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

Weekend Wrap 2 April 2023: Labor wins Aston, Dutton’s train wreck on Insiders and Liberals circle the drain

Ben Davison breaks down the Aston by-election result which has seen Labor's Mary Doyle win a the formerly safe Liberal seat.  The result is the first time in over 100 years a sitting government has won a seat away from the opposition at a by-election.  The first time a woman has won Aston.

Ben looks at how a proud feminist, unionist, single mum was able to win such a "blue ribbon" Liberal seat against a conservative Liberal candidate who ticked all the usual boxes.

Peter Dutton fronted up to Insiders today and gave a train wreck of an interview.  Truly a masterclass in how to implode, the Dutton interview included threatening a gas crisis (we are the world largest exporter of gas), claiming the Aston result was due to Labor's negative campaign (apparently posters with his face on them are negative) and that this is a Victoria problem (having lost the NSW election last weekend).  The Insiders panel wasn't buying it and neither is Ben.  The Liberal's are talking about the wrong issues and even if they do stumble into the right issue they are no longer trusted to deliver the solutions.

Ben looks at why the Liberals are such a mess.  The party of Menzies is dying a slow painful, public death and Dutton is not capable of reforming them.  Ben examines how The Liberals have found themselves circling the drain of political history and why he thinks that, without major reform, they will cease to be a genuine party of government.

Ben also touches on how some of the big policy issues have played out as a result of this realignment. Ben slams Phil Coorey from the bosses pamphlet, the AFR, for continuing the Liberal Party attack against the NDIS and highlights that David Speers dropped out the news the Liberals will bind their caucus to voting NO on the referendum.

As always, Ben suggests people Vote YES.

Episode 128 Inflation slows, workers call for wages and just transition, Aston byelection, Liberal MPs injure worker and good news about Skinks!

Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss what the latest inflation figures might mean for working people when the high priests of neo-liberal monetary policy at the Reserve Bank meet again. Van and Ben discuss how the bosses lobby groups think they can argue the RBA needs to raise interest rates to create more unemployment but also not that the Fair Work Commission shouldn't raise minimum wages because it would cause unemployment.  Ultimately they're just fronting for more profits.  Which is why unions are arguing for a wage rise that keeps up with the cost of living.  You can join you unions at australianunions.org.au/wow

As well as calling for wage rises the President of the ACTU, Michele O'Neil, gave a national press club speech this week calling for the establishment of a Just Transition Authority.  Van and Ben discuss why Australia needs coordinated action on climate change and how, without such a tri-partite body, it isn't anyone's job to make sure that the economic transition is just, equitable or orderly.

Saturday is the first by-election since the 2022 federal election with Labor's Mary Doyle up against the Liberal Roshena from Brunswick in the seat of Aston (which is about an hours tram & bus ride from Brunswick). Today's revelations about the Liberal candidate's policy hypocrisy have people thinking Labor is in with a chance, even though it would be a historic victory for a sitting government to win a seat from the opposition at a by-election.

Of course, Van and Ben couldn't ignore the behaviour of six member's of Peter Dutton's caucus, including three members of his front bench, who injured a parliament house worker while trying to avoid casting their votes in the house of representatives.  Ben and Van discuss why this sort of thing has happened, how it not only breaks parliamentary rules but also the fundamental rule; No worker should ever be injured at work.

The podcast does have some good news about the Desert Skink which Ben explains after Van acknowledges our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who are chipping in monthly contributions via www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday 

Weekend Wrap 26 March 2023: Minns Labor wins NSW, media fails with call of tight election, Voice question and putting workers in the centre of debate

Ben Davison returns with the Weekend Wrap to breakdown the landslide Labor victory in NSW.  With Labor set to win its biggest ever majority when coming into government from opposition.  Labor's lower house performance was only bettered by its performance in the upper house where it has achieved a 9% swing and battered the Liberal/National coalition. 

Ben breaks down some of the seats that Labor won, some of the seats where there is a genuine close contest and just why the media continues to be so out of touch.

Chris Minns will become the 47th Premier of NSW with a mandate for change while Dom Perrottet and his supporters in the media are left to shake their heads and claim that it wasn't Labor's focus on wages, more teachers, minimum health service staffing levels, banning privatisation, investing in more local jobs and refusal to get sucked into fringe issues pushed by the media but just that it people thought it was time to mix things up a bit.

ACTU President Michele O'Neil will be giving a National Press Club address on Tuesday focussing on how we move to net zero with workers winning rather than paying the bill for billionaires and Ben links this approach to how Labor in NSW campaigned.  Putting people first. 

Unions always put people, particularly their members, first and you can join at australianunions.org.au/wow Just look at how teachers, nurses, train drivers, child care workers, cleaners and more have been coming together in union and winning change across Australia.

Ben looks at Insiders treatment of the Voice question announcement and their interview with Attorney General Mark Dreyfus.  Ben does not believe Peter Dutton's support is needed for the referendum to be a success and raises his concern that if the billionaire owned media performs as badly during the referendum as they have during the last few state and federal elections by amplifying loud minority positions it could be a problem, for the media.  The referendum, like the elections and the marriage equality plebiscite, will be won by people getting involved so check out yes23.com.au or Unions for YES to see how you can be part of a better future.

And don't forget you can catch up on Ben and Van's interview with Chris Minns in Episode 104 from December 7th 2022 to get some more insight into what Labor will be doing to deliver a fresh start for NSW.

Episode 127: NSW Election, TERFs and Nazis, Voice a step closer and good news about baking soda!

Van Badham and Ben Davison return home from their award winning run at the Adelaide Fringe Festival to discuss the NSW State Election, on March 25th, the issues, the leaders, the optional preferential system and the seats to watch.  It is looking like a tight election but if NSW wants, as the polls are suggesting they do, guaranteed minimum staffing levels in hospitals, public schools that have resources for every student, wages that are going up and leadership that's focused on the issues that matter to everyday people then Labor should win. 

Of course UnionsNSW and the many affiliate unions that are made up of workers in sectors cut, smashed and abandoned by Perrottet's Liberals are campaigning and you can become a union member to protect your rights at work, whatever state you are in, at australianunions.org.au/wow 

In Victoria we suffered through a TERF-Nazi joint rally on the weekend.  Van explains how TERFs are NOT feminists, are a vocal EXTREMIST minority and that Liberal MPs and Senators defending those associated with these individuals are putting a toxic set of values into our political discourse.  Van and Ben offer their solidarity to members of the Trans community and all minority groups who would have, understandably, been concerned by the scenes over the weekend.

The Voice is a step closer with the machinery of the referendum set to pass the parliament.  The laws on how to run the referendum needed updating given we haven't had a referendum since the invention of social media!

And there is good environmental news about the capturing of carbon which may or may not being able to supply every home with enough baking soda to ensure no fridge is ever smelly again!

Van also acknowledges our Cadre and Extend the Reach Supporters who have gone to www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday and helped us grow our audience.

Episode 126: SPECIAL GUEST Minister Aboriginal Affairs and Attorney General Kyam Maher on the Voice, Dutton sets up AUKUS vs NDIS fight, Perrottet’s voucher program

Van Badham and Ben Davison do their FINAL Week on Wednesday LIVE at Adelaide Fringe with special guest South Australian Aboriginal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Kyam Maher discussing how South Australia became the first part of Australia to create a Voice to parliament and what lessons it provides for the national Voice referendum.

Van and Ben also look at how Peter Dutton has decided to frame the AUKUS deal, which was started when he was Defence Minister, as a choice between funding the NDIS or building submarines.  The false choice framework is explored as is the jobs that BOTH programs are providing to workers in Australia and the need to fully fund our society.  You can join your union, whether you're a care worker or a ship builder or any kind of worker, at australianunions.org.au/wow

The New South Wales election is less than two weeks away and Van and Ben break down Perrottet's half billion dollar voucher program and contrast it against Minn's $400m commitment to "fully fund" public schools and "end the war on teachers".

Plus there is good news about the death of "Rambo" and Billbies!

Van manages to give shout outs to our www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters and all the Adelaide Fringe folk who have made these shows possible.

Weekend Wrap 12 March 2023: Insiders talks nonsense, two weeks until nswvotes, three weeks until Aston byelection and RBA has stuffed the economy

Ben Davison looks at (rants about?) how Insiders managed to spend three quarters of the show talking about submarines in the same week that the robodebt royal commission ended, the national reconstruction fund became law, the RBA put up interest rates for a record 10th consecutive time, the Aston by election is only three weeks away and the NSW election is only two weeks away!

Ben discusses how the unions in NSW that have been racking up wins across education, healthcare, transport as part of the campaign and the flow on effects for working people across the state.  You can join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

The Robodebt Royal Commission has wrapped up and despite Insiders discussing the cultural problems of the public service without mentioning that culture flows from the top, Morrison, Tudge, Porter, Stuart Robert, Ben discusses what the lack of billionaire owned media coverage says about the state of public discourse.

The RBA and Productivity Commission continue to kick working people.  Ben makes clear that Labor government's need to intervene to support working people.  That a former Liberal staffer running the Productivity Commission is unacceptable and that the RBA continues to use a broken ideology rather than economic reality to set monetary policy.

Ben reminds listeners that the FINAL Week on Wednesday LIVE at Adelaide Fringe is on THIS WEEK and the special guest will be Kyam Maher, Attorney General, Industrial Relations Minister and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, who passed the first Voice to Parliament in Australia. tickets here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/the-week-on-wednesday-live-with-van-badham-ben-davison-live-podcast-af2023

And the podcast would not be possible without the support of our www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday supporters.  Whether a one off or a regular contribution, all funds help us grow our audience.

 

Episode 125: International Women’s Day, Musk tells people to get off Twitter, The RBA puts bosses before reality and good news about oceans!

Van Badham and Ben Davison LIVE from the Adelaide Fringe Yurt cover the broccolini boycott, Qantas refusing refuelling workers pay rises and the 10 big wins for women that unions have won in the last 12 months.

Van and Ben discuss the socialist foundations of International Women's Day, the struggles that are still to be won and Van's view of why being a woman shouldn't be an "economic class" but has been made one by men in grey suits.

Whatever industry you’re in you can join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

The outrageous "bro" behaviour of Elon Musk is brought into focus as he picks a fight with a hero of the Icelandic people.  Van and Ben explore how ego made a man who paid $44 Billion for Twitter ended up having to admit on Twitter that Twitter is not great for "communication.  

As the Australian people wrestle with inflation, driven by profiteering, the RBA governor has admitted that the record increases in interest rates are being driven by "the vibe" of their "business liaison" rather than the stats of the ABS.  Van and Ben pull apart what the latest rate rise might mean and how it could impact working people.

And the good news is about a new deal for the world's oceans.

Van and Ben will be doing the FINAL edition of their AWARD winning Week on Wednesday LIVE next week with South Australian Attorney General Kyam Maher to talk about The Voice in South Australia and the upcoming referendum.  Get tickets at https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/the-week-on-wednesday-live-with-van-badham-ben-davison-live-podcast-af2023

And Van gives a LIVE shoutout to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have helped us grow the podcast via www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday

Weekend Wrap5 March 2023: Angus Taylor exposed on Insiders, Stuart Robert fronts robodebt royal commission, media a barrier to reform, NSW Labor and May Doyle launch

Ben Davison takes a look at Angus Taylor's dreadful performance on Insiders and the disproportionate focus on tax concessions for the wealthiest at a time when more people than ever are working multiple jobs and wages are making up less and less of our national income.  Unions keep raising these issues and reminding us that superannuation is for retirement, not tax evasion, and you can join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

Stuart Robert is the opposition spokesperson for superannuation but was to busy avoiding media scrutiny over his time as the minister responsible for Robodebt to get involved in the attacks on Labor's reforms.

Ben looks at how the Robodebt royal commission has exposed the media's lack of focus on the material reality of millions of Australians and how that allowed a consequence free environment for the Morrison ministers.

The NSW Labor Party is launching it's state election campaign in Hurstville TODAY and Mary Doyle launched her campaign for Aston on Saturday.  While neither story was covered on Insiders, Ben looks at why these are crucial campaigns and very winnable for Labor.

More broadly Ben laments that the Insiders panel wants reform but remains addicted to the gotcha moments and feeding of the Murdoch/Stokes outrage machinery.

Also this week we won an Adelaide Fringe AWARD for "best workshop and talks".  You can still get tickets to our FINAL two LIVE shows here: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/the-week-on-wednesday-live-with-van-badham-ben-davison-live-podcast-af2023

We hope to see you at the Yurt on Wednesday!

 

Episode 124: Super tax reforms, Greedflation, the end of killer kitchen tops and good news about cute animals

Van Badham and Ben Davison are LIVE in the Yurt at Adelaide Fringe talking about how the week's news shows us that, for some bosses, if they can get away with it they will and that we need strong, democratic movements to curb the excesses that create greed-price spirals, shorten people's lives for the sake of a kitchen bench and funnel our commonwealth to the 0.5% richest people in the country at the expense of working people's retirements.

You can join you union at australianunions.org.au/wow to make sure your super is paid, your workplace is safe and your rights are always getting stronger.

Van and Ben discuss the reforms to superannuation tax concessions which will raise $2BILLION from the 80,000 accounts with more than $3million, the Murdoch media's meltdown over this "communism" and why Ben and Van think this modest reform gets super closer to the original purpose that unions set it up to achieve; dignity in retirement for working people.

Van and Ben congratulate the quick reaction to the union campaign to stop sillicosis and point out that 1 in 4 stonemasons may have already been exposed to "popcorn lung" by bosses who have gone so far as to to refer to the victims of silica dust as "dogs".

The scourge of "greedflation" continues to ravage Australia, and much of the world, as prices surge on the back of profiteering and outdated economic ideologies that keep whacking working people.  

There's also good news about endangered animals!

And Van again does the Cadre and Extend the Reach shout outs LIVE for those who are making contributions through www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday

Weekend Wrap 26 February 2023: Super reforms to save billions, Insiders and the phantom arguments, the greed price spiral, YES launches and Tsarina Thorpe crashes Mardi Gras

Ben Davison wraps up a huge week where the scale of corporate profiteering, what Sally McManus calls the Greed-Price Spiral, has been exposed as driving 69% of inflation, the nation is debating whether 11,000 people who have more than $5M in super should get a tax concession or whether that money is better invested in the 24,000,000 other people struggling under a 4.5% real wage cut, record rises in interest rates and underfunding in our public schools.

The From the Heart YES campaign launched in Adelaide and Unions for YES launched online (you can join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow) as the vast majority still support recognition and consultation being enshrined in the constitution.

At his 35th Mardi Gras parade Albo became the 1st sitting PM to march at Mardi Gras as towards the back Tsarina Thorpe, self proclaimed "Movement Leader", staged a one woman protest and had to be removed.

Sadly Insider's became a turgid mess when Speers became fixated on "Florence" the bogged drill as Chris Bowen attempted to discuss emissions reduction policy, then for the second week in a row Speers obsessed over a minor detail in the Voice referendum working group that guest Mark Kenny called a "phantom argument" and finally Speers managed to round out the show by spending less than 10 seconds on the largest cut to real wages, record corporate profits and the greed-price spiral by throwing to the Murdoch journalist who made a quip about airline prices.

As you can imagine, Ben gets fired up today.

Ben also covers off the remaining dates to see The Week on Wednesday LIVE at Adelaide Fringe tix here:  https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/the-week-on-wednesday-live-with-van-badham-ben-davison-live-podcast-af2023 

And you can catch Ben in conversation with Stephen Donnelly over on the Socially Democratic podcast.