Episode 72: Grace Tame channels Australian women, COVID deaths spiking, Australia and Survival Day plus good news on rivers

Van Badham and Ben Davison analyse the final day of Grace Tame's
tenure as Australian of the Year, that handshake, that look, that
photo, Morrison's failures on policy issues, Morrison
entrenchment of unsafe cultural attitudes, the conservative
response to Tame doing her duty and what it tells us about the
state of politics and the status of women in Australia.


Van and Ben also remind people they can get active to support
better safety for women at work, and in society, through their
union at australianunions.org.au/wow with the We Won't Wait
campaign and the demands to implement all the recommendations of
the Respect@Work report.


COVID deaths in Australia are spiking with daily deaths per
million currently higher in Australia than in Brazil.


With Morrison prioritising making RAT importer millionaires over
providing RATS to NDIS participants and aged care residents Van
and Ben look at how people in those sectors are struggling as
well as how the Ministers are, not only failing, but hiding out
at the cricket!


The union movement is holding webinars TOMORROW (Thursday 27th)
on your workplace safety rights, hosted by Australian Unions
leaders Sally McManus and Liam O'Brien, the webinars are a must
for any worker who is concerned about COVID exposure at work, the
shortage of RATS and what the rules are about not having to work
in an unsafe environment.  The Australian Unions webpage and
twitter has all the details.


Dylan Alcott is the Australian of the Year for 2022! His first
acts were to call for more support for the NDIS, free RATS, a
shift in mindset and to take a very cheerful selfie with Grace
Tame.


Today is the Australia Day public holiday but the desire for a
national day that all Australian's can celebrate is gaining
momentum.  Van and Ben discuss some of the issues
surrounding today, cameo some remarkable social shifts that
commemorated Survival Day and suggest people check out Thomas
Mayor's article on this topic in the SMH and Age.


The good news is about the Yarra River!


And we give shout outs to our Cadre and Extend the Reach
supporters.  You can get a shout out by contributing at
www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday