Episode 77: Morrison missing for women and elders, Putin’s war, flood disasters in Queensland and NSW

"The Week on Wednesday" with Van Badham & Ben Davison

Van Badham and Ben Davison take a long look into whats happened in aged care now that Morrison has had the Aged Care Royal Commission findings for over a year. Hundreds have died, minister Colbeck cannot guarantee that funding for nutrition was spent on food, nursing homes don't always have a nurse, minimum care times are not being met and the workers need a 25% pay increase just to get a liveable hourly wage.

But unions have taken up the issue with a claim to lift wages to $30 an hour, have nurses in nursing homes, have staff to resident ratios and ensure people are feed more than $6 a day worth of slop.

The Australian Union movement also released a report this week called "Morrison Missing: A record of his failure for working women". The report shows how under the Morrison government 2 out 3 working women have faced sexual harassment at work, women are paid nearly $500 a week less than men, retire with half as much as men and are more likely to experience insecure work, unemployment and homelessness.

The report coincided with the union movement bringing a case for paid family and domestic violence leave in the workplace commission. While employer lobby groups were happy to contest the claim no employer was willing to put their face to opposing a paid day off for the victims of family and domestic violence.

While the Australia Services Union has asked Qantas to get rid of some outdated gender bias uniform laws, Tony Abbott has been spouting American right wing talking points that "gender whispering" is basically why Putin has invaded Ukraine.

It is not. Putin has invaded Ukraine because he believes in a fascist ideology espoused by one of his advisors and praised by people like Steve Bannon.

Putin's War in Ukraine has highlighted how his far right ideology has been supported by bad faith actors in the west and is based on a written doctrine of fascism, "Greater Russian" rule over large parts of Europe and the "destruction" of "liberalism"

While the war is not going to plan for Putin it has unified democracies against his authoritarianism in some interesting and unexpected ways while also having devastating economic consequences for Putin and his cabal of oligarchs.

The flooding disaster in south east Queensland and northern NSW has claimed 10 lives and left over 50,000 properties without power. Van and Ben rail against the failure of Morrison and Dutton to understand the role of government in supporting people in a time of crisis while praising the selflessness of the volunteers and community members on the front line.

Plus there is good news about Guinness and carbon capture!

And as always we give a shout out to our supporters, you can check out the supporter page at www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday