"The Week on Wednesday" with Van Badham & Ben Davison

Episode 178: Poll dive for One Nation, the Online Information War... and Italian Forests

Van Badham reunites with Emma Dawson of the Chifley Research Centre to discuss the sudden poll dive of the not-so-inevitable One Nation Party, and they speculate on its causes. Are Australians just fickle? Are we fiercely proud of our multiculturalism? Just bigger fans of Paul Hogan than Karl Stefanovic? Or does the Australian citizen expect more from a political party than an "economic policy" that consists of a nine-minute YouTube clip of That Time the Leader Went on Sky? (I swear, I am not making this up).

Emma and Van rightly take the organised movement of orange-flavoured pretenders to task, extending their analysis beyond the immediate fantasies of "monoculture" and launching at the destructive neoliberal economic beliefs they're designed to shield and carry. They also swing at the NEFARIOUS INTERNET SHENANIGANS in service to the "right wing populist" project, because Van just cannot help herself. Then they have a lovely talk about trees. 

If you enjoy this episode of The Week on Wednesday, please do share it with someone who likes their politics, economics and DEEP CULTURAL ANALYSIS with evidence, context, history... because those are cool and useful things, we really should have more of them.

xx

Episode 177: The Fryer is a Liar, the Online Orange Disinformation Bomb and Soil-Powered Batteries

Van Badham and Ben Davison rip into Pauline Hanson’s National Press Club appearance, stripping the grievance from the reality that no, actually, one-in-five Australians DO NOT eat from bins. In this emotionally-charged episode, they unravel the politics of migration, housing, wages, economic anxiety and national identity woven into One Nation's well-funded magic carpet, while exploring why Hanson’s brand of populism remains politically potent despite repeatedly colliding with the facts. There's a wade through the puddle of trickle-down economics in Australian celebrity culture, a discussion of who really benefits from Australia’s economic settings and a reminder that being loudly confident is not the same thing as being right. Bonus content includes an unexpected history lesson on language wars in Francoist Spain, and unusually subdued dog... and if you’ve ever wanted a practical guide to answering Hanson-style talking points at the family barbecue, HERE IT IS. Enjoy!

Episode 176: The Imaginary Inflation Bomb, Not-So-Mutual Obligations and Chinese Fish

Van Badham is reunited with Ben Davison for an episode tackling the politics of inflation, the failures of Australia’s regime of "mutual obligations" and the economic challenges posed by an Australian economy organised around extraction rather than participation. Pluckily, our pair unpick the ideological legacy of trickle-down economics, lambast housing speculation, explore labour market distortions and decry the punitive culture surrounding unemployment... before closing with an unexpectedly hopeful environmental story from the Yangtze River in China. Bonus content includes Germanicus the dachshund licking the microphone, accidental lessons in audio engineering and at least one attempt to explain why “a sudden outbreak of laziness” is not a thing. The Week on Wednesday is BACK, baby! Enjoy it!

Episode 175: Busting Budget Myths and Saving Giant Tortoises

Van Badham is joined by the articulate an impassioned Emma Dawson of the Chifley Research Centre to get down and dirty in the "earthquake" aftermath of the Albanese Labor government's nation-changing 2026 Budget. Van and Emma think that Dr Jim Chalmer's has got the right mix of ambition, pragmatism and sweet, sweet tax reform... but what are the opposition parties and online commentariat saying and does it match any reality whatsoever? Emma says "nonsense", Van considers the parallels with how economics is fought as a culture war front in the United States... and, fortunately, the words "tortoise guardians" come into being before the episode is over. Cunning ploys and badly-behaving richkids find their moment, but Van and Emma are bringing truth bombs to a schoolyard dust-up. Hey, kids - enjoy the show!

Episode 174: 2026 Budget Special and - OMG! - this Budget IS special!

Van Badham and Ben Davison pack a bumper 90 minute episode with the deep explanations you need to understand the Alabanese Labor government's 2026 Australian budget delivered by Dr Jim Chalmers. Get some clarity amidst the aaaaabsolute nonsense being spread by OH, YOU WOULD NEVER GUESS WHO in the media and online as Germanicus the dachshund snores sweetly in the background. Not only will you hear in this episode literally everything you ever wanted to know about negative gearing and capital gains tax (like, "what, uh, actually are they? how do they affect my life?") but there's also some fantastic news about Trump on the Gold Coast. Maybe not great news for him... but certainly happy times for the rest of us! Enjoy!

Episode 173: An NDIS for communities, not for cowboys; let’s talk about tax it’s a gas gas gas… and good news about renewables - from a war zone…

Van Badham is in Sydney and Ben Davison’s in Ballarat, but they’re brought together by the miracle of technology and sheer force of will to discuss the Albanese government’s reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, gassing about taxes ahead of the budget, and some truly amazing news - about the environment - out of Ukraine. There’s lots of union news relevant to, well, everyone who works - and you can also help the good concrete workers of Hytec here: https://tinyurl.com/48Blitz-Hytec (https://tinyurl.com/48Blitz-Hytec)

 

Episode 172: War against Iran, Culture War against the Vatican, War Crimes... and good news about British Beavers

Van Badham and Ben Davison survive Trump’s threat of nuclear was to discuss the Hungarian election and Viktor Orbán’s illiberal rule and its EU/Ukraine implications. They then explore Trump’s escalation with Iran, chaotic U.S. decision-making, international peace efforts, and whether it was wise for Trump to declare a culture war against the actual Vatican. How does this relate to the Ben Roberts‑Smith civil and criminal proceedings - beyond the broader need for military accountability in democratic societies? You’ll have to listen to find out… but the good news is all about beavers. GO THE BEEVS!!

Episode 171: The Fuel Crisis, Trump's new forever war and the good news is about bilbies, this is the Week on Wednesday

This week, Van Badham and Ben Davison juggle a chaotic dog incident while discussing multi‑employer bargaining and planned industrial action by local government workers in Victoria. The dogs calm down enough for Van and Ben to get into the details of the spike in fuel prices driven by Middle East and Ukraine conflicts - and the related misinformation about this online. The discussion around Australia’s fuel reserves and policy responses naturally escalates into critiques of U.S. military action in Iran and its global geopolitical fallout. The good news is that it’s Easter, and bilbies are involved! TASTY, TASTY bilbies! Enjoy!

Episode 170: The South Australian election and its discontents, America brings Australia and Europe closer together… and the good news is about a Mega Hedge.

In robust form, Van and Ben discuss South Australian election - Labor’s emphatic win, One Nation’s vote versus their actual seats and how Liberal collapse is about a specifically right‑wing fragmentation, whatever fantasy alternative scenario the online and offline commentariat prefers to entertain. They get into the meaty detail of the new Australia-EU trade agreement (good news for wine lovers AND people who love democracy) and Van gets excited about a British “megahedge” while new dachshund puppy Miccius brings some, uh, aural texture to discussion. It may be a Thursday but it will always be the Week on Wednesday!

Episode 169: New Cabinets, Old Wounds, and Wacky Ted: This Week on Wednesday

Van Badham (on her own while Ben’s away!) explores Australia’s new parliament, a record-breaking Labor majority, and freshly shuffled cabinet - but the real news? Susssssan Ley may be the Liberals’ new leader, but is she flying the Liberal plane straight into the glass cliff? Meanwhile, the Greens are fighting amongst themselves (again) about putting the “landlord” into “leadership” and Captain Carry On - aka, Andrew Hastie - role plays as the Aussie Pete Buttigieg… if Pete were right-wing, allergic to universities and not very fun at a party. Van also asks: if a National Party leadership challenge is taking place, does it make a sound? And the answer appears to be no. No, it does not. 

 

Meanwhile, there’s a surge in diversity on Labor’s benches worth celebrating as well as - YES, OMG - real wage growth that’s outpacing inflation as the actual business of government somehow manages to roll on. And if that weren’t enough good news, there’s been a breakthrough in the breakdown of forever chemicals, by jiminy!

 

It may be one woman talking to herself for 45 minutes, but we hope you enjoy it!