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

Van Badham and Ben Davison return in 2023 by breaking down the collapse in support for Dutton's Liberal/National Coalition, why the post Gen X generations are not buying the culture wars and how the combination of material pain caused by insecure work, housing affordability & neo-liberal economics has joined the existential threat of climate change to alter generational voting patterns.   Van and...

Ben Davison looks at Scott Morrison's performance at the Robodebt Royal Commission and isn't surprised to learn that Morrison has not regrets, is still pitting groups of Australian's against each other and is avoiding answering the questions. A terrible act of terrorism in Queensland have resulted in the deaths of three innocents and three suspected terrorists.  Police were ambushed by conspiracy...

Ben Davison looks at the Albanese Labor government announcement of an Environmental Protection Agency to improve our natural environment and meet the zero extinctions target. The national cabinet has agreed a new national energy policy to cap fuel input costs and reduce energy costs in 2023 for households and businesses.  Ben explores how a decade of Coalition mismanagement and failed privatisatio...

Van Badham and Ben Davison sat down with NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns to discuss his campaign, why privatisation doesn't work, why his former school teacher dad inspires him to respect the power of education to change lives and what it will take to fix the gig economy, workers rights and local manufacturing. Join Van, Ben and the NSW  Labor leader as they discuss the need to put workers at the cen...

Ben Davison starts by acknowledging our Buy me a Coffee supporters www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday and breaking down some of the achievements of the first six months of the Albanese Labor government. Ben talks about what's happened with Labor in power, Dutton's move to the political fringe and what we might see in 2023. With workplace reforms passed and more likely in 2023 nows the best time...

Van Badham and Ben Davison examine the historic censure motion against former Minister-for-Everything Scott Morrison and his entirely egregious response to it. They also discuss a refreshingly busy legislative week in the federal parliament, with Labor's IR bill and National Anti-Corruption Commission set to become law. While Australia steps into the future, the National Party remain deeply wedded...

Van Badham joins Ben Davison to give a deep dive on the Victorian state election.  How the media narratives were so wrong, the death of the Menzian Liberal Party, the misinformation about the Greens, the quiet success of the Nationals and why Labor has so convincingly won. Tony Burke, the federal industrial relations minister, announced on Insiders that the Albanese government has come to an agree...

Van Badham and Ben Davison RETURN to the podcast following the sad passing of Van's mum, Barb.  With the Secure Work, Better Pay laws before the senate and Barb being a lifelong unionist Van and Ben pay tribute to her life by examining why David Pocock needs to pass the whole package of laws to get wages moving.  And just what the laws really mean for jobs, wages, climate action and social change....

Ben Davison gives a brief update on the situation with Van and her Mum, thanking all The Week on Wednesday listeners for their support and solidarity. With Biden's Democrats set to retain the senate and pushing the house elections to the wire its been a good week for democracy.   Ben also takes a look at the debate on the Albanese Government’s Secure Work, Better Pay laws.  Apparently some people...

Van Badham joins Ben Davison to discuss the issues that the October Budget has highlighted, how Insiders dealt with those issues and what is really happening with the Secure Jobs, Better Pay laws. With 29 of 33 OECD nations in structural deficit the issue of how we invest in our commonwealth, how we generate revenue from our productivity and resources and who benefits from that is front and centre...

Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the Albanese Labor government's first budget, handed down by Jim Chalmers.  They explore the three themes of keeping election promises, targeted cost of living relief and putting downward pressure on inflation interact with each other.  They also take a look under the hood at some of the big six programs including some of the savings made by stopping the Morrison...

Ben Davison looks at the big investment's Jim Chalmer's has announced for pensioners, jobseekers, domestic violence, housing and indigenous organisations in the lead up to the budget. Angus Taylor went on Insiders and Ben tears apart the shadow Treasurer's ideological fantasy world.  From giving power companies more profits to stopping working people winning pay rises, Angus Taylor reminded Austra...

Van Badham and Ben Davison take a look at the Albanese government's soon to be introduced workplace laws that will remove pay secrecy, create a dedicated goal of gender pay equity, give the care and community sector its own pathway in the system and give workers more rights to collectively bargain. Predictably big business lobbyists are unhappy.  Van and Ben breakdown why these changes are needed...

Ben Davison takes a look at the Albanese government's paid parental leave policy and how it adds to the macro-economic policies designed to improve our economy and the economic outcomes for Australians. With business and unions engaged in the policy process now is the time to join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow and be part of reshaping Australia. Coorey's Insiders contribution contained...

Van Badham and Ben Davison do the Week on Wednesday LIVE at Melbourne Fringe! Complete with audience participation our hosts talk about tax cuts, neo-liberalism, Putin, Musk and good news about plastics coming out of the oceans! Enjoy this very special episode of The Week on Wednesday.

Van Badham joins Ben Davison for The Weekend Wrap to discuss why Dutton's fantasies of improbable future wealth are not a good reason to keep stage three tax cuts- cuts that the Treasury advised were unaffordable if the budget was in deficit. Van and Ben discuss Dutton's Insiders interview which showed how little he's been prepared to change from the dark days of the Morrison government.  In addit...

Van Badham and Ben Davison open by looking at the sweeping reforms of paid family and domestic violence leave and enshrining an employers responsibility to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace that the union movement in Australia has won and how women leaders make societies, and social movements, better (you can join at australianunions.org.au/wow).  Our hosts contrast this democratic advanc...

Ben Davison gives his view on Mark Dreyfus big week appointing the first female majority High Court in Australian history, introducing the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to parliament and appearing on Insiders to explain why he thinks they've got the balance right on public hearings. Ben discusses the ups and downs of public hearings and how the union movement first passed a policy on...

Van Badham and Ben Davison are relieved by the huge agenda of the Labor commonwealth government and do a deep dive on the National Press Club speech by ACTU Secretary Sally McManus.  Sally's speech explores how we came to the economic situation we are in, what we can do about it and why unions are naturally inclined to work with others to solve our shared problems.  Van and Ben discuss the histori...

"We don't have policies, we are in Opposition, not in Government" Jane Hume Coalition Finance spokesperson on Insiders.  That simple statement, which the plethora of anti-union policies on the Liberal website suggests in not true, sums up a lack of care, interest or genuine commitment to improving Australia from the Dutton led Coalition. Ben explores the Insider's interview, the Coalition policies...

Van Badham and Ben Davison examine the revelations that Scott Morrison held 739 cabinet committee meetings where he was the only member of the committee to avoid public scrutiny over his lack of genuine policies. Our hosts also offer solidarity to the workers who have been locked out, are taking action or have had to go on strike and encourage listeners to join their union at australianunions.org....

Ben Davison makes the Weekend Wrap a "royal funeral free" zone and focuses on Insider's short coverage on the Reserve Bank's appearance at the parliamentary committee and the state of Australia's economy. The RBA admits that a lack of worker power has made wage cuts and profiteering possible while CEO's and executives claim huge increases for their own pay increases.  Meanwhile the bosses pamphlet...

Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss how the latest industrial action on New South Wales' rail network is a worker provided win for commuters and a revelation about the New South Wales Liberal government's ongoing state of chaos. Remember you can join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow New data shows that record numbers of workers in Australia hold down multiple jobs but still can't get ahead...

Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss the big issues from the week in parliament, including the first climate legislation in a decade, family and domestic violence leave and the scrapping of the the multi-million dollar grant program to the governor-general's pet foundation, before the historic passing of Queen Elizabeth. Van and Ben - both republicans - discuss why the passing of the Queen is a hist...

Van Badham and Ben Davison overcome their technology issues and meet online with Ben in Brisbane and Van back in Victoria. They discuss the ongoing corporate failure at Qantas, and a situation best described as an omnidirectional clusterJoyce. Meanwhile, Dutton's "Leftovers" on the Opposition benches have decided they now like workers, who themselves are having to take action to raise wages despit...