British election has been called; UK Labour under left wing leadership of Jeremy Corbyn is underdog and will be at long odds. Teresa May refuses to debate Corbyn which exposes a key weakness of the Tory campaign.

Campaign against staff cuts and course cuts at Victoria University is being spearheaded by the NTEU. University management is throwing large amounts of money at a campaign to further casualise the campus, putting junior staff in charge of first year courses in order to reduce the number of senior staff.

Jacob, Felix and Zane talk with Lisbeth Latham, who runs the blog ‘revitalisingLabour’ and writes for Green Left, regarding the French Presidential elections.

Lisbeth takes listeners through the rise of the far right national front of Marine Le Pen, the emergence of Emmanuel Macron as a rightward split from the Socialist Party (PS) as well as the substantial growth in support for la France Insoumise (“Rebellious France / Unsubmissive France”) and the collapse of the PS vote. Jean Luc Melenchon attracted the strongest vote for a presidential candidate to the left of the PS since 1969. Listen here.

Discussion of article by Tess Purling in the latest Green Left - “New Report:Decriminalise drugs for a better society”. A new report Can Australia respond to drugs more effectively and safely? Was launched recently by former state premiers Bob Carr and Jeff Kennet. The article looks at the social basis for drug use (drug users are often from social harsh backgrounds which drugs provide an escape from), the failure of the ‘war on drugs’, and the record of decriminalisation or legalisation of drugs in places like Portugal.

Jacob, Felix and Zane talk with Green left weekly international editor Stuart Munckton about the current political situation in Venezuela. Listen here.

Right wing forces have been staging a series of violent demonstrations, attacking public offices and social activists. International mediacoverage has been biased with most coverage incorrectly accusing the Venezuelan Government of repressing peaceful protests.

Activist Calendar

Jacob, Felix and Zane talk with mary Lou from Friends of Queen Victoria Market about the campaign to stop the market being ‘modernised’ by Melbourne council under Mayor Robert Doyle. Council is proposing that a large section of the markets be torn up with underground facilities including cold storage and carparks built, with the markets made more ‘upmarket’ and an entertainment space added. Friends of Queen Vic Markets are campaigning to retain the iconic market space as it is, and the National Union of Workers has been organising stallholders to form a united resistance to the gentrification agenda. A rally to save Vic Markets is being held today (April 28). Listen here.

Say no to new war drive New wave of attacks on Kurdistan by Turkish military, with Kurds calling for no-fly zone to be established