Michael is joined by Robert Gottliebsen, Business Columnist with The Australian, regarding Victoria’s hotel quarantine and the chief of WorkSafe Victoria, Colin Radford, who has far more power to probe Victoria’s hotel quarantine fiasco – than the government-appointed investigator Jennifer Coate.

Mr Gottliebsen writes, ‘Not only does Radford have the power and ability to get behind the “don’t knows” that studded the Coate inquiry but he will be required by law to take his inquiry into much broader areas to find out what really happened.‘

‘Because of what has already been revealed in the Coate inquiry, this is an incredibly dangerous situation for sections of the Victorian cabinet and public service.’

‘Radford can cross-examine anybody and has wide powers to view documents and other material. The parliament gave him these powers, believing they would be necessary to extract incriminating evidence from corporate executives involved in deaths caused by unsafe workplaces.’

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Michael is joined by Tony Mahar, National Farmers’ Federation Chief Executive Officer, regarding the current struggle finding enough willing workers to pick bumper crops following this year’s decent rainfall.

It’s been reported that while Australia’s unemployment rate is at its lowest level in more than two decades, farmers are struggling to find enough willing hands to harvest their crops.

The National Farmers’ Federation hopes Australians who lost their jobs because of the pandemic will seize the opportunity but Jobkeeper and Jobseeker welfare payments have complicated the matter further.

“It’s no surprise that they would think about that before going to apply for other jobs. Having said that, the government needed to put those things in place.”

A parliamentary inquiry has recommended that the government allow people on un­employment benefits to harvest crops without their payments being deducted.

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Listen to the full show podcast with Michael McLaren. 

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Michael is joined by Peter Switzer, Switzer.com.au, to discuss the upcoming Federal Budget which will be unveiled on 6 October which will be one of the most important in our lifetime as Australian’s economy struggles in the wake of COVID-19.

In July, Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg revealed the nation is expected to be in a total deficit of around $281.4 billion, making it the highest budget deficit since World War 11. 

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John Ferguson, Associate Editor The Australian, who writes that Victoria’s coronavirus campaign finally appears to be working which should see the public health team entertain the option of the state largely reopening in the second half of October.

Mr Ferguson sees it as a ‘triumph of common sense over bureaucratic overreach… ‘Daniel Andrews also has opened the door to nearly 130,000 workers returning to their jobs this week, which is nearly 30,000 more than under the original road map.

‘Supermarkets and meat producers are among the main beneficiaries of the push to get more people back into work.’

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the full show podcast with Michael McLaren. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the full show podcast with Michael McLaren. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the full show podcast with Michael McLaren. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.