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 section of Australia.

The union movement is campaigning for YES and you can get involved with your union at australianunions.org.au/wow and the campaign at yes23.com.au 

A listener wrote in with a question about Andrew Tate's influence over young men so Van and Ben discuss how the toxic individualism of Tate is evident in the behaviour of the Spanish Football President and how the benefits of collectivism, community and team work are present in everyday life and in the response from the broader football world.

Inflation is at its lowest point in 17 months.  Ben and Van discuss the impact this might have on the referendum, what it tells us about economics and why the mystics who demand working people pay to keep inflation low have been proven wrong.

There is also good news about wind powered shipping!

If you'd like to become a supporter and send through questions check out our supporter page at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday where you can become an extend the reach or cadre supporter and have Van give you a shout out every episode!

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 full funding for public schools, Qantas demonstrates the need for both workplace reforms and a focus on capital productivity and that if we want more skilled migrants following the lead of Belize and Somalia probably isn't the solution.

The union movement is working for better job security, higher wages and safer workplaces for all so join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

The intergenerational report shows a changing Australia will continue to change but that there are some clear policy priorities around workforce participation, supporting superannuation and accepting higher levels of debt (which will still be lower than most countries have now) if we want to have the standard of living we have now.

Finally Ben discusses Dutton's latest attack on democracy.  The sad swipe on behalf of the No case against the Australia Electoral Commission.  Dutton continues to show himself to be either ignorant or lazy when it comes to doing the job of opposition leader.

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 a campaign at foreverychild.au calling for every public school to get the funds they need for every child to get the education they deserve.  

The American CPAC event was held in Sydney last weekend and Van Badham gives a breakdown of how this piece of American cultural-political imperialism is used as a front for hatred, division and racism.  Van and Ben discuss how "identity death" is driving these events, just how few people actually participate and compare it to the grassroots movement of people supporting the YES campaign.  You can get active in making Australia a better place with your union by joining at australianunions.org.au/wow 

The recent ACTU Price Gouging Inquiry was given a boost today as the federal government announced its own taskforce into competition.  The announcement comes as the two major supermarkets announce massive increases in margins and almost double digit increases in their dividend to investors.  Ben and Van discuss how weak competition impacts working people through prices and undermines wages.

There is good news about micro plastics, sawdust and tea!

As we have crashed through the 1,000,000 downloads we take the time to give shout outs to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have gone to www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday to help us grow our audience.

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 unionism is an inspiration for so many others to stand up for what's right.

Join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow

While Australia is having a sport led cultural moment the United States is again mired in the muck of its political system and the disgrace that is Donald Trump.  Van breaks down, in detail, the new racketeering charges that could be what finally puts Donald Trump behind bars.  Van and Ben also look at how the disconnect from truth and political convenience is playing out.

Back home the National Cabinet has announced a new deal on housing which sees billions of dollars flow into improving supply of housing, reform planning rules and regulate rental markets.  Ben discusses how this step forward, coupled with the recent good news on wages, shows how an interventionist economic policy can work, given time.

There is good news about offshore wind in Wollongong

Plus this episode will see us breakthrough the 1,000,000 download mark! So Van gives a special shout goes to our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have gone to www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday to help grow our audience.

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 increasing the cost of medicines.

The answer is the same reason why he, Peter Dutton and the Coalition oppose The Voice and Unions.

Lobbyists.

From mining and energy to pharmaceuticals, post offices and private education the Coalition is captured by lobbyists.  Their policies reflect the interests of lobby groups and corporate lobbyists.

Democratic groups with democratic mandates, like the Voice and Unions, threaten to make democracy a participation sport instead of the pay to play game that the Coalition like to play.

If you want democracy to be more than just casting a ballot on election day join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow and get involved in the Yes campaign, the price gouging inquiry or a local campaign like the one to Save Glenroy post office

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 game is providing inspiration while at the same time the success of the billion dollar Barbie Movie is unifying women through a shared experience.  You can be like the Matildas and Barbie star Margot Robbie by joining you union at australianunions.org.au/wow

The Australian Council of Trade Unions has launched a price gauging inquiry, chaired by former ACCC Commissioner Alan Fels.  Ben and Van discuss price gauging in Australia, how it is being executed and why it needs to be stamped out to improve the living standards of everyday people.  You can make a submission to the inquiry at https://pricegouginginquiry.actu.org.au

Peter Dutton has been found to have diverted community safety grants away from disadvantaged communities towards Coalition and must win seats prior to the last election.  Coming on the back of the recent "Home Truths" expose which detailed mismanagement, or worse, in the Department of Home Affairs under Dutton, Van and Ben discuss why Dutton is unfit to lead Australia. 

The good news is about Quolls!

Van also gives a shout out to all our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters who have gone to www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday and helped us grow our audience.  

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 and why it is so important people get involved in their local YES campaign and join your union at australianunions.org.au/wow as your union takes action for the referendum.

There's also a look at the policy action from parliament this week with family and domestic violence leave becoming avaliable to employees in small businesses, the Noalition opposing increases to Jobseeker which Labor was able to push through and the Housing Affordability Future Fund making it's return to the parliament.  If the Greens team up with the Noalition again to block it the government will have a trigger for a double dissolution.  Ben and Van discuss what that could mean.

Innes Willox, CEO of the Australian Industry Group, gave a national press club speech this week which could just as easily have been given in 2013.  The usual justifications for corporate greed were rolled out so Van and Ben explore what's really happened with productivity, wages and profits.  Hint: Corporate executives are not an oppressed class.

We take a special look at two big campaigns to improve our Commonwealth.  The www.foreverychild.au campaign of the Australia Education Union which is trying to close the funding gap that currently sees 98% of public schools not get MINIMUM funding and the Transport reform campaign from the Transport Workers Union that is trying to make our roads safer and our supply chains more sustainable.

Don't forget to go to our supporter page www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday to catch up on past episodes and help us reach and even larger audience by making a contribution. 

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 a guest on our show.

In 2018, as “Anonymous”, Taylor published an infamous op-ed in the New York Times entitled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration" that shone a terrifying light on the chaos and dysfunction of Trumpism in power, and the danger it posed to the world.

Taylor quit the administration and expanded on his insights about America’s dangerous political turn in his 2019 book, A Warning. By 2020, he’d revealed his identity - and became the first former Trump administration official to endorse Joe Biden for President.

His latest book, Blowback, tells the personal story of what Miles Taylor saw in the Trump White House - and what he did about it.

In an alternative universe where Trump wasn’t elected in 2016, Miles Taylor and the Week on Wednesday are faceless opposing combatants in democracy’s endless ideological war over macroeconomic policy and the frontiers of regulating markets.

… But in the fight against the hard right, populist authoritarianism that’s resurgent across the west, we are enthusiastic and committed allies.

It’s a great conversation and you should totally read his book.

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 from a listener about how the failure to support every child has left class sizes too big, teachers overworked and kids missing out on the support they need.

Inflation is coming down.  The spokesperson from the bosses pamphlet on Insiders continued to recite the neo-liberal mantras of higher rates, more unemployment and lower wages but Ben outlines how Jim Chalmers and Labor are implementing a neo-Keynesian approach that is bringing down prices, keeping people in work and supporting those most in need.

Workplace reforms are coming to parliament to stop the multi-billion dollar loopholes that see labour hire workers paid less, forced casualisation of millions of people and profiteering at working people's expense.  There's a union for every worker, casual, labour hire, teacher, miner, nurse, graphic designer and you can join at australianunions.org.au/wow

The Housing Affordability Future Fund is coming back.  With $1,300,000 a day NOT going into housing because of the Greens back Dutton's Noalition Labor is ready to set up a double dissolution trigger.

The Voice.  Greg Sheridan can go on Insiders to say that Dutton isn't racists if the referendum fails but if all the racists are voting NO does it matter if he considers himself to be racist?  Ben argues you pick a side.  No has Pauline Hanson and Andrew Bolt.  Yes has Marcia Langton and Noel Pearson.  Which side are you on?

Plus Ben touches on why the noise around the Rockingham by-election is meaningless Liberal narrative and why Dutton's abysmal record on government contracts is best left to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to determine.

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 campaign in full swing the Murdoch Empire has clearly identified its target market.  Van and Ben discuss why a Royal Commission into the influence of the Murdoch Empire is a good idea, why it is NOT a "news" source and present examples of it pushing a narrative that undermines truth while backing in racists.

Inflation continues to fall despite the neo-liberals saying we would need to see hundreds of thousands of people made unemployed for it to happen.  Ben and Van discuss how the high priests of monetary policy twist every outcome to support their ideology and why it is Labor's macro-economic management and the community demanding an end to profiteering that is bringing inflation down WITHOUT scrapping thousands of jobs.

With unemployment at 3.5% and millions of people trapped in casual employment but working the same hours every week for less money, the union movement has thrown its support behind the Labor Government's plan to end forced casualisation.  Ben and Van discuss what this means, how it will empower workers and dispel the doomsayers from the Noalition.

The good news is about trees being planted!

We have even more supporters and Van reads out the names of all our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters.  If you want episodes emailed to you, along with links and more information, go to www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday 

Plus we have an announcement about a special new series!