On this episode of In The Shed, we’re joined by Max Mawby for a deep dive into one of the oldest workplace and public health hazards around — lead.

What starts with the story of workers being exposed to more than 100 tonnes of lead cable while decommissioning Torrens Island Power Station turns into a much bigger conversation about workplace safety, regulators, corporate responsibility and what happens when workers are left to pay the price.

We look at lead contamination in places you might not expect — including lead products still being sold at Bunnings — and some staggering contamination results. We unpack what lead actually does to the human body, why there is no safe level of exposure, and why lead deserves the same level of awareness in our industries as asbestos and silica.

Then we head down the rabbit hole: leaded petrol, Thomas Midgley, Clair Patterson, industry-funded science, global contamination, the possible links between childhood lead exposure and crime, and why lead is still being pumped into the environment today through aviation fuel.

And because it’s In The Shed, we somehow manage to fit in capitalism, “woke” lead laws, Bunnings snags, useless regulators and plenty of completely unnecessary detours along the way.

Lead has been poisoning humans for thousands of years. We know what it does. We know how dangerous it is. So why, in 2026, are we still treating it like it’s no big deal?

🎧 Episode 71 of In The Shed — available now.

This week on In The Shed, Mick and Chris pull apart the headlines and ask a simple question: who benefits when working people are kept divided?

From the Epstein files controversy and the politics surrounding wealth and power, to Cuba, Gaza, Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's never-ending culture wars and the influence of billionaires over politics, the conversation examines the stories dominating the news and the interests driving them.

The discussion explores:

• The growing concentration of wealth and its impact on democracy.
• Culture wars versus class politics.
• International conflicts, imperialism and media narratives.
• Australia's role on the world stage.
• The Ben Roberts-Smith case and what it says about nationalism and accountability.
• Why working people have more in common with each other than they do with the billionaire class.

As always, Mick and Chris don't pretend to have all the answers—but they aren't afraid to ask difficult questions, challenge mainstream narratives and have the conversations many others avoid.

If you enjoy straight-talking discussions about politics, economics, unions and current events from a working-class perspective, Episode 70 is one you won't want to miss.

Like, follow and share In The Shed to help more workers find the podcast

Episode 69 – Dinner For Two

Chris and Mick are back in the shed discussing everything from strikes and bargaining disputes to housing affordability, tax reform, public ownership and Tasmania's State Budget.

The discussion covers:

• Electrical contracting disputes and industrial action
• ETU WA surpassing 7,000 members
• The future of Liberty Bell Bay and strategic manufacturing
• Housing affordability and the impact of negative gearing
• Capital gains tax reform
• Immigration myths versus housing market realities
• The "dole bludger" narrative and investor welfare
• Tasmania's budget and public sector cuts
• Why Nordic countries consistently achieve better social outcomes
• Public services, productivity and government investment

Joining the conversation is Danny McCormick, who helps break down debt, government spending and why many of the assumptions Australians hold about economics don't match the evidence.

A wide-ranging discussion about power, politics, housing, public services and the future of working-class Australia.

Workers create the wealth. The question is who gets to keep it?

#InTheShedPodcast

Episode 68 of In The Shed is a big one.

Mick and Chris take on the mining lobby, the anti-union hysteria around ETU organising in the Pilbara, and the nonsense being pushed by politicians and commentators who reckon workers asking for fair pay is somehow “wrecking the economy”.

We explain:

• Why workers at BHP and Rio Tinto are organising
• How protected industrial action actually works
• Why mining companies are terrified of unions
• Why Australia gives away its gas and resources while ordinary people struggle
• Why taxing giant gas exporters could pay for housing, health and education

If you are sick of billionaires, lobbyists and politicians telling workers to tighten their belts while profits explode, this episode is for you.

#InTheShedPodcast #UnionStrong #Pilbara #BHP #RioTinto #GasExports #AusPolitics #WorkingClass #Solidarity

In this episode, Mick and Chris take on the latest escalation in the Middle East and the narratives being pushed around it.

From “it’s not a war” messaging to AI-generated misinformation flooding social media, they unpack how propaganda is shaping public perception in real time.

The discussion digs into:

• The long history of Western intervention and its outcomes
• The economic interests sitting behind global conflict
• The role of media, AI, and political messaging
• Why working-class people always bear the cost

This episode doesn’t pretend to have all the answers—but it does challenge the narratives and calls out the patterns.

No war but class war.

In this episode Mick and Chris tackle some of the biggest political flashpoints dominating headlines right now.

The conversation starts with Australia’s new hate speech laws and the growing concern about how criticism of governments, movements, and political ideologies could be criminalised.

From there the discussion moves into the politics surrounding Israel, Zionism, protest movements, and the idea of “social cohesion.” The boys examine how quickly political narratives can shift — and who benefits when they do.

They also break down:

• The role of media in shaping public opinion

• The rise of Pauline Hanson–style populist politics

• Why culture wars distract from economic inequality

• The power of billionaires in modern politics

• And what the Epstein files reveal about elite networks and accountability

At its core, Episode 66 asks a simple question:

Is the real political divide left vs right — or top vs bottom?

Raw, unfiltered, and exactly the kind of conversation you’d expect In The Shed.

This week on In The Shed, Mick and Chris sit down with Jordan Van den Lamb — better known online as Purple Pingers — fresh off the launch of the Tasmanian Socialist Party.

We dig into:

• The housing crisis and why empty homes exist alongside homelessness

• Artificial scarcity, land banking, and who actually benefits

• How capitalism turns basic human needs into profit streams

• Why productivity has nothing to do with wages

• The failure of governments to act — by choice, not mistake

• Why unions matter more than ever

• How fascism grows when it’s left unchallenged

This isn’t a polite chat.
It’s a class analysis of the world we’re living in — and why it doesn’t have to be this way.

If you’ve ever felt like the system is rigged… that’s because it is.

In Episode 65 of In The Shed, Mick and Chris return with a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred discussion on power, empire, and how tragedy is exploited to protect the status quo.

We examine the Bondi attack and the immediate political and media response — including the weaponisation of antisemitism, the silencing of criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, and the complete refusal to address root causes.

This episode covers:
• The link between Gaza, imperialism, and radicalisation
• Media hypocrisy and political opportunism in Australia
• Why anti-Zionism is not antisemitism
• Venezuela, sanctions, and the global resource grab
• Trump, ICE, and the collapse of the so-called “rules-based order”
• How class power — not culture wars — explains what’s happening

This is a confronting episode — but an essential one.

If you’re tired of shallow commentary and want context, history, and class analysis, this one’s for you.

🎙 In The Shed — politics without the bullshit

In Episode 63 of In The Shed, we wrap up our three-part dissection of the 60 Minutes hit piece on the CFMEU.

Mick and Chris return to take a blowtorch to the final instalment of the media’s anti-union propaganda. We break down the spin, pull apart the contradictions, and expose the agenda behind this so-called "journalism." Spoiler: It’s all about protecting developers and demonising workers.

This isn’t just about the CFMEU – it’s about how they come for all of us when we stand together.

🎙 Subscribe and share to keep the truth loud and proud.

The post-election wrap you didn't get on Sky News.

Mick and Chris are back in the shed, unpacking Labor’s historic federal election win – the biggest since Gough. We dive into:

• Why Australians rejected Dutton’s MAGA cosplay

• The Liberal Party’s house of cards and Susan Ley’s glass cliff

• What Labor must do with its political capital (spoiler: TAX THE RICH)

• The case for ending poverty and fixing housing with proper resource royalties

• The genocide in Gaza and Labor’s moral cowardice

• And why if you're not organising, you're part of the fucking problem

It’s a ranty, righteous ride through class politics, economic truth bombs, and a call to arms for every worker who wants more than crumbs.

🎧 Tune in, get fired up, and start doing the work.
📣 Join your union. Join the fight. Change the game.