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

Weekend Wrap Mar 21, 2021

The IR Omnibus becomes a law about casuals as the Morrison government rejects real reforms supported by small business, unions & the cross bench and punishes workers experiencing wage theft, 1 in 100 year floods in NSW, Morrison was concerned about his security at the #March4Justice, a rally against violence, and still has a policy of making women fleeing domestic violence pay for it out of their retirement savings, And this international day for the elimination of racism we stand with all Australians and against those using Nazi images to harass people in the street.

Episode 29: The March for Justice, IR Omnibus Bill, Vaccine rollout & good news about polystyrene

Van Badham and Ben Davison examine the Morrison government response to the March for Justice rallies around Australia, the woeful performance of Morrison ministers as well as the continued attacks on women's financial capacity by eroding their superannuation, workplace security and wages.

The IR Omnibus Bill is before the senate, despite Christian Porter's absence, and Jacqui Lambie and Rex Patrick have publicly proposed substantial amendments while Pauline Hanson has put forward secret amendments to the government.  Sally McManus and the unions are calling on people to contact their senators and oppose the bills.  Van and Ben discuss how this bill further undermines women in the workplace.

The vaccine rollout is millions of doses behind schedule.  Van and Ben look at why and what Morrison has, or hasn't done, to keep Australian's safe.

Plus good news about polystyrene and some justice for George Floyd's family.

Van's back and Germanicus is so delighted he is literally jumping over the desk!

Weekend wrap Mar 14, 2021

The big news since Wednesday: -Morrison spends $1.2B on “cheap” holiday flights but leaves 40,000 Aussie stranded overseas, 2 million unemployed & underemployed and 3 million fearing the end of Jobkeeper -Mark McGowan romps home to win 53 of 59 seats in WA and destroy the Liberals -March 4 Justice rallies are happening nation wide on Monday to call out inequality, sexism, violence against women and the culture that has allowed attacks on women -The IR Omnibus bill is due in the senate on Tuesday but looks shaky with Michaelia Cash trying to win over a skeptical senate cross bench.

Episode 28: Morrison's Job Massacre, Meghan and the Modern Monarchy and Good News About Mars... and Toads!

In this episode, Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss how the impending loss of 110,000 jobs from the Australian economy doesn't say much about Scott Morrison's governing ability, explore attacks on Meghan Markle and the royal racism scandal, and share some good news about the places they make Mars bars. Also, Van gets hugely excited about a toad rescue.

Meanwhile, Wagga Wagga suffers a mouse plague, making Van really miss Germanicus' superior mouse-hunting skillz. This is the Week on Wednesday!

Weekend Wrap Mar 7, 2021

Morrison continues to fumble among allegations of rape and sexual assault within his government Are GDP figures hiding the true economic story? Australia’s vaccine rollout off target and hitting potholes Michaelia Cash is back and now first law officer despite refusing to cooperate with the AFP The IR omnibus starts to wobble as cross bench doubt Morrison’s government And Morrison goes into hiding and misses out on Mardi Gras & Clean Up Australia Day.

Episode 27: More Morrison crises, aged care royal commission & good news about busting Nazis and fighting climate change

Van Badham and Ben Davison brave the painful and complicated discussion of the cascading scandals overwhelming the Morrison Liberal government - and Scott Morrison's own painful and complicated mishandling of them. We also talk about the aged care royal commission's findings, and what they augur for Australia's elders... and we have TWO pieces of good news - about busting Nazis and fighting climate change.

A big thanks to Nathan Pippin, who helped produce this episode with Ben at home and Van tuning in from Wagga Wagga. Note that the dog cries a lot because he can hear Van's voice, while she remains away...

Weekend Wrap Feb 28, 2021

Where is Morrison? As the Morrison government shudders from allegations of rape against a minister, the resignation of Craig Kelly from the Liberal Party, Nicole Flint announcing she won’t be standing at the next election, the failure to meet vaccine rollout targets & an IR bill with no friends Morrison has gone missing. WA Labor on track as the Liberals publicly conceded it not their “year” And the Golden Globes, always a scandal and a spectacle.

Episode 26: Cuts to Jobseeker, more accusations of misconduct in the Morrison government as Kelly quits Liberals and Democracy vs Capitalism

Van Badham & Ben Davison look at the Morrison government announcement of a real cut to Jobseeker being dressed up as an increase of $3.75 a day - and what this news really means.

There's a fourth report of an assault by the Liberal staffer accused of attacking Brittany Higgins, and more revelations about misconduct by Craig Kelly's senior advisor. Morrison admits to having raised these problems with Kelly BEFORE he announced his resignation from the Liberal Party to post conspiracy theories from the cross bench.

With the Victorian government announcing a Royal Commission into Crown, the arm-wrestle over news on Facebook and the collapse of the privatised and deregulated Texas energy grid, Van and Ben discuss the tension between democracy and capitalism and why they are on the side of democracy every time... even if it gives us Morrison.

The good news is about being able to eat food and breathe the air thanks to soil!

And Germanicus, the dachshund, nose bumps the mic, gets cuddles and jumps around. 

Weekend Wrap February 21st 2021

Weekend Wrap -Morrison’s handling of alleged rape acquisitions start to draw questions of cover ups -Facebook vs Murdoch when what we really need is quality independent journalism -WA polls set to open -Vaccine starts to roll out as Morrison cosplays his Australian cricket tour travelling supporter character -The court is abolished so now we wait to see if Hanson is going to give Morrison his IR cuts or let banks back into super in exchange.

Episode 25: Morrison government's bungling of alleged rape complaint & changes to BOOT given the boot but cuts to wages & job security still a threat

Van Badham takes us through the alleged rape of a Liberal staffer by another Liberal staffer in the Defence Minister's parliament house office, the inhuman response from Morrison as well as the lack of accountability and the lack of transparency that the Morrison government is entrenching. 

Ben takes us through the latest developments on Morrison's IR Omnibus Bill as the senate cross-bench listens to workers' demands to remove changes to the Better Off Overall Test (BOOT) while the devilish details that would cut wages and undermine both safety and job security start to become clear.

The good news is about the English Crane and urban mushroom farms in Paris.

This is a full on episode that required lots of puppy cuddles and, a warning, it deals with issues relating to trauma and sexual abuse.