48 — Digitally manipulated podcast (feat. Jim Malo)

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.

Actions
Join the AUWU protest against the cuts to the Jobkeeper rate on December 12.
Follow Jim on Twitter, read his work in Junkee and listen to Vocal Minory RRR.