This guy is a gun. At just 22 years old, Tim Lo Surdo has advised federal senators and worked at everywhere from the Oaktree Foundation to the Australian Youth Climate Change Coalition to UN Youth to the United Voice union.
He's now set up an advocacy group called Democracy in Colour: an advocacy group dedicated to combating racism in Australian politics. It's a fascinating project, and here Tim outlines his personal experiences of racism, the realities of racism and the politics of fear in Australia today, the Left's failures to combat such racism and how white allies can help (in the right way).
Problematic is coming to Sydney for 4 shows only at the Sydney Comedy Festival
And it's now on sale for Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017
Cause of the Week: Democracy In Colour (on Facebook; @democracycolour)
100 episodes, everyone! We bloody made it. Gosh.
Thanks so much for getting onboard with this little show. I love doing it and hope you get something out of each episode. I've learnt so much talking to all the guests on the show over the past two years and hope to keep doing it for as along as I can.
I can think of no better way to celebrate the century than with a live show at The Wheeler Centre with the national director of GetUp!, Paul Oosting.
In this chat, recorded in front of a "sold-out crowd" (it was free, but still - pretty cool) as part of the Centre's Invasion of the Pod People series on Monday March 27th, Paul and I discuss what GetUp! is all about and how things are looking for progressives in this country at the moment. From the far-right's influence on the government to 18C to campaign finance reform to the crucial difference between viewing the electorate as "disenfranchised" as opposed to "disengaged", this is a really interesting and relevant discussion for now.
PLUS we brainstorm about how to stop Dutton getting elected.
A big thanks to Paul for flying down from Sydney just for the show and Helen and everyone at The Wheeler Centre for their help in making this happen.
Here's to 100 more!
Problematic is coming to Sydney for 4 shows only at the Sydney Comedy Festival
I'm doing one show only of Boundless Plains To Share this Saturday April 22nd at 5pm
I was in the 2017 MICF Great Debate: watch it on iView here
Here's my spot at the MICF Allstars Gala
My special The World Keeps Happening is streaming on Stan Australia now
Article: Here's the race hate scare campaign to Liberal marginal electorates
Article: The Left's foreign donors by Eric Abetz
Article: GetUp! army spurs for conservative foil
Cause of the Week: GetUp! (getup.org.au)
James Paterson has been a Victorian senator for the Liberal Party for just over a year now. He's been making a name for himself as a passionate advocate for freedom of speech in regards to the reforming of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and by proposing that Australia help deal with its debt problem by selling off Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles.
Here the Senator and I talk about our first meeting years ago, his position as something of a political anomaly within his own family, why he's so strident on 18C, racism, offshore detention and corporate tax cuts.
Stand Up For Mehdi at MICF 2017 - only a handful of tickets left!
Problematic begins at MICF 2017 this week
Boundless Plains To Share is at MICF for one show only on Saturday April 22nd
My piece for The Guardian: Politically incorrect comedy can work - if the audience gets it
My piece for The Saturday Paper: Satire, free speech and Mehdi Savari
Article: The Senate blocks the government's changes to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act
Article: Even among Australians worried about political correctness 18C is not a big issue
Article: A history of Section 18C and the Racial Discrimination Act
Article: 18C Debate is not over say both Liberal Senator and Labor MP
Senator Paterson's first speech
Senator Paterson's speech on 18C
Article: What is Section 18C and why do some politicians want it changed
Article: An inconvenient truth gets in the way of the company tax cut chants
Joint Human Rights Committee report into Freedom of Speech in Australia
Article: Doctors freed to speak about Australia's detention regime after U-Turn
Article: 'Voodoo economics' lie at the heart of Scott Morrison's budget
Article: There is no such thing as trickle-down economics
Article: 10 reasons why the company tax cut is a really bad idea
Article: Australia doesn't need to chase Donald Trump on corporate tax cuts
Article: Company profits surge as wages fall
Cause of the Week: Soldier On (soldieron.org.au)