Like I'm A Six-Year-Old

He used to co-host Australian Idol but this year James Mathison ran against former prime minister Tony Abbott for the federal seat of Waringah as an independent. In this chat James explains why he decided to run, his frustrations with the current political deadlock in Australia, the limitations of election campaigns and his predictions of a new progressive movement on the horizon. Plus he shamelessly advertises Coke.    Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017 Comedy 4 Karma in Daylesford, Saturday October 15th I'll be appearing in season 2 of SBS's First Contact in November Walk Together 2016 is happening on Saturday October 22nd #OurBrothersOurSisters on raisely.com Me on Guardian's Token podcast Me on Brendon Burns' Dumb White Guy podcast, Part 1 // Part 2 @jamesmathison jamesmathison.com.au This week's episode of Q&A Article: CEOs bank on bonuses as average Australian worker left to flounder   Article: We're two-faced about 'wasting' money on welfare Article: James Mathison wants to create a new progressive political movement to target the far right Article: Thoughts on Junket 2016 Article: Leaked UNHCR report - Manus Island's world's worst   Cause of the Week: Barnados (barnados.org.au)  

22-year-old student Brendan Busch is angry and frustrated about Australian racism and denial, particularly in relation to First Nations peoples. He's spoken out against Andrew Bolt receiving a platform at the 2016 Festival of Dangerous Ideas and garnered some media attention last month when he offered to give away his Falls Festival ticket to anyone who could prove they had convinced radio station triple j to change the date of their massive annual song countdown, the Hottest 100, from "Australia Day" on January 26th. Here Brendan (eloquently) explains his thinking and the ideas behind the #changethedate movement, reacts to the subsequent response from triple j and the public and discusses the murky distinctions between the expression of "challenging views" and hate speech, holding our public institutions to account and how we balance the importance of calling out racism with the goal of actually changing people's minds.  Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017 Comedy 4 Karma in Daylesford, Saturday October 15th Brendan's letter in Independent Australia: An Open Letter to Creators of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas  Footage of Andrew Bolt's session at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas Article: triple j Hottest 100 Man Starts Competition to Change The Date Article: Briggs Reckons triple j Should Change The Hottest 100 Date  triple j statement: triple j's Hottest 100 is staying on January 26...for now. And here's why.   January 26th by A.B. Original on YouTube Hack Live: Aussie Patriots change.org petition: triple j, change the date of the Hottest 100  Article: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard To Talk To White People About Racism  @JusticeForDhu Cause of the Week: Clinton's Walk For Justice (clintonswalkforjustice.org), on StartSomeGood, on FB  

Comedian Josie Long makes me feel better about the world. She is a ball of delightful, charming and passionate energy whose comedy is hilarious and socially conscious and life-affirming. In this chat, recorded backstage at the lovely Soho Theatre, Josie and I chat about how she became more politically active, the trickiness of “helping” in the right way, the UK Labour leadership, austerity, art, privilege and voting for what you believe in. Plus a few Kurt Vonnegut quotes for good measure. Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017 The Little Dum Dum Club LIVE in Adelaide @josielong josielong.com Hope In The Dark by Rebecca Solnit Hack Live: Aussie Patriots Cause of the Week: Arts Emergency (arts-emergency.org)  

Backstage at the Soho Theatre I got to sit down with journalist Johann Hari to discuss how the media corrupts our public debate, Australian television and his powerful book, Chasing the Scream: The First & Last Days of the Drug War.  What is addiction? Why is the drug war still continuing? What is it costing us? Is there a better way?    Article: Half of all Australians want to ban Muslim immigration, says poll Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017 Andrew Denton's podcast series for the Wheeler Centre, Better Off Dead bethebill.com @johannhari101 chasingthescream.com Johann's TED Talk: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong  In A Nutshell: Addiction A Small Book About Drugs by Lisa Pryor Cause of the Week: Unharm (unharm.org)  

Finally! An actual new ep! And what an ep it is. Comedian, writer and broadcaster Nish Kumar hosts topical comedy show Newsjack on the BBC and has been twice nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award. He writes very smart, politically charged comedy and his laugh is glorious to behold. Here Nish and I discuss the current "spicy meatball" of a political period the UK is experiencing. From the concept of "right-wing comedy" to post-Brexit xenophobia to Jeremy Corbyn to Jo Cox to Trump to Hanson, this has got everything you've been craving.  The World Keeps Happening at the Soho Theatre Campaign for Australian Aid’s Comedy Gala Who The Bloody Hell Are We? Boundless Plains To Share at the Belvoir Theatre, January 2017 Article: Why triple j moving the Hottest 100 could reset the convo around Australia Day by Chloe Sargeant @MrNishKumar nishkumar.co.uk Nish's 2016 tour dates Newsjack on BBC Radio 4 Extra Article: Brexit: a disaster decades in the making by Gary Younge Fences: A Brexit Diary by Zadie Smith Article: No one told me to go home for 16 years then we voted for Brexit by Nish Kumar  Video: What can a satirist do with our post-truth politics? by Nish Kumar Cause of the Week: We Love Immigration: A Comedy Night for Migrant Rights Network, Help Refugees UK (helprefugees.org.uk)  

Just a small message to say that this podcast is still happening and everything, I just got distracted and tired and drunk at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Sorry lol.  New episodes coming soon!  The World Keeps Happening is at London's Soho Theatre from September 12th Me on Something Wonky Campaign for Australian Aid's Comedy Gala Who The Bloody Hell Are We? Thank youse.     

In a week of Sonia Kruger and Pauline Hanson nonsense, let's talk to someone who's actually doing something GOOD for immigrants and refugees and people of colour. David Manne is a human rights lawyer and the Executive Director of Refugee Legal (formerly the Refugee Immigration Legal Centre or RILC). He's passionate about helping people who ask our country for - and are deserving of - legal protection. David gave me the lowdown on the Australian refugee crisis as he sees it: where we're at, what laws we're breaking, just how generous we are and what should (and can) happen next - an immediate evacuation of people languishing in our offshore detention centres.  You can catch me at the Splendour In The Grass Comedy Club Comedy Central's Roast Battle @ JFL 2016 The World Keeps Happening at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival Five facts to fight Sonia Kruger's fear of Muslims by Jamila Rizvi factcheckonenation.com.au @david_manne @RefugeeLegal Human Rights with Philip Ruddock - The Wheeler Centre's Fifth Estate Podcast Cause of the Week: Refugee Legal (rilc.org.au)  

It's episode 69 so let's talk about LOVE. Writer and philosopher Alain de Botton is in the country to promote his (brilliant) new book The Course of Love: an exploration of the confusing ideas romanticism serves up for us. He thinks love is a serious matter indeed and one worth examining closely, and in this chat we talk about its effects, its position in our hard-wiring and its many forms.  Also, in the wake of Brexit and Trump, Alain reflects on how emotional intelligence might better inform our public debate.    You can catch me at the Splendour In The Grass Comedy Club The World Keeps Happening at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival Article: "Classwashing" Australia's racism problem won't make it disappear by Ruby Hamad  @alaindebotton alaindebotton.com The Course of Love Video: In Praise of Short-Term Love Cause of the Week: The School of Life (schooloflife.com - Sydney, Melbourne)  

How about that election, hey?!?!?!?! As the votes continue to be counted and we all wait to see what happens next, half of the brilliant Something Wonky podcast Jeremy Sear joined me to discuss what it all means. He told me how he came to be a progressive person, negative gearing, tax cuts, Hanson, the plebiscite, humanising politicians and a whole new way of thinking about our electoral system. Good times!  The World Keeps Happening at the Sydney Comedy Store, July 9th You can catch me at the Splendour In The Grass Comedy Club The World Keeps Happening at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival @jeremysear @somethingwonky somethingwonky.com The ABC's Election blog Article: Pauline Hanson's back, and the disaffection genie is well and truly out of the bottle by Katharine Murphy Article: AEC Admit They've Lost Count And Will Have To Start Again by The Backburner Cause of the Week: Refugee Legal (rilc.org.au)  

I’m back! And the election is upon us! Before the big day, I sat down with Jason Ball, the Greens candidate for the seat of Higgins. Some polling suggests the Liberal Party’s primary vote has fallen sharply and the blue ribbon seat could change hands on Saturday, which would be, to put it mildly, fucking remarkable. Here Jason explains why he thinks he could be in with a shot, what it’s like to be involved in such a campaign, how progressive Australia really is, homophobia in the AFL and in wider society, some of his run-ins with potential voters and whether he’d actually be ready to be an MP if he actually wins. The World Keeps Happening at the Sydney Comedy Store, July 9th You can catch me at the Splendour In The Grass Comedy Club The World Keeps Happening at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival Stand Up 4 Orlando at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne jasonball.com.au @greensjason Article: The Battle for the Electorate of Higgins by Vice magazine Article: Greens candidate Jason Ball hits back at homophobic graffiti Please vote good and proper! Head to aec.gov.au for all the info about the election Cause of the Week: beyondblue (beyondblue.org.au)