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

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.

Episode 62: Liberal lies, cover ups and side hustles, Morrison selling gas at climate conference and ‘my name is Cleo‘ a little girl saved

Van Badham and Ben Davison dive into the Liberal lies, cover ups and side hustles that have come to typify the Morrison government.

With Morrison himself called a liar, not just by President Macron but also, by Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull the credibility of Morrison's leadership is being called into question.  If other leaders can't trust Morrison what does that mean for our national security?  If we can't trust him here at home what does that mean for our economy, jobs, health and education systems?

Dom Perrottet is holding a review of grant decisions following Glady's ICAC hearing testimony.  In a piece of pure political theatre the man who was treasurer and a member of the expenditure committee is pretending to not have been in government when his government was "throwing" money to win seats.  

Did you know that Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes is also a consultant?  It has been revealed that the Senator for NSW has a side hustle as a consultant for a bio-fuels company that she has pay into a trust where she is the only shareholder and only beneficiary.  She's taken something meant to make our democracy stronger and perverted it to add to her $249,000 salary. 

No wonder the Morrison government won't regulate the gig economy!

The Cop26 Climate Conference has started in Glasgow and Morrison has wasted no time in rejecting the Global Methane Pledge and giving pride of place to massive gas exporter Santos.  In a move described as "a joke" by Malcolm Turnbull Santos' "Blue Hydrogen" process, where you burn and "carbon capture" gas to make renewable hydrogen instead of using solar, wind or hydro to make renewable hydrogen, has been promoted by the Australian stall and Morrison minister Angus Taylor. 

On the plus side we have signed up to end deforestation and will participate in the protection of large parts of the worlds rainforests.

The heart-warming news that every Australian awoke to this morning was the rescue of four year old Cleo Smith.  WA Police found the little girl alone in a locked house, her first words to them were "My name is Cleo". 

The impact of the rescue, coming 18 days after her disappearance, is serving as a beacon of hope for many people after a trying period for the nation.

Plus news on pay rises for hairstylists and a pay dispute at Country Road with gender equity undertones.

Weekend Wrap 31 October 2021: Gladys explains her love circle at ICAC, Morrison to sell more gas at Glasgow, Tim Smith gets drunk and crashes his car

Gladys Berejiklian's end of week appearance at ICAC have raised some serious questions about how politicians conduct themselves, the meaning of terms like "family" and "love circle" and helped explain why Morrison and his government are so opposed to a federal ICAC.  It would expose not only what they are doing wrong but also the things that they could reasonable suspect are wrong and do nothing to stop.

Tim Smith got drunk at a dinner party and drove his car into another vehicle and through a fence.  He's resigned from shadow cabinet and lost his licence.  But will we have to pay his taxi bills?

Morrison is going to promote more Australian Gas in Glasgow despite work from Australian Unions, the Business Council of Australia, The Australian Conservation Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund and Accenture showing that clean energy could create 395,000 new jobs.

Angus Taylor, who is joining Morrison's gas sales trip, has gone on Insiders to say that governments don't plan more than four years out and the $20Billion commitment, half what was wasted on profitable companies with misallocated Jobkeeper, is as far into the future as they can plan.  Despite the multi decade nuclear submarine deal and other countries adopting long term bi-partisan approaches.

Episode 61: Morrison ”the weakest link” on climate action, Morrison gives Telstra billions to block China and the good news is solar powered steel

Van Badham and Ben Davison celebrate being reunited after four months separated by COVID lockdowns by exploring Morrison's New Plan using current policies to tackle climate change in "The Australian Way" with a pamphlet written by a global consulting company.

We need real cuts to emissions to avoid temperatures increasing by 2.7 degrees. but there is no roadmap for tech led change just a do nothing government hoping Australia will simply get swept along as capitalists, investors and corporations invest in future profits. 

Van and Ben ask the question; If the Morrison plan is to just let profiteers find the profits in a low emission future what will happen to the worker's and communities they leave behind?

Van and Ben look at the Morrison government tipping $2.1Billion into Telstra to fund the purchase of a South Pacific telco that was owned by an Irish billionaire and who, having received our money to build a cable to Australia, was courting Chinese investment. 

Proving once again that the Morrison government is prepared to spend our money but it isn't prepared to buy us anything.

The good news is BP, that's "British Petroleum" is making steel in Colorado using solar power. 

See what we mean about companies investing in future profits?