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

Episode 98: The challenges facing Albo’s parliament, half of Australia has COVID, Morrison AWOL, Bison are BACK!

Van Badham and Ben Davison take a look at why Anthony Albanese's government faces some significant challenges as the new parliament sits for the first time.

Van and Ben discuss the emotional opening of parliament and why Labor's time in government, particularly under the current circumstances, is so important.

With neo-liberal economic ideologues dominating the institutions of our economy the Labor government's drive for more secure work, better wages, paid family and domestic violence leave, the establishment of Skills Australia and a 43% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050 will rely on the Skills and Jobs summit to rebalance power towards working people.

Union member's continue to get better wages, win better conditions and have more secure employment so join at australianunions.org.au/wow

COVID has now infected almost half of all Australian's as more people than ever are in hospital.  Van and Ben talk about the personal impact and why we should all be following the advice of the nurse's union.

Morrison hasn't rocked up to work but continues to conduct his speaking tour.  Van reports live from the seat of Cook, where no one has seen their MP except on TV....

The good news is that the European Bison is BACK in the UK!

And we give shout outs to our awesome www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday supporters and drop the date for the next Cadre supporter video!

Weekend Wrap 24th July 2022: Tony Burke talks workplace reforms on Insiders, Climate change targets, Liberal scaremongering & it pays to be union

Ben Davison examines Tony Burke's Insider's interview where he announced the end of the ABCC misusing taxpayer funds to persecute workers over union stickers, logos and flags. Minister Burke also discussed how some corporations are using "loopholes" to lower wages as an Age/SMH piece finds workers in union agreements are winning higher pay rises than non-union workers.

Join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

Tony Burke is promising minimum standards for all workers, the end of "illegitimate" labour hire uses and to build a ramp for gig workers to move to more secure employment.  Ben reminds us that the ramp will still need safeguards to stop bad bosses from pushing secure jobs down rather than help bring workers up.

Katherine Murphy lets rip on a decade of the Coalition choosing to be "on the wrong side of history" over climate change as cracks appear in the Dutton opposition ahead of the 43% emission reduction target coming to the parliament.

Mark Kenny tells us Karen Andrews "should consider her position" as it is revealed she politicised the arrival of an asylum seeker boat on election day and pressured the department at the behest of Scott Morrison.

Phil Coorey accuses workers of "sneaking around" parliament ahead of the first sitting week where family and domestic violence leave, the establishment of Skills Australia and the emissions reduction target legislation is due to be introduced.

Plus a reminder of what the nurses of Australia want us to do to stay safe and keep our loved ones safe from COVID.

Episode 97: Barilaro busted, Corporations driving up inflation, Labor commits to 30:30 by 2030 to fix environment & COVID update

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at how John Barliaro has come totally unstuck as his former chief of staff testifies that the former NSW Nationals Deputy Premier created the New York trade position with every intention of taking the job himself.

Tanya Plibersek has released the previous Morrison government's environment report which has some damming facts and figures about the state of Australia's environment.  Van and Ben discuss the Labor promise to establish an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and their commitment to protecting 30% of our land and water by 2030.

New research has confirmed what we, unions and economists have been saying; Corporate greed and profiteering, not wages, is driving up inflation.  Ben and Van look at the villains who run Qantas, Merrivale, and CSL to discuss how greed, contempt for workers and hypocritical behaviour needs to be removed from corporate Australia.

A listener who works for CSL, and joined their union after listening to the podcast, wrote to us and we share their story of being given a real pay cut by a CEO being paid nearly $60M that receives billions in taxpayer funding.

Plus COVID is getting worse.  Hospitalisations are up, deaths are up and the union movement is calling for employers to provide RATS, work from home where they can, masks and paid leave to isolate as more and more health care workers are getting sick.  You can join your union for a safer workplace, for a better pay deal or just to be part of a community of working people at australianunions.org.au/wow

Also we give our regular shoutout to Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who've gone to www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday to make regular contributions towards helping us grow the Week on Wednesday audience.

Weekend Wrap 17 June 2022: Albo listens to workers on paid pandemic leave, Bandt threatens to vote with Dutton on Insiders & Van and Ben get MARRIED!

Van Badham joins Ben Davison for a very special weekend wrap.  Our hosts got married yesterday!  In a small family ceremony at the beach where Van's father's ashes were put into Botany Bay, Van and Ben have tied the knot.

But the news waits for no one. Albo's decision to reinstate paid pandemic leave payments for worker's who have to isolate shows the power of working people raising their voice together and the willingness of a Labor government to listen to workers.  The union movement (which you can join at australianunions.org.au/wow) worked hard to make sure the full social, economic and health impacts of forcing people into an economic choice around COVID were understood by the federal and state governments. As COVID continues it will be more important than ever that worker's voices are heard.

On Insiders this morning Adam Bandt managed to reignite the mistakes of the climate wars by threatening to vote with the Dutton Liberals to block a legislated 43% reduction in emissions because it wasn't "ambitious" enough. Or if it didn't have a mechanism to stop ALL future coal and gas projects.  Or possibly because he wants the campaign issue.  Van and Ben breakdown why this is bad policy development and self indulgent politics.

Plus the happy couple take a look at why Van's mum's local MP, Scott Morrison, is delivering a sermon on the other side of the country at the church of well known anti-equality activist Margaret Court.

Episode 96: Making the job summit work for workers, Bosses bumper bonuses, COVID update and good news about sand

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the Albanese Government's announcement of a jobs and skills summit, who might be going, who thinks they are going, what it is supposed to achieve and why the Liberal Party is totally confused about what is happening.

Australian Unions are positioning to have the summit fix our broken workplace laws, improve wages, job security, working conditions for women and access for all.  To be part of the movement, like Steve (listen and you'll understand), go to australianunions.org.au/wow

Ben and Van examine a couple of case studies of how broken the workplace laws are when business can be crying out for more workers yet companies are cancelling staff agreements and cutting wages. The workers at Tuftmaster are being threatened with the loss of job security and a cancelled agreement while Ben spoke with MUA Sydney Deputy Branch Secretary Paul Garrett about the attempts by massive multinational Maersk to almost HALVE the wages of tug boat crews in Australia through their subsidiary company Svitzer by cancelling their agreement. 

All of this is happening against a backdrop of record profits, record CEO pay and increasing productivity but declining wages.

Van and Ben discuss some of the egregious cases like Qantas, Afterpay and CSL where government funding, subsidies, unlawful conduct or total lack of profitability hasn't stopped the executives from taking MASSIVE pay days.

COVID is getting worse.  Van and Ben run through some figures but also their own experience of COVID and why wearing masks, supporting people having to isolate and getting vaccinated is so important.

The good news is sand powered batteries in Finland!

We also congratulate our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have helped us get to more than 500,000 downloads! You can become a supporter at www.buymeacoffee.com/WeekonWednesday  

Weekend Wrap 10th July 2022: Bye Boris, Sri Lankan upheaval, Abe assassination and media fails, NSW attacks workers, COVID update

In 20 minutes Ben looks at the resignation of Boris Johnson, who remains Prime Minister but is no longer the leader of the Tory party, the political upheaval in Sri Lanka as the President and Prime Minister resign following the citizens taking over the Presidential palace and the assassination of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe by a suspected conspiracy theorist. 

Ben has a particular focus on the failures of Australian media in recent coverage of events that could have or may yet cause harm, with Bevan Shields from the SMH and former minister Karen Andrews being called out.

The NSW Liberal government has lost its bid to stop rail workers taking action to improve rail network safety and Ben takes a look at how this action and the attempts to cancel staff agreements at Tuftmasters and Svitzer are evidence our workplace laws need to change.  Unions are organising workers in these sectors (and every sector) so you should join today at australianunions.org.au/wow to keep your workplace safe, connect with your community and improve your pay and conditions.

The union movement calls for an extension to the COVID disaster payment have gone unheeded despite increases in cases, hospitalisations and Ministers in Queensland and across the country calling for people to wear masks.  Ben breaks down some of the latest issues with COVID here in Australia.

Episode 95: Albo visits floods, industrial action in New South Wales, COVID getting worse and good news about maritime parks

Van Badham and Ben Davison break down how the Liberal Party and their right wing media allies have attacked Albo doing his job promoting Australia's interests in Europe while they simultaneously forgot that Dutton is literally on holiday.

Even NSW Liberal state Premier Dominic Perrottet has defended Albo saying the state and federal government had been working well on dealing with the current flooding disaster. 

Van and Ben look at what is happening with the floods from a political perspective and the immediate relief being delivered.

While Dom Perrottet may be doing better with this round of flooding he continues to fail the workers of NSW.  Today's rail worker actions come on the back of weeks of industrial action from health workers, teachers and public transport workers. 

Van and Ben look at how the Liberal ideological framework of underinvestment, cuts and punishing workers is driving disruption, undermining wages & safety and wasting both public money and people's time.  To stop the actions Dom Perrottet is threatening unions in NSW with HUGE fines and there is a public fund people can contribute to via Unions NSW.

COVID never left and it is getting worse.  Van and Ben discuss their own recent COVID experiences and why they are supporting the Australian Unions push to keep COVID isolation supports, more people wearing masks and getting boosters.  Union workplaces are safer workplaces and you can join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

The good news this week comes from the United States (believe it or not) and is about efforts to preserve more maritime parks.

As always we acknowledge our contributors who've signed up to make regular Cadre and Extend the Reach contributions on our www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday page and Van is excited about us approaching a MASSIVE new milestone.

Weekend Wrap 3rd July 2022: Albo rebuilds Australia’s reputation, Per Capita shines a light on NDIS, grim COVID milestone

Van Badham joins Ben Davison for a special Weekend Wrap to discuss the rapid rebuilding of Australia's international reputation, the latest Per Capita report on systemic risks of contracting in the NDIS and Australia suffering our 10,000th COVID death.

Albo and the Labor government have rapidly rebuilt Australia's international reputation with allies in Europe and pacific embracing the new government.  The results are tangible with new trade, regional security and bi-lateral relations that had been off the table under the Liberals all restarting.

Per Capita released a report that shines a light on the problems of contracting in the NDIS this week.  Van and Ben look at the real impacts of sham contracting on workers, people with disabilities and the NDIS as a system.  From worker's being ripped off with "bridging loans" to clients being held legally responsible for workplace safety to foreign private equity taking taxpayer money and operating "unregistered" the growth of "contracting" in the NDIS is creating a range of problems.  Links to the report will be shared on our supporter page www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday

More than 10,000 Australian's have died of COVID since the start of the pandemic.  The rate of deaths has climbed rapidly with the first 1,000 deaths coming between March 2020 and August 2021 but the latest 5,000 happening between February 2022 and July 2022.  Australian Unions are arguing we need to continue support for people to isolate and many are calling for masks to be made compulsory again.  Van and Ben share their recent experience of having COVID and of the total lack of masks during a recent shopping trip.  With COVID increasingly a workplace by workplace issue its more important than ever to join your union at australiaunions.org.au/wow

Episode 94: The boomer fantasy of wage spirals, the failed states of America and good news about Queensland coal

Van Badham and Ben Davison emerge from their COVID isolation to breakdown the real story behind the wages debate in Australia.

The reality doesn't match the ideological chest beating from the business lobby who were quick to claim a Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) mandate for a wages cap (their isn't one) to stop a "wages spiral" and that Sally McManus, leader of Australian Unions, had called the RBA governor a "boomer". (She didn't).  

Van and Ben look at the ways collective bargaining is failing, how it can/could work to lift wages, some innovations like the TWU/Uber agreement and why more and more workers are banding together to take action across whole sectors (like the teacher unions in New South Wales). 

Across the board union members are earning more, so join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

Of course Liberal Leader Peter Dutton was quick to jump on the "wage spiral" rhetoric along with his anti-teacher culture war so Van and Ben look at why Liberal's in Australia might be using American style tactics.

This episode takes an extended look into the US Supreme Court, the fundamentalists that Trump appointed to the court, the activism they are now displaying in overturning Roe V Wade, removing gun control laws, imposing religion in schools and directing federal funds to religious organisations.

With the January 6 Commission hearings in full swing Van gives a clear eyed analysis of Trump, and his enablers, lack of commitment to democracy, dedication to culture wars and power at all costs approach.

The good news is that Queensland is imposing a form of progressive taxation on coal companies!

And as always we acknowledge the Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who make it possible for us to reach even more people at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday

Episode 93: Morrison’s march through the institutions uncovered, we have COVID and Albo signs up for ambitious action on climate change

Van Badham and Ben Davison have COVID!  But that doesn't stop them from examining how a decade of Liberal/National government gave Morrison the chance to stack out various Australian institutions, ranging from the ABC to the Reserve Bank.

While many appointments across government may have been on merit the uniform ideological background of people on the Reserve Bank Board have many people questioning the recent demands by the Governor of the RBA for workers to wear more pay cuts and suggesting a return to the board of a strong worker voice. 

Just as Fraser, Hawke and Keating appointed the head of the Australian Union movement to the board of the Reserve Bank many are now calling for Sally McManus, or at least someone with a labour market understanding, to be appointed.  If you think worker's should wear the costs of higher profits but should get decent pay rises and want one for yourself join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

Van gives a background on where "long march through the institutions" comes from and Ben gives a rant about "If I was reserve bank governor."  Did we mention they both have COVID?

COVID hasn't gone away.  Van and Ben have it and discuss how, after a lull, the numbers of infections, hospitalisations and deaths are again rising.  Wear a mask, get vaccinated, stay safe.

The good news is that the Albanese Labor Government has signed up to a 43% reduction in emissions by 2030.  In a move that brought together stakeholders from across the environment, labour and business sectors Labor has set out an achievable ambition for real climate action.

It might be a shorter episode but we'd never forget to acknowledge our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who Van reads out by name every episode.