Featuring the latest in activist campaigns and struggles against oppression fighting for a better world with anti-capitalist analysis on current affairs and international politics. 

Presenters: Jacob Andrewartha & Zane Alcorn

Newsreports

Emergency support payments, to be administered via centrelink, announced by federal government to assist those affected by the latest lockdown. The payments are insufficient, exclude underemployed centrelink recipients who rely on casual work to top up their starvation level welfare payment, and exclude regional Victorian workers affected by the lockdown. Left unions and the ACTU are pushing for jobkeeper to be returned and the full 2020 jobseeker supplement to centrelink recipients to be made permanent.
 

Victorian police clampdown on journalist reporting of protests, saying those it does not recognise as journalists will be subjected to the same brutal assaults and move on orders as protestors. The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) response has been problematic, basically arguing that MEAA members should be protected from being attacked by police at protests but throwing non MEAA journalists to the wolves.

Callide C power station failure: initial investigations of the catastrophic failure of one of the generator units at the Callide C power station in Queensland have reported that power station workers noticed the generator was performing unusually and were thankfully evacuated from the area prior to the explosion. It appears high voltage circuit breakers did not operate properly after the failure, leading to cascading blackouts across the state.

Protestors disrupt "land forces" arms fair in Meanjin / Brisbane
 

Interviews and Discussions

Interview and discussion with Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association (VAHPA) assistant secretary Andrew Hewet about the latest outbreak of covid 19 in Victoria

Hewett describes the Federal government vaccination program as "a disaster", with private contractors doing an atrocious job of the rollout. State health systems that could have run the vaccination program, in particular in the in aged care and disability sectors, have been bypassed in favour of priva tecontractors. Hewett also reports that public hospitals are trying to attack pay and conditions during current EBA negotiations. You can listen to the individual interview here.

Interview and discussion with Green Left reporter Isaac Nellist for an update about gig economy workers. Nellist reports that a landmark case backed by the transport workers union (TWU) has found Deliveroo rider Diego France was unfairly dismissed by the company despite pretences of being employed as an 'independent contractor'. You can listen to the individal interview here. 

Interview and Discussion with Noura Mansour from the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network about the global wave of solidarity with Palestinians resisting Israeli expansionism and war crimes. Mansour looks at the flashpoint of Palestinians being evicted from their homes in occupied West Jerusalem and speaks to the massive shift in levels of support for the Palestinian cause.

Mansour also comments on the ABC's patronising ban on the use of the term "apartheid" to refer to Israel's relationship to Palestine, and mainstream media and political discourse. You can listen to the individual interview here.