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

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

Episode 108: Anti-government protests sweep Iran, Thorburn saga is about more than money and the good news is no new extinctions in Australia

Van Badham and Ben Davison open by looking at the sweeping reforms of paid family and domestic violence leave and enshrining an employers responsibility to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace that the union movement in Australia has won and how women leaders make societies, and social movements, better (you can join at australianunions.org.au/wow). 

Our hosts contrast this democratic advancement with the repressive regime in Iran and the violence that oppression of women in Iran has created.

The killing of Mahsa Amini and the weeks of violent clashes, government suppression, mass arrests and murders has some suggesting that the Iranian people have had enough of the theocratic regime.  Van and Ben explore what's been happening, why it is happening and what might be next.

In Australia, disgraced former NAB CEO Andrew Thorburn has resigned as CEO of Essendon football club after 30 hours in the job.  Van and Ben unpack how this multi-millionaire with powerful political connections, who was slammed by the banking royal commission, was engaged to review the club, managed to become CEO and when told he had to choose between his role as chairman of the "City on a hill church" or his paid employment at Essendon football club he chose to quit his job.

Warning: The rich, white, male, privileged whining that Thorburn has since embarked on gets thoroughly dismantled and his time as NAB CEO critically examined. 

The good news is that Tanya Plibersek has announced the Albanese government's plan to prevent species extinction in Australia!

Also The Week on Wednesday LIVE! at Melbourne Fringe is happening on the 12th of October at Victorian Trades Hall and you can get tickets at www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/the-week-on-wednesday-live

Plus we give a shout out to all of our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters.

Weekend Wrap 2 October 2022: NACC will either be reform or knackered, Truss shows tax cut follies, COVID isolation to end but whats next?

Ben Davison gives his view on Mark Dreyfus big week appointing the first female majority High Court in Australian history, introducing the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to parliament and appearing on Insiders to explain why he thinks they've got the balance right on public hearings.

Ben discusses the ups and downs of public hearings and how the union movement first passed a policy on a national anti-corruption Commission in 2015!  You can join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

The RBA is likely to raise rates this week and Ben looks at how the unfunded tax rebates to the wealthy in the UK have caused an economic meltdown and what signal that sends Australia on the stage three tax cuts due in three budgets time.

The big news about COVID was national cabinet's decision to remove the five day isolation orders from mid-October.  Ben looks at the Insiders analysis of the decision as well as the BIG spike in UK hospital admissions and wonders what might happen next.

Don't forget to get your tickets for the Week On Wednesday LIVE! at Melbourne Fringe on October 12th here: www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/the-week-on-wednesday-live 

Episode 107: Sally McManus calls for end to war on workers, Labor federal ICAC is NACC and Queensland to end reliance on coal by 2035

Van Badham and Ben Davison are relieved by the huge agenda of the Labor commonwealth government and do a deep dive on the National Press Club speech by ACTU Secretary Sally McManus.  Sally's speech explores how we came to the economic situation we are in, what we can do about it and why unions are naturally inclined to work with others to solve our shared problems.  Van and Ben discuss the historical context, the values that drive economic justice or inequality and just what might happen next for Australia.  You can join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

In Queensland the union movement has worked with the state Labor government to develop a ten year energy plan that includes a charter of worker's rights, moving to renewables and guarantees both jobs and lower carbon emissions!  Van and Ben discuss how environmental outcomes and social outcomes align.

The Albanese government has introduced a federal ICAC, known as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), with Peter Dutton having to accept that it will become law.  Van and Ben discuss why the NACC is important to democracy and what happens when we don't maintain our democratic institutions.

Plus we shamelessly plug our Melbourne Fringe festival gig on October 12th, get your tickets here www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/the-week-on-wednesday-live  and praise our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have become contributors at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday