”The Week on Wednesday” with Van Badham & Ben Davison
News:Politics
The QAnon march in Melbourne this weekend showed off a disturbing willingness to use violent imagery and threats to intimidate democratically elected leaders, our institutions and our community. While Nearly 93% of Victorian's have had at least one dose of vaccine the rally, which featured US based QAnon symbols, flags and language, roped in a who's who of political fringe dwellers. From Peta Credlin to the Victorian upper house Liberal Democrat MP (bet you didn't even know we had one) to the bloated face of foreign propaganda in Australia, Craig Kelly, we were subjected to every wannabe opportunist's attempts to find a political base.
The serious side was on show too as a gallows was marched through the threats, "kill" chants were conducted and this week saw threats levelled against the animal justice upper house MP, Andy Meddick, as well as Labor MPs, Premier Andrews, Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton and the Australian Labor Party Vice President.
It is no coincidence that Steve Bannon was indicted this week, the Trump strategist and podcaster (Morrison government MPs have appeared on his show), was charged with contempt of Congress as the US mid-term election season enters the final 12 months.
For more on how QAnon is infiltrating our politics check out Van Badham's new book "QAnon and On; A short and shocking history of internet conspiracy cults"
Cop26 has ended with a commitment to "Phase down", not "phase out" coal power, 130 governments increasing commitments on emissions reductions (Not Morrison's) and agreement to end "inefficient", not all, fossil fuel subsidies.
COVID is exploding again in Europe. The Netherlands is going into a three week lockdown, Austria is locking down the unvaccinated, the UK has 500 cases per million people and Germany has the worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic. Portugal and Spain, above 80% vaccinated, are doing much better. Get vaccinated and get a booster.
The Morrison government has announced a new uncapped seasonal worker program expansion despite unemployment spiking this month and hundreds of thousands of people who want to work unable to do so due to caring responsibilities.
Episode 149: Corporations fight secure work and better pay, Joyce leaves Qantas burning, economic growth and good news on solar glass
Weekend Wrap 3 September 2023: New rights for casuals, gig and labour hire workers, Qantas profiting from failure and you are the Voice
Episode 148: The referendum is October 14, misogyny tars football and infects young men, inflation slows and good news about wind
Weekend Wrap 27 August 2023: Insiders review, intergeneration report and Dutton attacks democracy
Episode 147: Naplan shows need for school funding, CPAC goes full racist, ACTU report a rip off wins government taskforce and good news about micro plastics
Episode 146: Matildas mania, Trumps troubles, new deal on housing as wages reset plus wind in Wollongong
Weekend Wrap 13 August 2023: Littleproud on Insiders exposes how much Coalition policy is driven by lobbyists
Episode 145: Matildas and billion dollar Barbie recasting the role of girls, ACTU price gauging inquiry, Dutton diverted community safety funds and good news about Quolls
SPECIAL Weekend Wrap: Dutton’s Garma dishonesty, parliament wrap , bosses bemoan worker rights, teachers and truck drivers take a stand
Van Badham in conversation with Miles Taylor, former Trump National Security Advisor and author of Blowback
Weekend Wrap 30 July 2023: Education, economic management, workplace reforms, housing, The Voice
Episode 144: Murdoch and the NO campaign, inflation falls as neo-liberalism fails, the end of forced casualisation and good news about trees
Episode 143: Dan says no to Commonwealth Games blow out, time to fund public schools, NO campaign avoids truth and good news about plastics
Episode 142: No campaign goes MAGA, Robodebt fallout for Fadden, Albo at NATO and good news about solar glass
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?
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
Weekend Wrap 2 July 2023: NAIDOC week kicks off YES campaign, Gladys is corrupt, NDIS turns 10 and the economy of Labor
Episode 140: Farm workers on strike, Greens housing fantasy, inflation falls, claytons mutiny in Russia and Victorias windy record
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
Episode 139: The RBA demands more unemployment, Greens delay action on housing, the referendum is coming and so is the dirt machine but The Voice is winning!
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