Archive for March, 2014

Episode 51: March Against the Un-Western Australian Victorian Anti-Protest Laws

Posted: March 30, 2014 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
3

Image from March in March.

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on Stitcher, Cyber Ears or download it on MediaFire (27MB).

On this episode we do a recap of the Australia-wide March in March against the Abbott government. We discuss the international coverage of the marches, the lack of Australian media coverage, the positives of bringing a diverse range of issues together, and the next steps for the movement.

We have an interview with Nicola Paris from Counteract about the Summary Offences Act – a new anti-protest bill introduced in Victoria. She discusses activists being removed from parliament as the bill is introduced, how the laws have been introduced in reaction to successful direct action campaigns including the #tunnelpicket actions and anti-coal seam gas mining protests, and the importance of direct action in bringing about change. Nicola is interviewed by Karun Cowper and Alex Whisson from Indymedia and Occupy Perth.

The episode features Katie calling her local Liberal Senator’s office, challenging their use of the term “illegal boats” in relation to asylum seekers. She is informed that the UK is landlocked and the UN just has a sad at everyone. Also covered is the upcoming federal Senate re-election in Western Australia, how now we’ll be accused of being un-Western Australian, as well as un-Australian, Federal Agricultural Minister Barnaby Joyce claims Australia is a classless society, our how-to-vote for the election, Newtown High students question Abbott and join the March in March, Abbott wants knights and dames re-introduced to Australia, and horizontal dancing.

This episode is brought to you by Emily (“I can’t believe we’ve actually got a listener in Perth!”). We encourage people to follow Emily on Twitter. Thanks a lot to Emily for becoming a member of our show – you can become a member and sponsor an episode too!

Clips:

9 News ‘Thousands Gather for March in March Protest’, Wil Wagner ‘Bicycles, Muscles, Ciggarettes’, Aria McCarthy-Lochner ‘Tony Abbott Questioned by Newtown High Students’, Austin Powers, ABC Fact Check ‘Tony Abbott incorrect on asylum seekers breaking Australian law’, Nicola Paris interviewed by Karun Cowper and Alex Whisson from Indymedia, Frank Turner ‘Sons of Liberty’.

You can listen to a short (10 minute) version of this episode, which features Katie’s call to the Liberal party, here: The UK is Landlocked, Liberal Senator’s Office Reveals. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

Episode 50: Join Us in Marching Against the ‘Puppets of Corporate Interests’*

Posted: March 11, 2014 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

The image above is from March in March.

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on Stitcher, Cyber Ears or download it on MediaFire (31MB).

On this episode we cover the March in March protests, which are expressing a vote of no confidence in the Abbott government. These protests are taking place all around Australia from March the 15th to the 17th. We’re joined by Tim Jones, national co-ordinator of March in March, who discusses why we need these marches, the way they are not tied to a particular political party or other group, how people who weren’t previously politically active are getting involved in the marches, and the importance of getting out from behind computer screens and onto the streets. Tim also recommends that people check out Ted Mack’s Henry Parkes Oration. You can find a March in March near you here. For more critiques of the policies of the Abbott government, you can listen to our 49th episode and our 39th episode.

Before we go to the interview with Tim, we discuss deaths in immigration detention in the UK and Australia, the viral speech from Greens politician Scott Ludlam, “inspiring” stuff from the Courier Mail on the Abbott government, and the Liberal Party continue to lie about asylum seekers being illegal, even though it is them who are breaking the law when it comes to their policies towards asylum seekers. We cover the upcoming federal Senate re-election in Western Australia and Labor not giving their preferences to the Greens, Scott Ludlam speaking out against the TPP agreement, and why we’re voting in this election (see episode 36, part 2 for an in-depth discussion on arguments for and against voting). You can view our Progressive Podcast Australia how to vote for the election here – please let us know if you have any feedback on this (even if you’re not in WA).

This episode is brought to you by Kieran (‘Hello there’). Thanks a lot to Kieran for becoming a member of our show – you can become a member and sponsor an episode too!

Clips:

Scott Ludlam ‘Welcomes Tony Abbott to WA’, Onsind ‘BA77’, Peep Show ‘Series 1, Episode 4’, Austin Powers, The IT Crowd ‘Series 2, Episode 1’, Interview with Tim Jones on the March in March protests, Logic ft. Lowkey & Renee Soul ‘I Wish’.

*This is a quote from Tim Jones, from the interview.

You can listen to a short (9 minute) version of this episode, which features a shortened version of the interview with Tim Jones, here: Join Us in Marching Against the Abbott Government. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

Episode 49: Proudly Against the Liberal Party – Because People Need Welfare*

Posted: March 10, 2014 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
4

*This title is in reaction to the horrible bumper sticker from the Young Liberals pictured above. The picture is from Aussies Against the Abbott Government.

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on Stitcher, Cyber Ears or download it on MediaFire (23MB).

‘What’s Grinding Our Gears This Week’ is the cuts to Centrelink from the conservative Abbott government currently in power in Australia. We talk about our own experiences with Centrelink, the Liberal party getting policy advice on welfare from super-rich mining magnate Gina Rinehart, Tony Abbott wanting to ban the dole for people under 30 and we defend welfare against criticisms from some anarchists, drawing on anarchist Noam Chomsky. We also discuss some important critiques of the One Billion Rising movement, the global feminist movement that we covered on episodes 46 and 47.

This episode is brought to you by Jen “the hen” – who may (or may not) like The Wire. You can hear Jen discuss animal rights and intersectionality on episode 48. Thanks a lot to Jen for becoming a member of our show – you can become a member and sponsor an episode too!

Clips:

Dead Prez ‘Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)’, Family Guy, Austin Powers, Peep Show ‘Series 2, Episode 4’, The Unseen ‘Social Security’.

You can listen to a short (7 minute) version of this episode, which features our discussion on cuts to welfare from the Abbott government, here: Proudly Against The Liberal Party, Because People Need Welfare. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.