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

By Ben Davison

What's "The Week on Wednesday" with Van Badham & Ben Davison about?

Join notorious Guardian columnist Van Badham and her labour activist co-host (and partner!) Ben Davison. As they deep-dive into the big news themes of the week and provide fresh, irreverent analysis about what's really going on in Australia and around the world.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

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

04.18.2024
Episode 159: A future made in Australia, the disinformation wonderland & solar cars
Van Badham and Ben Davison start their Wednesday on a Thursday with discussion of the federal government’s “Future Made in Australia” policy suite, and just what a policy dedicated to local jobs exposes about the people who criticises it and...
04.07.2024
Episode 158: Tasmanian election lessons, narrative wars, its the economy and good news about airships
Baby, we are BACK! Van and Ben return after a super frustrating hiatus to discuss the issues of the day in their inimitable style. The recent Tasmanian election has thrown up a complex and divided result, delivering more crossbenchers to the...
12.03.2023
Weekend Wrap 3 December 2023: Employment services reforms, the grind of government and the media circus
Ben Davison returns to take a look at a week in parliament that saw the Closing Loopholes bill pass the lower house, the greens and coalition team up to block the new shared home equity scheme, the mess that Labor...
11.22.2023
Episode 157: Generational economic divide, Loopholes closer to closing & good news on renewables
Van Badham and Ben Davison give and update on the For Every Child public school funding campaign (www.foreverychild.au/postcard) , the Maritime Union campaign to stop wage theft in shipping and take a deeper dive into the progress on Closing the...
11.19.2023
Weekend Wrap 19 November 2023: Profiteers cash in, school funding needs fix and why Albo went to APEC
Ben Davison returns with the weekend wrap to look at how corporate share buy backs are further evidence of profiteering driving inflation and why the Closing the Loopholes legislation is needed asap. You can join your union at www.australianunions.org.au/wow to add...
11.15.2023
Episode 156: Wages rise, Duttons dangerous disinformation, why school funding is a targeted use of the surplus and good news for stone workers
Van Badham and Ben Davison dig into the best wage rise numbers in more than 20 years, discuss why many people will still be going backwards and, as the ACTU Price Gouging Inquiry wraps up, what we can do to...
11.08.2023
Episode 155: Optus outage chaos, new RBA is just like the old RBA and good news from America
Van Badham and Ben Davison dish the latest on the Optus outage chaos that has swept across Australia - and argue why key national infrastructure should be in public hands. They discuss why another interest rate rise is yet another...
11.01.2023
Episode 154: Corporates fight to keep loopholes, Be that teacher for every child, Medicare boost and good news about spiders
Van Badham and Ben Davison shine on a spotlight on the attempts by corporate giants BHP, Qantas and Doordash to keep the labour hire, forced casualisation and sham contracting loopholes open at this week's senate committee hearings. Van lays out what...
10.29.2023
Weekend Wrap 29 October 2023: Albo goes to Washington, Insiders misses context and the rules based order
Ben Davison gives a breakdown of Anthony Albanese's successful state visit to the United States and places it in the context of what has been happening in the US, the Biden administration demonstrating the "imperial presidency" while the Republican bicker...
10.25.2023
Episode 153: Unions ban deadly dust, Profits fuel inflation pain, World Teachers Day and good battery news
Van Badham and Ben Davison are back with a new podcast episode that tackles why anyone would want to keep making a product that kills the workers who create it, how corporations have done just fine during high inflation and...
10.22.2023
Weekend Wrap 22 October 2023: Middle East, Fee free TAFE, Worker actions, Parental leave, state tax bonfire
Ben Davison takes a look at some of the stories form this week that Insiders missed given their focus on the Middle East. While the situation in Israel and Gaza is horrendous, Ben gives a brief synopsis, there is lots...
10.15.2023
Weekend Wrap 15 October 2023: Voice referendum lost, misinformation campaigning and workplace reforms
Van Badham joins Ben Davison for this post referendum special edition of the Weekend Wrap. Our co-hosts look at what the results of the referendum tell us so far, why there is such sadness, how we can respond and what it...
10.04.2023
Episode 152: Republicans implode, referendum prepoll opens, rates on hold and good news about bears
Van Badham and Ben Davison take a deep dive into the murky waters of American politics as the Republican Party conspires to unseat one of its own from the role of Speaker. It is the first time in history that...
10.01.2023
Weekend Wrap 1 October 2023:the No misinformation campaign, disability royal commission report, Pezzullo and public service
Ben Davison looks at the established research which shows the NO campaign is leveraging misinformation and a global network of disinformation campaigners. In a shock admission Ben admits that he agrees with Phil Coorey and Chris Kenny that the No...
09.27.2023
Episode 151: Dan departs as Allan ascends, a job for everyone who wants one, a referendum update and good news about kites
Van Badham and Ben Davison open by congratulating the workers who won their struggle with Inghams chicken, the artists in NSW who won restored funding and by sending international solidarity to the writers, screen actors and auto workers in the...
09.24.2023
Weekend Wrap 24 September 2023: No rallies, price gouging inquiry, workers take action
Ben Davison RETURNS with his weekend wrap! Instead of breaking down Insiders he compares and contrasts the difference the Walk for YES last weekend and the far right rallies for NO this weekend. Ben also reads a message from a listener in...
09.20.2023
Episode 150: Referendum disinformation, NSW budget, Victorian homes, worker rights and good news on seaweed
Van Badham and Ben Davison are BACK! Having, almost, recovered from their illnesses Van and Ben dissect the disinformation that is swamping the Voice referendum. They break down what the Voice is, why the disinformation is happening, where it is...
09.10.2023
Weekend Wrap 10 September: Pearson makes YES case on Insiders, Dutton delays billions in wages, unions win for workers
Ben Davison takes a look at Noel Pearson's Insiders interview and how he managed to cut through the misinformation, fear mongering and misdirection to remind Australia that the referendum is an opportunity to accept the hand of friendship by recognising...
09.06.2023
Episode 149: Corporations fight secure work and better pay, Joyce leaves Qantas burning, economic growth and good news on solar glass
Van Badham and Ben Davison examine the government's bill to close the loopholes that are letting corporations take $9 billion from workers through forced casualisation, sham contracting, gig exploitation and legal chicanery. With $9 billion on the line corporations are fighting...
09.03.2023
Weekend Wrap 3 September 2023: New rights for casuals, gig and labour hire workers, Qantas profiting from failure and you are the Voice
Ben Davison dives into the detail of the new workplace reforms that will give more rights to everyday working people who are casuals, gig workers or engaged as labour hire by setting some minimum standards. Tony Burke went on Insiders to...
08.30.2023
Episode 148: The referendum is October 14, misogyny tars football and infects young men, inflation slows and good news about wind
Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss the official announcement of the Voice referendum date, October 14th, while taking a look at the campaigns, the messages and why Albo's message of hope has gained the support of such a broad cross...
08.27.2023
Weekend Wrap 27 August 2023: Insiders review, intergeneration report and Dutton attacks democracy
Ben Davison is BACK from a week off with the latest Weekend Wrap. Insiders discussed productivity, taxes, industrial relations and education with most of the debates missing the point. Ben breaks down how the points raised on Insiders show we need...
08.23.2023
Episode 147: Naplan shows need for school funding, CPAC goes full racist, ACTU report a rip off wins government taskforce and good news about micro plastics
Van Badham and Ben Davison take a look at how the release of NAPLAN results highlights the need for our public schools to get the MINIMUM FUNDING that 98% of them are currently being denied. The Australia Education Union is running...
08.16.2023
Episode 146: Matildas mania, Trumps troubles, new deal on housing as wages reset plus wind in Wollongong
Van Badham and Ben Davison are all in with the Matildas, Till its done, so take a look at the cultural phenomena that has become the Australian Women's Football team, what it means for sport, our society and why their...
08.13.2023
Weekend Wrap 13 August 2023: Littleproud on Insiders exposes how much Coalition policy is driven by lobbyists
Ben Davison, voice croaky from celebrating the Matildas win, breaks down why the leader of the Nationals, and senior member of the Coalition, would go on Insiders and advocate for the most expensive, least safe, unproven energy technologies and for...
08.09.2023
Episode 145: Matildas and billion dollar Barbie recasting the role of girls, ACTU price gauging inquiry, Dutton diverted community safety funds and good news about Quolls
Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss how the on and off-field success of The Matildas are making us rethink traditional limitations about the role of girls and how they behave. Van and Ben discuss how the unionisation and professionalisation of the...
08.06.2023
SPECIAL Weekend Wrap: Dutton’s Garma dishonesty, parliament wrap , bosses bemoan worker rights, teachers and truck drivers take a stand
Van Badham joins Ben Davison for an extended Weekend Wrap to look at Dutton's dishonesty about Garma being exposed on Insiders, the bosses pamphlet (Australia Financial Review) confirming the Noalition views the referendum as a political opportunity to hurt Labor...
07.31.2023
Van Badham in conversation with Miles Taylor, former Trump National Security Advisor and author of Blowback
Welcome to our first “The Week On Wednesday presents Van Badham in Conversation With…”. And it is A CORKER. Miles Taylor is a former national security adviser to the Trump administration - yes, you read that correctly, and he is absolutely...
07.30.2023
Weekend Wrap 30 July 2023: Education, economic management, workplace reforms, housing, The Voice
Ben Davison is BACK after a two week break with a deep dive on the FIVE big issues that should be dominating the national debate. 98% of our public schools don't have the resources they need. Ben reads out a message...
07.26.2023
Episode 144: Murdoch and the NO campaign, inflation falls as neo-liberalism fails, the end of forced casualisation and good news about trees
Van Badham and Ben Davison look at how actors, screen writers and even NRL players are getting organised because they need the power of standing together to get a fair deal. Remember to join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow With the NO...
07.19.2023
Episode 143: Dan says no to Commonwealth Games blow out, time to fund public schools, NO campaign avoids truth and good news about plastics
Van Badham and Ben Davison congratulate the aged care workers who, by standing together in union, are starting to see their pay increases flow from this week and discuss how there is a union for everyone whether you're in aged...
07.13.2023
Episode 142: No campaign goes MAGA, Robodebt fallout for Fadden, Albo at NATO and good news about solar glass
Van Badham and Ben Davison start this special Thursday edition by tearing apart the ridiculous wage cutting ideologies of Jeff Kennet and exploring why a man who's devoted his life to cutting wages wanting to cut wages isn't news but...
07.09.2023
Weekend Wrap July 9 2023: Robodebt Royal Commission exposes abuses of power, Health unions win better deal in NSW and teaching reforms but where’s the funding?
Ben Davison spends some time looking at the Robodebt Royal Commission report, the scathing rebuke of the Morrison government, the potential crimes of former ministers and the culture of cooperation between corporate and billionaire owned media and the Coalition of...
07.05.2023
Episode 141: Faruqi vs Hanson as racism finds its voice, why a bigger surplus is good, NACC starts with a smorgasbord and good news about EV batteries
Van Badham and Ben Davison dive into the explosion of bots, trolls and online hate that is being targeted at YES campaigners and how Pauline Hanson is using her vile and inexcusable comments about Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi to eliminate...
07.02.2023
Weekend Wrap 2 July 2023: NAIDOC week kicks off YES campaign, Gladys is corrupt, NDIS turns 10 and the economy of Labor
Ben Davison, fresh from a Yes campaign launch event, talks about why he's voting YES at the referendum and how you can get involved through yes23.com.au or through your union at australianunions.org.au/wow to join and then follow the links. ICAC has...
06.28.2023
Episode 140: Farm workers on strike, Greens housing fantasy, inflation falls, claytons mutiny in Russia and Victorias windy record
Van Badham and Ben Davison look at the context of the first farm strike in decades as United Workers Union member's stand firm against employer threats and take action for a decent pay rise, same job, same pay rules and...
06.25.2023
Weekend Wrap 25 June 2023: Putins Wagner moment, Labor housing policy on Insiders and why working people are not so sympathetic to the Zuckerberg, Musk, Oceangate sagas
Ben Davison takes a look at the big stories coming out of Russia, the Musk/Zuckerberg cage match and the Oceangate tragedy and draws together the threads of how these sagas, created and caused by billionaires, usually involve the suffering and...
06.21.2023
Episode 139: The RBA demands more unemployment, Greens delay action on housing, the referendum is coming and so is the dirt machine but The Voice is winning!
Van Badham and Ben Davison explore the broken philosophy of The RBA that denies profiteering is a problem until everyone else has said it is, continues to believe in a wage-price spiral that doesn't exist and both simultaneously says people...
06.18.2023
Weekend Wrap 18 June 2023: Liberal at centre of misconduct allegations quits party, Labor delivers housing and we answer YOUR questions
Ben Davison takes a look at the horrendous week in federal parliament, the ABC's continued use of billionaire funded journalists on Insiders, the grim reality that women's safety in the workplace is a question of solidarity whether that's in parliament...
06.14.2023
Episode 138 Brittany Higgins targeted as Liberals flood the zone, pay rises for CEOs but not so much for you and good news about waste reduction
Van Badham and Ben Davison look at what's happening in Canberra, how Brittany Higgins is again being targeted, why the Liberal's are "flooding the zone" and what it has to do with recent polls that show Labor is the most...
06.07.2023
Episode 137: Phil Lowe, The RBA and the ideology trying to keep the rich richer and the rest of us poorer, more Morrison era misery and Roger Cook is WA Premier
Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss the latest of Phil Lowe's interest rate rises and the Reserve Bank's total ideological capture. We breakdown why they are happening, how ideological obsession is outweighing economic reality and wonder if Phil Lowe's own...
06.04.2023
Weekend Wrap 4 June 2023: Minimum wage win, RBA gaffes, Green housing hocum and the Ben Roberts Smith verdict
Ben Davison gets under the hood of the minimum wage decision, the cuts the bosses wanted and how millions of Australian's will be better off as a result of the work of the Australian Union movement. If you're not already...
05.31.2023
Episode 136: Tackling sham contracting and forced casualisation, Aussie content on Aussie screens, The Voice a step closer and good news about hydrogen
Van Badham and Ben Davison are BACK and the struggle continues! Visy, Australia's largest private company, is still refusing to make a decent offer to workers after 20 weeks of action and bosses in the university sector are strategising together...
05.28.2023
Weekend Wrap 28 May 2023: Insiders opens gates for Murdoch, Liberals flail in senate, gig reform and Australia is Proud to be Public
Ben admits he couldn't bring himself to watch Insiders as he gives a scathing critique of the Murdoch infiltration of the ABC. On a week where Stan Grant was hounded out of QandA by Murdoch's dogs, the Uluru statement from...
05.21.2023
Weekend Wrap 21 May 2023: A year of Albanese Labor government, media obsesses on the negative and Liberals in disarray
Ben Davison looks at the first 12 months of the Albanese Labor government and some of the big changes ranging from the National Anti-Corruption Commission and Robo-debt royal commission to improvements in job security and wages to NDIS reforms and...
05.17.2023
Episode 135: Housing policy or why the Greens and Dutton are wrong, wages vs profit prices spirals and good news about national parks
Van Badham and Ben Davison take a closer look at Labor's proposed housing fund, why the Green opposition doesn't stack up and why the Dutton position remains the worst of all possible outcomes. With debate still raging about "the best" housing...
05.14.2023
Weekend Wrap 14 May 2023: Insiders lacks insight, we know who Dutton is and Greens blocking homes
Ben Davison takes apart Insiders for the lack of insight, the lack of economic understanding and the soft rehabilitation job on Peter Dutton. The budget this week was a step change towards Keynesian economic frameworks that support employment, wages growth and...
05.10.2023
Episode 134: Labor’s big Keynesian budget and good news for the environment!
Van Badham and Ben Davison take a deep dive on the ideological frameworks that have crafted the first Commonwealth budget surplus in 15 years while also delivering increases to wages, Jobseeker, parenting payments, rent assistance and massive investments in health,...
05.07.2023
Weekend Wrap 7 May 2023: Budget preview, Angus ’Inflation’ Taylor on Insiders and the social wage
Ben Davison looks Angus "Inflation" Taylor's terrible Insiders performance, the increases to Jobseeker, gas company taxes, energy bill relief and why a surplus budget is needed when the RBA is obsessed with increasing interest rates. Ben also looks at how effective...
05.03.2023
Episode 133: RBAs clumsy politics, budget leaks, worker news and good news on electric roads
Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss the Reserve Bank's guerrilla interest rate rise, budget leaks and what they might mean for you as well as the minimum wage and why unions are taking action against the people who'd pay you...

What's "The Week on Wednesday" with Van Badham & Ben Davison about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

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

Episode 159: A future made in Australia, the disinformation wonderland & solar cars

Episode 158: Tasmanian election lessons, narrative wars, its the economy and good news about airships

Weekend Wrap 3 December 2023: Employment services reforms, the grind of government and the media circus

Episode 157: Generational economic divide, Loopholes closer to closing & good news on renewables

Weekend Wrap 19 November 2023: Profiteers cash in, school funding needs fix and why Albo went to APEC

Episode 156: Wages rise, Duttons dangerous disinformation, why school funding is a targeted use of the surplus and good news for stone workers

Episode 155: Optus outage chaos, new RBA is just like the old RBA and good news from America

Episode 154: Corporates fight to keep loopholes, Be that teacher for every child, Medicare boost and good news about spiders

Weekend Wrap 29 October 2023: Albo goes to Washington, Insiders misses context and the rules based order

Episode 153: Unions ban deadly dust, Profits fuel inflation pain, World Teachers Day and good battery news

Weekend Wrap 22 October 2023: Middle East, Fee free TAFE, Worker actions, Parental leave, state tax bonfire

Weekend Wrap 15 October 2023: Voice referendum lost, misinformation campaigning and workplace reforms

Episode 152: Republicans implode, referendum prepoll opens, rates on hold and good news about bears

Weekend Wrap 1 October 2023:the No misinformation campaign, disability royal commission report, Pezzullo and public service

Episode 151: Dan departs as Allan ascends, a job for everyone who wants one, a referendum update and good news about kites

Weekend Wrap 24 September 2023: No rallies, price gouging inquiry, workers take action

Episode 150: Referendum disinformation, NSW budget, Victorian homes, worker rights and good news on seaweed

Weekend Wrap 10 September: Pearson makes YES case on Insiders, Dutton delays billions in wages, unions win for workers

Episode 149: Corporations fight secure work and better pay, Joyce leaves Qantas burning, economic growth and good news on solar glass

Weekend Wrap 3 September 2023: New rights for casuals, gig and labour hire workers, Qantas profiting from failure and you are the Voice

Episode 148: The referendum is October 14, misogyny tars football and infects young men, inflation slows and good news about wind

Weekend Wrap 27 August 2023: Insiders review, intergeneration report and Dutton attacks democracy

Episode 147: Naplan shows need for school funding, CPAC goes full racist, ACTU report a rip off wins government taskforce and good news about micro plastics

Episode 146: Matildas mania, Trumps troubles, new deal on housing as wages reset plus wind in Wollongong

Weekend Wrap 13 August 2023: Littleproud on Insiders exposes how much Coalition policy is driven by lobbyists

Episode 145: Matildas and billion dollar Barbie recasting the role of girls, ACTU price gauging inquiry, Dutton diverted community safety funds and good news about Quolls

SPECIAL Weekend Wrap: Dutton’s Garma dishonesty, parliament wrap , bosses bemoan worker rights, teachers and truck drivers take a stand

Van Badham in conversation with Miles Taylor, former Trump National Security Advisor and author of Blowback

Weekend Wrap 30 July 2023: Education, economic management, workplace reforms, housing, The Voice

Episode 144: Murdoch and the NO campaign, inflation falls as neo-liberalism fails, the end of forced casualisation and good news about trees

Episode 143: Dan says no to Commonwealth Games blow out, time to fund public schools, NO campaign avoids truth and good news about plastics

Episode 142: No campaign goes MAGA, Robodebt fallout for Fadden, Albo at NATO and good news about solar glass

Weekend Wrap July 9 2023: Robodebt Royal Commission exposes abuses of power, Health unions win better deal in NSW and teaching reforms but where’s the funding?

Episode 141: Faruqi vs Hanson as racism finds its voice, why a bigger surplus is good, NACC starts with a smorgasbord and good news about EV batteries

Weekend Wrap 2 July 2023: NAIDOC week kicks off YES campaign, Gladys is corrupt, NDIS turns 10 and the economy of Labor

Episode 140: Farm workers on strike, Greens housing fantasy, inflation falls, claytons mutiny in Russia and Victorias windy record

Weekend Wrap 25 June 2023: Putins Wagner moment, Labor housing policy on Insiders and why working people are not so sympathetic to the Zuckerberg, Musk, Oceangate sagas

Episode 139: The RBA demands more unemployment, Greens delay action on housing, the referendum is coming and so is the dirt machine but The Voice is winning!

Weekend Wrap 18 June 2023: Liberal at centre of misconduct allegations quits party, Labor delivers housing and we answer YOUR questions

Episode 138 Brittany Higgins targeted as Liberals flood the zone, pay rises for CEOs but not so much for you and good news about waste reduction

Episode 137: Phil Lowe, The RBA and the ideology trying to keep the rich richer and the rest of us poorer, more Morrison era misery and Roger Cook is WA Premier

Weekend Wrap 4 June 2023: Minimum wage win, RBA gaffes, Green housing hocum and the Ben Roberts Smith verdict

Episode 136: Tackling sham contracting and forced casualisation, Aussie content on Aussie screens, The Voice a step closer and good news about hydrogen

Weekend Wrap 28 May 2023: Insiders opens gates for Murdoch, Liberals flail in senate, gig reform and Australia is Proud to be Public

Weekend Wrap 21 May 2023: A year of Albanese Labor government, media obsesses on the negative and Liberals in disarray

Episode 135: Housing policy or why the Greens and Dutton are wrong, wages vs profit prices spirals and good news about national parks

Weekend Wrap 14 May 2023: Insiders lacks insight, we know who Dutton is and Greens blocking homes

Episode 134: Labor’s big Keynesian budget and good news for the environment!

Weekend Wrap 7 May 2023: Budget preview, Angus ’Inflation’ Taylor on Insiders and the social wage

Episode 133: RBAs clumsy politics, budget leaks, worker news and good news on electric roads

Other shows like "The Week on Wednesday" with Van Badham & Ben Davison: