Brad Chilcott is a highly-principled pragmatist. A progressive pastor, political activist and founder of super-cool outfit Welcome To Australia, I've come to know Brad over the last couple of years and find him to be an extremely inspiring dude.
Here we have a big fat yarn about how his faith has informed his life and his activism, what he's learnt from his son Harrison's battles with ill health, the luxury of dismissing things as "politics", his criticisms of the progressive left and the story of and idea behind WTA.
The World Keeps Happening is in Adelaide now, coming to Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF 2016
My tour blog for TheMusic.com.au
Me and my fellow hosts covering the 2016 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras for SBS
Article: I Donated A Kidney To My Son - Don't Tell Me Not To Make It Political
Article on Brad and boat turnbacks at the Labor conference
Cause of the Week: Food 4 Education (food4education.org)
You probably know Corinne Grant best from her comedic work on Rove, skitHOUSE or The Glass House. She’s been passionate about social justice and politics all her life but has recently made the decision to get her law degree and get her hands dirty for what she believes in.
Here we discuss Sophie Mirabella, unions, how she tried (and failed) to marry her comedy with her politics, the Glass House and ABC bias, the disappointments of Labor, writing speeches for Julia Gillard, Australians and their apathy and refugee rights. We also reflected on a difference of opinion we had a few years ago surrounding gay male comedians and misogyny.
The World Keeps Happening is in Adelaide now, coming to Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF 2016
Minus 18's 2016 Same Sex Formal & Gender Diverse Formal
Mums4Refugees sing "Age Of Reason" to say #LetThemStay
Article: Let Them Stay Thousands Turn Up To Rallies But Millions Turn Their Backs
I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy's Golden Era
Corinne's piece on gay male comedians and misogyny; my response
Cause of the Week: The Fitzroy Legal Service (fitzroy-legal.org.au), on Facebook here
Episode 50 you guys!
Senator Scott Ludlam is a Greens Senator for Western Australia. He’s co-deputy leader for the party and its spokesperson for issues such as communications, housing, mining and nuclear power.
Whilst in Perth I chatted with Scott about everything from DJing to his viral hit speech to the cult of personality to his journey into politics to why he’s a “Senate nerd”. Plus the issues that drive his passions: nuclear disarmament, digital rights, Julian Assange, our shitty foreign policies, the TPP, the NBN and the possibility of a Greens government.
The World Keeps Happening coming to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne AND NOW SYDNEY!
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF 2016
Gimme Shelter: a fundraiser for Road to Refuge
#LetThemStay
No Shame: Why Most Australians Feel Okay About Tormenting Asylum Seekers
Scott’s blog: fieldnotes.org.au
Julian Assange found to be unlawfully detained by UN
Article: Foreign policy that blindly follows the US isn’t in our national interest
CAUSE OF THE WEEK: Save Beeliar Wetlands (savebeeliarwetlands.com), Rethink The Link (rethinkthelink.com.au)
January 26th is upon us again!
To reflect on the issues of blind nationalism and patriotism that Australia/Invasion/Survival Day (of Mourning) throws up, here's a slice of Stan Grant's speech on racism and my conversation with artist Jim Coad, the man behind the Castlemaine civil event named "Chuck another flag on the barbie?".
The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF
IQ2 Debate: Racism is destroying the Australian Dream
Australia Day is a time for mourning, not celebration by Nakkiah Lui
The problem with Australia Day by Martin Flanagan
Chuck another flag on the barbie? on Facebook
#proudest100
Cause of the Week: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au)
Mohammad Ali Baqiri is a former refugee who came to Australia by sea as a child. He spent three years in Australian immigration detention on Nauru.
Here he kindly shares his story with me and explains what it's really like to be a "boat person".
The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF
Article: Burning the Stakeholders
Cause of the Week: Road to Refuge (roadtorefuge.com)
Gimme Shelter! A Road To Refuge Fundraiser
Fiona Patten is a former lobbyist for the sex industry, she's the founder and leader of the Australian Sex Party and she was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 2014 as the member for the Northern Metropolitan Region.
Fiona is passionate about civil liberties and honest conversations about everything from sex to drugs to voluntary euthanasia. We had a great ol' time talking and laughing about sex work (and her personal experience with it), porn, the history of Fyshwick, abortion clinic buffer zones and more.
Midsumma Hypothetical - 2022: A Queer Odyssey
The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF
Cause of the Week: Harm Reduction Victoria (hrvic.org.au)
Paul Farrell is a Guardian Australia journalist who writes about juicy stuff like national security, privacy and immigration. He’s concerned with what our government does and doesn’t let us know.
In this conversation Paul and I discuss Freedom Of Information, data retention, whistle-blowing, what’s happening inside Australia’s detention centres and the shocking truth behind Channel Nine’s Border Security.
The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF
Paul's writings at Guardian Australia
Cause of the Week: Open Australia Foundation (openaustraliafoundation.org.au)
James Fry is a writer whose debut novel, That Fry Boy, tells the story of his journey from a normal happy childhood to a violent white supremacist (and back again).
James kindly shared his story with me and we discuss what lessons it might hold for the current conversation about the radicalisation of young men by Muslim extremists.
Boundless Plains To Share at MICF 2016
The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld
Waleed Aly's editorial, ISIS Is Weak
Cause of the Week: Medicine Sans Frontier (msf.org.au)
My chat with the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby continues.
Things get heated as Lyle and I discuss the ACL's objections to the Safe Schools program and how we educate young people about sexual and gender diversity.
My Radio National documentary, How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Gay Bomb
The World Keeps Happening tour 2016
Cause of the Week: Alliance for Gambling Reform (pokiesplayyou.org.au)
Here's a quick taste of the in-depth radio investigation I put together for ABC Radio National.
In the mid-1990s, the US Air Force considered investing $7.5 million in the development of a 'Gay Bomb'—a chemical weapon designed to alter the enemy's sexual orientation.
When out-and-proud comedian Tom Ballard saw this story being referenced on one of his favourite TV shows, he thought it was hilarious. When he found out that it actually happened, he was gobsmacked.
So Tom decides to do some digging… and finds out a lot more than he bargained for.
After finally receiving security clearance from the very highest echelons of the American military, he can now officially bring you this unbelievable story: a story of political intrigue, secrets, betrayal, death and sex; a story that proves once and for all that truth is always stranger than fiction.
Listen and download the piece in full here
Merry Christmas everyone! To remind us all of the reason for the season, who better to talk to than the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Lyle Shelton.
The ACL is a significant political force in Australian politics and Lyle and his team are active and determined about advocating on public policy issues from a faith perspective, from life issues to same-sex marriage to Australia's treatment of refugees.
In the first part of this polite but passionate conversation, Lyle and I discussed the role faith should play in politics, evidence, reason, marriage, parenting and gender.
The iTunes Top Podcasts of 2015
The World Keeps Happening tour 2016
A "reality check" for the Regenerus study on gay parenting
Cause of the Week: ChilOut Sydney fundraiser at Giant Dwarf Theatre
Activist Ali Hogg is the Victorian convenor of national marriage equality campaign Equal Love. She's proudly radically progressive and she's been leading the call for same-sex marriage in Australia for over a decade.
In this chat Ali talked me through her progressive upbringing, her personal experiences with homophobia, the Socialist Alternative, the next steps in the equal marriage debate, the ethics of protest and that time she charged into a restaurant on Lygon Street to confront former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
My 2016 show The World Keeps Happening touring to Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane & Melbourne
ChilOut Sydney fundraiser at Giant Dwarf Theatre
Students stage a protest during Q&A
Article: Abbott not gay about dinner ambush
Cause of the Week: Equal Love (equallove.info)
David Marr is a self-described "bourgeois do-gooder". He's written for Fairfax Media, The Monthly, The Saturday Paper and Guardian Australia, appeared on Q&A, The Drum and Insiders and is the author of multiple in-depth profiles for the Quarterly Essay.
In this second part of our chat, I ask David to outline the complex and bleak politics surrounding our policies towards refugees. Why are we so terrified of the boats? Why do our politicians stoke those fears? Is there any possibility of a solution?
Part One of my conversation with David
A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas
My 2016 stand-up show The World Keeps Happening at the Brisbane Comedy Festival
Dark Victory by David Marr and Marian Wilkinson
Cause of the Week: Doctors Without Borders (doctorswithoutborders.org)
Respected journalist and MORTAL ENEMY OF GERARD HENDERSON (not really), David Marr is a self-described "bourgeois do-gooder". He's written for Fairfax Media, The Monthly, The Saturday Paper and Guardian Australia, appeared on Q&A, The Drum and Insiders and is the author of multiple in-depth profiles for the Quarterly Essay.
In this first part of our conversation, David tells me about who Bill Shorten is, Labor and the unions, why Australia is so late to progress, drugs, conservatism and right-wing commentators. Hot dang!
A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas
David's writing for Guardian Australia
David's writing for The Saturday Paper
David's Faction Man: Bill Shorten's Path To Power
Cause of the Week: Maternity Worldwide (maternityworldwide.org)
Peter Reith was a member of John Howard's cabinet from 1996 to 2001. He served as Minister for Small Business, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Defence. He's perhaps best known for formulating the GST policy and his roles in the 1998 waterfront dispute and the "children overboard" scandal.
Peter's just released The Reith Papers, an annotated collection of his diary entries during his time in government. Here we got to discuss (and occasionally lock horns over) the notion of humanising politicians, the recent Paris attacks, military action in the Middle East, Australia's approach to processing refugees and the role of unions in today's society.
Me in conversation with Darren Hanlon for MyTunes at Giant Dwarf Theatre
A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas
The Reith Papers available from Melbourne University Press
Peter on ABC News Breakfast with Virginia Trioli
Cause of the Week: Enterprise Victoria (enterprisevictoria.com.au), the French Red Cross (soutenir.croix-rouge.fr)
Comedian, writer and activist Aamer Rahman jokes about race and detention centres and terrorism and hip-hop and comic books and cultural appropriation. Formerly of the comedy duo Fear Of A Brown Planet (with previous guest Nazeem Hussain), he now tours his stand-up internationally being very funny and very on-point.
Here Aamer articulates how the Adam Goodes controversy sums up the issues of Australia's race problem, how he views the impact of his work, cultural appropriation, Iggy Azalea, ethnic faces on TV, Bill Maher, Cornel West and political correctness in comedy.
My gigs at the Comics’ Lounge this week
MyTunes with me and Darren Hanlon at Giant Dwarf Theatre
The A to Z of LGBT: my piece for SBS Sexuality
Article: What Adam Goodes’ Invisible Spear Shows Us by Aamer Rahman
Aamer’s Reverse Racism routine
Buzzfeed article on Aamer and the Bollywood Industry Party
Cause of the Week: Refugees, Survivors & Ex-Detainees (riserefugee.org)
Here's a live panel on where the jolly hell Australian politics is heading at the moment, recorded at This Is Not Art 2015 in Newcastle, as part of Critical Animals. The panel featured myself, Labor Senator Sam Dastyari and academic Professor James Arvanitakis and was moderated by Alice Workman from triple j's Hack program.
We discussed political leadership, immigration, marriage equality and titles.
Critical Animals is a creative research symposium held annually as a part of tINA; find out more at criticalanimals.com.
My episode of Q&A in Toowoomba
The National Young Writers' Festival
At just 33, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young already has eight years of experience serving as a Greens Senator for South Australia in the federal parliament. Once a protégé of Bob Brown’s, Sarah now holds the portfolios of Immigration & Citizenship, LGBTI rights and Youth, Early Childhood Education & Childcare for the Greens.
In this chat, recorded just before Sarah took to the stage at a Rally for Refugees in Melbourne, we discuss the future of her party, her path from student politician to youthful senate candidate, the 2009 CTRS decision, party donations and the horrible shit she’s seen in her visits to offshore detention centres.
The Sydney Just For Laughs Stand Up Series
Danny Bhoy at the State Theatre In Sydney
Article: Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young partied at Mardis Gras with taxpayer money
Sarah on The Chaser's The Hamster Decides
Cause of the Week: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au), No Business In Abuse (nobusinessinabuse.org)
It's been almost a year since a magistrate gave whistleblower Freya Newman a two-year good behaviour bond for “unauthorized access to information” under the NSW Crimes Act. Her leaking of private information about Frances Abbott, the prime minister’s daughter, receiving a $60,000 undeclared scholarship at the Whitehouse Institute, a private design school, ignited a furious public debate about privacy, privilege and the public’s right to know.
At the National Young Writer’s Festival in Newcastle, I got to sit down with Freya and asked her to reflect on exactly how it all happened, what it’s like to be in the centre of a media shitstorm, the failings of the media’s handling of the issue, gaps in the law and whether or not she holds any regrets about the whole episode.
RJ Mitte event at the Athenaeum Theatre
My shows at the Republic Bar in Hobart, Fresh Comedy in Launceston
Rally for Refugees this Sunday October 11th
Article on Freya: The Whistleblower
Cause of the Week: Students Support The Aboriginal Communities (on FB), Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation (dumbartungaboriginalcorporation.org), Kyol Blakeney for Cleo Bachelor of the Year
After another bit of a delay and SOME JOLLY CRAZY HAPPENINGS in Australian politics, we’re back. Hello.
Erik Jensen is the definition of “precocious”. He’s in his mid-twenties and he’s already won a Walkley Award and he’s responsible for the launch and editing the highly-respected Saturday Paper – a weekly, centrist newspaper dedicated to long-form narrative journalism.
Plus he’s written a critically-acclaimed biography of artist Adam Cullen, he likes cool music and is very funny. What an arsehole.
In this chat Erik tells me about his beginnings in and passion for journalism, the over-arching philosophy behind TSP, the media and bias, the Abbott government’s “paucity of ideas”, leaks and opinion polls and just where things might go with Malcolm Turnbull as our new Prime Minister.
My blog on Just For Laughs & Edinburgh Festival Fringe
TSP Editorial: Kicking The Abbott
TSP Editorial: Dutton For Punishment
Cause of the Week: The Refugee & Immigration Legal Centre (rilc.org.au)
Again, apologies for the delay, everyone. It's been a while, but I'm back with a doozy of an episode.
Philip “Dr. Death” Nitschke has been the face of the controversial right-to-die debate in Australia for almost 20 years. He is the founder and director of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International and author of The Peaceful Pill Handbook – a book describing ways to commit suicide that has been banned in Australia.
I’ve always been fascinated by Philip’s arguments and his tenacity in presenting them. When I heard he was performing a one-man comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival about his life and various suicide techniques, I had to find out more and jumped at the chance to sit down with him.
Here Philip explains how he came to be performing this show, how he got involved in the euthanasia debate to begin with, his personal approach to death, his response to all the objections, censorship, the failings of modern medicine, “rational suicide”, what it’s like to help someone die and where he sees the debate going next.
My show Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred at the Soho Theatre
Dicing With Dr. Death reviewed in the Telegraph, on TV Bomb
Trailer for The Last Cab To Darwin
Article: The Death Treatment for The New Yorker
Article: Don't Get Sucked In By Philip Nitschke by Chris Ilsey
Article: Philip Nitschke's Edinburgh Fringe show visited by police
Article: Euthanasia will fight devastates son
The Peaceful Pill Handbook on wikipedia
Causes of the Week: Exit International (exitinternational.net), Voluntary Euthanasia Party (vep.org.au), Big Life Foundation (biglife.org)
Hello! I'm back! Sorry about the wait for a new episode. I'm in Scotland, so let's talk to a Scot.
Kieran Hurley is a playwright and poet based in Glasgow. His work touches on the human stories involved in political events and he was a vocal supporter of the "YES" campaign in last year's referendum on Scottish independence.
Together Kieran and I talked about the UK government banning rave music in the 90s, the London riots, May's general election and what it means for British politics, Jeremy Corbyn, austerity, "Torycore", nationalism and why he's occasionally happy to be considered a "traitor".
My show Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (6 shows left!); at the Soho Theatre in September
Kieran's 25 Reasons for Voting "YES"
Lost Voice Guy's Disabilty For Dunces at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Cause of the Week: The Black Triangle Campaign (blacktrianglecampaign.org)
I think Damien Power is one of the most exciting comedians in Australia right now. He opened for Tenacious D on their Australian tour a few years back (I saw the show and he crushed it) and his 2015 stand up show I Can’t Believe I Cared was nominated for the Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Damien’s comedy is not only hilarious, it’s extremely well-informed and socially conscious. In this chat we covered cats (shout-outs to Jerry the Persian), what the film Jurassic World tells us about capitalism and the growth economy, anarchy, conspiracy theories and the impending World War III that’s coming to obliterate us all. Enjoy!
My show Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe & the Soho Theatre in London
My Chortle piece on comedy and gay rights
Damien’s podcast, Power to the People
Slavoj Zizek's The Pervert's Guide To Ideology and The Pervert's Guide To Cinema
Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States
A Short History of Stupid by Helen Razer & Bernard Keane
Cause of the Week: GetUp!’s campaign to shut down Manus Island and Nauru (getup.org.au)
Van Badham exudes passion for political action. She’s a playwright, novelist, columnist for The Guardian, proud union member and vocal activist who’s appeared on Q&A, The Drum and Radio National.
Van outlined the case against the federal government’s approach to arts funding and spoke to me about the importance of the arts to a society’s understanding of itself, our lazy attitude to democracy, politicians’ failure to listen to the people, asylum seekers, education, taxes, why the marriage equality debate gives her hope and tackling trolls.
Wil Anderson & I talking about roasting Jimmy Carr on FOFOP
My show Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred at Phoenix Fringe, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Soho Theatre
Van’s pieces for Guardian Australia
Article: Extremist groups wilt under public scrutiny by Van Badham
Jean-Paul Sartre’s Dirty Hands (Le Mains sans)
Richard Marles on Q&A, July 6th
Causes of the Week: Yes2Renewables (yes2renewables.org), Sisters & Brothers NT Launch Pozible campaign
Rod Quantock recently received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his 45+ years of being an outspoken comedian/environmentalist activist/shit-stirrer. He is a living legend of Australian comedy who has relentlessly used his work to explain, dissect and call out political issues that really piss him off.
In this wide-ranging chat, Rod told me about his thoughts on music, his political radicalisation, the origins of his groundbreaking shows Tram and Bus, the community campaigns he’s been involved with, being physically beaten at a protest at the 2000 World Economic Forum, his plans to close down the Murdoch press, how he keeps faith in the political system (or doesn’t) and how the realities of climate change colour his view of the future.
My show Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred at Phoenix Fringe, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Soho Theatre
Catch CO2: A TedX Talk by Rod Quantock
What Happened Miss Simone? trailer
The Last Tim Tam pozible campaign
Save The Planet political party
Cause of the Week: Quit Coal (quitcoal.org.au)