Episode 72: Grace Tame channels Australian women, COVID deaths spiking, Australia and Survival Day plus good news on rivers

Van Badham and Ben Davison analyse the final day of Grace Tame's tenure as Australian of the Year, that handshake, that look, that photo, Morrison's failures on policy issues, Morrison entrenchment of unsafe cultural attitudes, the conservative response to Tame doing her duty and what it tells us about the state of politics and the status of women in Australia.

Van and Ben also remind people they can get active to support better safety for women at work, and in society, through their union at australianunions.org.au/wow with the We Won't Wait campaign and the demands to implement all the recommendations of the Respect@Work report.

COVID deaths in Australia are spiking with daily deaths per million currently higher in Australia than in Brazil.

With Morrison prioritising making RAT importer millionaires over providing RATS to NDIS participants and aged care residents Van and Ben look at how people in those sectors are struggling as well as how the Ministers are, not only failing, but hiding out at the cricket!

The union movement is holding webinars TOMORROW (Thursday 27th) on your workplace safety rights, hosted by Australian Unions leaders Sally McManus and Liam O'Brien, the webinars are a must for any worker who is concerned about COVID exposure at work, the shortage of RATS and what the rules are about not having to work in an unsafe environment.  The Australian Unions webpage and twitter has all the details.

Dylan Alcott is the Australian of the Year for 2022! His first acts were to call for more support for the NDIS, free RATS, a shift in mindset and to take a very cheerful selfie with Grace Tame.

Today is the Australia Day public holiday but the desire for a national day that all Australian's can celebrate is gaining momentum.  Van and Ben discuss some of the issues surrounding today, cameo some remarkable social shifts that commemorated Survival Day and suggest people check out Thomas Mayor's article on this topic in the SMH and Age.

The good news is about the Yarra River!

And we give shout outs to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters.  You can get a shout out by contributing at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday