Why Can't They Just...

Janaline and Luke are joined by special guest and disability advocate Andy Shim, a member of the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council, to discuss the government's proposed changes to the NDIS. Why are they so controversial and are they actually going to work? Here's a transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." questio...

Janaline, Luke and Glenn look at the AUKUS program and ask why the government can't just ditch it. And given the erratic decisions coming out of the current US administration, they ask why we wouldn't just extract ourselves from the US alliance while we are at it. Here's a transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us atwhycan...

Renewable energy is really taking off in Australia, but is it fast enough to meet the Government's target of 82% by 2030? The McKell Institute and the Electrical Trades Union have recently released a report calling for a publicly-owned renewable energy entity to provide affordable, reliable renewable electricity to large industrial projects to accelerate the transition of Australia's indus...

Janaline and Luke discuss human rights and why you should care about it. They look at what citizenship means and the importance of not having 'conditional' citizens. They also discuss the importance of the three fundamental principles underlying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - that they are universal, individual and inalienable - and why if one person or group of people doesn&#...

Janaline, Glenn and Luke pick apart the 2026 Federal Budget, particularly the revenue measures, but also its potential impact on productivity. Spoiler alert - we think businesses and asset holders should pay tax just like wage earners. Here's a  transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us at whycanttheyjust...

Janaline and Glenn examine the policies of One Nation, a political party that seems to be rising in popularity in Australia, not just in polling but in real elections. Here's a  transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us at whycanttheyjust@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you. Please also feel free to...

Janaline, Glenn and Luke go through the major spending items in the budget and discuss the question of why governments can't just balance their budgets and why do we need all this spending anyway? Here's a  transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us at whycanttheyjust@gmail.com. We'd love to hear f...

Janaline and Glenn discuss different ways of raising revenue for the government and the effects of different approaches on how people behave and therefore how much can be raised. Here's a  transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us at whycanttheyjust@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you. Please also f...

Welcome to a new series. In our first episode, Janaline, Glenn and Luke consider why the Government can't just plug the budget's $200 billion worth of tax loopholes (called 'tax expenditures'). There are lots of reasons, and we think they can and should plug some of them. Here's a transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they ju...

Janaline, William and Ella Haddad MP delve into why they have decided to join and vote Labor. They discuss how Labor governments has prioritised the environment, social justice and support for vulnerable people, and how only governments can set the policy agenda, which limits the effectiveness of minor parties and independents to create real change. Please rate and review us - it helps people find...

Janaline and William discuss the US and Israel attack on Iran, its consequences for the rest of the world and the Australian government's response. Here's the transcript . Please rate and review us - it helps people find the show. If you'd like to send us feedback or suggestions, especially if you have your own 'Why Can't They Just' question, email us at: whycanttheyjust@gm...

Janaline and William delve into the pros and cons of rent freezes as a cost of living measure and talk about the broader issues of housing affordability. Here is the transcript . The live event mentioned is on Sunday the 15th of March at 2pm, in the AEU Tasmanian branch here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/B6p9cZ9pyiQtg4zf8 Please rate and review us - it helps people find the show. If you'd like to s...

Janaline and William discuss the implications of One Nation overtaking the Coalition in the latest polls and how the Labor Party needs to adjust to a changing political environment. The Dan Carlin reference was a reference to Dan Carlin's Wrath of the Khans Series in his Hardcore History Podcast. Here's the ⁠⁠ transcript⁠⁠ . Please rate and review us - it helps people find the show. If you...

Janaline and William discuss the hate speech laws passed in the parliament in the wake of the Bondi attack. They discuss the implications of the new laws, whether they were necessary and if the government should be doing something else to combat antisemitism. Here's the ⁠ transcript⁠ . Please rate and review us - it helps people find the show. If you'd like to send us feedback or suggestio...

Janaline and William delve into the current state of the international rules-based order in the wake of Canadian PM Mark Carney's speech in Davos. They talk about the new Australian ambassador to the US as Kevin Rudd bows out early, and the nature of the Australian-US relationship as it stands today. Here's the transcript . Please rate and review us - it helps people find the show. If you&...

Janaline and William delve into the ramifications of the US attack on Venezuela. They consider the legality of the strike, the political and diplomatic consequences, and how Australia could respond. Janaline answers the question "Why can't the government just rethink the US alliance in the age of Donald Trump". Here's the transcript . If you have any suggestions or question of yo...

Janaline and William delve into Labor's Future Made in Australia policy and explore its implications for Australia's future economic prosperity. Here's the transcript . If you have any suggestions for future episodes or you have questions you would like us to answer, please email us at whycanttheyjust@gmail.com. Please also feel free to rate and review us, as it does help people to fin...

Callum and Janaline go through the draft environmental law reform that the Labor Government recently passed through the House of Representatives, and is hoping to pass the Senate in the final sitting of Parliament in 2025. The episode is a bit longer than usual because the laws are complex and there is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation out there about them. Here's the transcript . P...

In which Callum and Janaline discuss why the federal Labor government is not implementing more ambitious reform to the regulation of gambling and gambling advertising. Spoiler alert - we think they are being lame. Here's the transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us at whycanttheyjust@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you....

Callum and Janaline talk about economic inequality and what governments can do to address it. Here's the transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us at whycanttheyjust@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you. Please also feel free to rate and review us, as it does help people to find us. Music:"Insur...

Callum and Janaline discuss immigration, racism, what it means to be Australian, and Why Can't They Just eliminate racism? ⁠Here's the transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us at whycanttheyjust@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you. Please also feel free to rate and review us, as it helps people...

In this episode, Callum and Janaline discuss why Australia might need to increase defence spending, what are the real strategic threats to Australia and will we actually get any subs under AUKUS? Here's the transcript . Please leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question, or email us at whycanttheyjust@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from...

This episode is about the reform of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. Janaline and William discuss the politics of environmental law reform and the key reforms that are needed to stop the biodiversity crisis while also making processes easier for business. Here's the transcript . Feel free to leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can&...

This epsiode Janaline and Will delve into Australia's superannuation tax changes. They explore the media's coverage of the issue and Treasurer Jim Chalmers' new productivity roundtable. Janaline and Will discuss how to make the taxation system more fair and equitable, using different forms of taxes and transfers. Here's the transcript . If you like the episode or would like us to discuss a questio...

This episode comes in the wake of the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. Janaline and William discuss the lameness of Australia's response to the conflict and the important role of international law in times of crisis. Here's the transcript . Feel free to leave a comment, particularly if you have your own "Why can't they just..." question. Feel free also to rate and review it - it helps people f...