Weekend Wrap 13 March 2022: Morrison’s defence waste exposed on Insiders, Flood fundraiser highlights Liberal failures, Eureka ban a symbol of skewed priorities

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

Ben Davison breaks down Labor shadow defence minister, Brendan O'Connor's, Insiders interview in which he exposes the wastefulness of the Morrison-Dutton government. Billions spent on equipment that doesn't work, given to Liberal donor companies that have no staff and on contracts that will never be delivered. All in pursuit of an arbitrary "Spending as a percentage of GDP target" while Dutton fails to effectively deploy the defence forces we have to support covid controls and flood relief.

The nation dug deep to support a flood relief telethon overnight but with the insurance bills likely to top $1 BILLION Ben asks the question; is this the Liberal party just once again trying to deflect from its failings and push the role of government onto the people?

Morrison was on the Today show this morning rejecting that very claim and calling it a "Labor narrative". The 865,000+ Australian's having to work two or more jobs, millions who've had a pay cut, tens of thousands who were abandoned during fires and floods and thousands who's loved ones have needlessly suffered and died in aged care might disagree.

Morrison has banned the flying of the Eureka flag on construction sites. Despite failing to implement the recommendations of a review of workplace health and safety laws and standing to one side while two major construction companies have gone under Morrison's Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) have spent two years getting a ban upheld by the federal court. The Eureka flag, flown by our first diggers, remains a powerful symbol of grass roots democracy and is a part of union iconography while also being a key part of Ballarat's cultural identity.

Van and Ben will be proudly marching under the Eureka Flag at the Ballarat Labour Day march tomorrow. Don't forget to join you union and check out our supporter page!