to social media to create videos celebrating staying at home under the tag #tradwife. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jasmine Darke (@jasminedinis) The term refers to women who perform traditional gendered roles serving their husbands and children, often likened to the archetypal 1950s 'housewife'. #Tradwife has divided many Australians, most recently parents of Year 9 students in South Australia who were shocked when non-profit competition organiser Debating SA suggested the lifestyle as a topic. 'The "Trad Wife" movement is good for women,' the debate was titled. Australian influencer Jasmine Dinis regularly shares Christian and political values alongside videos of her baking sourdough bread, infamously earning criticism online for her post in January: 'Woke up this morning. Baby on my hip. Making some fresh sourdough. My husband is hot. Trump is the president of the US. Life is good.' Several videos on Ms Knight's TikTok are captioned 'Husband's lunch prep with a side of flu' or 'snack prep for my two kids' with the hashtag. But, for the Queenslander, her content is not about selling a lifestyle – in fact, she has only ever had one sponsorship deal so far for which she was not paid. 'I'm doing it by choice, not because it's expected or because I don't have any other options. I genuinely enjoy it, and I chose this path myself,' she said. A TikTok video by Ms Knight was captioned 'Trad wife hobbies without the oppression' and some videos, including those prepping her husband's lunch, included the hashtag. Asked how she feels about the term 'tradwife', she emphasised that, for her, it is about freely embracing the things she loves. 'I don't believe it's about going backwards. I do it because I love it and have a genuine interest in homemaking, cooking and gardening,' she said. 'I think the 1950s version lacked choice and freedom. I'm sophisticated, I still have opinions and am very involved in everything our family does. 'If I didn't stay at home with the kids, someone would be paying for childcare. It is definitely still work.' And what about 'serving' her husband? Ms Knight explained Tom dislikes cooking, whereas she enjoys it and places a higher priority on health. 'I do it because my husband would happily eat a servo pie and I'd like him to stay healthy,' she said. 'He really would be happy with anything so I think I just care about his health maybe a little bit more than he does.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Real estate agents getting rich on Australia's housing crisis is a 'kick in the guts' for struggling households
Experts say real estate agents getting rich on the nation's housing crisis is a painful 'kick in the guts' for struggling Aussies - as calls are renewed for the industry to be subject to stricter regulations. According to property comparison site, bRight Agent, a Perth home worth $1million in 2020 would be worth roughly $1.7million today. This means a real estate agent charging a two per cent commission would today earn $35,200 compared to $20,000 five years ago. While Perth's property market is an outlier, all major Australian cities have seen significant growth in the past five years. Aaron Scott, who co-founded the comparison service, said homeowners shouldn't be expected to pay agents so much more for the same amount of work. He told Daily Mail Australia that while agents deserved to be well-paid, the flashy wealth of the top earners is a 'kick in the guts' amid a worsening housing crisis. 'Let's face it - the extravagance often seen in the real estate industry, whether it be designer clothes, cars, or partying on yachts, is done on the backs of Australian families who are trying to keep up with their repayments and keep a roof over their heads,' he said. 'We don't think that Aussies should be forking out an extra $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 in costs to sell their home, just because the property value has increased. 'Aussies work really hard for the equity that they put into their homes over the years, so it really doesn't make sense that selling costs increase at the same rate.' Mr Scott said it was worth asking whether commissions should be regulated at an industry level, in the same way the states restrict the movement of rent and bills. 'If we're good enough to regulate the rate of increase of rents... shouldn't we be good enough to regulate the increase of selling costs?' State and territory governments have previously capped the commission an agent could charge for residential property transactions. Queensland was the last state to deregulate, having only done away with its cap of 2.5 per cent of the purchase price in 2014. While it is difficult to calculate the impact of deregulation on commissions, the Real Estate Institute of Australia insists it has allowed agents to lower their fees. 'Commission rates in Australia have been deregulated for many years, and this has created strong competition in the industry, which has helped bring fees down rather than push them up,' a REIA spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'Agents now work in a highly competitive environment where many charge well under 2 per cent, and in some metro markets, even below 1 per cent. 'While some regional areas still see rates around 3 per cent, those cases are the exception rather than the norm.' But others tell a different story, including former agent Neil Jenman who claims commissions soared as agents were left to negotiate their own fees. 'When real estate commissions were fixed in the early 90s, the real estate industry convinced governments across Australia to deregulate the commissions on the basis that they would fall,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Of course they all giggled when the governments fell for it, because real estate commissions soared.' Mr Jenman claimed commissions in certain parts of western Sydney had surged by roughly ten times since he practised there about 30 years ago. 'When I was an agent, my average fee per sale was $3,500 (in 1995). Today, in the same area, the average fee is $35,000,' he said. The spoils are not evenly spread among real estate agents, with the millions raked in by top earners well outpacing the average salary of between $75,000 to $95,000. Neither is it clear whether increasing saturation in the job market has reduced the number of sales agents are securing, as suggested by a CoreLogic spokesperson. But many, like Mr Jenman, think the fees charged by agents should be more closely tied to the work they put in, rather than simply the value of the sale. 'Some agents in Australia who are selling one house a month (a pitiful performance - less than eight hours 'work') are earning a million dollars a year,' he said. 'There's an agent in the eastern suburbs who boasts that he doesn't get out of bed for less than $100,000 commission per house. 'There is more money in real estate than in drug dealing.' Simon Murphy, a former real estate agent and founder of Melbourne Property Advocate, agreed, saying the commission system is 'broken'. 'The problem's not just how much agents charge. It's what they actually do for that money,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Agents throw the property online, run a couple of open homes, pass on some feedback, and somehow walk away with twenty grand or more. 'They're not really selling. They're just listing. That's not strategy. That's admin in a suit.' Mr Murphy acknowledged negotiating is a valuable skill but said too often agents were refusing to do the heavy lifting, relying on Australia's strong housing market. 'Most (agents) are just middlemen cashing in on a system that hasn't changed in years,' he said.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Anthony Albanese accused of 'disgraceful' act while visiting China
Prominent Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has echoed growing calls for Anthony Albanese to stop dividing Australia on the international stage. The Prime Minister raised eyebrows earlier this week during his visit to China, where he held several press conferences in front of three flags - the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island ones. The gesture sparked outrage back home, where outspoken commentators and radio shock jocks reignited debate to make Australia's national flag more inclusive. Mr Mundine has accused Albanese of dividing the country with the display of the three flags overseas. 'I thought that it was a disgrace,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'He's on the international stage. 'I'm a proud Aboriginal and I love my Aboriginal flag. But it's our flag, nobody else's!' 'He's the Prime Minister and he should be standing next to one flag, the Australian one. 'Aboriginal soldiers fought for our country under the Australian flag.' Albanese has displayed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian one at every press conference since he won power in 2022, including his election night victory speech when he was re-elected in May. Prime ministers before him only ever displayed the Australian flag. 'What has it done for the Aboriginal people?' Mundine said. 'Money would be better spent on youth, crime and actually fixing issues. 'It's about time that he started bringing Australia together, instead of dividing everyone.' Mundine admitted that the Australian flag has grown on him over the years and doesn't think any changes to make it more inclusive will happen in his lifetime. He used New Zealand as an example, where 56.6 per cent of Kiwis voted in favour of keeping the same flag in a 2016 referendum. The 18-month process, driven by then-Prime Minister John Key, cost $NZ26 million. 'We have a national flag, whether people like it or not,' Mundine said. 'Every time the debate comes up, they can't get the model right.' 'We live in one of the best countries in the world. Let's start coming together and celebrating it.' Sky News hosts Chris Kenny and Danica De Giorgio also slammed Mr Albanese over displaying the three flags on the international stage. 'Why? He's representing one nation, our nation overseas,' Kenny said. 'This is identity politics on steroids - a gesture that can only confuse anyone watching on from China. It's a step too far.' De Giorgio added: 'Why have we got the Prime Minister of our country going over to a different country, standing in front of three different flags? 'It should be the Australian flag only; you're representing one country. 'You're overseas representing Australia.' The backlash from Aussies online was just as brutal. 'I'm sure that Australia's got to be the only bloody country in the world to have three flags,' one wrote.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The sell-out dress that flatters EVERY body shape thanks to its clever feature: 'I always get compliments'
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more An Aussie clothing brand with more than 18,000 five-star reviews has been struggling to keep up with demand after selling tens of thousands of dresses - thanks to its design that flatters every body shape. Best known for its vibrant prints and flattering fits, Proud Poppy has sold tens of millions of dollars worth of dresses, with inclusive sizes ranging from six to 30. The brainchild of Tara McKeon, a mum-of-two and former emergency nurse, it has become a go-to label for women who want stylish, comfortable clothes that go beyond the standard sizing range most labels stick to. The brand's beloved dresses are a cult favourite among its loyal fanbase, alongside sleepwear, swimwear, denim, jumpsuits and even colourful medical scrubs. Proud Poppy's mission is to provide affordable, on trend and inclusive fashion, ensuring women of all shapes feel seen, celebrated, and stylish. The eye-catching styles range from $89.95 to $179.95, though regular sales see some of the brand's bestsellers priced at just $20, making building a stylish, confidence-boosting wardrobe affordable for all. Daily Mail Australia readers get an exclusive 15 per cent off discount by using the code DAILYMAIL15 at checkout. The discount ends on September 30, 2025. The wildly popular Addison dress is constantly selling out. The feminine silhouette featuring a V-neckline, balloon sleeves with delicate lace detailing, and a tiered hemline, comes in multiple prints - pink rose, zebra print and blue jasmine. The adjustable drawstring waist ensures the perfect fit, while the tiered hem brings that breezy movement we love - and yes, she's got pockets 'The Addison is my favourite style of dress. I love the way it hangs over my tummy in a more flattering way than any of the other styles. Such soft fabric and beautiful colours,' one customer raved. ' This dress is an absolute favourite in my wardrobe. The fit is incredibly comfortable, and the fabric feels beautiful against the skin. I especially love the pattern - it's stylish without being over the top. I always get compliments whenever I wear it, whether I'm at the office or enjoying an afternoon cocktail with the girls. It effortlessly transitions from day to evening, making it both versatile and chic,' another shared. 'The Addison Dress is hands down my most favourite item in my wardrobe. The fabric is absolutely divine - light, comfortable, and beautifully made. The softer Jasmine print is just stunning... this subtle yet elegant design is perfect for me,' one said. 'So pretty and flattering! The longer sleeves hide the nanna arms, cutting in at my slimmer waist and then flowing out to cover my wider hips. Would flatter most body shapes,' another added. The brand's loyal fans rave about the stylish designs that flatter every body shape and size, and the size six to 30 range Most of the five-star reviews compliment the brand's vibrant colours and prints, and most of all the confidence injection shoppers feel when wearing the designs. 'AMAZING, bright and colourful and I feel amazing when I wear it,' one customer wrote of her Proud Poppy dress. Founder Tara McKeon launched Proud Poppy in 2019 and the brand has quickly grown to eight stores alongside its online offering, which ships hundreds of orders globally every week. 'I started Proud Poppy at one of the lowest points in my life,' Tara says. 'After gaining over 60kg during pregnancy, I was squeezing into a size 22, hiding from the world because nothing fit.' Tara says that speaking to friends with petite frames, she discovered they had as much trouble finding fashionable clothes in their size. 'The more women I spoke to, the more I realised it wasn't just me – no matter their size, women everywhere felt left out of fashion.' 'It became so clear that a store like Proud Poppy Clothing is exactly what the women of the world needed,' she says. Proud Poppy also offers comfy sleepwear (pictured), swimwear, separate tops and bottoms, outerwear, and even colourful medical scrubs alongside their cult dresses The brand's latest collection, Rise and Bloom, is in collaboration with Daisy in Dots, by Muruwari woman and contemporary Aboriginal Artist Daisy Hill 'An affordable and stylish fashion store that was for ALL women. A store that was welcoming, inclusive and most importantly somewhere that we could all shop together.' The dresses have proven particularly popular with teachers, with a variety of modest mid-length, roomy styles for an effortless outfit that looks as put together as it is comfortable. The website even has an entire category dedicated to school-appropriate designs. Proud Poppy has collaborated with Australian artists, and the latest collection, Rise and Bloom, is in partnership with Daisy in Dots, by proud Muruwari woman and contemporary Aboriginal Artist Daisy Hill. 'Grounded in shared values of confidence, community and creativity, the range brings Daisy's one of a kind artwork to life in a limited edition, seven piece collection. 'The print, titled Rise and Bloom, is a powerful reminder of resilience, connection and the strength found in women coming together. This collection is ally-friendly and has been designed for everyone to wear with pride.'
