Something Wonky

This week the Focus Group takes a long hard look at what happens when you run out of luck. A rare challenge to Abbott’s free pass - Barrie Cassidy Leigh Sales interviews Tony Abbott Lisa Wilkinson shows Tony that breakfast TV isn’t any easier “Let’s not beat about the bush. Tony Abbott tells lies.” - Laurie Oakes “The greatest offence you can commit against journalists is not to troll them, but to be boring. Boats, carbon tax … nothing else” - Andrew Elder Labor gets boost in Nielsen Poll - Full Nielsen tables Putting on our tin-foil hat - Why did ABC’s Insiders change their segment title? Something Wonky considers adopting a new theme song. The dubstep remix Go back to where you came from - SBS

Something Wonky goes international and looks at stories of Australians hidden in foreign embassies. The Focus Group discusses skeletons in the closet. “Larry Pickering - the conman stalking Gillard” Abbott: I was charged with indecent assault Prime Minister Julia Gillard may well have sealed her own fate Peter Rudge, independent candidate in NT election - A decent man stretched beyond endurance Jeremy gets on his high horse about education. Abbott says Gonski reforms unaffordable Sabine Wolff tells us what’s stuck in her craw. The Inbox of Doom takes on racism and privilege. Proud to be white Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is

The focus group returns to asylum seekers. The truth on refugees is worse than fiction Facebook of doom? First Dog on the Moon News Limited finds someone to speak out against Bob Brown ‘We are not museum pieces’: Elders blast Greens crusader Bob Brown Oh Cory - Tales of loveable wing-nuttery from South Australia’s favourite Senator. Cory looks at his electricity bill Kate Doak tells us what she’s got stuck in her craw. Newsrooms, Glass-Jaws and “Anonymous” Interns The Hun Mole: Notes From A Tabloid Newsroom Herald Sun complains to Uni We look for an answer to Andrew Bolt’s COMPLETELY SANE question “How many dead pensioners does Julia Gillard need to save her useless carbon tax?” Free speech debate is coloured by hypocrisy

This week we look at the danger of ignoring Something Wonky - Newman support slips in Ashgrove. The Focus Group takes a look at protecting free speech, and when it’s okay to talk about difficult subjects. Tony Abbott accuses government of being on a jihad. Chic-fil-A - hiding your bad behaviour under the cloak of free speech. The right time to talk about gun control is when people have forgotten about the most recent hideous atrocity enabled by guns. THE FINAL STRAW: when far-right columnists like Janet Albrechtsen want a Labor PM to go. Labor has to act now. Tom Cummings tells us what’s stuck in his craw. - cyenne - gambling reform & problem gambling awareness Mr Tiedt - A pokie in the gut We take a look at the media’s response to Australia’s performance at the Olympic Games. The full text of this week’s Inbox of Doom

The focus group asks; is it a good idea for politicians to keep assuming that people are stupid? Richard Farmer’s take on the Carbon price Grahame Morris’s understanding of the Coalition’s paid parental leave scheme Oh Cory - Tales of loveable wing-nuttery from South Australia’s favourite Senator. The “Carbon Compensation has gone to the pokies” fallacy This week Sunili Govinnage tells us what’s stuck in her craw. Inbox of doom - Michael has sent us some more myths about asylum seekers.

The Focus group takes a look at what not to do when you’re handed unchecked power. Our case study is the Queensland LNP State Government: Rejecting decades of scientific discovery - Call to ban “environmental propaganda” and replace it with “normal science” Removing support from already marginalised minorities - Voting to end Abstudy ‘risks bigot tag’ Engaging in nepotism - Government staffer resigns after drugs found in Executive Building Planning to lock up kids instead of rehabilitating them, despite this making matters worse. And, we consider the importance of getting your name right when entering the political fray: Church leaders upset over ‘Australian Christians’ name The invisible hand, our look at the free market, considers the use of the private sector to deliver public services. That’s not working out so well for the UK government at the Olympics. What’s stuck in my craw. This week we hear from Andrew Tiedt - A State of Mind Ross Gittins - How our political prejudices affect confidence Julia Gillard’s Carbon Price promise. The inbox of doom - Will there be enough Muslims in the USA to elect the President of their choice in 20 years? Spoiler: No. And you call yourself a Wonk! - Jeremy admits that he’s abandoned Q & A and Insiders. Thanks to @coldsnacks and @mabster for their voiceover work this week.

Australia’s most influential podcast spends some time wondering about friendship, admiration and falling out in politics and the media. Tony Abbott, action man, paid attention to our advice to Sophie. We ask, is Tony accident prone? His car crash this week comes after Tony’s 2010 near miss with a truck. The Focus Group: Why can’t we be friends? Labor vs Greens Bolt vs Turnbull Tony vs Clive Stuck in my craw: Andrew Elder looks at Tony Abbott’s view of the ADF. Andrew Elder - Politically Homeless Tony Abbott on Insiders. Also, Tony asks if Asylum Seekers may be “unChristian”. I Just don’t get it: Dave wonders why lefties are so infatuated with Malcolm Turnbull. He’s been wondering about it for some time now. Murdochracy. We didn’t mention him at all last week, but how can we ignore this effort by Andrew? It’s just too hilarious.

The Focus Group - they’ve been begging for our unsolicited advice this week. * Advice for politicians who sing. * Advice for politicians when it looks like someone next to you is collapsing * Advice for politicans considering “thinking outside the box” - a moonbase is never the answer. Nor is a floating city. Carbon Tax causing hard times for legal practitioners. Please help Gavin Stuart Jane Gilmore - The King’s Tribune The Ghost of Pure Poison Forum Also, Jeremy tells on Dave to the IPA.

The inaugural episode of Australia’s most loved podcast has arrived. Dave and Jeremy discuss the impending Carbon price, asylum seekers, marriage equality, and some of our favourite News Ltd journos. Pure Poison is closing down. Tony Abbott - “Whyalla will be wiped off the map” Alan Jones and Tom Tate - Boycotting the Carbon Tax via @shockjockcoach The Butcher Shop Beatup - Some website. Arguing against equality. What is marriage? Jeremy’s night with the Association of Cynical Liars (ACL) Mr Denmore - The Failed Estate. Steve Lewis, News Ltd Journalist, preparing a story “We’ll get him” Andrew Bolt’s Barbarian fetish - Attacking Catherine Deveny, he’s been at it since 2010. To complaints about Free Speech in under 12 hours.

You've found Something Wonky, the new podcast from Dave Gaukroger and Jeremy Sear. The first full episode will be released on June 29th.