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

Van Badham in conversation with Miles Taylor, former Trump National Security Advisor and author of Blowback

Welcome to our first “The Week On Wednesday presents Van Badham in Conversation With…”. And it is A CORKER.

Miles Taylor is a former national security adviser to the Trump administration - yes, you read that correctly, and he is absolutely a guest on our show.

In 2018, as “Anonymous”, Taylor published an infamous op-ed in the New York Times entitled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration" that shone a terrifying light on the chaos and dysfunction of Trumpism in power, and the danger it posed to the world.

Taylor quit the administration and expanded on his insights about America’s dangerous political turn in his 2019 book, A Warning. By 2020, he’d revealed his identity - and became the first former Trump administration official to endorse Joe Biden for President.

His latest book, Blowback, tells the personal story of what Miles Taylor saw in the Trump White House - and what he did about it.

In an alternative universe where Trump wasn’t elected in 2016, Miles Taylor and the Week on Wednesday are faceless opposing combatants in democracy’s endless ideological war over macroeconomic policy and the frontiers of regulating markets.

… But in the fight against the hard right, populist authoritarianism that’s resurgent across the west, we are enthusiastic and committed allies.

It’s a great conversation and you should totally read his book.

Weekend Wrap 30 July 2023: Education, economic management, workplace reforms, housing, The Voice

Ben Davison is BACK after a two week break with a deep dive on the FIVE big issues that should be dominating the national debate.

98% of our public schools don't have the resources they need.  Ben reads out a message from a listener about how the failure to support every child has left class sizes too big, teachers overworked and kids missing out on the support they need.

Inflation is coming down.  The spokesperson from the bosses pamphlet on Insiders continued to recite the neo-liberal mantras of higher rates, more unemployment and lower wages but Ben outlines how Jim Chalmers and Labor are implementing a neo-Keynesian approach that is bringing down prices, keeping people in work and supporting those most in need.

Workplace reforms are coming to parliament to stop the multi-billion dollar loopholes that see labour hire workers paid less, forced casualisation of millions of people and profiteering at working people's expense.  There's a union for every worker, casual, labour hire, teacher, miner, nurse, graphic designer and you can join at australianunions.org.au/wow

The Housing Affordability Future Fund is coming back.  With $1,300,000 a day NOT going into housing because of the Greens back Dutton's Noalition Labor is ready to set up a double dissolution trigger.

The Voice.  Greg Sheridan can go on Insiders to say that Dutton isn't racists if the referendum fails but if all the racists are voting NO does it matter if he considers himself to be racist?  Ben argues you pick a side.  No has Pauline Hanson and Andrew Bolt.  Yes has Marcia Langton and Noel Pearson.  Which side are you on?

Plus Ben touches on why the noise around the Rockingham by-election is meaningless Liberal narrative and why Dutton's abysmal record on government contracts is best left to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to determine.

Episode 144: Murdoch and the NO campaign, inflation falls as neo-liberalism fails, the end of forced casualisation and good news about trees

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at how actors, screen writers and even NRL players are getting organised because they need the power of standing together to get a fair deal.  Remember to join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

With the NO campaign in full swing the Murdoch Empire has clearly identified its target market.  Van and Ben discuss why a Royal Commission into the influence of the Murdoch Empire is a good idea, why it is NOT a "news" source and present examples of it pushing a narrative that undermines truth while backing in racists.

Inflation continues to fall despite the neo-liberals saying we would need to see hundreds of thousands of people made unemployed for it to happen.  Ben and Van discuss how the high priests of monetary policy twist every outcome to support their ideology and why it is Labor's macro-economic management and the community demanding an end to profiteering that is bringing inflation down WITHOUT scrapping thousands of jobs.

With unemployment at 3.5% and millions of people trapped in casual employment but working the same hours every week for less money, the union movement has thrown its support behind the Labor Government's plan to end forced casualisation.  Ben and Van discuss what this means, how it will empower workers and dispel the doomsayers from the Noalition.

The good news is about trees being planted!

We have even more supporters and Van reads out the names of all our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters.  If you want episodes emailed to you, along with links and more information, go to www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday 

Plus we have an announcement about a special new series!

Episode 143: Dan says no to Commonwealth Games blow out, time to fund public schools, NO campaign avoids truth and good news about plastics

Van Badham and Ben Davison congratulate the aged care workers who, by standing together in union, are starting to see their pay increases flow from this week and discuss how there is a union for everyone whether you're in aged care, ice cream making, acting or professional sport. Join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

Dan Andrews has said no to the Commonwealth Games cost blow out so Van and Ben explore the reaction, what it means for the legacy infrastructure and just why billionaire and corporate owned media is SO upset.

The official referendum "information" pamphlets have been published and it is already clear that the NO campaign is relying on misinformation, misrepresentation and Americanised tactics.  Van and Ben discuss why Albo standing up to 2GB's Ben Fordham and people speaking out against the misinformation is vital for our democracy.

Jason Clare, Commonwealth Education Minister, gave a National Press Club speech today so Ben and Van take a look at the reality of public education in Australia.  With NINETY EIGHT PERCENT (98%) of public schools underfunded our hosts explore what is happening in education in Australia.

The good news is about plastics!

Our supporters continue to help us grow which is why we give our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters personalised shoutouts. You can join them by visiting www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday 

Episode 142: No campaign goes MAGA, Robodebt fallout for Fadden, Albo at NATO and good news about solar glass

Van Badham and Ben Davison start this special Thursday edition by tearing apart the ridiculous wage cutting ideologies of Jeff Kennet and exploring why a man who's devoted his life to cutting wages wanting to cut wages isn't news but it is bad for productivity, women and workers in general. 

Which is why unions are campaigning for more flexibility to work from home and you can join them at australianunions.org.au/wow

The Guardian has exposed that the NO campaign has been importing American MAGA campaign tactics for the referendum with evidence that two companies in particular are making more than a dollar from dividing Australia with racist, sexist and classist hatred.

The Robodebt Royal Commission handed down its report six days ago so Van and Ben explore how the Liberals have responded by denying any wrong doing, making accusations against Labor and doing everything they can to undermine their own chances in the Fadden by-election this Saturday.

Ben and Van also contrast the failures of Dutton as defence and home affairs minister against the work Albo is doing to defend democracy at the NATO summit while also improving our trade relations.  Van and Ben make clear that there is no "left wing" way to support Putin's gangster state and recall some of their own experiences in the nuclear armed kleptocracy. 

The good news is that solar glass is a thing and windows that make electricity are on their way!

As always we give shout outs to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who get extra content from www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday and help us grow the audience. 

Weekend Wrap July 9 2023: Robodebt Royal Commission exposes abuses of power, Health unions win better deal in NSW and teaching reforms but where’s the funding?

Ben Davison spends some time looking at the Robodebt Royal Commission report, the scathing rebuke of the Morrison government, the potential crimes of former ministers and the culture of cooperation between corporate and billionaire owned media and the Coalition of treating people in need as less than human.

Ben explains why Robodebt was bad policy, how we avoid such policies in the future and why unions calling for a more secure public sector workforce are part of the solution.

Join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

The Health Services Union (HSU) in NSW has won a pay rise of up to 8.5% for its lowest paid members and Ben explains how this union has tackled the issue of low paid "essential workers" and won.

The Commonwealth has also announced changes to teacher education over the next two years so Ben has a look at why that's happened, why we need to fix the Morrison era funding set ups and what impact it has on productivity,

If you'd like to get the Week on Wednesday emailed to you everyweek and help us reach ever more people you can become a supporter at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday

Episode 141: Faruqi vs Hanson as racism finds its voice, why a bigger surplus is good, NACC starts with a smorgasbord and good news about EV batteries

Van Badham and Ben Davison dive into the explosion of bots, trolls and online hate that is being targeted at YES campaigners and how Pauline Hanson is using her vile and inexcusable comments about Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi to eliminate protections against discrimination and open the flood gates on hate speech.

The farm workers we reported on last episode won their strike and you can win better pay and conditions by joining your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

Ben and Van look at why a budget surplus now is a good thing, why a bigger surplus has helped stop interest rises and the struggle that is currently happening in the way the Australian economy works.  And who it actually works to help.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has started and it has a veritable smorgasbord of options for its first investigations.  Ben and Van look at the current controversy surrounding former LNP Minister Stuart Robert given the by-election in his former seat, Fadden, is less 10 days away.

Plus there is good news about the mass production of electric vehicle batteries!

And as always Van gives a shout-out to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have gone to www.buymeacoffee.com/wow to help us grow our audience.  Don't forget from there you can send us your questions and sign up to get episodes emailed to you directly.

Weekend Wrap 2 July 2023: NAIDOC week kicks off YES campaign, Gladys is corrupt, NDIS turns 10 and the economy of Labor

Ben Davison, fresh from a Yes campaign launch event, talks about why he's voting YES at the referendum and how you can get involved through yes23.com.au or through your union at australianunions.org.au/wow to join and then follow the links.

ICAC has found Gladys Berejiklian engaged in serious corrupt conduct.  Ben discusses why the bosses pamphlet was so very wrong about Glady's "saving Australia" and why corruption has no place in our democracy.

The NDIS is turning 10 and the former minister under Morrison decided to throw some grenades at the people trying to navigate the system and those trying to stamp out sham contracting, differential price gauging and multinational rorters.  Ben talks about the need for reform but that the Liberals, like the Greens on housing, are all politics and zero policy.

Ben explores the raft of changes Labor has starting in the economy from July 1 and why a larger budget surplus is good news for reducing inflation, future investments in education and a motivation for companies to pull their finger out and invest in workers and equipment.

You can help us grow our audience by liking, sharing, commenting and becoming a supporter at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday

Episode 140: Farm workers on strike, Greens housing fantasy, inflation falls, claytons mutiny in Russia and Victorias windy record

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the context of the first farm strike in decades as United Workers Union member's stand firm against employer threats and take action for a decent pay rise, same job, same pay rules and the right to pick salads for Coles and Aldi under decent conditions.

There's a union for everyone and if you've got a boss you should be a member of your union, join at australianunions.org.au/wow

Van and Ben look at the latest in delusional thinking from the Greens political party on housing and their desire to mimic the failed policies of San Francisco, which has among the worst homelessness issue of any wealthy western city and rents almost EIGHTY PERCENT HIGHER than SYDNEY!

Good economic news today saw inflation fall.  Ben and Van briefly discuss what this means and why Labor's intersectional economic policies are helping tame inflation after a decade of Morrisonism.

A clayton's coup is the coup you have when you don't have a coup because your country is a gangster state not a nation state.  Van and Ben explore what happened and a little bit about why Putin is still President but no one is really sure of what.

And the good news is about record wind energy production in Victoria driving prices DOWN!

Van gives a shoutout to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters, who you can join at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday to get episodes emailed to you and extra content!

Weekend Wrap 25 June 2023: Putins Wagner moment, Labor housing policy on Insiders and why working people are not so sympathetic to the Zuckerberg, Musk, Oceangate sagas

Ben Davison takes a look at the big stories coming out of Russia, the Musk/Zuckerberg cage match and the Oceangate tragedy and draws together the threads of how these sagas, created and caused by billionaires, usually involve the suffering and or exploitation of working people. And that maybe that's why there's a level of skepticism towards them.

Ben also discusses the passing of the referendum bill, the decision by Lidia Thorpe to support the NO case and breaks down the three different, equally bad, arguments for voting NO.  Remembering that a referendum is a binary choice and that only a YES vote moves reconciliation forward.

Julie Collins, Minister for Housing, was on Insiders and she tore apart the Greens political party's position on housing.  Revealing that the delay to the Housing Affordability Future Fund also delayed $200,000,000 in repairs and maintenance on regional and remote Indigenous housing, that rent freezes REDUCE supply of housing and that the Commonwealth is working with the states but cannot legally direct them.

Ben also answers a listeners question about trans rights and responds to a listener and MUA member from Sydney Ferries.  Remember to join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow and send us your questions by email or on our supporter site www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday