Rights, Rorts and Rants

A Blue Mountains resident asks, "How do we counter some of the misinformation, for instance, in the Electoral Commission booklet, it (the No campaign case) said, the statement cycle is going to hold up the courts forever". Kerry O'Brien responds. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , which may be added to one of o...

A Blue Mountains resident draws on her own Irish heritage of dispossession and oppression to understand the different perspectives of both First Nations people, and our settler/convict forebears. She asks, "How can bring some of the cultural survival methods that our First Nations people have used into our...community, which is facing more and more crises, and collapse?" If you'd lik...

A Blue Mountains resident asks if "Yes" vote supporters in the Voice to Parliament referendum have reason for cautious optimism? If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , which may be added to one of our podcasts. This episode was part of an address by Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, chaired by Dr Lana Leslie at the Hu...

Dr Lana Leslie asks for comment on why some First Nations people weren't included in the Regional Dialogues which developed the Uluru Statement from the Heart, including the Darug and Gundungurra peoples of the Blue Mountains. Thomas Mayo responds. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , which may be added to one of our podca...

A Blue Mountains resident asks, "What would be the strategy to cut through that to make sure that this [Yes] case is well argued for? And while the media seems to focus on the no side, what would be the key to sure that the yes, the prize of the yes Voice are really well heard?" Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien respond. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave...

A Blue Mountains resident asks, "How does the Voice guarantee that there isn't going to be a more divisive community? Based on what what the no argument, no people are saying?" Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien respond. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , which may be added to one of our podcasts. This episode w...

Dr Lana Leslie asks Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien to respond to issues raised by the "No" campaign. These questions and answers are also duplicated in separate podcast episodes. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , which may be added to one of our podcasts. This episode was part of an address by Thomas Mayo and K...

A Blue Mountains resident asks "What about a treaty?". Thomas Mayo responds. Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " ⁠⁠⁠The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need⁠⁠⁠ ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana Leslie about why we should write "Yes" when we vote to make the following ⁠⁠⁠proposed amendment to the Consti...

A Blue Mountains resident compares New Zealand's inclusion of Māori people to Australia's treatment of First Nations people and asks, "Where did we go wrong?". Kerry O'Brien responds. Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " ⁠⁠⁠The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need⁠⁠⁠ ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana...

Dr Lana Leslie asks Kerry O'Brien and Thomas Mayo about the details of the Voice to Parliament. Here's their responses. Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " ⁠⁠The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need⁠⁠ ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana Leslie about why we should write "Yes" when we vote to make the follow...

Dr Lana Leslie asks "Will a Voice to Parliament cede Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander sovereignty? Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien respond. Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " ⁠⁠The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need⁠⁠ ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana Leslie about why we should write "Yes" when...

Dr Lana Leslie asks "Why should people vote 'yes'"? Here's Kerry O'Brien's and Thomas Mayo's answers. Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " ⁠⁠The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need⁠⁠ ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana Leslie about why we should write "Yes" when we vote to make th...

Dr Lana Leslie asks Why does the Voice to Parliament matter to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.? Here's Thomas Mayo's answer. Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " ⁠⁠The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need⁠⁠ ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana Leslie about why we should write "Yes" when we vot...

Dr Lana Leslie asks "Why does the Voice to Parliament matter to non Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples"? Here's Kerry O'Brien's answer. Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " ⁠⁠The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need⁠⁠ ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana Leslie about why we should write "...

Dr Lana Leslie asks what Is the Voice to Parliament and what are its origins? Here's Thomas Mayo's answer. Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " ⁠The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need⁠ ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana Leslie about why we should write "Yes" when we vote to make the following ⁠proposed a...

On a sunny spring day in the Blue Mountains, almost 400 people filled a theatre in Springwood to listen to Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, authors of the book " The Voice to Parliament Handbook: All the Detail You Need ", answer questions put to them by the audience and MC Dr Lana Leslie about why we should write "Yes" when we vote to make the following proposed amendment to...

At the conclusion of "The Voice - Finding Our Heart" in the Blue Mountains, Thomas Mayo recites the Uluru Statement from the Heart to a packed house. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , which may be added to one of our podcasts. This episode was part of an address by Thomas Mayo and Kerry O'Brien, chaired by Dr La...

The coup in Chile which overthrew the democratically elected government of President Salvador Allende on Sept 11th 1973 is marked in this 50th anniversary discussion between Dr Rodrigo Acuña and Peter Lammiman. Some listeners may find discussion of the plight of refugees and other victims of the military regime which followed the coup distressing. The Black Dog Institute has information about coun...

Deb Smith explores the role of shame and shaming of social security recipients in the fiasco that's know as Robodebt. You can also listen to individual episodes; " ⁠ The Robodebt Fiasco - Part 1 ⁠ ", first broadcast 9th September 2022 " ⁠ The Robodebt Fiasco - Part 2 ⁠ ", first broadcast on 21st October 2022 and  " ⁠ The Robodebt Fiasco - Part 3 ⁠ ", first broadca...

Legal commentator Mike Holland gives an update on the latest to emerge from the PWC scandal. This episode was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM on 14/7/2023. Rights, Rorts and Rants is broadcast from 4pm to 6pm on 89.1FM or can be live streamed from rbm.org.au. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can leave an audio comment about our show, which may be added to one of our p...

With the Royal Commission Report on Robodebt being handed down a little over a week ago the parallels with the PWC scandal are prompting many to question the entire governance and administration of Australia's welfare and taxation systems. In this episode Deb Smith and Mike Holland - - who have been reporting on Robodebt and PWC respectively - discuss some of the interesting similarities betwe...

Part 2 - the coverup

This episode features Rights, Rorts and Rants legal commentator, Mike Holland's lengthy investigation into the Price Waterhouse Coopers scandal. Part 1 covers the background to the scandal, the warnings issued by the TPB (Tax Practitioners Board) and the Senate Inquiry that began in 2023, and PWC's response. Part 2 (next episode) examines the role of various private and governmental agenci...

Peter Lammiman and Dr Rodrigo Acuña discuss the latest developments in South recent political developments in #Chile, #Ecuador and #Brazil's efforts within #BRICS and its aim at building a global coalition in order to find a peaceful solution to the war in #Ukraine. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , which may be added to one...

Deb Smith talks to Karyn Brown about the battle to save public housing in Waterloo. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can  ⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠ , which may be added to one of our podcasts. This episode was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM on 19th May 2023. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to be a guest on our show⁠⁠⁠⁠ .  Join a union - 1300 486 466 or  ⁠⁠⁠⁠ join onlin...