The Party Line Podcast

Episode 17 - The party line on ICE, Adelaide Writers Week and Hate SpeechThis week the gang voted Omar off the Island. Producers had a surprise up their sleeves, with Josh Lees as a special guest. We discussed the violent killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents, and the full throated support for the murderer from JD Vance, Trump and the US regime. We then discussed the fallout from the removal of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from Adelaide Writers’ Week, and the solidarity she received from 180+ other guests and writers. The ruling class offensive against the Palestine movement continues, with the Royal Commission announced, plus the introduction of hate speech laws that give the Attorney General the powers to prohibit organisations, and punishment of 15 years for people who support them. ContentWhy we must oppose a royal commission | Red FlagLiberals’ hate speech hypocrisy after Bondi | Red FlagI cannot be party to silencing writers, which is why I am resigning as director of Adelaide writers’ weekSacked for Israeli flag: How Sydney Uni handled pro-Palestine encampmentThe march to the Bondi massacre began at Sydney Town HallAn inconvenient truth: Anti-Semitism flourishes in mainstream progressive politics and some Islamic culturesHeadlines: Trump’s Gold Card Already Passed $1.3 Billion In Sales. Is This The Future Of Immigration?New UKIP logo slated over 'similarities to Nazi symbol' | The National'I'm baffled': Viral TikTok video sparks debate over act of removing energy stickers Details of Labor's new hate speech and gun laws revealed - ABC NewsSplits emerging within Coalition over hate speech billPauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce use Gina Rinehart’s private jet to visit flooded parts of Queensland | One Nation | The GuardianGina Rinehart and fellow billionaires add record $3.3trn in wealth:     Huge thanks to our tireless editors Charlie Wardrop and Persephone Waxman.While we will always release our content for free, please support us on patreon if you can.*****************This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle.If you like what you hear, please rate, subscribe and share with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers.(The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on stolen land and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.

Episode 15 - The party line on how Bondi is being weaponised against Palestine ft Amy RemeikisAs the dust settles on the horrific Bondi shooting, the nature of the bigoted onslaught has become clearer. This episode starts by looking at the tirade of lies and far-right propaganda spread by The Australian and other media outlets. Given Jillian Segal’s prominence, we do a little digging into her family’s history as managers of hyper-exploitative diamond mining companies in Apartheid South Africa as well as her links with racist lobby group, Advance Australia. To get a deeper look at the media landscape of the backlash we interview journalist Amy Remeikis on the media response to Bondi and how they have normalised racism and anti-Palestinian politics. We then take a look at the appalling attacks on rights going on in the UK, where the government has banned Palestine Action and has sought to criminalise support for the Palestinian people and their resistance to genocide, a direction that Australian state and federal governments appear to be moving in. NSW Premier Chris Minns gets a particular shout-out, as a key protagonist in the moves to censor pro-Palestine speech and increase authoritarianism and anti-protest laws in Australia. Finally, we explore the tensions in the ALP around this issue and why Albanese has invited the Israeli President, Isaac “no innocent civilians in Gaza” Herzog, to visit Australia. ContentIsrael's propaganda machine endangers every Jew on the planet - including me | Middle East EyePoliticising a Terror Attack | Michael WestJillian Segal's plan to combat antisemitism straight from lobby group wish-list | Tom TanukiBlack South Africans mine-workers [including employees of the Segal family] under Apartheid | The CJPME FoundationMassacre as political theatre: our shameful national response to Bonde | Amy RemeikisChabad Picks a Side: The Ben-Gvir Alliance | ShomrimHuge thanks to our tireless editors Charlie Wardrop and Persephone Waxman.Please support us on patreon*****************This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle.If you like what you hear, please rate, subscribe and share with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers.(The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on stolen land and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.

Episode 14 - The Party Line Christmas SpecialThis episode begins with a rambling exploration of Christmas-themed inanities including the merits of home alone 2, papal bulls, and the crucial question of whether or not Jesus was a communist. We then (finally) respond to your listener questions! Merry Xmas and happy holidays from the team at The Party Line.Content:When the guns fell silent for Christmas during WWI | Red Flag https://www.montfort.org.br/eng/documentos/decretos/anticomunismo/https://www.montfort.org.br/eng/documentos/decretos/anticomunismo/ Divini Redemptoris (March 19, 1937) Rerum Novarum (May 15, 1891) Pope Francis: questions remain over his role during Argentina's dictatorship Pope Francis, the Catholic Church, and Argentina’s “Dirty War” - Freedom Socialist Party The contradictions of Christianity | Red Flag Huge thanks to our tireless editors Charlie Wardrop and Persephone Waxman.Please support us on patreon*****************This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle.If you like what you hear, please rate, subscribe and share with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers.(The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on stolen land and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.

Episode 13 - The Bondi massacre and the right-wing backlash The massacre in Bondi struck the heart of decent people across Australia. It was shocking to see the murder of 15 Jewish people by suspected gunmen with links to ISIS. This special episode was recorded in the first days after the event, and tries to unpack the first responses by the media, the ALP, LNP, Pauline Hanson and Bob Katter.  In general, the horror of the attack has been amplified by the racist and anti-Palestinian response, which seeks to manipulate the tragedy for political ends. Benjamin Netanyahu’s absurd claim that Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood is somehow to blame was typical of this reactionary tidal wave. Also significant has been NSW Premier Chris Minn’s decision to rush through even more anti-protest laws under the guise of solidarity with the Jewish community.ContentDon’t Listen to the Ghouls Exploiting the Tragedy of Bondi Beach | The NationShame on those using the Bondi massacre to slander Palestine solidarity | Red FlagMay our flames be a recommitment | Jewish Voices for Peace Huge thanks to our tireless editors Charlie Wardrop and Persephone Waxman.Please support us on patreon*****************This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle.If you like what you hear, please rate, subscribe and share with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers.(The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on stolen land and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.

Episode 12 - The Party Line on Venezuela, US Imperialism, and NUSBig news this week: Anneke has been adopted! By her big sister that is. We discuss all that before moving on to headlines, including what the Annika Wells expense scandal reveals about the culture of entitlement that runs through Parliament. The main breaking story that was unfolding as we were recording was the US hijacking of a Venezuelan oil tanker, which follows months of deadly strikes on boats that have killed nearly 100 civilians.  This leads on to a chat about Trump’s new National Security Strategy, which declares his intent to see the US engage in aggressive operations throughout Latin America to reassert US hegemony over the ‘western hemisphere’, while also promoting the great replacement theory and other fascist ideas and organisations throughout Europe. We wrap up with some goss from the National Union of Students National Conference in Ballarat, which saw Labor Party members try (and fail) to lock out socialist party members from national office.Huge thanks to our tireless editors Charlie Wardrop and Persephone Waxman.ContentAustralia’s senior politicians can claim ‘unlimited’ travel expenses for their spouse, watchdog rules say | The Guardian Venezuela decries ‘act of piracy’ after US forces seize oil tanker off country’s coast | The GuardianTrump’s Looming “Forever War” | Tempest Headlines: Australian employers cut back on diversity and inclusion programs amid US ‘anti-woke’ backlashAt State Dept., a Typeface Falls Victim in the War Against WokeAlbanese digs in on MPs entitlements saga as more Wells spending comes to lightFrom Tim Tam to Four’N Twenty: Aussie icons enjoy government sweetenersRenters need $300,000 more superannuation in retirement than home owners, report findsAustralia has recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in custody since 1979marxismconference.org.au Please support us on patreon*****************This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle.If you like what you hear, please subscribe and share it with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers.(The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on stolen land and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.

Episode 11 - The Party Line on the NDIS, migration and the LiberalsThe team start this ep with a bold marketing ploy: attacking our listeners. We then discuss Jordy’s invitation to attend am allegedly anticapitalist forum hosted by SBS (turns out, it wasn’t). We then discuss the disgraceful comments made by Zack Polanski in relation to migrant workers in the UK, and what it reveals about the limits of liberal anti-racism, before launching into a critique of Labor’s NDIS program and their plan to use AI to further dehumanise and disenfranchise people with disabilities, as well as the workers who support them. The main segment features Chloe Rafferty from Red Flag Radio, our smarter, more sophisticated elder sibling, who led us in a discussion about the current crisis in the Liberal Party, why Sussan Ley is not the answer, why the Teals are no better, and how the growth of the far right will impact Australian politics into the future.Huge thanks to our tireless editors, Persephone Waxman and Charlie Wardrop.ContentIf ‘ethical consumption’ changed anything, they’d make it illegal | Red FlagNDIS plans will be computer-generated, with human involvement dramatically cut under sweeping overhaul | The Guardian A Marxist analysis of the Liberal Party  Mistaken Identity by Asad Haider review – the best criticism of identity politics | The Guardian Headlines: Trump wins his peace prize from Fifa – any chance of a VAR review?   Is gentle parenting to blame for low attendance rates - The AustralianThe CALDA Clinic | Award Winning Premium RehabilitationThirsty work: how the rise of massive datacentres strains Australia’s drinking water supply marxismconference.org.au Please support us on patreonRed Flag Radio*****************This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle.If you like what you hear, please subscribe and share it with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers.(The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on stolen land and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.

Episode 10 - The Party Line on Rising Tide and the Greens’ climate capitulation (ft Zack Schofield)Who wants to be a millionaire is a somewhat surprising focus of our first segment, as Anneke and her friend fight for the right to participate in the toxic reality TV industry. We then interview Rising Tide community organiser Zack Schofield, who is one of the wonderful people that have just organised the People’s Blockade of Newcastle Coal Port. We discuss the history of the campaign, its demands and why it’s in workers interest to support the ending of the fossil fuel industry. We follow this up with a scathing look at Labor’s climate bill, in particular the Green’s decision to pass it barely amended, and what it says about the limits of the Greens’ parliamentary approach. ContentRising Tide protest: climate activists stop three ships from entering world’s largest coal port in Newcastle | The GuardianLong-sought environmental law reform is finally here. But will the compromise deal actually protect nature? | The ConversationThe new climate denialism: Labor’s Net Zero Plan | Red FlagMarxism and the natural world | Marxist Left Review  Headlines:Return of nativity scene to Melbourne ends years of ‘woke’ Christmas | Herald SunHow the pope went popMan charged with theft after allegedly swallowing Fabergé pendant in jewellery storeGen Z Shoppers Aren’t Spending Like Retailers Need Them To - WSJAustralian prisoner sues for his 'human right' to eat VegemitePhysicists prove the Universe isn’t a simulation after all | ScienceDailyNDIS plans will be computer-generated, with human involvement dramatically cut under sweeping overhaul | The GuardianA non-white face on a racist asylum policy is just a mask for cruelty | Middle East EyeMusical outro: Marc Ribot - Bella CiaoPlease support us on patreon*****************This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle.If you like what you hear, please subscribe and share it with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers.(The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on stolen land and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.

Episode 9 - The Party Line on the Mamdani-Trump meetup, social media ban (with Channel 6’s Leo Puglisi) and Pauline Hanson Anneke kicks off the episode with a sad story about alleged police harassment - and the risk of not paying fines promptly. We then examine the decision by Vic Pol to designate the entire CBD and surrounds as a zone where they can stop and search anyone without reason, for an incredible six months. This is especially dangerous in light of a recent report which shows that Indigenous and African people are massively more likely to be searched, harassed, tasered and so on by police. We chat next about Hanson’s racist stunt in Parliament and her broader rise to prominence in Australian politics. We wrap up with an interview with Channel Six’s Leo Puglisi about his successful efforts to establish an alternative media project as a school-aged journalist, the coming social media ban, and why young people should be able to vote.ContentAfter the surreal Trump-Mamdani summit‘Vast overreach’: police allowed to conduct warrantless pat-downs of people across inner Melbourne for six months | MelbourneHow we beat Pauline Hanson in the 1990s Check out Leo’s work at 6 News Australia | Independent & unbiased journalismHeadlines:Cotality Housing Affordability Report shows 'extraordinary rise' in home valuesHastie knows Libs could die if they lose this fightWhy governments should stop raising the minimum wageBody-cam footage shows police coaching a father who murdered his family. As a psychologist, I’m enragedThe exceptional thing about the battle of the bobs? It’s not exceptionalHospitalised and told to send the kids to foster care: Tenants’ VCAT woes revealedIndigenous, African men endure rampant police profilingImmigrant crime: Trump administration orders US embassy to collect data from Australia*****************This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle.If you like what you hear, please subscribe and share it with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers.(The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on land that was never ceded, and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.