Digitally manipulated podcast (feat. Jim Malo)
December 09, 2020 • Episode 48
We're joined by jounalist and Posting expert Jim Malo to discuss Australia's return to our natural state: on fire and mad at foreigners.
Listening to the experts
- Kristina Kerscher Keneally has urged the NSW Government to slow down on reforms to drug laws.
We’re on fire
- Australia is still on fire. Fraser Island has been burning since October.
- “This shouldn’t be happening. This is just crazy. This is completely terrifying” — David Bowman, professor of fire ecology at the University of Tasmania
- Jim’s article highlighting Gippsland fire survivors.
- Fires aren’t supposed to happen in Australian rainforests.
- After last years fires, the government announced a $4.2 billion emergency response fund, of which $0 has been spent, and a $2.1 billion fund bushfire recovery fund, of which $1.2 billion has been actually distributed to the ruined towns.
Meme Wars
- Jim’s article on Australia caring more about the meme than the war crimes.
- China and Australia are in a meme war.
- This was in retaliation to the Australian-Japan defence agreement, and Morrison calling for an investigation to into China’s Coronavirus handling.
- The image cannot be not called anything but “fake”, “doctored” or “computer generated”.
- Australian soliders were photographed doing a shoey from a dead Taliban fighter’s prosthetic leg.
- Minister for resources Matt Canavan has called for an end to Australia’s “abusive relationship” with China.
- Buying Australia’s wine in solidarity.
- 60 Australian coal ships are stranded off the coast of Chin, for up to 24 weeks.
Coalture Wars
- The Australian newspaper is spruiking coal in an 8-page lift-out on how amazing coal is.
- It’s an annual tradition — they ran a coal liftout in 2019 as well.
- Mining company Santos sponsors cars for the Queensland police.
- Energy Minister Angus Taylor calls for the State Governments to get back in line with federal (lack of) policy.
- The UN climate summit president has thanked Australian states — but not the federal government — for their action on climate change.
- Scott Morrison has dropped the plan to use “Kyoto carryover credits”.
Class Wars
- ACTU head Sally McManus calls for halving of insecure work by 2030.
- Meanwhile Industrial Relations minister Christian Porter has moved to allow bosses to change worker’s hours, duties and location arbitrarily.
- …and proposed additional powers to break up unions.
- From 2018, the laws were supposed to change to allow casual workers to move to permanent part time.
Shoutouts
- Listen to Mitch on the Highbrow Drivel podcast.
- Shoutout to the Gamil Means No protest against Santos.