Not Good Enough

36 — Contract tracing

We chat the $30 mil golden handshake received by the CEO who blew up Juukan Gorge, the 'strike' that Victorian landlords are trying to pull, and the privatised Coronavirus contact tracing clusterfuck.

 

Rorts

• Rio Tinto misled parliament during the inquiry into the Juukan Gorge destruction.
• Their CEO is being “fired”, leaving the company in 6 months and receiving a payout worth at least $25 million.
• Sports rorts are back, baby! Documents have revealed that Scott Morrison absolutely knew about the plan.
• The Section 44 eligibility crisis led to the resignation of a Greens MP and not much else.

Landlords are dogs

• Real Estate Institute of Victoria recently sent a recommendation to landlords to not to engage in good faith negotiations with their renters over rent reductions.
• This action may breach price fixing laws.
• The association rejected the Victoria Consumer Affairs Minister’s call to not participate in an illegal action.

Tracing the money

• Outlined in an article in the Saturday paper, the coronavirus tracing in Victoria is a mess of subcontractors and underfunded public servants.
• Helloworld travel, which is being used by the Andrews government as a call-center subcontractor, has been involved in several Liberal-party scandals.
• This follows a pattern established by the Federal government, who spend $5 billion a year on contractors, more than is spent on the public service.
• Tony Abbot smashing marble tables for completely normal reasons.

Crocodile tears

• Scott Morrison tries to win political points, pleading for the Queensland Premier to open the borders.
• Previously, he was on his knees for the asylum seekers he personally caged.
• Don’t miss the fawning puff-pieces about Morrison building a cubby house for his kids.

Actions

• Listen to the 7AM episode on the Coronavirus tracing clusterfuck.
• Donate to the protest war-chest of Djap Wurrung to protect sacred birthing trees.

35 — Activism but make it political (feat. James of No Turning Back)

We're joined by James from No Turning Back to discuss the recent RAFFWU win vs McDonalds, native advertising and Extinction Rebellion's insistance that they are non-political.

 

Union wins

• The RAFFWU has successfully sued McDonalds for toilet breaks.
• The SDA Union fought against marriage equality in Australia.

The cutest little native advertisement in town

• This might be the most remote coffee van in Australia
• This is part of a new push for native advertising in News Corp publications.
• This person does not exist

Not playing politics

• Extinction Rebellion UK on twitter: “Just to be clear, clear we are not a socialist movement…”
• School Strike 4 Climate on twitter (in an now-deleted tweet): “Just so we’re on the same page - SS4C does not support socialism, capitalism, or any political ideology”
• XR UK, spearheaded by writer and activist George Monbiot are pushing for a citizen’s assembly as a solution to climate change.
• Ketan Joshi on XR’s approached.
• XR UK blocked access to Murdoch paper printing presses.
• XR Australia dumped a pile of manure in front of News Corp offices.
• Sunrise Movement started in the US to fight climate change.
• US Democrat Dianne Feinstein told a young campaigner for the Green New Deal that “You didn’t vote for me”.
• In a recent Senate Election, Ed Markey handily defended his seat on the basis of his authorship of the Green New Deal bill.
• The Green New Deal introduction video.
• Joe Hockey thinks wind turbines are ugly.
• Hepburn Shire’s wind farms are community owned.
• Alex Morse was un-endorsed, then re-endorsed by the Sunrise movement, based on on a trumped-up spear campaign created by centrist Democrats.

Actions

• Listen to the No Turning Back podcast
• Get involved with the Tomorrow Movement

34 — Yelling

Mitch and Lang do some yelling about gas. We praise Rachel Siewert for yelling. We yell about big rowdy protests, which are a form of yelling.

Deniable corruption

• Michael Sukkar was (Somyu)rek’d, but has faced no consequences.
• Scott Morrison hs denied any responsibility.
• Albonese went in hard?

Job agencies get paid

• Job Agencies have earned $500m from the government during the pandemic.
• Companies taking Jobkeeper are still happily paying out dividends to shareholders.
• The Coronavirus Jobkeeper payments have reduced poverty to rates that are lower than before the pandemic.
• Cutting the rate will push more people into poverty than before Covid.
• The ALP have agreed to pass the Government’s reductions to Jobkeeper, even if their amendments are rejected.

Gassing about Gas

• Angus Taylor is just mad for gas.
• The concept of a “carbon footprint” is personal responsibility propaganda created by BP.
• “Carbon dioxide: They call it pollution, we call it life.”
• Gas has the lowest jobs-to-investment ratio of any industry in Australia.
• Australia is the world’s largest exporter of gas.
• … but we pay 3 times what the US does for our gas at home.
• The Australian government is trying to get gas re-classified as a low emissions technology.
• … at least they’re not the NSW Minerals council who are pushing for 21 new coal mines?
• The Adani coal mine corporation has been legally harassing activists, applying to raid their homes, bankrupting Adrian Burragubba, a traditional owner, and working with the media to doxx others.
• Shout out to the protesters and traditional owners putting themselves on physically and legally the line for the climate fight.

Actions

• Send Rachel Siewert a nice note.
• Donate to the Wangan and Jagalingou Defence of Country Fund.

33 — Krathryn Crambrell

We discuss Wikipedia edits, encryption laws, corona detention and McLean's trip to the Labor party's town hall on climate change.

 

 

News updates

• Did Department of Social Services secretary Kathryn Campbell edit her own Wikipedia page?
• The Australian Financial Review suggests a guaranteed income and a strong social safety net would help Australia come out of the Covid Depression.
• Sydney Bus drivers called off a strike after their demands for PPE were met before the strike began.

Corona detention

• A Four Corners investigation has shown that doctors warned infection dangers in Victoria’s hotel quarantine, but were ignored by DHHS until the outbreak.
• The Federal government is reopening the Cristmas Island detention center, at a cost of $55m over 6 months.
• The Biloela asylum seeker family are still in immigration detention, even after the government has been forced to pay $200,000 in legal fees for breaking procedural fairness.

Climate news

• BHP is selling off it’s thermal coal mines over the next two years.
• It’s free real estate!
• As far as I can tell, Dan Andrews has not weighed in on Juukan Gorge — Ed.
• Tom McLean’s open letter to the Terri Butler, Mark Butler and Ged Kearney explaining his question, and why climate change action needs to be personal.

Computer nerd stuff

• Despite claims it was urgently needed, neither ASIO or the AFP is yet to use the anti-encryption laws passed in 2018.
• Peter Dutton wants additional powers to spy on Australian citizens though.
• Victoria Police are using precog algorithms to detect possible predict youth offenders.
• Monash University research has shown that these systems are used for racial profiling, to great negative effect.

Actions

• Listen to Evie on the No Turning Back podcast

32 — Not Snack Enough (feat. Noon of Auspol Snackpod)

Guest host Noon of Auspol Snackpod joins us for a roundup of media news, an explanation of how clean energy could get us out of the recession and a stirring dive into Marxist theory.

 

News Corp are simps

• Bill Shorten declares that Scott Morrison is a simp
• A lot of government’s non-english Coronavirus safety information is gibberish.
• The Australian ran a front-page story claiming that a graph pulled from a random twitter user came from an anonymous government source. The Editor’s response is incoherent.
• Miranda Divine wants to you to take a drug for killing ringworms to cure coronavirus.

Clean energy: It’s good

• A report from business strategy consultants AlphaBeta shows that a push for transforming Australia’s energy grid could happen by 2035.
• Green manufacturing and energy could create 400,000 jobs and boost the economy by $50bn.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal ad shows a hopeful view of the future.
• Beyond Zero Emissions’ plans show policy suites for a green energy transition, including the creation of a million new jobs.
• Auspol Snackpod covered a bunch of options for clean energy transitions.

Just in: Labour creates value

• Under the new ownership of venture capital vultures Bain Capital, Virgin airlines will be firing 3000 people and cutting Tiger Air.
• Treasurer Josh Frydenberg refused to consider public ownership of the airline.
• Australian farms rely on exploited guest workers.
• To make up for missing labour, Australia will be shipping in people from Vanuatu to pick fruit in the coming harvest season.
• The Australian Navy is also using underpaid workers from the Philipines.
• Workers create value, even the governor of the reserve bank agrees.
• Check out Auspol Snackpod’s episode on MMT for more!
• Workers at a Mitre10 warehouse stuck for safer work environments, and won a slew of concessions within two hours.

Pulling up the ladder

• Education Minister Dan Tehan (who got his Uni education for free) wants to cut funding to uni students who are failing their classes.
• Former Treasurer Joe Hockey protested against a $250 university fee in 1987.

Actions

• Support the AUWU, if you’re able to.
• Listen to friend of the show Tom Tanuki’s podcast episode on Aussie QAnon.
• Listen to the 7AM podcast’s episode on the young Australians suing for climate action.
• Listen to Auspol Snackpod to hear more good takes from Noon!

31 — It's good news! (feat. Cam Smith)

We take a break from doom and gloom to highlight some recent wins. Then we chat with broadcaster and conspiracy researcher Cam Smith about the sovereign citizens and far-right cranks at a Bunnings near you.

 

Corona watch

• The coronavirus infection rate in Victoria was reduced by the Stage 3 restrictions from 1.75 to 1.16, preventing at least 18.5k infections.
• For a lot of people, the lockdown has improved mental health.
• Former Liberal MP Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has blasted Tony Abbot for his gutting of the aged care system.
• Under Bronwyn Bishop’s watch, people in aged care were bathed in kerosene.
• Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has refused to cooperate with investigations to into the Ruby Princess fiasco.

Solidarity forever

• The University of Melbourne is paying back millions in stolen wages.
• The workers in the Woolworths distribution center in Wyong have won a huge pay rise and additional safety procedures.
• The workers at a liquor distribution center in are striking for a safer work environment.
• The Spotless Laundry in Dandenong is being shut down after workers walked out over unsafe working conditions.
• The Australian Unemployed Worker’s Union is striking against “mutual obligations”.
• Read the AUWU’s strike demands and guidance here.

Cam Smith chats Qaren

• Bunnings Qaren doesn’t believe in masks.
• Follow Cam Smith on twitter.
• Listen to the Hypothetical Institute podcast.
• Check out the Gather Around Me podcast
• Hear Yeah Nah Pasaran! on 3CR
• Catch Cam spinning tunes on Gippsland FM

Actions

• Join a union. ACTU can help you find which you belong to.
• Support the AUWU and UWU.
• Listen to No Turning Back.

30 — Insufficiently legal

We dissect the media's preferential coverage of the covid crisis, the Labor party response to climate change and how big business is more interested in making money than keeping their workers alive.

 

Media watch

• After getting horny for Premier Dan Andrews, the columnist class are getting wet for Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
• Economics writer the Age wants to force people to lose weight to earn welfare payments.
• The media identified, doxxed and vilified two black women.
• This stands in contrast to the media’s treatment of white people who have broken Covid restrictions.

Climate infiltration

• Joel Fitzgibbon, the Labor party’s Shadow Resources minister, thinks that that Labor party has been infiltrated by the greens.
• The Victorian government has pushed back an update to emission targets, again.

Money problems

• If you withdraw money from your Superannuation, you may not be able to claim Jobkeeper payments.
• JBS Meat Processing, the site of a Covid outbreak, has been caught forcing workers to take annual leave instead of sick leave.
• The Spotless laundry in Dandenong also tried to force workers to work in unsafe conditions. The workers went on strike, and forced Spotless to withdraw it’s complaint with the Fair Work commission.
• Kathryn Campbell, the secretary of the Department of Social Services, says she doesn’t know what Robodebt is. Asher Wolf has the receipts, showing her answering questions about robodebt multiple times in the past.
• Kathryn Campbell was appointed to Julia Gillard, and oversaw the cuts to single mother’s parenting allowances.

Aged care?

• Scott Morrison told aged care providers to open up for visitors “or the commonwealth would get involved”.
• …while withdrawing his own mother from aged care.
• The Federal Government’s own commission into aged care found that funding to aged care is $13-26 billion short of what it should be.
• Federal Health Minsiter Greg Hunt took personal offence at Dan Andrew’s calling out of the running of aged care.

Actions

• Help support the Woolworths Wyong Strike Fund.

29 — The legitimate taking of piss

We chat about the latest round of government handouts to mates, then delve into a blistering rundown of Serco's crimes and coverups.

 

Money for mates

• Parliament is sitting out the pandemic.
• At least six of the “sports rorts” grants approved by Bridget McKenzie’s office didn’t even submit application forms until after they were granted.
• Phil Gaetjens, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister says it is “not a part of ministerial standards to establish if McKenzie acted lawfully.
• Gaetjens only talked to two people for his report into the sports rorts.
• Friend of the pod Angus Taylor awarded $4m to a company with no relevant experience for a power station, and then invited them to apply for the grant.
• The government has given a $10m sports coverage grant to Murdoch.

Covid corner

• Premier Dan Andrews says to respect healthcare workers, but Victorian health workers are still forced to re-apply to their job every 12 months.
• A Centerlink call center was shut down because of Covid cases, and 450 workers sent home without pay.

Serco: They’re bad

• Serco are responsible for providing security for the quarantine hotels linked to the recent outbreaks.
• In June and July of 2020, two indigenous people have died at WA private prisons run by Serco in WA.
• Indigenous people have also died in Serco custody in 2019, 2015, 2011 and 2010.
• In 2018 it was revealed that six female Serco guards were grooming and having sex with detainees.
• In 2017, two Serco guards suspended for a drug smuggling operation.
• Pre-2014, while running transportation for prisons, at least six people died under Serco care, two of who were listed as “natural causes”.
• While running offshore detention facilities, Serco staff have broken bones of of asylum seekers, then covered it up.
• Guards have also had sexual relationships with Christmas Island detainees.
• In 2012 it was revealed they had a training guide for detention center guards which detailed techniques for punches and kicks targeting pressure points.
• In 2011 the government fined Serco $15 million for failing it’s “duty of care” to asylum seekers. This was the maximum amount allowable under the government’s contract.

Nazi corner

• Photos have been leaked of Australian soliders posing with a confederate flag.
• This follow the 2018 release of images of Australian soliders flying a Nazi flag.

Actions

• Listen to Auspol Snackpod
• Luke McGregor’s video explanation of Moderen Monetary Theory is good.
• Sign the petition to Raise the Age of criminal responsibility.
• Donate to Sisters Inside.

28 — Stupid sexy Dandrews

Lockdown horn has infected Australia's pundit class, Albo reckons mines are cool, and we run through the highlights of recent stupid money bullshit.

 

Bushfires for lease

• In Portland, unidentified federal agents are kidnapping people.
• Because of the response to Corona, less can be done in preparation for this year’s bushfire season.
• Australia doesn’t own its own serious bushfire fighting equipement, barring for a single 373 tanker plane.

Climate news

• Anthony Albonese reckons that a coal mine that has been trying to get environmental approval should just go ahead, because they’ve been trying for 13 years.
• Insurance Australia Group, has said they won’t cover farmers who have fracking on their land.
• Lock the Gate is an alliance of farmers who want to stop fracking on their land.
• With gas prices crashing, fracking companies are leaving gas wells to leak instead of fixing them.

Stupid Money Bullshit

• Clive Palmer was charged with fraud by ASIC.
• The Auditor-General’s report on the water buybacks found that “did not use a value for money approach for procurement”.
• Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson wants to spend half a billion on self-care.

War crimes and coverups

• Australian soliders did them.
• This is the kind of reporting that the AFP raided the ABC offices and a News Corp’s journalist’s home last year to cover up.
• The AFP is also making unapproved usage the Clearview AI facial recognition app.

Hot for Premier

• People are getting way too horny for Dan Andrews.
• Masks are mandatory in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from Wednesday, along with new $200 fines.
• Victoria leads the country in fines, and loves to fine poor people.
• Melbourne law firm HWL Ebsworth was determined to keep working from the office, and not work from home “like lemmings”. They are now a Corana cluster.
• The Australian is still trying to pin the Corona outbreak on Black Lives Matter protests.
• Scott Morrison wants to live with the virus.
• The TikTok influencers who pushed the CovidSAFE were paid $600 app and thought they were being employed by the government.

Actions

• Check out Boiling Cold by Peter Milne, a deep dive on the energy industry and climate.
• Wear a mask, but don’t snitch on your neighbours. Kill the cop in your brain.
• Divest your banking and your Superannuation. Look at the big comparison on Market Forces for a guide.

27 —Masks off

We chat about Melbourne's return to city-wide lockdown and the ongoing police presence at the nine inner-city public housing blocks. Then we get personal, talking about our own paths to radical politics.

Lockdowns and masks

• Coronavirus safety information wasn’t translated into non-english languages for months after the outbreak.
• Victorian state government advice has changed to recommend the wearing of masks in situations where you can’t socially distance.
• Hours later Federal Health Minister released an information sheet saying “no”, you don’t need to wear a mask.
• The WHO released guidance a month ago recommending the use of masks.
• NSW Government is going to charge people $3000 to be quarantined in hotels. Commentator Peter Van Onsenlen this this is a good idea.
• The hard lockdown for 7 of the 9 public housing towers is “over”, though still with heavy police presence.

App bad

• App bad.
• The government has no intention to switch to the Google/Apple contact tracing API.
• Business consortium LetUsPlay is trying to get Zoomers to get on the app.

Shoutouts

• Read McLean’s radicalising book, When Did You Last Wash Your Feet by Michael Rosen
• Follow the people reporting from inside the locked-down towers: Tigist Kebede, Ayan Shirwa, Idil Ali and _h1.ba