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

Weekend Wrap 27 November 2022: Victorian state election wrap up and Secure Jobs, Better Pay to become law

Van Badham joins Ben Davison to give a deep dive on the Victorian state election.  How the media narratives were so wrong, the death of the Menzian Liberal Party, the misinformation about the Greens, the quiet success of the Nationals and why Labor has so convincingly won.

Tony Burke, the federal industrial relations minister, announced on Insiders that the Albanese government has come to an agreement with ACT independant senator David Pocock to pass the Secure Jobs, Better Pay laws.

Van and Ben discuss the changes that Pocock and Burke have agreed, why the laws are needed and why joining your union at australianunions.org.au/wow is so important.

Plus we thank all of our www.buymeacoffee.com.au/weekonwednesday supporters and Maurice Blackburn for making the election night broadcast, which is now available on YouTube, Twitter and our Buy me a coffee supporter page, possible.  

Episode 112: Workers asking Pocock which side are you on? Victoria heads to the polls, Musk burns billions for Twitter lols and good news on the NSW Super Battery

Van Badham and Ben Davison RETURN to the podcast following the sad passing of Van's mum, Barb.  With the Secure Work, Better Pay laws before the senate and Barb being a lifelong unionist Van and Ben pay tribute to her life by examining why David Pocock needs to pass the whole package of laws to get wages moving.  And just what the laws really mean for jobs, wages, climate action and social change. 

Joining your union and being part of making this change happen is just a few clicks away at australianunions.org.au/wow

The Victorian election is on THIS SATURDAY.  Van and Ben look at the campaign that has been punctuated by scandals, cookers and a Liberal Party so far removed from the Menzian ideal that top of the ticket candidates are being told they can't sit in the party room while marginal seat candidates are telling people they "don't believe in kinder".  Van and Ben will be doing a LIVE election night broadcast, join the watch party here https://fb.me/e/6NK1MrjXu

Elon Musk has taken over Twitter, saddled it with debt, broken it and invited some of the worlds worst people to slop about on it.  Van and Ben look at the economic, social, political and potential legal ramifications, as well as the history of billionaire takovers of social media platforms.

There is good news about the largest renewable energy storage battery being built in NSW

And we give a special shoutout to all our supporters from www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday who have stuck with us during this difficult time.

Weekend Wrap 13 November 2022: Ben updates on mid terms, Victorian election, Secure Jobs, Better Pay laws and Van’s mum

Ben Davison gives a brief update on the situation with Van and her Mum, thanking all The Week on Wednesday listeners for their support and solidarity.

With Biden's Democrats set to retain the senate and pushing the house elections to the wire its been a good week for democracy.  

Ben also takes a look at the debate on the Albanese Government’s Secure Work, Better Pay laws.  Apparently some people on Insiders and on the cross bench thought "get wages moving again" was rhetoric not a promise to Australian's to get wage moving again. Ben encourages people to send a message to their senator at www.australianunions.org.au/email-your-mp/take-action-send-your-senator-a-message/ and join their union at australianunions.org.au/wow if you want to make sure wages get moving again.

While Van and Ben have been in Sydney the Victorian election has been heating up and Ben looks at Matthew Guy's new promises to bring back fracking and to take policy advice from the IPA.

There's a special big thank you to all our www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday supporters who've stuck with us while we take care of our family.  Hope we can get another podcast out soon!

Weekend Wrap 30 October 2022: Van Badham joins Ben to talk Insiders, budget and workplace law reforms

Van Badham joins Ben Davison to discuss the issues that the October Budget has highlighted, how Insiders dealt with those issues and what is really happening with the Secure Jobs, Better Pay laws.

With 29 of 33 OECD nations in structural deficit the issue of how we invest in our commonwealth, how we generate revenue from our productivity and resources and who benefits from that is front and centre of debate in Australia and around the world.

Ben and Van breakdown the Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill.  They look at the faux friend big business is pretending to be for workers and small business on bargaining while also highlighting some of the less discussed improvements for contract based workers, people with caring responsibilities and the improved powers of the umpire to get agreements done.

And there is a shout out for the Australian Unions victory on paid family violence leave.  It is now law that every worker can access 10 days paid leave if experiencing family violence and that comes after more than a decade of campaigning by the union movement.  So join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow to help win the secure jobs and better pay that we are campaigning for now.

Episode 111: The dragon slaying budget, Secure Work Better Pay laws, Sunak is Britain’s billionaire PM and good news about batteries

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the Albanese Labor government's first budget, handed down by Jim Chalmers.  They explore the three themes of keeping election promises, targeted cost of living relief and putting downward pressure on inflation interact with each other. 

They also take a look under the hood at some of the big six programs including some of the savings made by stopping the Morrison era rorts.

With inflation getting above 7% the need to "slay the dragon", as it was put at the national press club, has never been greater.  This budget starts the battle in earnest and changes to workplace laws will be the part that gets wages moving again.  Van and Ben discuss why workers need to be in unions now more than ever as the profiteers try to shift the blame for inflation onto workers.  Join at australianunions.org.au/wow

Tony Burke will introduce new Secure Work Better Pay laws in the budget week.  Van and Ben discuss why these new laws are needed, how they reflect best practice around the world and how big business lobby groups will try to scare people about them.

SPOILER: They will lift the pay packets of workers in Australia.

Meanwhile in the formerly Great Britain Rishi Sunak has become the third Tory Prime Minister in three months.  Van and Ben discuss how this billionaire, who brags of having no working class friends, came to power and what might happen in the next season of "Britain's got Chaos"

The good news is about electric vehicle batteries!

And Van reads out our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have become contributors at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday 

Weekend Wrap 23 October 2022: Chalmers invests in social security, Angus Taylor putting profit before people, Truss gone and Thorpe’s resignation

Ben Davison looks at the big investment's Jim Chalmer's has announced for pensioners, jobseekers, domestic violence, housing and indigenous organisations in the lead up to the budget.

Angus Taylor went on Insiders and Ben tears apart the shadow Treasurer's ideological fantasy world.  From giving power companies more profits to stopping working people winning pay rises, Angus Taylor reminded Australia why he MUST NEVER be allowed to become Treasurer and why being in your union is so important.  Join at australianunions.org.au/wow

Proving ideological fantasy land thinking and post truth politics does have limits Liz Truss is gone from the British Prime Ministership in record time. Demonstrating that the Australian Liberal Party will never learn Angus Taylor thinks it was because of her desire to lower energy prices not the wrecking ball tax plan. 

Lidia Thorpe has, after being asked by Green Party Leader Adam Bandt, resigned as Deputy Senate Leader for the Greens.  Ben looks at what caused this to happen, why asking for her resignation was justified and how double standards in politics work.  HINT:  Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley should also not be in leadership roles.

Episode 110: Labor to grow wages as big business whines, Ukraine update and propaganda in your timeline and the good news is rewiring Australia

Van Badham and Ben Davison take a look at the Albanese government's soon to be introduced workplace laws that will remove pay secrecy, create a dedicated goal of gender pay equity, give the care and community sector its own pathway in the system and give workers more rights to collectively bargain.

Predictably big business lobbyists are unhappy.  Van and Ben breakdown why these changes are needed (Hint: neo-liberalism is, was and always will be broken) and why being a union member is so important, join at australianunions.org.au/wow

Van and Ben also take a look at the situation in Ukraine and particularly look at Putin's information war, how its influencing American politics, why Iran is sending weapons to help Putin and the dangers of applying a cold war era mindset to the conflict.

And the good news is a HUGE investment in renewable energy in Victoria, Tasmania and into NSW with rewiring Australia projects securing Commonwealth and state funding!

We also give shout outs to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have made a contribution on www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday and to our friends at On the Job for their 100th episode!

Weekend Wrap 16 October 2022: Six months parental leave, Coorey clanger on Insiders, King fixing Morrison mess and Hunt in for Kwarteng

Ben Davison takes a look at the Albanese government's paid parental leave policy and how it adds to the macro-economic policies designed to improve our economy and the economic outcomes for Australians.

With business and unions engaged in the policy process now is the time to join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow and be part of reshaping Australia.

Coorey's Insiders contribution contained more than one clanger but Ben focusses on both his and his paper, the Australian Financial Review's, ongoing failure to understand the NDIS as an investment.

Catherine King spelled out just how much of a mess the Morrison government has left and some of it even surprised Ben.

Meanwhile in the UK Truss has replaced Kwarteng with Hunt in an attempt to stop the bleeding from multiple self inflicted economic wounds.

Episode 109: The Week on Wednesday LIVE at Melbourne Fringe! Van and Ben talk tax cuts, Putin, Musk and neo-Liberal nightmares with a LIVE audience

Van Badham and Ben Davison do the Week on Wednesday LIVE at Melbourne Fringe!

Complete with audience participation our hosts talk about tax cuts, neo-liberalism, Putin, Musk and good news about plastics coming out of the oceans!

Enjoy this very special episode of The Week on Wednesday.

Weekend Wrap 9 October 2022: Dutton’s fantasies of improbable future wealth rationale for tax cuts on Insiders, gig economy reforms and Putin’s bridge is on fire

Van Badham joins Ben Davison for The Weekend Wrap to discuss why Dutton's fantasies of improbable future wealth are not a good reason to keep stage three tax cuts- cuts that the Treasury advised were unaffordable if the budget was in deficit.

Van and Ben discuss Dutton's Insiders interview which showed how little he's been prepared to change from the dark days of the Morrison government.  In addition to fantasies of improbable future wealth he rolled out religious culture wars as cover for bad corporate behaviour and fear mongering about Australian toddlers being secret terrorists.

After a decade of "let it rip" ideology smashing labour markets the NSW Labor Party is promising to regulate the gig economy.  In what unions are calling a "win for workers and a level playing field for business" the reforms will see workers rights established regardless of the label stuck on the worker.  Unions have been working across state and commonwealth jurisdictions to ensure workers get their rights whether they are direct employees, contractors, labour hire, full time, part time or casual.  Join them at australianunions.org.au/wow

Van gives an update on the destruction of Putin's bridge from Russia to Crimea and what it might mean for Putin's war. Spoiler: He's not doing very well.

Van and Ben will be at the Melbourne Fringe THIS WEDNESDAY!  Get you tickets here: www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/the-week-on-wednesday-live