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

Weekend Wrap May 23, 2021

Ben Davison looks at: Gerry Harvey complains about being made to pay the taxes he asked for, Victoria makes big business pay for mental health Unemployment is down but there are fewer jobs Labor will scrap the privatised INDUE card Upper Hunter stays national and maybe there’s a deeper message about regional communities.

Episode 38:Vaccine "Stroll-out", the CEOs say profits are worth a few deaths, Morrison's university failure, gig workers win... and SEABIRDS!

Van Badham and Ben Davison analyse the dangers of Scott Morrison's too-slow COVID vaccine "rollout", budget cuts to the university sector aren't smart thinking, gig economy workers have a win at last... and there's also good news about seabirds. 

Also, we have some exciting news about *this very podcast!!!*, Van sniffles and the dog gets upset about worker exploitation. Enjoy!

Weekend Wrap May 16, 2021

Weekend Wrap! (With new sound quality!) Hidden budget nasties Albo’s powerhouse budget reply Frydenberg makes clear Morrison supports wage cuts and exposes the sham of “tight labour market = wage growth” Wage thieves want more temporary migrant workers Tas Labor changes leader Hawke commemoration NSW restrictions to lift #Idahobit day

Episode 37: The big breakdown of Morrison's band aid budget and good news about fish!

Van Badham and Ben Davison breakdown the Morrison government's latest budget offering and get under the headlines into what is really happening with aged care, childcare, wages, training, climate change and the secret cuts.

The so called "women's budget"  doesn't actually have much for women.

There's some tinkering with superannuation, some pre-election sweeteners and a lot of ignoring experts while praying that "technology" saves us from climate change while allowing multinationals to extract even more of our gas.

So tune in for a detailed breakdown of what's in the budget and what it actually means.

Plus the good news is that 60,000 fish have been released back into the Darling river system!

Weekend Wrap May 9, 2021

It’s budget week! Morrison claims economy “not as bad as it could be” but is that really good enough? We look behind the headline numbers on unemployment, the NDIS, Super, Aged Care and wages to see how power is shaping our nation. And Abetz is relegated to an i winnable spot but is it a payout ploy?

Episode 36: Is Morrison preparing for an early election? Sabre rattling on China and The Winter of COVID.

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the Morrison government clearing the decks, appointing their mates, pumping the budget with watered down Labor policy and ask the question; Is Morrison preparing for an election in 2021?

Dutton keeps rattling his sword in the direction of China but is he setting us up to be the chicken killed to scare the Monkey?  Van and Ben talk about our relationship with China, trade, geo-politics and why going to war with a country who has nukes and an army larger than the population of Brisbane is probably a bad idea.

Covid is burning through India and now there is a mystery community case in Sydney.  With only 2.5% of the NSW population vaccinated is the Winter of COVID about to hit?  Van and Ben get fired about how Morrison has failed to keep Australian's safe, has undermined generations of rights and might be about to lead us in a catastrophe.

The good news is about solar boats that eat plastic!

And Germanicus tries to get into the TimTams

Weekend Wrap May 2, 2021

Morrison threatens 9,000 Australians with prison if they come home Gutwein wins re-election in Tasmania It’s budget week so the Liberals are trying on mangled versions of Labor policy And a happy May Day to everyone

Episode 35 India's record COVID outbreak, International Workers Memorial Day, Tasmania goes to the polls and the good news is about jaguars

Van Badham & Ben Davison look at the record breaking COVID outbreak burning through India as 8,000 stranded Australian's are told by Morrison they won't be allowed to return any time soon and the world slowly starts to deliver help to the worlds most populated democracy.

It is International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) and we commemorate the 178 Australians killed at work in 2020, offer solidarity to the efforts to keep workers safe and celebrate the good things workers, in union, have won to keep us safe so far.

Tasmania heads to the polls on Saturday as Labor seeks to overcome a Liberal government that wants to sell off TAFE, has wrecked the health system and seemingly has no plan for jobs.

And the good news is about the jaguars of Belize.

Plus Germanicus snuffles at the walls like he's on the scent of something....

Weekend Wrap Apr 25, 2021

-The climate summit shows Morrison’s ambitions are half of the USA’s and will kill the Great Barrier Reef. -Morrison wants to be thanked “not for what we have promised, but what we deliver.” So we look at his “delivery” on aged care, disability, wages, mining executives and bonuses for retail bosses. -Perth goes into lockdown as COVID hits new global records -Anzac Day we reflect on the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women in service to the ideals of Australia

Episode 34: George Floyd's murderer convicted, Morrison fails on vaccines for aged and disability care, 1 in 3 suffer financial stress plus good news on SuperLeague and bananas

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd and what it might mean in the USA as well as what it might say about Australia's failure to act on the 30 year old recommendations of the royal commission into aboriginal deaths in custody.

Morrison promised aged care residents and workers were a priority for the vaccine program which was why people in disability accomodation had to wait.  So why are 85% of aged care workers still not vaccinated?  Why have so few residents been vaccinated?

1 in 3 Australian households have financial stress.  The numbers show intervention, government investment, higher support for those struggling works yet the Morrison government has cut Jobseeker and made people raid their retirement savings.

The good news is that the "European Super League" was announced and abandoned in less than a week!  A win for football fans over the billionaires.

Plus how bananas might help prevent fires and Germanicus demands to be included as he attacks the mic.