Author Archives: Tom
The Proudest 100
This will be grand old fun and is kind of important. Find out more at proudest100.com
48 – Mohammad Ali Baqiri
Mohammad Ali Baqiri is a former refugee who came to Australia by sea as a child. He spent three years in Australian immigration detention on Nauru.
Here he kindly shares his story with me and explains what it’s really like to be a “boat person”.
The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF
Article: Burning the Stakeholders
Cause of the Week: Road to Refuge (roadtorefuge.com)
Gimme Shelter! A Road To Refuge Fundraiser
47 – Fiona Patten
Fiona Patten is a former lobbyist for the sex industry, she’s the founder and leader of the Australian Sex Party and she was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 2014 as the member for the Northern Metropolitan Region.
Fiona is passionate about civil liberties and honest conversations about everything from sex to drugs to voluntary euthanasia. We had a great ol’ time talking and laughing about sex work (and her personal experience with it), porn, the history of Fyshwick, abortion clinic buffer zones and more.
Midsumma Hypothetical – 2022: A Queer Odyssey
The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF
Cause of the Week: Harm Reduction Victoria (hrvic.org.au)
46 – Paul Farrell
Paul Farrell is a Guardian Australia journalist who writes about juicy stuff like national security, privacy and immigration. He’s concerned with what our government does and doesn’t let us know.
In this conversation Paul and I discuss Freedom Of Information, data retention, whistle-blowing, what’s happening inside Australia’s detention centres and the shocking truth behind Channel Nine’s Border Security.
The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF
Paul’s writings at Guardian Australia
Cause of the Week: Open Australia Foundation (openaustraliafoundation.org.au)
2016: Boundless Plains To Share
I’m performing this super-special comedy event at the 2016 Melbourne Comedy Festival (alongside my stand up show The World Keeps Happening).
It’s being presented with the help of the Moosehead Awards and I think it’s going to be really different and cool.
11 PERFORMANCES ONLY.
Here’s the hot spiel:
Australia has a complicated history with boats. They’ve brought us disease, trade, cane toads, the America’s Cup and Water Rats.
Oh – and people.
And fear. HEAPS of fear.
Award-winning comedian and occasional Tony Jones Tom Ballard (The Project) presents a comedic exploration of Australia’s fucked up immigration situation.
From our racist Federation to Tampa to Johnny Depp’s dogs, this show will make you piss yourself and cry so much the venue will be considered an “on-water matter”.
As seen on Q&A. As heard on triple j.
Directed by Scott Edgar.
TRADES HALL, NEW BALLROOM
SATURDAYS @ 5:15pm (March 26, April 2 & April 16)
SATURDAY April 9th @ 5:45pm
SUNDAYS @ 4:15pm (March 27, April 3, April 10 & April 17)
MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, SUPPER ROOM
MONDAYS @ 8:15pm (March 28, April 4 & April 11)
70 minutes
$22 Preview (26, 27 & 28 Mar) | $27.50 Adult | $22 Concession
AUSLAN-INTERPRETED SHOW SUNDAY APRIL 3RD
My Hottest Songs of 2015
I just voted in triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2015 and it made me real happy, particularly the bit at the end where I chipped in some bucks to AIME.
Good music AND supporting an Indigenous education program??? FUCK YES.
Behold my personal favourites of the year…
COURTNEY BARNETT – DEPRESTON
BULLY – TRYING
BASENJI – CAN’T GET ENOUGH
SUFJAN STEVENS – THE ONLY THING
KATE TEMPEST – EUROPE IS LOST
MY MORNING JACKET – COMPOUND FRACTURE
GANG OF YOUTHS – MAGNOLIA
SKRILLEX AND DIPLO – WHERE ARE U NOW? (WITH JUSTIN BIEBER)
DARREN HANLON – TRUST YOUR FEELINGS (WHEN YOU WAKE)
TAME IMPALA – THE LESS I KNOW THE BETTER
44 – Lyle Shelton (Part Two)
My chat with the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby continues.
Things get heated as Lyle and I discuss the ACL’s objections to the Safe Schools program and how we educate young people about sexual and gender diversity.
My Radio National documentary, How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Gay Bomb
The World Keeps Happening tour 2016
Cause of the Week: Alliance for Gambling Reform (pokiesplayyou.org.au)
43 – BONUS! How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Gay Bomb
Here’s a quick taste of the in-depth radio investigation I put together for ABC Radio National.
In the mid-1990s, the US Air Force considered investing $7.5 million in the development of a ‘Gay Bomb’—a chemical weapon designed to alter the enemy’s sexual orientation.
When out-and-proud comedian Tom Ballard saw this story being referenced on one of his favourite TV shows, he thought it was hilarious. When he found out that it actually happened, he was gobsmacked.
So Tom decides to do some digging… and finds out a lot more than he bargained for.
After finally receiving security clearance from the very highest echelons of the American military, he can now officially bring you this unbelievable story: a story of political intrigue, secrets, betrayal, death and sex; a story that proves once and for all that truth is always stranger than fiction.
Listen and download the piece in full here
How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Gay Bomb
This is something I’ve been working on for a while but have had to keep it on the DL because of intense security concerns. It’s a radio investigation I’ve put together for ABC Radio National.
In the mid-1990s, the US Air Force considered investing $7.5 million in the development of a ‘Gay Bomb’—a chemical weapon designed to alter the enemy’s sexual orientation.
When out-and-proud comedian Tom Ballard saw this story being referenced on one of his favourite TV shows, he thought it was hilarious. When he found out that it actually happened, he was gobsmacked.
So Tom decides to do some digging… and finds out a lot more than he bargained for.
After finally receiving security clearance from the very highest echelons of the American military, he can now officially bring you this unbelievable story: a story of political intrigue, secrets, betrayal, death and sex; a story that proves once and for all that truth is always stranger than fiction.