Mark Di Stefano is the outgoing political editor at BuzzFeed Australia.

This is a frank chat where we both air our grievances about the shitty state of Australian politics, media and debate at the moment. From the cosy relationship between the press and the political class, the plethora of pundits who never get their comeuppance for being wrong to the good ol’ fashioned outrage industry.

Also Mark explains what the Milkshake Duck is. I am old and uncool.

Problematic is on at the Edinburgh Fringe 2017 now! 8:30pm at the Pleasance Courtyard

Problematic is coming to London’s Soho Theatre, starts August 29th

@markdistef

What A Time To Be Alive: That and Other Lies of the 2016 Campaign by Mark Di Stefano

Australia’s News Channel and What It Learned From Fox News by Mark

Cause of the Week: Copwatch (huffed.org/project/copwatchnjp)

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Caroline Marcus is the “Political Reporter for the People” for Sky News and an opinion columnist for The Daily Telegraph.

Caroline joined me live onstage at the Giant Dwarf theatre in Redfern in front of a lively crowd on Wednesday July 12th. We touch on the media landscape, bias, identity politics and her experience reporting on the Australian detention centres on Nauru for A Current Affair. Our disagreement occasionally got heated, but I really appreciated the chance to explore this stuff with Caroline in detail.

A huge thank you to the Giant Dwarf for having us.

You can hear the first episode recorded on the night with Tanya Plibersek here.

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017, starts August 2nd

Problematic is coming to London’s Soho Theatre, starts August 29th

@carolinemarcus

Article: If you disagree with me, you’re a racist 

Article: Why are activists so afraid of the truth about Nauru?

A Current Affair: Inside Nauru’s Detention Centre

My episodes on cultural appropriation with Gay Alcorn, Yassmin Abdel-Magied 

Cause of the Week: Lifeline (lifeline.org.au)

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Tanya Plibersek has been the Member for Sydney since 1998. She’s the Deputy Leader of the ALP and Shadow Minister for Education and for Women.

Tanya joined me live onstage at the Giant Dwarf theatre in Redfern in front of a lively crowd on Wednesday July 12th. We touched on the ideological rift bubbling up in the Coalition at the moment, gender equality, Mark Latham, education funding and Labor’s refugee policies.

A huge thank you to Tanya for making the time (particularly as she was battling a cold on the night), everyone for coming out to see the show and to the Giant Dwarf for having us.

The second conversation with journalist Caroline Marcus will be next week’s episode.

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017, starts August 2nd

@tanya_plibersek

tanyaplibersek.com

Labor’s Setting The Agenda

Video of the Sydney Setting The Agenda event

Article: Gonski money is making a difference. Let’s not play the Liberals’ tired old blame game by Tanya Plibersek

Article: Gonski 2.0: Is this the school funding plan we have been looking for? Finally, yes by Peter Goss

Cause of the Week: Oxfam’s East Africa Appeal

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Jeff Sparrow is a writer, broadcaster and activist. He’s a former member of the International Socialist Organisation and was one of the founding members of the Socialist Alternative.

I’ve been wanting to talk to Jeff for a long time and really appreciate this chance to ask him about radical politics, Marxism, class, oppression, the widespread rejection of centrism and the matter of taking one’s politics “seriously”.

Come see Like I’m A Six-Year-Old LIVE in Sydney with Tanya Plibersek and Caroline Marcus TONIGHT!

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017

Chapo Trap House podcast

@jeff_sparrow

Jeff’s writing for Guardian Australia

Profile in The Saturday Paper

Article: Raising Melbourne’s Red Flag

How Paul Robeson found political voice in Welsh Valleys 

No Way But This: In Search of Paul Robeson by Jeff Sparrow

Political Theory: Marxism from The School of Life

Cause of the Week: Triple R (rrr.org.au)

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This week I’m bringing some highlights from a panel I chaired last week for Amnesty International Australia entitled Defending Human Rights In A Time Of Heightened Populism.

The panel included refugee rights advocates Andre Dao and Aran Mylvaganam, Indigenous lawyer Meena Singh and businesswoman and social activist Hana Assafiri. Claire Mallinson, the National Director of Amnesty Australia, was also on the panel, but unfortunately due to audio issues I haven’t been able to include her here.

I thought this was a really enlightening discussion on the way that populist politics affects our conception of human rights and plays into public debate. We reflected on what does and doesn’t work for human rights advocacy in the face of populism, the death of facts and reason, persuasive storytelling and the impact of the Murdoch media on this conversation.

Please bear with the audio: I guarantee you it’s worth it.

Come see Like I’m A Six-Year-Old LIVE in Sydney with Tanya Plibersek and Caroline Marcus on Wednesday July 12th

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017

My appearance on The Bugle podcast with Tiff Stevenson

@amnestyOz

Cause of the Week: Amnesty International Australia (amnesty.org.au)

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Samantha Ratnam is a social worker and Greens politician who’s currently serving as the Deputy Mayor of Moreland City Council. She’s previously served as Mayor in Moreland and in 2016 ran as the Greens candidate for the federal seat of Wills, losing out to Labor MP Peter Khalil.

This is a great insight into local politics and why Sam’s passionate about it, particularly its ability to inspire change by example. We also cover the situation in Sri Lanka and how that’s informed Sam’s attitude towards conflict and multiculturalism, how Australia’s approach to race feels like it’s going backwards and the future of the Australian Greens.

Come see Like I’m A Six-Year-Old LIVE in Sydney with Tanya Plibersek and Caroline Marcus on Wednesday July 12th

Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017

Check out Filthy Rich & Homeless on SBS 

@samantharatnam

Samantha’s Greens profile

Article: The Mental Trauma We’re Inflicting On Asylum Seekers Is Entirely Preventable by Samantha Ratnam

Article: Taking A Stand, a profile on Samantha 

Article: Meet the Mayor of Moreland

Article: Greens candidate pulls out of anti-racism protest over violence fears

Cause of the Week: The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au), plasticbagfreevictoria.org 

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