Charlie Wood is the Campaigns Director at 350.org, an international climate action organisation that are fighting for a future that’s free from fossil fuels.
Here she describes where climate politics is at in these troubling times, how divestment is changing the game, climate scepticism, just how much the fossil fuel industry influences our politics, fear-mongering, how she manages to maintain hope. Charlie explains why Trump might actually be a good thing for the movement and whether or not, actually, for real, we (the human race) are fucked.
Problematic is coming to Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney
Boundless Plains To Share is coming to Adelaide, Brisbane & Melbourne
RISE Refugee's #BlockTheBill campaign
#BlockTheBill Snap Rally this Saturday in Melbourne
Cause of the Week: 350.org
Playwright, Black Comedy writer, tweeter and Aboriginal not-activist Nakkiah Lui joins me for a chat ahead of that ugly date, January 26th. Nakkiah reveals how she and her family mark Invasion Day and we discuss the merits of even having a national day at all.
We also touch on ideological diversity within Indigenous Australia, the "personal responsibility" narrative, deconstructing whiteness, the myth of multiculturalism, Bill Leak and the new TV series we're now going to pitch all over town, Blackfulla Mirror.
Reconciliation Comedy Gala at at the Malthouse Theatre on Invasion Day
Invasion Day Melbourne Event on Facebook
My Work in Progress show starts at Perth Fringeworld next week
Article: Why are we fighting Islamaphobia at the expense of Indigenous Australians? by Sara Saleh
Nakkiah on The Osher Günsberg Podcast
Article: It's not racism that Australia needs to get rid of - it's the privilege of whiteness
Article: As an Aboriginal teen I thought about killing myself every day
Article: Australia Day is a time for mourning not celebration
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Black Is The New White coming to Sydney Theatre Company
An Octoroon coming to Queensland Theatre Company
Cause of the Week: Butucarbin Aboriginal Corporation (butucarbin.org.au)
Lara Jeffery is the director of MyChoice Australia and describes herself as a right-wing libertarian. She's all about pushing back against the "nanny state", reducing the size of government and letting the free market do what it does.
Here we discuss how she came to this worldview and how that plays out in relation to education, healthcare, social justice, housing, smoking, the environment and more. We also cover the legacy of Ayn Rand, claiming the moral ground and Uber.
Boundless Plains To Share is coming to Perth Fringeworld for 2 shows only!
I'm bringing a Work In Progress to Fringeworld from Tuesday January 31st
I'm also touring to Adelaide Fringe, Brisbane Comedy Festival & the Melbourne Comedy Festival
Australian Taxpayers' Alliance forum: Women In Politics
Cause of the Week: Students For Liberty Australia & New Zealand (studentsforliberty.org/anz)
Happy 2017 everyone!
Sally Goldner is the Executive Director of Transgender Victoria, the treasurer of the Bisexual Alliance Victoria and the first ever trans woman to be included on the Victorian Women's Honour Roll.
The Greens MP for Melbourne Adam Bandt joined me for the first ever live instalment of LIASYO.
Recorded in Collingwood on Sunday afternoon at the Easy Street Concert Hall in Collingwood, Melbourne, this discussion examines how Adam, the only Greens MP ever elected to the House of Representatives, is feeling at the end of what has been, largely, a shitty year for progressive causes.
An eternal optimist, Adam picks apart Turnbull's legacy, parliament's effectiveness, Trumpism, neoliberalism, the future of the Greens and how progressives can get better at winning. He even manages to find some good news in all of this.
AND he tells a great story about getting a voicemail from Tony Abbott. AND he tells us what he admires about Christopher Pyne.
This will be the final ep for the year, I'm going to have a break and cry more and drink beer and get sunburnt and think more about the revolution. Never fear: the show shall return in 2017. Thanks for everything, y'all.
My 2017 stand up show Problematic is coming to Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney
Boundless Plains To Share is coming to Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane & Melbourne
Article: When Indigenous Australia becomes entertainment, everybody loses by Jack Latimore
Article: Greens in radical new drug legalisation push by Adam Gartrell
Cause of the Week: Sea Shepherd Australia (seashepherd.org.au)
Nayuka Gorrie returns to unpack Episode 2 of First Contact with me. It's bloody tough going as the episode looks at overcrowded housing and poverty in the NT town of Elliott and survivors of the Stolen Generation.
What does the airing of this show actually mean for Indigenous Australians? Why do some react to the stories of the Stolen Generation with blatant denialism? How can non-Indigenous people (try to) be better allies?
The World Keeps Happening is being filmed for Stan at the Comedy Theatre this Saturday December 3rd
Watch Episode 2 on SBS On Demand here
"It Throws Black People Under The Bus": Black Reactions to First Contact by Nayuka & Paul Gorrie
First Contact: Poverty Porn And Trauma TV, With Bonus Celebrities by Amy McQuire
First Contact interview: Ray Martin
StolenGenerationsTestimonies.com
A story on Richard Campbell's beautiful art is here
Cause of the Week: Indigenous Literacy Foundation (indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au)
Episode 1 of First Contact has arrived.
The kind Nayuka Gorrie joined me for a viewing of the show and to share her thoughts. We discuss #DefineAboriginal, the difficulty in making a show like this and the issues and attitudes it exposes.
Watch Episode 1 on SBS On Demand here
Read my piece for Guardian Australia on the show here
Hear my previous episode with Nayuka here
Check out some discussion of the show from Indigenous voices on the NITV website here
Jamila Rizvi is a writer, commentator, former Labor staffer and political junkie. She was raised in Canberra by her immigrant public service parents, joined the Labor Party at 18 and has worked for the Rudd and Gillard governments.
On the dancefloor at Mardi Gras this year, I met Tim Rosenberger. He is a gay, conservative, Republican law grad from Ohio. And he has supported Donald Trump's candidacy for President of the United States. That candidacy was successful. And now we're here.
Here I have a lengthy chat with Tim via Skype about why he thinks Trump and Pence will be good for LGBTIQ+ Americans, racial politics, "pussy-gate", the electoral college, Clinton, climate change PC, identity politics and much more. I listened. It was hard and frustrating. But useful. I hope. #MAGA
The World Keeps Happening is being filmed for Stan at the Comedy Theatre on Saturday December 3rd
Boundless Plains To Share at Belvoir Theatre in January 2017
Boundless Plains to Share at Adelaide Fringe in February 2017
Article: Aftermath - 16 writers on Trump's America in The New Yorker
Article: Trump warms to Electoral College, 4 Years After Calling it a "Disaster For Democracy"
Article: Trump's Muslim register database - an explainer on Vox
Article: The Democrats are screwing up the resistance to Donald Trump by Jamelle Bouie
Article: Bursting the Facebook bubble - we asked voters on the left and right to swap feeds
Article: Virginia's governor restores voting rights for 13,000 felons
Article: Trump in the White House - an interview with Noam Chomsky
Cause of the Week: Safe Schools Coalition (safeschoolscoalition.org.au), Log Cabin Republicans (logcabin.org)
In these times of uncertainty and fear, I speak to my mum and dad.
Neil and Judy tell me about their political beliefs, the changes they've seen in their lifetime, what they make of the election of Donald Trump and how they think progressive change can happen.
I learnt and laughed a lot. I hope you enjoy it.
The World Keeps Happening is being filmed for Stan at the Comedy Theatre on Saturday December 3rd
Boundless Plains To Share at Belvoir Theatre in January 2017
Boundless Plains to Share at Adelaide Fringe in February 2017
Article: Where the Devil is in the Detail by Julian Burnside
Like I'm A Six-Year-Old LIVE! with Adam Bandt, Sunday December 4th
Article: Stop asking me to empathize with the white working class by Kali Holloway
Article: Neoliberalism: the deep story that lies beneath Donald Trump's triumph by George Monbiot
Article: We need to understand why Trump won to stop it happening again by Osman Faruqi
Cause of the Week: Amnesty International (amnesty.org.au)
It happened. Donald J. Trump is going to be the next President of the United States.
I am very sad.
I don't know about you, but I want to help. I want to make things better.
Support queer rights by donating to allout.org
Support refugees by donating to UNHCR Australia
Support the fight against climate change by donating to 350.org
Support gender equality by donating to Emily's List Australia
The Republic Repeals Itself by Andrew Sullivan
It was the rise of the Davos class that sealed America's fate by Naomi Klein
The Terrorists Have Won - Keith Olbermann
The US has elected its most dangerous leader. We all have plenty to fear by Jonathan Freedland
Stephen Colbert tries to make sense of all this
Nur Warsame is Australia's first openly gay imam.
Yep.
He's an incredible man with a fascinating story that I think is really important to hear. If you're like me and want to call out and stand up against any religious bigotry towards queer people BUT you also don't want to pile on to the current shitstorm of Islamophobia that's swirling around this country at the moment, there's a lot to be learnt here from Nur. Here we discuss his journey to coming out publicly, what that decision has cost him, how he reconciles his faith with his sexuality and how we can have better conversations about critiquing Islam and certain oppressive cultural attitudes.
The World Keeps Happening is being filmed for Stan at the Comedy Theatre on Saturday December 3rd
Boundless Plains To Share at Belvoir Theatre in January 2017
Boundless Plains to Share at Adelaide Fringe in February 2017
Meet Australia's First Openly Gay Imam on SBS's The Feed
Article: Nur Warsame: Australia's First Openly Gay Imam
Article: The secret mosques opening their doors to LGBTI Muslims
Nur on SBS's Insight: How Do People Make High Stakes Decisions?
Fields of Blood: Religion & The History of Violence by Karen Armstrong
Article: Half of all British Muslims think homosexuality should be illegal, poll finds
Cause of the Week: Marhaba (@marhaba_Melb)
Activist, writer, engineer, motoring enthusiast and outspoken young Muslim woman of colour Yassmin Abdel-Magied is kicking arse on multiple levels right now and I felt very lucky indeed to have this opportunity to chat with her.
Earlier this year, Yassmin sparked a large controversy in the literary world when she walked out on author Lionel Shriver's speech on cultural appropriation at the Brisbane Writers Festival. Here she reflects on that experience and further explores her thoughts on why an awareness of what cultural appropriation is and how it works is important.
Last week's guest Gay Alcorn had a different take on this subject; you can listen back to that episode here.
The World Keeps Happening is being filmed for Stan at the Comedy Theatre on Saturday December 3rd
Boundless Plains To Share at Belvoir Theatre in January 2017
The Greens' petition against the lifetime visa ban for people seeking asylum
Why does my headscarf mean to you? Yassmin's TED talk
Lionel Shriver's speech in full: I hope the concept of cultural appropriation is a passing fad
I walked out of the Brisbane Writers Festival keynote address this is why by Yassmin Abdel-Magied
What happened in Brisbane by Suki Kim
Identity politics doesn't deserve Lionel Shriver's contempt, but it can be limiting by Nesrine Malik
Will the Left survive the Millenials? by Lionel Shriver
A call for difficult conversations not censorship by Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Why the shaming of Lionel Shriver leads to a literary ghetto by Anson Cameron
Confronting Lionel Shriver by Maxine Beneba Clarke
White Fragility: why it's so hard to talk to white people about racism by Dr. Robin DiAngelo
White Nonsense Round Up on Facebook
Cause of the Week: Mumtaza (mumtaza.agency)
Gay Alcorn has been a journalist for over 25 years. She's been a Washington correspondent, edited The Sunday Age, won three Walkley Awards and is now the Melbourne editor for Guardian Australia.
I wanted to talk with Gay about a whole many things (we began by talking about this week's 4Corners report on the refugee children of Nauru and the roles and biases of journalism), but the bulk of our chat became focussed on the notion of "political correctness": the nature of our public discourse, section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, identity politics and cultural appropriation.
Gay describes herself as a progressive person but is a staunch advocate of the freedom of speech and has concerns about the way we go about talking with each other. Is it now longer possible for us to "reasonably disagree"?
This piece by Gay on PC is the basic starting point for our chat, I'd recommend reading that first before listening here. We also got on to Lionel Shriver's speech at the Brisbane Writer's Festival and the ensuing furore; this will also be the focus of next week's episode with Yassmin Abdel-Magied.
Boundless Plains To Share at Belvoir Theatre in January 2017
Gay's writing at Guardian Australia
The Media's Moment of Truth by Frank Bruni
Hunt For The Radical Centre: Confronting Welfare Dependency by Noel Pearson
The Pacific Solution's brutal fact: we need it by Jonathan Holmes
Those fighting offshore detention don't need all the answers by me
Section 18C Explainer: What is it, and why do some politicians want it changed? by Luke McNamara
Cause of the Week: Guardian Australia (theguardian.com/au), Oxfam Australia (oxfam.org.au)
TIME TO MEET ANOTHER HERO, EVERYONE! Shen Narayanasamy is the Human Rights Campaign Director at GetUp!. She's an outspoken activist for refugee and migrant rights who is seriously shaking shit up at the moment and she was nice enough to explain to me why (and how) she's doing it.
From her Di Gribble address on "The Great Immigration Con" to taking on the private companies that are complicit in human rights abuses through the operation of offshore detention centres to the task of defeating the philosophy behind the "detention regime" in its totality, I reckon this is a really illuminating and (mildly) hopeful discussion.
Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017
Walk Together 2016 is happening THIS SATURDAY October 22nd
ABC's Q&A: Australia's Sovereign Borders
Article: Burning The Stakeholders by Chloe Hooper
Article: Lunch with lawyer and asylum seeker advocate Shen Narayanasamy
GetUp!'s #BringThemHere campaign
Cause of the Week: No Business In Abuse (nobusinessinabuse.org)
He used to co-host Australian Idol but this year James Mathison ran against former prime minister Tony Abbott for the federal seat of Waringah as an independent.
In this chat James explains why he decided to run, his frustrations with the current political deadlock in Australia, the limitations of election campaigns and his predictions of a new progressive movement on the horizon.
Plus he shamelessly advertises Coke.
Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017
Comedy 4 Karma in Daylesford, Saturday October 15th
I'll be appearing in season 2 of SBS's First Contact in November
Walk Together 2016 is happening on Saturday October 22nd
#OurBrothersOurSisters on raisely.com
Me on Guardian's Token podcast
Me on Brendon Burns' Dumb White Guy podcast, Part 1 // Part 2
Article: CEOs bank on bonuses as average Australian worker left to flounder
Article: We're two-faced about 'wasting' money on welfare
Article: James Mathison wants to create a new progressive political movement to target the far right
Article: Thoughts on Junket 2016
Article: Leaked UNHCR report - Manus Island's world's worst
Cause of the Week: Barnados (barnados.org.au)
22-year-old student Brendan Busch is angry and frustrated about Australian racism and denial, particularly in relation to First Nations peoples.
He's spoken out against Andrew Bolt receiving a platform at the 2016 Festival of Dangerous Ideas and garnered some media attention last month when he offered to give away his Falls Festival ticket to anyone who could prove they had convinced radio station triple j to change the date of their massive annual song countdown, the Hottest 100, from "Australia Day" on January 26th.
Here Brendan (eloquently) explains his thinking and the ideas behind the #changethedate movement, reacts to the subsequent response from triple j and the public and discusses the murky distinctions between the expression of "challenging views" and hate speech, holding our public institutions to account and how we balance the importance of calling out racism with the goal of actually changing people's minds.
Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017
Comedy 4 Karma in Daylesford, Saturday October 15th
Footage of Andrew Bolt's session at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas
Article: triple j Hottest 100 Man Starts Competition to Change The Date
Article: Briggs Reckons triple j Should Change The Hottest 100 Date
triple j statement: triple j's Hottest 100 is staying on January 26...for now. And here's why.
January 26th by A.B. Original on YouTube
change.org petition: triple j, change the date of the Hottest 100
Article: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard To Talk To White People About Racism
Cause of the Week: Clinton's Walk For Justice (clintonswalkforjustice.org), on StartSomeGood, on FB
Comedian Josie Long makes me feel better about the world. She is a ball of delightful, charming and passionate energy whose comedy is hilarious and socially conscious and life-affirming.
In this chat, recorded backstage at the lovely Soho Theatre, Josie and I chat about how she became more politically active, the trickiness of “helping” in the right way, the UK Labour leadership, austerity, art, privilege and voting for what you believe in.
Plus a few Kurt Vonnegut quotes for good measure.
Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017
The Little Dum Dum Club LIVE in Adelaide
Hope In The Dark by Rebecca Solnit
Cause of the Week: Arts Emergency (arts-emergency.org)
Backstage at the Soho Theatre I got to sit down with journalist Johann Hari to discuss how the media corrupts our public debate, Australian television and his powerful book, Chasing the Scream: The First & Last Days of the Drug War.
What is addiction? Why is the drug war still continuing? What is it costing us? Is there a better way?
Article: Half of all Australians want to ban Muslim immigration, says poll
Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017
Andrew Denton's podcast series for the Wheeler Centre, Better Off Dead
Johann's TED Talk: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong
A Small Book About Drugs by Lisa Pryor
Cause of the Week: Unharm (unharm.org)
Finally! An actual new ep!
And what an ep it is. Comedian, writer and broadcaster Nish Kumar hosts topical comedy show Newsjack on the BBC and has been twice nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award. He writes very smart, politically charged comedy and his laugh is glorious to behold.
Here Nish and I discuss the current "spicy meatball" of a political period the UK is experiencing. From the concept of "right-wing comedy" to post-Brexit xenophobia to Jeremy Corbyn to Jo Cox to Trump to Hanson, this has got everything you've been craving.
The World Keeps Happening at the Soho Theatre
Campaign for Australian Aid’s Comedy Gala Who The Bloody Hell Are We?
Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017
Article: Brexit: a disaster decades in the making by Gary Younge
Fences: A Brexit Diary by Zadie Smith
Article: No one told me to go home for 16 years then we voted for Brexit by Nish Kumar
Video: What can a satirist do with our post-truth politics? by Nish Kumar
Cause of the Week: We Love Immigration: A Comedy Night for Migrant Rights Network, Help Refugees UK (helprefugees.org.uk)
Just a small message to say that this podcast is still happening and everything, I just got distracted and tired and drunk at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Sorry lol.
New episodes coming soon!
The World Keeps Happening is at London's Soho Theatre from September 12th
Campaign for Australian Aid's Comedy Gala Who The Bloody Hell Are We?
Thank youse.
In a week of Sonia Kruger and Pauline Hanson nonsense, let's talk to someone who's actually doing something GOOD for immigrants and refugees and people of colour.
David Manne is a human rights lawyer and the Executive Director of Refugee Legal (formerly the Refugee Immigration Legal Centre or RILC). He's passionate about helping people who ask our country for - and are deserving of - legal protection.
David gave me the lowdown on the Australian refugee crisis as he sees it: where we're at, what laws we're breaking, just how generous we are and what should (and can) happen next - an immediate evacuation of people languishing in our offshore detention centres.
You can catch me at the Splendour In The Grass Comedy Club
Comedy Central's Roast Battle @ JFL 2016
The World Keeps Happening at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Five facts to fight Sonia Kruger's fear of Muslims by Jamila Rizvi
Human Rights with Philip Ruddock - The Wheeler Centre's Fifth Estate Podcast
Cause of the Week: Refugee Legal (rilc.org.au)
It's episode 69 so let's talk about LOVE.
Writer and philosopher Alain de Botton is in the country to promote his (brilliant) new book The Course of Love: an exploration of the confusing ideas romanticism serves up for us. He thinks love is a serious matter indeed and one worth examining closely, and in this chat we talk about its effects, its position in our hard-wiring and its many forms.
Also, in the wake of Brexit and Trump, Alain reflects on how emotional intelligence might better inform our public debate.
You can catch me at the Splendour In The Grass Comedy Club
The World Keeps Happening at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Article: "Classwashing" Australia's racism problem won't make it disappear by Ruby Hamad
Video: In Praise of Short-Term Love
Cause of the Week: The School of Life (schooloflife.com - Sydney, Melbourne)
How about that election, hey?!?!?!?!
As the votes continue to be counted and we all wait to see what happens next, half of the brilliant Something Wonky podcast Jeremy Sear joined me to discuss what it all means. He told me how he came to be a progressive person, negative gearing, tax cuts, Hanson, the plebiscite, humanising politicians and a whole new way of thinking about our electoral system. Good times!
The World Keeps Happening at the Sydney Comedy Store, July 9th
You can catch me at the Splendour In The Grass Comedy Club
The World Keeps Happening at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Article: AEC Admit They've Lost Count And Will Have To Start Again by The Backburner
Cause of the Week: Refugee Legal (rilc.org.au)
I’m back! And the election is upon us! Before the big day, I sat down with Jason Ball, the Greens candidate for the seat of Higgins. Some polling suggests the Liberal Party’s primary vote has fallen sharply and the blue ribbon seat could change hands on Saturday, which would be, to put it mildly, fucking remarkable.
Here Jason explains why he thinks he could be in with a shot, what it’s like to be involved in such a campaign, how progressive Australia really is, homophobia in the AFL and in wider society, some of his run-ins with potential voters and whether he’d actually be ready to be an MP if he actually wins.
The World Keeps Happening at the Sydney Comedy Store, July 9th
You can catch me at the Splendour In The Grass Comedy Club
The World Keeps Happening at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Stand Up 4 Orlando at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
Article: The Battle for the Electorate of Higgins by Vice magazine
Article: Greens candidate Jason Ball hits back at homophobic graffiti
Please vote good and proper! Head to aec.gov.au for all the info about the election
Cause of the Week: beyondblue (beyondblue.org.au)