This is going to be great! Featuring Anthony who I talked to for my podcast episode about the Climate Strikes.
The series starts this Sunday via Junkee’s youtube channel.
Author Archives: Tom
173 – Michael West
Michael West is a Walkley Award-winning independent journalist covering the rising power of corporations over Australian democracy. After years working for both NewsCorp and Fairfax, Michael eventually went out on his own to cover the crimes of the corporate world and how big business get away with dodgy shit and poison our politics.
Here Michael lays out his experiences in and philosophy on journalism (plus some insights into Murdoch empire), the conflicts of interest in the big business of media corporations, the state of tax avoidance and political donations in Australia and how it’s very clear that the economic creed of neoliberalism and privatisation has failed.
My show ENOUGH is on now the 2020 Adelaide Fringe, tickets available here
GRANDILOQUENT is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, it’s on sale now
Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you
If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron
Michael’s writing at The Independent
ARTICLE: Ranking Australia’s billionaires as taxpayers by Michael West
ARTICLE: Australia’s Top 40 Tax Dodgers 2019
Cause of the Week: Support Michael’s site and his journalism (michaelwest.com.au)
172 – Alex Bhathal
Alex Bhatal is a social worker and activist. From 2001 to 2018 she was a six-time Greens candidate for the inner-city seat of Cooper (formerly Batman) but in 2019, Alex quit the party having been subjected to a campaign of abuse and “relentless organisational bullying” for years.
Here Alex lays out for her me her journey into politics, her passion for refugee rights and social work, why the Tampa incident inspired her to join the Greens and her experience of running in the same seat for 17 years.
I also ask Alex to explain exactly what happened between her and the Darebin branch of the Greens, how bad it got for her and what it tells us about the state of the party today. Alex is extremely frank and honest talking to me about what was clearly a painful time in her life and for that I’m very grateful.
My show ENOUGH is on now the 2020 Adelaide Fringe, tickets available here
GRANDILOQUENT is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, it’s on sale now
Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you
If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron
ARTICLE: Alex Bhathal and discord in the Greens by Martin McKenzie-Murray
ARTICLE: Batman: How it went wrong for the Greens by Martin McKenzie-Murray
Alex’s statement on why she resigned from the Greens
From solidarity.net.au: Alex Bhathal resigns – the latest victim of Greens’ drift right
Cause of the Week: Refugee Legal (refugeelegal.org.au)
171 – Oliver Yates
Oliver Yates is the former CEO of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Last year he quit the Liberal Party and ran as an independent candidate for the seat of Kooyong in the 2019 federal election.
Oliver invited me into his house to chat about how his Tory/Liberal MP dad influenced his politics, his experience working at the CEFC, why he left the Liberals, his thoughts on capitalism’s role in the climate crisis and why his passion for integrity in politics has fuelled his court challenge over Liberal Party elections signs used at polling booths last year. He also kindly answered my basic questions about the state of renewable technology in Australia today and just how quickly we could move our country to a renewable economy.
I’m bringing my show ENOUGH to the 2020 Adelaide Fringe NEXT WEEK, tickets on sale now
GRANDILOQUENT is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, it’s on sale now
Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you
If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron
Oliver’s podcast Tip of the Iceberg
ARTICLE: Coal Coal Coal and soaring emissions – as a Liberal, I have had enough by Oliver Yates
ARTICLE: Josh Frydenberg, Gladys Liu keep seats after court challenge over election signs
ARTICLE: The problem with taking politics out of climate change by Jeff Sparrow
Cause of the Week: Fauna & Flora International (fauna-flora.org)
170 – Greg Jericho
Greg Jericho is a Walkley Award-winning economics writer for Guardian Australia. He lectures in journalism at the University of Canberra and tweets at @GrogsGamut.
Here I ask Greg about his political worldview, his thoughts on economics and GM closing Holden in Australia, his time in the public service (and the state of the service now), and how the media’s obsession with “balance” is completely failing us when it comes to covering climate change.
I’m performing at Laugh Out Proud at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Thursday February 27th
I’m bringing my show ENOUGH to the 2020 Adelaide Fringe in March, tickets on sale now
GRANDILOQUENT is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, it’s on sale now
Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you
If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron
Greg’s writing at Guardian Australia
ARTICLE: The Trouble with Journalism by Greg Jericho
Cause of the Week: The Outer Sanctum Podcast (outersanctum.com.au)
169 – Me On Red Flag Radio
This is a CROSS POD, BABY: an extract of my appearance on the podcast Red Flag Radio in which I discuss revolutionary socialism with Roz Ward, Liam Ward and Sarah Garnham. We chat about what Bernie Sanders’ campaign represents, the failings of electoralism, a vision for a socialist society and vacuum cleaners.
Check out RFR for the full episode and subscribe to them for more great episodes, please and thank you.
I’m performing at Laugh Out Proud at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Thursday February 27th
I’m bringing my show ENOUGH to the 2020 Adelaide Fringe in March, tickets on sale now
Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you
If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron
Listen and subscribe to Red Flag Radio
Socialist Alternative website – sa.org.au
Cause of the Week: The Refugee Council of Australia’s Operation Not Forgotten
168 – Jon Piccini
Jon Piccini is an historian at Australian Catholic University and co-host of the anti-capitalist podcast Living the Dream. He’s written books about human rights and the Australian far left in the 60s and 70s and is partial to putting out some spicy tweets on @JonPiccini.
Here Jon and I discuss his critique of human rights discourse and how it’s seen Australia forget about economic rights, just how “radical” we can say Australia is politically and how our history might suggest that the Green New Deal isn’t impossible at all.
I’m performing at Laugh Out Proud at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Thursday February 27th
I’m bringing my show ENOUGH to the 2020 Adelaide Fringe in March, tickets on sale now
Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you
If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron
Jessie Whyte’s The Morals of the Market on Verso Books
The Far Left in Australia since 1945, edited by Jon Piccini, Evan Smith & Matthew Worley
ARTICLE: Old left, new left and Australia in the ‘long 1968’ by Jon Piccini & Evan Smith
ARTICLE: A White Working Man’s Country by Jon Piccini
ARTICLE: We need a political vision by Alison Pennington
ARTICLE: Australia Needs a Green New Deal by Adam Bandt
Cause of the Week: Save Deebing Creek Association (on Facebook here)
167 – Lidia Thorpe
Lidia Thorpe is a Gunai-Gunditjmara woman, First Nations activist, a former Greens MP in the Victorian parliament and the current National Aboriginal lead for Amnesty International.
In the wake of the Invasion Day rallies that Lidia helped organise over the long weekend, we discuss the emotional toll of January 26th, First Nations sovereignty, the failings of the Uluru Statement and the Victorian Treaty process and what it really means for non-Indigenous Australians to pay the rent.
This Saturday I’m performing at the Midsumma Extravaganza at the Hamer Hall
I’m performing at Laugh Out Proud at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Thursday February 27th
I’m bringing my show ENOUGH to the 2020 Adelaide Fringe in March, tickets on sale now
Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you
If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron
ARTICLE: Without A Treaty, Australia Day Will Always Be Invasion Day by Lidia Thorpe
ARTICLE: Victoria has chosen spin over substance in its Indigenous treaty whitewash by Lidia Thorpe
ARTICLE: Black power in White Australia: An Interview with Gary Foley by Sian Vate
An ABC explainer on the Victorian treaty process
An explainer on the Uluru Statement from the Heart
The Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation’s statement on the treaty process, “Trick or Treaty?”
Pay the Rent: a Buzzfeed video
Cause of the Week: Pay The Rent (paytherent.net.au)
Like I’m A Six-Year-Old LIVE @ MICF 2020 with ANDREW DENTON
I WAS stoked to be talking to Andrew Denton for a live edition of my podcast at the 2020 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, but unfortunately due to motherfucking COVID-19, the festival has been called off. It’s very sad and frustrating but clearly the right thing to do.
All tickets bought to this show will be refunded in full: please contact ticketing outlets directly for details.
Thanks for your understanding and patience. Andrew has been very gracious about this and we hope to reschedule the chat for another time.
If you happen to HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS, you can find the back catalogue of the podcast here and have a big fat listen.
Cheers xx
166 – Dr. Craig Emerson
Dr. Craig Emerson is a former Labor MP. In the Rudd and Gillard governments he served as Minister for Trade and Competitiveness, Minister for Tertiary Education and Science and Minister for Small Business. Since leaving parliament, Emerson has run his own economic consultancy firm and in 2019, he co-authored the review into Labor’s election loss along with Jay Weatherill.
In this conversation I ask Craig about the reasons why he studied economics and joined the Labor party, his thoughts on “economic rationalism” (or what we now call neoliberalism), compromise and centrism versus radical policies in the age of the climate crisis, fear campaigns, “international green socialism” and the future prospects of the ALP.
Join the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance’s Invasion Day Rallies this Sunday
I’m bringing my show ENOUGH to the 2020 Adelaide Fringe in March, tickets on sale now
Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you
If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron
ARTICLE: Tribalism is blighting Australia by Craig Emmerson
Craig singing “Whyalla Wipeout”. Just for old times’ sake.
Cause of the Week: WIRES (wires.org.au)