45 — Ghoul interrupted

We enter the Sexism Zone, then chat about coal-lover Joel Fitzgibbon leaving the Labor front-bench. For dessert we discuss successul petitions and a (hopefully!) big new push for social housing in Victoria.   Sexism zone

• Turns out government ministers Alan Tudge and Christian Porter are mega mondo sleazes.
• This is in violation of then-PM Malcolm Turnbull’s “bonk ban”, following Barnaby Joyce’s affair with staffer Vikki Campion.
• Rumours of Barnaby Joyce’s affairs were circulating for months before factional enemies provided evidence.
• Vikki Campion says the “bonk ban protects no-one”.
• Alan Tudge voted very strongly against gay marriage.
• He has also engaged in “criminal conduct”, not releasing a refugee in detention after being ordered to by court.
• Gladys Berejiklian called for changing the National Anthem from “we are young and free” to “we are one and free”.
• Scott Morrison mansplained an answer directed to Families and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston.
• Oh, Anne Ruston who says that the government’s budget is good for women, because women drive on roads?

Politics zone

• Joel Fitzgibbon has quit his position as Labor’s shadow minister for resources.
• Fitzgibbon is a fossil-fuel loving climate denier.
• Joe Biden’s election in the US is making Australians politicians consider that perhaps they should consider mentioning the existence of the climate.
• Or maybe Fitzgibbon is taking a swing at Labor leadership.
• Joel Fitzgibbon inherited the seat of Hunter from his father, Eric.
• The coal mines in the Hunter electorate produce terrible air quality for the residents.
• Georgina Downer absolutely cannot get elected in her father’s former seat.

Petition time

• Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young successfully tabled and won a vote on a Senate inquiry into Murdoch media.
• Rudd got into a shitfight with the Greens on twitter, then begrudgingly thanked the Greens tabling of the motion as “Labor and the minor parties”.
• In 2012, there was another review into media diversity, which was not acted on by Labor government at the time.
• Kevin Rudd is the godfather of the Australian’s former editor-in chief Chris Mitchell.

The only way to solve homelessness

• The Victorian state government has pledged to spend $5.3 billion on expanding social housing.
• The government has a track record of pledging to build things and not doing so.
• It’s possible to talk about two things at once (climate deniers hate this one weird trick).
• For the love of god stop this shit.
• Victorian Parliament voted for a Green New Deal… let’s see what happens.

Actions

• Read some pieces by friends of show:

  • Jim Malo on why white journalists need to STFU and stop platforming nazis.
  • James Clark of No Turning Back on Joel Fitzgibbon’s appeasement of the fossil fuel industry.
  • Nicholas Daniel on the Australian Labor party’s right-wing poltics.
• Include traditional place names if you send mail! After a campaign by Gomeroi woman Rachel McPhail, Australia post is now accepting tradition place names on envelope addresses. Find the country you live on here.