"The Week on Wednesday" with Van Badham & Ben Davison
by Ben Davison
"The Week on Wednesday" gives you a deep-dive into the news themes of the preceding week, every week. It's digestible, accessible and light-hearted half hour from two people unafraid to tell it like it REALLY is.
Episodes
-
Episode 180: Fascist Versus Bin, Britain Has a New PM… and How to Feed a Thirsty Bee”
This week on The Week on Wednesday, Van Badham engages a lively and timely discussion about modern British politics and its resonance for Australia with recently elected councillor and UK Labour activist, Peter Marshall. Together, they pick through the wreckage of a smashed and unpopular local...
-
EPISODE 179: An AI Invasion SPECIAL EPISODE, with extra good news about puffins.
Van Badham is joined this week by Australian Writers’ Guild CEO Claire Pullen for a SPECIAL EPISODE on the artificial intelligence invasion. Who owns AI? Who profits from it? Who gets to write the rules? From the challenge of copyright theft to the transformative impact of new technology on your...
-
Episode 178: Poll dive for One Nation, the Online Information War... and Italian Forests
Van Badham reunites with Emma Dawson of the Chifley Research Centre to discuss the sudden poll dive of the not-so-inevitable One Nation Party, and they speculate on its causes. Are Australians just fickle? Are we fiercely proud of our multiculturalism? Just bigger fans of Paul Hogan than Karl...
-
Episode 177: The Fryer is a Liar, the Online Orange Disinformation Bomb and Soil-Powered Batteries
Van Badham and Ben Davison rip into Pauline Hanson’s National Press Club appearance, stripping the grievance from the reality that no, actually, one-in-five Australians DO NOT eat from bins. In this emotionally-charged episode, they unravel the politics of migration, housing, wages, economic...
-
Episode 176: The Imaginary Inflation Bomb, Not-So-Mutual Obligations and Chinese Fish
Van Badham is reunited with Ben Davison for an episode tackling the politics of inflation, the failures of Australia’s regime of "mutual obligations" and the economic challenges posed by an Australian economy organised around extraction rather than participation. Pluckily, our pair unpick the...
-
Episode 175: Busting Budget Myths and Saving Giant Tortoises
Van Badham is joined by the articulate an impassioned Emma Dawson of the Chifley Research Centre to get down and dirty in the "earthquake" aftermath of the Albanese Labor government's nation-changing 2026 Budget. Van and Emma think that Dr Jim Chalmer's has got the right mix of ambition…
more -
Episode 174: 2026 Budget Special and - OMG! - this Budget IS special!
Van Badham and Ben Davison pack a bumper 90 minute episode with the deep explanations you need to understand the Alabanese Labor government's 2026 Australian budget delivered by Dr Jim Chalmers. Get some clarity amidst the aaaaabsolute nonsense being spread by OH, YOU WOULD NEVER GUESS WHO in the...
-
Episode 173: An NDIS for communities, not for cowboys; let’s talk about tax it’s a gas gas gas… and good news about renewables - from a war zone…
Van Badham is in Sydney and Ben Davison’s in Ballarat, but they’re brought together by the miracle of technology and sheer force of will to discuss the Albanese government’s reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, gassing about taxes ahead of the budget, and some truly amazing news -...
-
Episode 172: War against Iran, Culture War against the Vatican, War Crimes... and good news about British Beavers
Van Badham and Ben Davison survive Trump’s threat of nuclear was to discuss the Hungarian election and Viktor Orbán’s illiberal rule and its EU/Ukraine implications. They then explore Trump’s escalation with Iran, chaotic U.S. decision-making, international peace efforts, and whether it was wise...
-
Episode 171: The Fuel Crisis, Trump's new forever war and the good news is about bilbies, this is the Week on Wednesday
This week, Van Badham and Ben Davison juggle a chaotic dog incident while discussing multi‑employer bargaining and planned industrial action by local government workers in Victoria. The dogs calm down enough for Van and Ben to get into the details of the spike in fuel prices driven by Middle East...
-
Episode 170: The South Australian election and its discontents, America brings Australia and Europe closer together… and the good news is about a Mega Hedge.
In robust form, Van and Ben discuss South Australian election - Labor’s emphatic win, One Nation’s vote versus their actual seats and how Liberal collapse is about a specifically right‑wing fragmentation, whatever fantasy alternative scenario the online and offline commentariat prefers to...
-
Episode 169: New Cabinets, Old Wounds, and Wacky Ted: This Week on Wednesday
Van Badham (on her own while Ben’s away!) explores Australia’s new parliament, a record-breaking Labor majority, and freshly shuffled cabinet - but the real news? Susssssan Ley may be the Liberals’ new leader, but is she flying the Liberal plane straight into the glass cliff? Meanwhile, the…
more -
Episode 168: Landslide! Labor's Historic Victory and the Lessons for the Right
Van Badham and Ben Davison deliver an unmissable post-election edition of The Week on Wednesday, unpacking one of the most extraordinary federal election results in Australian history. With Anthony Albanese securing Labor’s biggest win since WWII, defeating not just Peter Dutton but also Greens...
-
Episode 167: Brethren, Robes, and Ballot Box Shenanigans
Van Badham and Ben Davison launch into analysis of the Australian election campaign so far, with Ben barely emerged from a three-day strategy lockdown at his job but happily reunited with faithful hound, Germanicus. Van has been keeping an eye on the election, and a couple of perturbing recent...
-
Episode 166: Housing, health and education: The debates we all have to have, and the bobcats we deserve
Van Badham and Ben Davison are back - with new tech, new producer (welcome, Casper!), and a jam-packed episode on everything that matters. After three debates and polling momentum seeming to flow to Labor, Van and Ben pick apart three defining (and revealing) policy conversations of the election...
-
Episode 165: Dr Jim's Australian budget box of delights, Donald Trump's group chat gone wild and African penguins forever
On her own today (yes, poor Ben is STILL unwell), Van takes you through some highlights of Dr Jim's 2025-26 Australian budget, the insane, almost-unbelievable story of the Trump administration's "group chat" scandal, and some good news for African penguins. Yes, the budget includes actual money…
more -
Episode 164: Dutton plays at being Temu Trump to avoid explaining his policies for the election and good news about electric cars
Van Badham and Ben Davison devote an episode to pulling apart the world’s most uncharismatic populist, Peter Dutton, as well as his energetic attempt to make Australia as dysfunctional as it was last time he was in government: with plans to reduce workplace pay and safety gains, sack 38,000…
more -
Episode 163: Auspol in 2025, Australia's economic position, disinformation and good news about renewables
Van Badham and Ben Davison are FINALLY back! Today, they take "Auspol 2025" head-on. As a federal election looms, the episode explores reality versus hyperbole around the Australian economy and considers the role of disinformation warping the view. The good news is about the growth of Australia's...
-
Episode 162: Trump's Debate Meltdown and the Scourge of Disinformation
Van Badham and Ben Davison (and Germanicus the dog) HAVE RETURNED! As Ben recovers from twelve months of illness, this long overdue return to The Week on Wednesday begins with heartfelt gratitude for the Medicare system, as you’d expect. Our delighted duo then analyze the first U.S. presidential...
-
Episode 161: Dr Chalmers Keynesian budget remedy
Van Badham and Ben Davison journey into the heart of Australia's Federal Budget 2024. Our hosts dissect Dr Jim’s reintroduction of nation building into macroeconomic management in a discussion that spans the breadth of the budget from fun nuance to big-picture policy decision and rejects the...
-
Episode 160: Stopping male violence, the education budget we have to have and big batteries
Van Badham and Ben Davison have rescheduled Wednesday to a Monday this week, to delve into the labyrinth of policy complexities surrounding the fight to end violence against women and children, highlighting the frustrations and challenges faced and dissecting the terrifying implications of a...
-
Episode 159: A future made in Australia, the disinformation wonderland & solar cars
Van Badham and Ben Davison start their Wednesday on a Thursday with discussion of the federal government’s “Future Made in Australia” policy suite, and just what a policy dedicated to local jobs exposes about the people who criticises it and why unions are supporting it. Join your union at...
-
Episode 158: Tasmanian election lessons, narrative wars, its the economy and good news about airships
Baby, we are BACK! Van and Ben return after a super frustrating hiatus to discuss the issues of the day in their inimitable style. The recent Tasmanian election has thrown up a complex and divided result, delivering more crossbenchers to the parliament than opposition members, and the Liberals...
-
Weekend Wrap 3 December 2023: Employment services reforms, the grind of government and the media circus
Ben Davison returns to take a look at a week in parliament that saw the Closing Loopholes bill pass the lower house, the greens and coalition team up to block the new shared home equity scheme, the mess that Labor is trying to clean up from Dutton's unlawful immigration detention scheme and…
more -
Episode 157: Generational economic divide, Loopholes closer to closing & good news on renewables
Van Badham and Ben Davison give and update on the For Every Child public school funding campaign (www.foreverychild.au/postcard) , the Maritime Union campaign to stop wage theft in shipping and take a deeper dive into the progress on Closing the Loopholes for labour hire, casual and gig workers.…
more -
Weekend Wrap 19 November 2023: Profiteers cash in, school funding needs fix and why Albo went to APEC
Ben Davison returns with the weekend wrap to look at how corporate share buy backs are further evidence of profiteering driving inflation and why the Closing the Loopholes legislation is needed asap. You can join your union at www.australianunions.org.au/wow to add your voice to the millions...
-
Episode 156: Wages rise, Duttons dangerous disinformation, why school funding is a targeted use of the surplus and good news for stone workers
Van Badham and Ben Davison dig into the best wage rise numbers in more than 20 years, discuss why many people will still be going backwards and, as the ACTU Price Gouging Inquiry wraps up, what we can do to help stop the profiteering. The union movement wins on minimum wage, awards, for aged care...
-
Episode 155: Optus outage chaos, new RBA is just like the old RBA and good news from America
Van Badham and Ben Davison dish the latest on the Optus outage chaos that has swept across Australia - and argue why key national infrastructure should be in public hands. They discuss why another interest rate rise is yet another painful example of an economy outgrowing the neoliberal zealots…
more -
Episode 154: Corporates fight to keep loopholes, Be that teacher for every child, Medicare boost and good news about spiders
Van Badham and Ben Davison shine on a spotlight on the attempts by corporate giants BHP, Qantas and Doordash to keep the labour hire, forced casualisation and sham contracting loopholes open at this week's senate committee hearings. Van lays out what is wrong with capitalism in Australia and why...
-
Weekend Wrap 29 October 2023: Albo goes to Washington, Insiders misses context and the rules based order
Ben Davison gives a breakdown of Anthony Albanese's successful state visit to the United States and places it in the context of what has been happening in the US, the Biden administration demonstrating the "imperial presidency" while the Republican bicker over the speakership and some of the...
-
Episode 153: Unions ban deadly dust, Profits fuel inflation pain, World Teachers Day and good battery news
Van Badham and Ben Davison are back with a new podcast episode that tackles why anyone would want to keep making a product that kills the workers who create it, how corporations have done just fine during high inflation and why they are spending millions to stop the government closing the…
more -
Weekend Wrap 22 October 2023: Middle East, Fee free TAFE, Worker actions, Parental leave, state tax bonfire
Ben Davison takes a look at some of the stories form this week that Insiders missed given their focus on the Middle East. While the situation in Israel and Gaza is horrendous, Ben gives a brief synopsis, there is lots happening in Australia. The new National Skills Agreement is a win for the...
-
Weekend Wrap 15 October 2023: Voice referendum lost, misinformation campaigning and workplace reforms
Van Badham joins Ben Davison for this post referendum special edition of the Weekend Wrap. Our co-hosts look at what the results of the referendum tell us so far, why there is such sadness, how we can respond and what it might mean for the future. The rise of misinformation in the referendum is...
-
Episode 152: Republicans implode, referendum prepoll opens, rates on hold and good news about bears
Van Badham and Ben Davison take a deep dive into the murky waters of American politics as the Republican Party conspires to unseat one of its own from the role of Speaker. It is the first time in history that a Speaker of the House of Representatives has been deposed. Van breaks down why it has...
-
Weekend Wrap 1 October 2023:the No misinformation campaign, disability royal commission report, Pezzullo and public service
Ben Davison looks at the established research which shows the NO campaign is leveraging misinformation and a global network of disinformation campaigners. In a shock admission Ben admits that he agrees with Phil Coorey and Chris Kenny that the No campaign has become a grab bag of grievances. The...
-
Episode 151: Dan departs as Allan ascends, a job for everyone who wants one, a referendum update and good news about kites
Van Badham and Ben Davison open by congratulating the workers who won their struggle with Inghams chicken, the artists in NSW who won restored funding and by sending international solidarity to the writers, screen actors and auto workers in the USA, who were joined on the picket line by Joe…
more -
Weekend Wrap 24 September 2023: No rallies, price gouging inquiry, workers take action
Ben Davison RETURNS with his weekend wrap! Instead of breaking down Insiders he compares and contrasts the difference the Walk for YES last weekend and the far right rallies for NO this weekend. Ben also reads a message from a listener in Arnhem Land who is talking with local first nations people...
-
Episode 150: Referendum disinformation, NSW budget, Victorian homes, worker rights and good news on seaweed
Van Badham and Ben Davison are BACK! Having, almost, recovered from their illnesses Van and Ben dissect the disinformation that is swamping the Voice referendum. They break down what the Voice is, why the disinformation is happening, where it is coming from and what we can all do to make sure it...
-
Weekend Wrap 10 September: Pearson makes YES case on Insiders, Dutton delays billions in wages, unions win for workers
Ben Davison takes a look at Noel Pearson's Insiders interview and how he managed to cut through the misinformation, fear mongering and misdirection to remind Australia that the referendum is an opportunity to accept the hand of friendship by recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as…
more -
Episode 149: Corporations fight secure work and better pay, Joyce leaves Qantas burning, economic growth and good news on solar glass
Van Badham and Ben Davison examine the government's bill to close the loopholes that are letting corporations take $9 billion from workers through forced casualisation, sham contracting, gig exploitation and legal chicanery. With $9 billion on the line corporations are fighting back with some of...
-
Weekend Wrap 3 September 2023: New rights for casuals, gig and labour hire workers, Qantas profiting from failure and you are the Voice
Ben Davison dives into the detail of the new workplace reforms that will give more rights to everyday working people who are casuals, gig workers or engaged as labour hire by setting some minimum standards. Tony Burke went on Insiders to explain how the new approach will work and David Speers…
more -
Episode 148: The referendum is October 14, misogyny tars football and infects young men, inflation slows and good news about wind
Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss the official announcement of the Voice referendum date, October 14th, while taking a look at the campaigns, the messages and why Albo's message of hope has gained the support of such a broad cross section of Australia. The union movement is campaigning for YES…
more -
Weekend Wrap 27 August 2023: Insiders review, intergeneration report and Dutton attacks democracy
Ben Davison is BACK from a week off with the latest Weekend Wrap. Insiders discussed productivity, taxes, industrial relations and education with most of the debates missing the point. Ben breaks down how the points raised on Insiders show we need full funding for public schools, Qantas...
-
Episode 147: Naplan shows need for school funding, CPAC goes full racist, ACTU report a rip off wins government taskforce and good news about micro plastics
Van Badham and Ben Davison take a look at how the release of NAPLAN results highlights the need for our public schools to get the MINIMUM FUNDING that 98% of them are currently being denied. The Australia Education Union is running a campaign at foreverychild.au calling for every public school to...
-
Episode 146: Matildas mania, Trumps troubles, new deal on housing as wages reset plus wind in Wollongong
Van Badham and Ben Davison are all in with the Matildas, Till its done, so take a look at the cultural phenomena that has become the Australian Women's Football team, what it means for sport, our society and why their unionism is an inspiration for so many others to stand up for what's right.…
more -
Weekend Wrap 13 August 2023: Littleproud on Insiders exposes how much Coalition policy is driven by lobbyists
Ben Davison, voice croaky from celebrating the Matildas win, breaks down why the leader of the Nationals, and senior member of the Coalition, would go on Insiders and advocate for the most expensive, least safe, unproven energy technologies and for increasing the cost of medicines. The answer is...
-
Episode 145: Matildas and billion dollar Barbie recasting the role of girls, ACTU price gauging inquiry, Dutton diverted community safety funds and good news about Quolls
Van Badham and Ben Davison discuss how the on and off-field success of The Matildas are making us rethink traditional limitations about the role of girls and how they behave. Van and Ben discuss how the unionisation and professionalisation of the game is providing inspiration while at the same…
more -
SPECIAL Weekend Wrap: Dutton’s Garma dishonesty, parliament wrap , bosses bemoan worker rights, teachers and truck drivers take a stand
Van Badham joins Ben Davison for an extended Weekend Wrap to look at Dutton's dishonesty about Garma being exposed on Insiders, the bosses pamphlet (Australia Financial Review) confirming the Noalition views the referendum as a political opportunity to hurt Labor and why it is so important people...
-
Van Badham in conversation with Miles Taylor, former Trump National Security Advisor and author of Blowback
Welcome to our first “The Week On Wednesday presents Van Badham in Conversation With…”. And it is A CORKER. Miles Taylor is a former national security adviser to the Trump administration - yes, you read that correctly, and he is absolutely a guest on our show. In 2018, as “Anonymous”, Taylor...
-
Weekend Wrap 30 July 2023: Education, economic management, workplace reforms, housing, The Voice
Ben Davison is BACK after a two week break with a deep dive on the FIVE big issues that should be dominating the national debate. 98% of our public schools don't have the resources they need. Ben reads out a message from a listener about how the failure to support every child has left class sizes...