Rights, Rorts and Rants

This podcast brings you an 11 minute recording of three short speeches from the 2024 Rising Tide "Protestival" on Friday 22 November 2024. Recorded by Renee Lees and broadcast on Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains by presenter Merran Maclaren that afternoon. The speakers in order are 12 year old Frankie Kelly, 21 year old Alexa Stuart and community activist Bev Smiles from Wollar, NSW...

Rights, Rorts and Rant's Nick Franklin took the opportunity to interview distinguished political commentator, former ABC political and investigative reporter, former TV current affairs presenter Quentin Dempster at the Wentworth Falls School of Arts before Quentin gave a speech to Blue Mountains ABC Friends on 9 November 2024. Nick Franklin, also a former ABC journalist, asks Quentin about the ABC...

This episode is dedicated to journalist, activist and BMUC member Matt Peacock, 1952 to 2024. Tony Green and Nick Franklin remember the unpaid activism of their friend Matt Peacock. Matt was well known for his work in journalism, exposing the asbestos industry. Less well known is the part he played in the fight for prisoners' rights in NSW. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Merran Mclaren interviewed Teya Brooks Pribac on Rights, Rorts and Rants on Oct 4 2024 ahead of the inaugural World Animal Day Event to be held locally - which will take place on Oct 5 at the Planetary Health Initiative Katoomba. Teya speaks about the upcoming event, the history of World Animal Day & the benefits of plant based cuisine. She also outlined her plant inspired community cooking pr...

Angus McFarland, Secretary of the NSW/ACT branch of the Australian Services Union talks to Deb Smith about the Skilled, Respected and Equal campaign to improve the SCHADS (Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services) Award for workers in the community sector. Scan the QR code to find out about community events in support of these important workers, including one on Friday 8th November at...

On Survival Day 2024 at North Katoomba's Bureau Park those attending were privileged to visit the Kinchela Boys Home Mobile Education Centre run by the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) and attended by Terry Grimes and his son. Rights, Rorts and Rants spoke to Uncle Terry Grimes and recorded this interview with him about his experiences at KBH after being kidnapped by the Aborigina...

This is the Q & A session of War & Peace a community conversation, held at Lawson Mechanics Institute, NSW on 13 September 2024. War & Peace was organised by Blue Mountains Peace Collective. The Q & A was broadcast on Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 27 September 2024 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community and presented by Debra Smith. The podcast was pr...

BMUC's Ann-Maree McEwan and presenter Merran Maclaren discuss the upcoming launch of the Airwatch project where 20 Air monitors have been installed throughout the Greater Blue Mountains region. You can book a free ticket to the launch here . BMUC's community Airwatch campaign is covered. Ann-Maree explains some of the science of how the monitors work. From the launch onwards BMUC wants everyone to...

While the topic of Dr Vince Scappatura's speech at War & Peace Community Conversation was  Aukus: The US lobby and Australian Defence polic y, Dr Scappatura also concentrated on the implications of the increasing rotations of US strategic bombers on military bases in Australia, and for the first time the possibility of nuclear combat operations launching from Australian soil. Dr Scappatura...

Arms control since the 1990s : Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Daryl Le Cornu spoke at War & Peace a community conversation at Lawson Mechanics Institute Lawson NSW on Sunday 15 September 2024. Daryl Le Cornu is a history and legal studies educator in secondary and tertiary settings. He is a board member of ICAN. ICAN is a coalition of organisations inmate than 100 countries promo...

Promoting a culture of peace - peace is union business Kelly Marks gave this speech at War & Peace a community conversation held at Lawson Mechanics Institute in Lawson, NSW on 15 September 2024. Kelly Marks is teacher and research officer with the NSW Teachers Federation and a member of Union Aid Abroad APHEDA. War & Peace was presented by Blue Mountains Peace Collective. www.blue-mountai...

Having just landed in Sydney from the UK for a holiday in Australia, Savita Sathe kindly came on Rights, Rorts and Rants. Savita articulately provided listeners with background from her perspective on what is happening in Middlesbrough and the UK more generally. Savita talks about the recent UK elections, political vacuums, Local Councils in deficit, the reasons behind recent riots around Middlesb...

On the 13 Sept 2024 Rights, Rorts and Rants show presenter Fran Dyson asked Bruce Cornwall for some background on the Disrupt Land Forces anti-war protests in Melbourne across the three days of the Land Forces Expo from 13-15 Sept. The show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 13 September 2024 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community and presented by Fran Dyson. The podcast prod...

CFMEU update. On 13 September 2024 Fran Dyson and Bruce Cornwall discussed what's been happening for CFMEU officers and members on Rights, Rorts and Rants brought to you by Blue Mountains Unions and Community. This is a follow up to Bruce's earlier chat about the CFMEU Ranting About CFMEU Allegations. Hear the podcast - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/rKs4pcsuVMb The show was first br...

Local Government Elections will take place on 14 September. Rights, Rorts and Rants presenter Debra Smith interviewed a candidate for Blue Mountains City Council, on 7th September 2024.  The interview was played on Rights, Rorts and Rants' 8th September show as a way for Blue Mountains Unions & Community to give voters extra insight into some of the candidates running for Council and local...

"Since the Federal Oppositions announcement to build nuclear power stations at 7 sites across Australia, Lithgow has been in the news. Painted as down and out economically by many journalists and radio commentators, some have argued for the siting of a nuclear power reactor at Lithgow because ‘Lithgow needs the jobs’." Dr Michelle Zeibots and the Lithgow Community Power Project have an alternative...

Politics in the Pub at the Family Hotel in Katoomba on 15th June 2024 featured two speakers on the topic of Tax Justice. Richard Denniss of the Australia Institute showed us how the spending choices made in government budgets inform us about government priorities and how tax payers can be deceived into thinking we can't afford "nice things". Michael Whaites of the NSW Nurses and Midw...

On 23 August 2024 on Rights Rorts and Rants Peter Lammiman and Dr Rodrigo Acuña discuss the current post election situation in Venezuela. Dr Acuña described Venezuela as "a country under siege" with over 900 American sanctions against Venezuela. Dr Acuña also touches on other Latin and South American countries and the historical background in the US Venezuela relationship in his analysis...

After reading a recent Blue Mountains Gazette story about a unique solution to address the significant issue of home insecurity and homelessness among older women in the Blue Mountains, RRR Presenter Merran Maclaren contacted Heather Shepherd from the Older Women's Network (OWN) Blue Mountains who was mentioned in the Gazette and asked her into the studio along with co-presenter Peter Lammiman...

Ahead of the Local Council election on 14 September Merran Maclaren and Peter Lammiman interviewed Greens Candidate for Ward 1 Sarah Redshaw about what she and other Greens candidates across 4 Wards stands for, and what are her priorities in running for another term on Council. Sarah talks about issues important to the Greens such as balancing Labor on Council due to the Liberals not being able to...

BMUC member and well know peace activist Bruce Cornwall shares up to date research into opinions across the Australian political spectrum about AUKUS - the Australian nuclear submarine contract with the USA and United Kingdom. This is an enlightening and thought provoking discussion between Bruce and Rights, Rorts and Rants Presenter Fran Dyson. Bruce traverses various issues with the AUKUS deal i...

Just after allegations against the CFMEU broke in the media, Deb Smith and Bruce Cornwell ranted about their personal opinions on the matter. The show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 26th July 2024 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community. This podcast was produced by Deb Smith. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about sh...

On 23 August 2024 on Rights, Rorts and Rants Fran Dyson and Peter Lammiman interviewed Independent Candidate for Ward 3 Daniel Myles about what he stands for and what are his priorities in running for another term on Council. He reflects on the effective team currently on Council. Daniel believes every vote counts and participation by residents ensures the best outcomes for the Blue Mountains. The...

Part 1 Suzie Van Opdorp Local Government Elections will take place on 14 September. Rights, Rorts and Rants presenter Debra Smith interviewed candidate for Blue Mountains City Council Suzie Van Opdorp on Tuesday August 13, 2024. Debra played the interview on RRR 16 Aug show as a way for Blue Mountains Unions Council to give voters more insight into some of the candidates running for Council and lo...

Part 2 Suzie van Opdorp Local Government Elections will take place on 14 September. Rights, Rorts and Rants presenter Debra Smith interviewed a candidate for Blue Mountains City Council, Suzie Van Opdorp, on Tuesday August 13, 2024.  Debra broadcast the interview on Rights, Rorts and Rants' 16th August show as a way for Blue Mountains Unions & Community to give voters extra insight into so...