Serious Danger

Bond, Caleb Bond. Tom is joined by guest host Robert Simms, Greens member of the SA Legislative Council, to talk all things Festival State. First, the Adelaide Writers Week is cancelled after they cancelled the Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah’s appearance, which they have now uncancelled. What is going on? (9:15) Then, a look at the state of play in SA state politics and a prediction and call to action for the upcoming ...

Getting on the grift with Drew Pavlou. Tom is joined by guest host Jeff Sparrow, Walkley award-winning journalist and writer and senior lecturer at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.
America did a coup of Venezuela! (10:23) Albo announced a Royal Commission and Adelaide Festival cancelled itself! (44:34) Everything feels even more crazy!

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Just released on Patreon - Inside the Greens #11...

Video version - https://youtu.be/FQzjNT6oVHM 

In this bonus series for Patreon subscribers, Tom and Emerald continue chapter 11 of author Paddy Manning’s epic history of the Australian Greens movement, “Inside The Greens: The Origins and Future of the Party, the People and the Politics.”

First up some listener feedback on our Civil Duty recap episode. Then in this installment - Trump, the dual c...

We will be back with regular episodes starting next week, but for now here is an unlock of a favourite bonus episode from our Patreon. Emerald is back! And joined by Tom to meet Sean Kelly, former Labor staffer and current journalist, to discuss his new Quarterly Essay, “The Good Fight: What Does Labor Stand For?” Are Labor cowardly cowards, or clever pragmatists who know how to play the game? What is Anthony Alban...

In honour of this strange week between Christmas and New Years, where nothing makes sense, what better time to talk centrism? In this unlock of a favourite Patreon bonus ep, Emerald and Tom are joined again by economist and Executive Director of The Australia Institute Dr Richard Denniss, to discuss his new essay ‘Dead Centre: How Political Pragmatism is Killing Us.’ This one is a cracker, almost an hour of insightful t...

Merry Christmas (?), as in this bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, we celebrate with Emerald and Tom by recapping Annabel Crabb’s latest frothy dive into Auspol, this time with Civic Duty, an ABC three-part series about the story of Australia’s voting system. Is Tom wrong to want it to go deeper? How can Penny Wong show her face in public after putting a dumb political party ahead of her own rights as a gay woman? W...

Video version - https://youtu.be/6VAHTndYDWg 

Emerald joins Tom to take a look at the aftermath of the horrific Bondi massacre (4:14), the community’s shock and the ways bad actors are exploiting it to push agendas. Then, a look at the year ahead and Emerald’s vibes for the Greens in 2025 (51:14).

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Just released on Patreon - Inside the Greens #11: DiNatale’s black skivvy & Senate voting r...

City councils vs cartoon watermelons. Tom is joined by guest host Alex McKinnon, co-founder of Deepcut News! First up, a politician expenses scandal has hit (23:52). Are these just distractions running from a template? And are Greens just as bad as the majors? Then, the under-16s social media ban hits (50:21). Will kids just instantly get around it? Why does breakfast radio continue to set the agenda in Aussie politics? Finally, a ...

In this bonus series for Patreon subscribers, Tom and Emerald continue chapter 11 of author Paddy Manning’s epic history of the Australian Greens movement, “Inside The Greens: The Origins and Future of the Party, the People and the Politics.”

In this instalment - Richard DiNatalie flirts with the mainstream, reform of Group Voting Tickets in the Senate, the 2006 election, Turnbull as PM, Batman and Grayndle...

New theme song! Tom is joined by guest host, Greens candidate and activist, Hannah Thomas! First, an update on her health and the legal proceedings following her assault by a police officer during a pro-Palestinian protest (2:48). Then, Rising Tide is back for another year and plenty of legends have been arrested for blocking coal ships (25:52). Finally, a look at the recent results from the Australian Election Survey for the 2025 ...

Pauline’s back with another attempt to woo MAGA, aka a burqa for a berko. Tom is joined by guest host Osman Faruqi, as he prepares to present Lamestream’s Ls of the Year Awards. First up, the Greens have agreed to pass the Environment Protection Reform Bills (19:11). Was this a capitulation by a Greens party cowed into submission, or a pragmatic move to take the best they could get? Then, the Greens held a National Memb...

In this sample of the new bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, Emerald is back! And joined by Tom to meet Sean Kelly, former Labor staffer and current journalist, to discuss his new Quarterly Essay, “The Good Fight: What Does Labor Stand For?” Are Labor cowardly cowards, or clever pragmatists who know how to play the game? What is Anthony Albanese actually up to? How can the Australian left movement get our own &ldquo...

The Griff needs your help! Tom is joined by returning favourite Amy Remeikis, one of the few good journalists. First up a bit of Trump Epstein emails chat as a little treat (8:40). Then, the Coalition dumped net zero and all it does is provide cover for Labor to be 99% as bad (15:43). Next up a mixed-bag of the government being a bag of shit (45:10). Did you know the new CSIRO cuts are worse than Tony Abbott did? But it’s Lab...

Tom and The Griff marvel at Max Chandler-Mather getting a fair run in an Australian newspaper!? Next, Tom is joined by Sarah-Hanson Young, Greens senator for South Australia! First up, the state of play and then a look at a recent Crikey article featuring unhappy Greens staffers (19:01). Then, with the LNP ditching net zero, and the country seemingly unbothered that Labor has effectively ditched it, what is going on? (38:39)

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In this bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, Emerald and Tom are joined live at Comedy Republic in Melbourne by Wil Anderson!

As is his curse for life, we asked him to analyse commercials with us. From baby Adam Bandt, Labor cosplaying as Greens, Pauline going for schmaltz, and many more, political advertising in Australia is as strange as the politics itself.

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The show can only exist because of our wonderful Patreon su...

Say nup to the annual Michael McCormack Melbourne Cup skit. Tom is joined by guest host Konrad Benjamin, aka Punter’s Politics! What is his superhero origin story? First up, this week saw Punters' Politics Political Fundraising Gala Dinner, a crowd-sourced plan to buy leftie lobbyists (20:51). Is lobbying the root cause of all political evil? Next up, with Zohran Mamdani’s big win in the New York mayoral race, what is P...

Video version - https://youtu.be/p7BpEuvzV_k

Live from the Comedy Republic in Melbourne, it’s our 200th episode! It’s Emerald’s last weekly show! First, Albo is secretly a Joy Division t-shirt nazi!? Then some good news as Victoria signed a treaty with its First Peoples, and some bad news as Queensland banned puberty blockers for adolescents. Will some Zohran Mamdami and Zack Polan...

In this bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, Tom moderates the ‘Freedom For The Press’ event live at The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on Tuesday 15th October 2025.

“Censorship and secrecy threaten democracy. A discussion on press freedom and the public’s right to know.”

The panel features:

• Andrew Wilkie MP – Independent Federal MP & defender of whistleblowers
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Mr. Albanese Goes To Washington and sells our resources for cheap to dictator while media takes Rudd bait. Emerald and Tom look at the announcement that the government's overhaul of Australia's environment laws won’t include a climate trigger. (9:09) But would a trigger have even stopped them from approving every possible mine? Then, duelling of the thinkpieces as Emma Dawson and Max Chandler-Mather both put out articles abou...