Eighth up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing candidates for the upcoming federal election, Emerald meets two of the progressive candidates vying for the seat of Fremantle in Western Australia. First up is Amy Warne, environmental activist, mum and Greens candidate! (1:44) And then Kate Hulett, photographer, business owner and independent candidate! (28:33) Are indies and teals just faux-Greens who waste valuable resources splitting the vote and campaigners? Meanwhile, is the Greens bra...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Congrats to Dutton for winning the first debate (presumably?), and to Jason Clare for not knowing the second one existed. Emerald and Tom take a look at Adam Bandt’s appearance at the National Press Club (10:26). Greens want to wind back handouts for property investors, and of course that whole dental and mental into Medicare thing. Then, a look at the seat of Macnamara in Melbourne (41:18). Why wasn’t the Greens candidate Sonya Semmens welcome at the Jewish Community Election Forum?...
Apr 12, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Seventh up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing Greens candidates for the upcoming federal election, Emerald and Tom meet Luc Velez - organiser, activist, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras board member, and candidate for the seat of Sydney! Is it true Tanya Plibersek has been in parliament for longer than Luc has been alive, and is this the election that Sydney realises that she is actually responsible for all those mines she keeps approving? Why is Luc against the police and the PM marc...
Apr 08, 2025•28 min
We are a Labor podcast now. Lol gotcha April Fools! Emerald and Tom catch up on the stories from the first week of the federal election campaign (10:20). The days are short, but the weeks are also short! Greens announce policies on environment and education, and Labor announce a familiar-sounding policy on supermarket price gouging. Then they are joined by Greens MP for Brisbane, Stephen Bates! (39:53) How is the campaign going as he looks to repeat his shock 2022 win? Why did he call Dutton &ls...
Apr 05, 2025•1 hr 10 min
In this bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, Emerald and Tom tackle a much-requested topic - the Greens recent defence policy announcement. Along with withdrawing from AUKUS and reducing military spending, the policy would also invest in local production of defensive drones and missiles. Are the Greens secret warmongers? Are Emerald and Tom secret hacks? Did the Greens fail to anticipate attacks from the left and the Victorian Socialists? Should we even have a military, or capitalism!?! ------...
Apr 03, 2025•4 min
Sixth up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing Greens candidates for the upcoming federal election, Tom meets Samantha Ratnam - former Victorian Greens state leader, and candidate for the seat of Wills! Why did she resign as a state MP to run for federal politics? How did the redistribution halve Labor’s margin in the seat? Can Melbourne’s Greens presence finally grow beyond Adam Bandt? And is this the end of current member and supposed Special Envoy for Social Cohesion, Peter...
Apr 01, 2025•28 min
Tom is joined by Greens federal Senator for Tasmania and self-proclaimed best gamer in the Senate, Nick McKim! First up, the election has finally been announced for Saturday May 3rd (5:49). What is Nick’s review of the Albanese gov? Are Greens making a mistake by ruling out forming a minority with Dutton? Then, it’s time for Budget Winners and Losers 2025! (27:54) Is there anything good on offer? What were the LNP and Greens responses? Finally, a call to action (1:10:09). Also, the s...
Mar 29, 2025•1 hr 14 min
Fifth up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing Greens candidates for the upcoming federal election, Emerald and Tom meet Huong Truong - organiser, former MP for Western Metro and Greens candidate for the Melbourne seat of Fraser! What was it like briefly being in the Vic Legislative Council? How does being the daughter of Vietnamese boat people inform her politics? And after unprecedented amounts of door-knocking and fundraising, what will it take to get Greens over the line? ---------- T...
Mar 25, 2025•29 min
DJ Adam Bandt hits the decks with Abbie Chatfield. Emerald and Tom take a look at new polling about the election (11:33). Are the Greens going to lose their Brisbane seats or was it just a “poll-shaped object?” And what does Adam Bandt’s “sub-zero” popularity mean for the party? Then, policy!?! (46:05) Greens want to end gas and homelessness, Labor wants a $25 cap on meds, and LNP have gone full boonta (aka approve more gas, ban protests and hold a referendum). Fina...
Mar 22, 2025•1 hr 15 min
In this bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, Emerald and Tom speak to Elizabeth Doidge, former official at the Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union. What was it like to work for the CFMEU - was it all thuggery and boy’s clubs? Has the government overreached with its crackdown on the union? Did Max Chandler-Mather deserve Sarah Ferguson’s “full-throated” 7.30 attack? Will Labor’s sell-out of the labour movement come back...
Mar 20, 2025•3 min
Fourth up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing Greens candidates for the upcoming federal election, Emerald and Tom meet Sophie Greer - community organiser, public health expert, local councillor and Greens candidate for Perth in Perth! Does WA have whiplash preparing for another vote before the dust has even settled on the state election? What do the results of that one tell us - four senators and balance of power!?! Is Perth finally ready to go Green? ---------- These bonus election ep...
Mar 18, 2025•20 min
Greens want the tax dollars of inner-city lefties with their cannabis lattes. Emerald and Tom talk tariff wars (13:07) which are a thing we have to have in our lives now for some reason. Is Albo a wimp for not retaliating after Trump announced steel and aluminium tariffs? What is the Green left position? Then, the snowflakery continues as pro-Palestinian protesters get charged, deported and blamed for obvious caravan hoaxes (46:20). How did our politicians get ‘tricked’? Or did they ...
Mar 15, 2025•1 hr 12 min
Third up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing Greens candidates for the upcoming federal election, Tom meets Omar Sakr, poet, novelist, essayist, and Greens candidate for Blaxland in NSW! Is the seat of Paul Keating and now Jason Clare, finally ready to end its status as a Labor stronghold? Why don’t the major parties support Muslim voices and stand up for the people in Gaza? And what happened after he wrote a poem reflecting on ‘Bluey in the genocide’ and caught the in...
Mar 11, 2025•29 min
Alt episode title for Stewart Lee nerds: Snowflake/Cyclone Emerald prepares for Alfred to visit. First up she and Tom take a look at the survey results of our listener survey. Then, Greens announce some new policies (17:01) - a ban of native forest logging and price gouging, and a tax on Big Tech. Are we living in techno feudalism? Then, you’re all a bunch of snowflakes! (42:25) Tom has some thoughts about the rise of even more snowflakery on the right, as Peter Garrett dances on Gina Rine...
Mar 09, 2025•1 hr 10 min
In this bonus series for Patreon subscribers, Tom and Emerald talk through chapter 8 of author Paddy Manning’s epic history of the Australian Greens movement, “Inside The Greens: The Origins and Future of the Party, the People and the Politics.” In this instalment - 2004 Election, state elections in WA, NSW and VIC, the fight against Gunns pulp mill, the issue of Party Leadership and ‘Party Room rules,’ “Neoliberals on bikes,” stopping the privatisation ...
Mar 06, 2025•17 min
Next up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing Greens candidates for the upcoming federal election, Emerald meets Mandy Nolan, Greens candidate for Richmond on the NSW north coast! Is this the time Greens get the 1.8% swing to finally win their first NSW federal seat? Why do the Greens doorknock in areas they are already popular? And how does she navigate the clash between some of the more conspiratorial-minded members of the electorate, and the dirty leftie values of the Greens? ---------...
Mar 04, 2025•36 min
Can politician deepfakes fool The Griff? Emerald is joined by guest host Gerard Mazza, anti-gas campaigner and Woodside CEO outside-house-protester. What’s the latest with his court case and the Disrupt Burrup Hub movement? (8:12) Then, the state of play in the state of WA. (29:37) What is the mood on the streets for the upcoming state and federal elections? Finally, a call to action (59:40). ---------- Just released on Patreon - “Inside The Greens #8 : Iraq war & heckling Bush&r...
Mar 01, 2025•1 hr 3 min
First up in our series of bonus episodes interviewing Greens candidates for the upcoming federal election, Emerald and Tom meet Tara Burnett, Greens candidate for the inner-Melbourne seat of Cooper! Is Cooper the Greens‘ white whale? Is now the time that Greens can unseat Labor’s Ged Kearney and finally expand their Melbourne base? What would Tara becoming Australia’s first trans federal MP mean for the community? And what’s the goss with her girlfriend Celeste Liddle? --...
Feb 25, 2025•42 min
A school of fish, a murder of crows and a Trumpet of Patriots. First up, Emerald and Tom take a look at the election date predictions (9:34). Then, welfare (14:33) - Greens are pitching a $7.2bn plan to massively expand and boost Youth Allowance and JobSeeker, while NACC now has decided that maybe Robodebt was bad after all. Next, Greens pitch new insurance policy, including abolishing stamp duty and making polluters contribute to increasing premiums (42:01). Does Dutton agree!? Finally, a call ...
Feb 22, 2025•1 hr 7 min
In this bonus series for Patreon subscribers, Tom takes Emerald through chapter 8 of author Paddy Manning’s epic history of the Australian Greens movement, “Inside The Greens: The Origins and Future of the Party, the People and the Politics.” In this instalment - Richard Di Natale emerges, Greens MPs start getting elected in NSW, and the Iraq war shakes up the movement, as President Bush addresses parliament and Bob Brown and Kerry Nettle address him right back! ---------...
Feb 20, 2025•6 min
🎵 Peggy Sue got [REDACTED] not long ago 🎵 Emerald and Tom take a look at the results from last weekend’s Victorian by-elections in Werribee and Prahran. (9:14) Then they are joined by the co-founder of Australian Greens, former senator for Tasmania, Doctor Bob Brown! (20:17) With rampant accusations that the Greens are no longer a party that Bob Brown would recognise, what does the man himself have to say? Flush out the doomerism and feel some hope as we brace for the starting pistol on ...
Feb 15, 2025•56 min
In this bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, Emerald takes Tom through Peter Dutton’s recent appearance on the Straight Talk with Mark Bouris podcast. We watched it so you didn’t have to, and here’s some of the blurst bits. Are we fans now? Is he a monster? Will Mark ask him a single challenging question? And the most important question for any future PM - what’s his footy team!? ---------- The show can only exist because of our wonderful Patreon subscriber’s supp...
Feb 11, 2025•8 min
What are the odds that staffers would bet on the election results? Emerald and Tom check out the just-released AEC donations data for the 2023/24 financial year (10:19). What goss can we glean? Which party takes the most dirty cash? Then, take your blood pressure meds, cause it’s an update on Trump and Gaza (40:52). Is the US going to “take over” the Gaza Strip or is this just hot air? Why won’t the founder of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine (aka PM Albanese) speak...
Feb 08, 2025•1 hr 14 min
New record - only 89 seconds till Doomsday! Tom is joined by guest host, the Chief Political analyst at The Australia Institute, Amy Remeikis! What is the state of Auspol and the upcoming election? (15:41) Next, the opposition has proposed a government efficiency portfolio, just like Daddy Elon’s DOGE, because they are soulless opportunist ghouls who believe in nothing (34:18). Then Greens want 50c fares, Future Made In Aus & nature laws looking likely, and Labor delays gambling reform...
Feb 01, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Albo and Tom attend the Triple J 50th anniversary party. For this Invasion Day, Emerald and Tom are joined by Senator Lidia Thorpe (6:43). What is the state of Australia and its national day in 2025? How has the aftermath of the referendum and Trump’s victory emboldened racism? What is the current relationship with Lidia and the Greens? And, sizzle, an exclusive about her plans for the future. Finally, a call to action (52:48). ---------- Just released on Patreon - “Is Australia left...
Jan 25, 2025•56 min
In this bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, Tom takes Emerald through “Left | Right | Out : How voters perceive their own politics and the relative positions of political parties in a left/right ideological - An Accent Research and RedBridge Group report.” Stats nerd alert, time to get deep into voter intentions, how people see each party, how each party voters see each other, all the good stuff! What can this tell us for the 2025 election and beyond? ---------- The show can only ...
Jan 23, 2025•7 min
Advance Australia vs Serious Danger. Emerald and Tom turn on tethering and chat about the government’s election announcement to ‘finish’ the NBN (13:21). Fibre to the what now? Then a look at the rest of this week’s election news (33:31) - Dutton launches the LNP campaign, and Greens discuss power sharing, education and climate policies, while Labor and LNP are getting their muckraking agencies together. Finally, a call to action (1:02:16). ---------- Just released on Pat...
Jan 18, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Clive Palmer tries to own the Teal. Emerald and Tom are back for 2025, and oh no - Labor just announced a Bruce Highway upgrade policy, which means the 2025 election year is underway! (12:31) When will the election be? Does road spending win votes? Then, a look at the state of the race. (33:27) Will the Greens grow their seats? And with a minority government looking likely, Adam Bandt has announced a plan to lend support - in exchange for dental and mental in Medicare. Finally, a call to a...
Jan 11, 2025•1 hr 1 min
In this bonus series for Patreon subscribers, Emerald takes Tom through chapter 7 of author Paddy Manning’s epic history of the Australian Greens movement, “Inside The Greens: The Origins and Future of the Party, the People and the Politics.” In this instalment - the aftermath of the 2001 election, a Labor member exodus to the Greens after the Tampa scandal, Bob Brown makes a captain’s call on Telstra, and then 9/11 comes along and changes everything. ---------- The show ...
Jan 09, 2025•3 min
Happy new year! New episodes back next week Sun 12th Jan, but we’ve unlocked a Patreon recent episode, enjoy! In this bonus for Patreon subscribers, Emerald and Tom watched the 2022 film How To Blow Up a Pipeline, adapted and fictionalised from the 2021 non-fiction book by Andreas Malm. Is property destruction the answer to the climate crisis, or should the movement embrace non-violence? Speaking of, is property destruction violence? Are the book and film dangerous? What can the movement l...
Jan 04, 2025•1 hr 5 min
