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

Episode 67: Special focus on the impacts of insecure work

Van Badham and Ben Davison take a deep dive into the problem of insecure work. 

Featuring interviews with:

ACTU President Michele O'Neil about the macro economic issues and economy wide impacts, particularly on women and carers, of insecure work,

National Assistant Secretary of the SDA, Julia Fox, on their groundbreaking "who cares?" campaign looking at the destructive impact of insecure work on retail workers who have caring responsibilities, often of both young children and ageing parents, and

Tim Petersen from the United Workers Union, which helps power HospoVoice, on how insecure work is smashing the mental and physical health of hospitality workers.

This special episode looks at the problems of insecure work, the impact on how we care for one another and the things that workers are doing, in workplaces, the community and parliaments, to try and restore the balance between work, life and care.

Weekend Wrap 5th December 2021: Morrison ends 2021 in a shambles, Albo launches Powering Australia and skills training while transport workers win and teachers prepare for strike

Ben Davison looks at the shambles that is the Morrison government as it failed to create a federal ICAC, failed to increase people's super, failed to pass its Trumpian voter ID laws, failed to pass its religious discrimination laws and saw its member's cross the floor to vote for Qanon motions, hold up the senate and possibly mislead Morrison (and Australian's) about their vaccination status.

And that's all before the "retirement" of Christian Porter and Greg, I don't take calls from Pfizer, Hunt.  To pile further shambles into the cess pit of the Morrison government Alan Tudge was forced to stand aside following allegations of physical and mental abuse by his former staffer/lover.  Having promoted the hypocritical Tudge to education Minister, where he spent his time lecturing educators on Australian Values, Morrison was finally forced to investigate his behaviour following the public revelation of the abuse complaint.

Ben look at how in a desperate attempt to distract Morrison made a university funding announcement, but the devil is in the "must be insecure work" details

All of which stands in stark contrast to the Albo Labor Party which this week announced a new Powering Australia policy which delivers 600,000 new jobs, 84% renewable energy, $275 a year power bill savings, cheaper electric vehicles and a 43% cut in emissions. And today announced 20,000 new university places and 465,000 free TAFE places to skill up Australian's for in demand industries.

Plus Ben looks at the fact SA won't make Christmas day a public holiday, transport workers winning improved job security by standing together in union and previews the reasons for Tuesday's NSW Teachers strike #MoreThanThanks.

Episode 66: Morrison‘s parliament and workplaces unsafe for women, living standards drop to 2018 levels, Albo tells a boofhead to sit down and jaguars!

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the Morrison government's failure to make workplaces in Australia safer for women with the latest report showing even the parliament is plagued by bullying and harassment.  Morrison's failure to deliver on the last report into these issues across the economy doesn't bode well for his so called promise to implement these new 28 recommendations. 

Australian living standards have declined to 2018 levels with the latest economic figures showing Australia has just had our 3rd worst economic report EVER.  With wages going backwards, petrol prices climbing and fewer secure jobs under the Morrison government it is no wonder the once impenetrable "better economic managers" title is shifting away from the Morrison Liberals.

Albo got fired in parliament this week with his call out of Peter Dutton to "sit down boofhead" capturing a national mood.  Morrison's government voted against itself numerous times as some thought cuddling up to anti-vaxers and QAnon conspiracists was more important than good governance, for which they received no punishment while others were given Prime Ministerial "counselling" when they crossed the floor to vote for a federal ICAC.

The good news is that the Mexican Jaguar being saved by local communities working together with government and conservation groups.

Weekend Wrap 28 November 2021: Morrison‘s attempt to censor the internet and other intrusions into people‘s lives to distract from economic failure plus a new COVID variant

Ben Davison looks at the Morrison government's latest announcement on Insiders that they will try to police comments on the internet and how it fits into Morrison's strategy of government "stepping back"  on economic issues while simultaneously starting culture wars and stepping in to protect corporations.

Ben looks at Morrison's attempts to stop class action lawsuits, like the one that ended robodebt, his attempt to protect aged care companies from prosecution while delaying the implementation of the Aged Care Royal Commission recommendations, Morrison's NDIS Minister calling the scheme welfare that people need to "get off" and Morrison's attempt to make it easier to sack people for who they are and who they love at a time when Australian's are already facing the greatest period of job insecurity in our history.

Ben examines why Morrison is doing all this while running away from the interventionist economic policies of the pandemic that worked.  Like raising Jobseeker, creating a job security program (as flawed as their roll out was) and providing free childcare.

A new COVID variant is out in the world and two years into the pandemic Morrison hasn't built any quarantine facilities, is still allowing international flights next week and will be relying on hotel quarantine.  Buckle up, vax up and get ready for wild ride!

Episode 65: Morrison wants more migrant workers, Lambie takes on One Nation, Morrison chooses chaos over leadership and Washington turning waste into gold

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at Scott Morrison's plan to import 200,000 temporary migrant workers into Australia over December and January as new polling shows 58% of Australian's want to decrease from our pre-pandemic levels of 160,000.  

Van and Ben discuss how there are 200,000 workers already in Australia who can't get the support for their child, elder or family member with a disability that they need to take up a job and how the Morrison government's "can do capitalism" has failed to deliver for them, the two million other unemployed and underemployed Australians and our suburbs and towns that need proper services.

Anti-Vax foreign propaganda and domestic right wing nut jobs have percolated into the Australian Senate with Pauline Hanson and a gaggle of Liberal Party fringe dwelling senators have help up all other legislation to try and over turn state health orders.  The plot failed and Jacqui Lambie gave a speech which blew them out of the water.  Van and Ben look at how these rogues have now resorted to foreign intimidation tactics by releasing personal information about Lambie.  Lambie's response?  Go even harder.

Morrison meanwhile is choosing to let this chaos play as he loses control of the government and choses to let his members try to find thin slices of extremists whose votes they can try to win over.  Van and Ben discuss how our political system is being played by these people and the dangers of allowing mainstream political parties to engage with extremist cultures.

There is good news in Washington where sewage is being turned into fertiliser and making soil fertile again! 

Weekend Wrap 21 Nov 2021: Tim Paine resignation highlights Morrison‘s lack of leadership on Alan Tudge, Wages going backwards, final sitting fortnight, QAnon rallies coordinated across the globe

Ben Davison looks at how Tim Paine's resignation from the captaincy of the Australian cricket team over sexual misconduct contrasts to the promotion of Alan Tudge by Scott Morrison over sexual misconduct that occurred around the same time in 2017.  Paine has resigned over sexting prior to it becoming public knowledge while Tudge conducted an affair with a member of his staff and was subsequently promoted when news of the affair became public on 4Corners.

Why does Morrison allow someone who has fallen so far below the bar required to be a leader in our nations cricket team to continue to be a cabinet minister in his government and lecture the nation's educators on what is and isn't acceptable values to teach our young people?

The latest wage growth figures have come out and show that the real value of wages continues to drop.  ALP Treasury spokesperson Jim Chalmers has claimed on Insiders that petrol prices have gone up $900 while wages have declined $700 and that Labor welcomes a debate about economic management.

The final sitting fortnight for 2021 is about to kick off and Albo has challenged Morrison to a series of debates.  Given Morrison won't be passing a federal ICAC and may struggle to get his religious discrimination bill passed, with some in his government saying it goes to far and others saying it doesn't go far enough, a series of debates might be the only useful way to fill the allotted time. 

We have seen more death threats against Victorian and Queensland MPs, as well as actual violence committed against a cross-bench MP's daughter, while globally coordinated far right and Qanon aligned protests took place in Australian capital cities and across Europe . 

Episode 64: QAnon protests in Victoria, Morrison‘s 2022 election re-run of 2004, Strollout is the word of the year and good news

Van Badham and Ben Davison examine the Qanon manipulations that are driving the protests in Victoria as more and more Liberal MPs are enticed to support the far right, mock lynching, reporter chasing extremist minority that continues to make threats against the democratic representatives of Victoria and wave Trump flags.

Morrison has tried "who do you trust", "The Australia Way", and pretending that being paid $1,500 a day to have haircuts and hangout cooking BBQs was governing and is now going back to the 2004 Howard era playbook of "Interest Rates and Petrol Prices" in his ongoing attempt to find a winning strategy.  After eight years of Liberal/National government it is a pathetic and sad thing for the Australian people to watch.

The word "Strollout" coined by Australian Unions leader Sally McManus about the failures of the Morrison government vaccine program has been named the Australian word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary.  Given it seems to apply to the Morrison government approach to economic support, climate action, job security, disaster relief and the NBN, as well as the vaccine roll out, maybe it is the word of the Morrison "era"?

Finally, there is some good news about solar, self propelling caravans and mangroves.

Weekend Wrap 14 November 2021: QAnon march in Melbourne, CoP26 ends, COVID surging in Europe, Morrison jobs policy failing

The QAnon march in Melbourne this weekend showed off a disturbing willingness to use violent imagery and threats to intimidate democratically elected leaders, our institutions and our community.  While Nearly 93% of Victorian's have had at least one dose of vaccine the rally, which featured US based QAnon symbols, flags and language, roped in a who's who of political fringe dwellers.  From Peta Credlin to the Victorian upper house Liberal Democrat MP (bet you didn't even know we had one) to the bloated face of foreign propaganda in Australia, Craig Kelly, we were subjected to every wannabe opportunist's attempts to find a political base.

The serious side was on show too as a gallows was marched through the threats, "kill" chants were conducted and this week saw threats levelled against the animal justice upper house MP, Andy Meddick, as well as Labor MPs, Premier Andrews, Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton and the Australian Labor Party Vice President.

It is no coincidence that Steve Bannon was indicted this week, the Trump strategist and podcaster (Morrison government MPs have appeared on his show), was charged with contempt of Congress as the US mid-term election season enters the final 12 months.

For more on how QAnon is infiltrating our politics check out Van Badham's new book "QAnon and On; A short and shocking history of internet conspiracy cults"

Cop26 has ended with a commitment to "Phase down", not "phase out" coal power, 130 governments increasing commitments on emissions reductions (Not Morrison's) and agreement to end "inefficient", not all, fossil fuel subsidies.

COVID is exploding again in Europe.  The Netherlands is going into a three week lockdown, Austria is locking down the unvaccinated, the UK has 500 cases per million people and Germany has the worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic.  Portugal and Spain, above 80% vaccinated, are doing much better.  Get vaccinated and get a booster.

The Morrison government has announced a new uncapped seasonal worker program expansion despite unemployment spiking this month and hundreds of thousands of people who want to work unable to do so due to caring responsibilities.   

Episode 63: Morrison lies about his electric vehicle lies, ‘can do capitalism‘ leaving Australia in last place on climate plus good news on forests and Qanon and On

Van Badham and Ben Davison dive into Morrison's day out in Melbourne where in between pinching other people's food and getting a haircut he announced an electric vehicles policy.  The man we pay $1,500 a day, who once claimed electric vehicles would kill the weekend, flew to Melbourne to announce a policy that would see 30% of vehicles on Australian roads be electric or hydrogen by 2030 and only reduce emissions by 2% over 14 years.  The Automotive Association of Australia has said it doesn't go far enough, Bill Shorten has said Morrison is staying up at night reading his old policy books and the Liberal NSW Treasurer has said Morrison could be "doing more".  And the NSW government promptly has done more by announcing a policy four times the size of Morrison's and that has been welcomed by stakeholders.

Morrison's claim that "Climate change will ultimately be solved by can do capitalism" has sent a shiver up the spine of anyone who has ever known the sharp end of a "profit maximising decision".  Despite coalitions of unions, business groups, environment groups and civil society calling for government intervention, policy certainty and even providing a plan written by consulting firm Accenture to create 395,000 new jobs and $89 billion in export revenue from a clean economy Morrison is giving the "can do capitalists" of carbon capture ANOTHER $500Million for a technology which even mining baron Twiggy Forrest called "an unproven failure" when it comes to emissions reduction.

So now that Morrison has put "can do capitalism" in charge of his "technology led" solution to climate change how are we doing? 

Well, according to the Climate Change Performance Index we are 59th out of 64 countries overall in progress to meeting our targets and LAST on climate with a zero point score.  Possibly most damming of all, the index says we are "failing to promote new technologies".

There is good news in Cameroon where refugees are reforesting and good news in Australia where the Victorian Trades Hall has released a children's book "Sticking Together" and Van is releasing the much anticipated "Qanon and On: A short and shocking history of internet conspiracy cults" 

Weekend Wrap 7 November 2021: Farm workers win minimum wage, hospitality demands more migrant workers while 200,000 can‘t get work due to caring responsibilities plus Sticking Together launches

Ben looks at the big win for farm workers this week as up to 130,000 workers will see their wages rise from as low as $3/hr to a minimum of $25.14 an hour.  Despite a second record harvest year in a row and as many as 16,000 jobs needing to be filled the usual corporate agri-business lobbyists are condemning the outcome and suggesting they will appeal.  The Australian Workers Union has said "If you work on a farm and aren't being paid at least $25 an hour someone is stealing your wages."

The hospitality sector is claiming it needs 100,000 temporary migrant workers to meet demand even as it claims a $44Million program from the Victorian government designed to boost demand in hospitality.  The sector is rife with wage theft, super theft, rostering abuses, sexual harassment and awful working conditions.  None of which the Hotels Association is suggesting they will fix before the importation of more easily exploitable temporary migrant workers.

These "labour shortage" claims come as RBA and ABC reports show that 2.2M Australians who want to work do not have the work they need.  More than 200,000 people who want to work can't due to caring responsibilities and a lack of access to appropriate alternative care for their child, elders or family member with a disability.  

The systemic problems are low wages, poor working conditions, lack of support to enter the workforce through the provision of care facilities and services and a quick fix mentality among many in these sectors that have become hooked on easily exploitable temporary migrant workers.

There's also info on the launch of the new children's book by the Victorian Trades Hall Council "Sticking Together", a new track by mr?e & the 4.I.S crew, an update on FriendlyJordies' effective win over Barilaro and Van's in studio appearance on Marcus Paul to talk Alan Jones, Morrison's disgrace and Qanon and On.