progressivepodcastaustralia

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.