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

Episode 45:Coronavirus versus the world, Scott Morrison is "Menacing Wallpaper" and the good news is about.... Antelopes!

With Van Badham stuck in Sydney lockdown while Ben Davison remains in Victoria, we consider how Australia has managed to stuff its vaccine rollout even without the problems that have caused crisis in Indonesia and Russia. We ponder how some of the country's most privileged private schoolboys have been vaccinated... but their teachers haven't - oh, and remote communities haven't, either. Former MP Julia Banks unloads on the sexism culture of the LIberal Party, and tips a bucket on Scott Morrison. The good news is about the antelopes of Kazakhstan... and there's an update with some MORE good news about hybrid airships. Enjoy!

Weekend wrap Jul 4, 2021

Morrison’s failure sparks a four stage plan to pretend everything is ok NSW lockdown continues with aged care outbreak Stranded Aussies now six months past due but big business come and go as they please Morrison’s finance Minister goes on Insiders to praise car park corruption saying “Australians had their chance..” Julia Banks reveals the darkness beneath the Liberal Party masks.

Episode 44: Morrison vaccine failure locks down millions! $330 million spent on car-park election pork-barrelling! Medicare cuts start tomorrow!

Van is trapped in a locked-down New South Wales and doesn't know when she'll see Ben again, but the podcast continues through the miracle of technology and a fervent desire to discuss Scott Morrisons many, many, many failures. How many? SO MANY: on coronavirus vaccines, quarantines, Astra-Zeneca, jobkeeper, Medicare, the inter-generational report... just for starters. Meanwhile, the good news is about the transformational regenerative agriculture of Inga trees and tropical rainforests. Also, Van misses the dog.

Special LIVE from Wagga Wagga: Glady's gold standard sparkling COVID cluster, Morrison trades jobs for Bentley's and Blue Label, workers stand up against oppression

Van Badham and Ben Davison take The Week on Wednesday on the road recording a LIVE episode at the Wagga Wagga Interesting Festival.

Recorded on Saturday June 26th moments before Sydney entered COVID lockdown, Van and Ben discuss the issues Glady's handling of the outbreak and take questions from a live festival audience.

This special episode also looks at the impact of the Australia-UK free trade agreement on jobs, the economy and broader social structures with the audience asking; Is Tony Abbott a traitor?

The win for General Mills workers and the secure jobs senate inquiry report are discussed in the context of working people standing up against exploitation.  The audience asks questions about the benefits of being a union member and the gendered impact of the gig economy.

The good news is about the floating gardens of Bangladesh, which if we can't stop climate change, might help save us all!

So tune into this very special LIVE edition of The Week on Wednesday (on a Saturday at the Interesting Festival in Wagga Wagga)

Episode 43: Workers strike for better wages as Morrison era cuts pay packets, Barnaby is back dragging us down into the darkness, NSW enters its COVID Winter and good news about bees!

Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss the workers who are taking action at General Mills and how everyone can support them by boycotting Old El Paso & Latina Fresh products.  They explore new research which shows average working people are $254 a week WORSE off under the Morrison government, how ANZ and Macquarie Banks are taking money out of worker's pockets and what we can do to lift wages in Australia. 

HINT: Join your union

Barnaby Joyce is back in the Deputy PM chair and both Van and Ben share the outrage felt by most of the nation.  But what does his return mean for Australia and what can we do to limit the damage Gina's pet does to Australia this time around?

NSW is experiencing a COVID Winter outbreak, as sadly predicted on this show.  With the vaccines rollout moving from strollout to failout we discuss what people can do to stay safe, keep infections down and keep our heads up.

There is good news on vaccines...for bees! With a new vaccine set to help save bee populations.

Ben and Van share a story about the time they met former British Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Germanicus climbs on all the equipment!

Weekend Wrap Jun 20, 2021

COVID Update: QLD has a case, NSW has more cases, Morrison rejected 40 million Pfizer doses -Changes to Super target industry funds while letting rip off bank funds continue -World Refugee Day -Minimum Wage changes & exploitation of temporary migrant workers -Nationals bicker over leadership

Episode 42: Morrison and his QAnon friends, Barilaro isn't so friendly to Jordy, Minimum wage to increase, Biloela family update & good news!

Van Badham and Ben Davison examine Scott Morrison's QAnon friendships as exposed by 4Corners.  Van puts her expertise on internet conspiracy theories to good use as she and Ben discuss what this might mean for democracy, the Morrison government and our society.

John Barilaro has made accusations that have resulted in the arrest of the producer for FriendlyJordies.  Van and Ben talk about Barilaro, the work of Jordan Shanks, what these events might mean for freedom of speech, freedom of satire and what they add to our knowledge of the NSW Deputy Premier.

The Minimum wage is set to go up by 2.5%  on July 1 for most of Australia's 2.2 million minimum wage workers but not for those in retail, restaurants, airlines or hair styling with delays ranging from 1 September to 1 November for workers in those industries.

The Biloela family have been reunited but the Morrison ministers still can't quite bring themselves to let them go home to Bilo.

Good news about support for more women to get into trades in Victoria and bottle bricks in Nigeria!

Weekend wrap Jun 13, 2021

-Pressure grows on Morrison to let them go #HomeToBilo -G7 meets but Morrison does photo op instead of policy work -IR update on wages, 2nd jobs & vaccination leave Plus Morrison wants to gag charities

Episode 41: Medicare cuts slammed by doctors, Biloela family left to rot, Morrison looking to cut wages AGAIN and good news about trees and bees

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the Medicare cuts that have been slammed by doctors and have inspired action from Australian Unions to save Medicare from Greg Hunt's dream of an American style, privatised healthcare system.

A family from Biloela has been left to rot on an island for 1000 days, a toddler is a preventable blood infection and a community wants the family to come home.  So why is Morrison spending $6 million keeping them in a 400 bed detention centre?  And how do we get things back on track?

Morrison reanimates the ministerial career of Michaelia Cash to help cut wages for the workers in Australia's "most profitable sector" while also trying to drive down the minimum wage for millions of our pandemic heroes.

The good news is about Trees and Bees

Plus Germanicus joins as we record from a new location.

WeekendWrap Jun 6, 2021

-85 cases of Covid in Victoria but hope ahead l -Morrison finally agrees to fund a quarantine centre but can’t tell us how many aged care workers have been vaccinated -Morrison passes super laws that are a punishment looking for a crime as cross bench cuts ministerial powers -Merivale empire grows on the back of stolen wages as Morrison’s I.R. Minister poses with the CEO, attends his fundraiser & scraps wage theft laws