Dear Australia, from Hong Kong, China

Australia's January 26 traditions; William Cooper's protest against Nazi attacks on Jews; Lunar New Year starts down under

Reporting on the three great traditions of January 26 since John Howard named it a holiday in 1994 - a long weekend, Invasion Day protests and Murdoch media culture wars. Upon the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz a discussion of William Cooper, Aboriginal leader who led the only public protest against the Nazi Kristallnacht in 1938, supporting the Jewish people of Germany. He also was part of the campaign begun in 1939 to make January 26th a day of mourning for Aboriginal people. Here in 2025 on January 28th Australia begins Lunar New Year Festivals in all its major cities as well as many of its suburbs with prominent Chinese and Vietnamese communities. Hear of the big events planned in Sydney and Melbourne while in the north of Australia people face the rare occasion of five cyclones forming in the oceans from the north west of Western Australia all the way to the north east of Queensland. Music played on RTHK3: Thelma Plum - The Bown Snake  The Beefs - Red-Bellied Black Snake Yothu Yindi - Jailbreak  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrodwatt.substack.com [https://jarrodwatt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Aussie oligarchs and Trump; on-off court drama of the Australian Open; nuclear TikTok and GenZ

This week the Australian Federal government appointed two women as ministers and thus for the first time in Australian history its national government achieved gender parity in its Cabinet. Meanwhile in Washington, among the US tech broligarchy frotage there was West Australian billionaire mining oligarch Gina Rinehart, whose coal interests in Canada bely one of the reasons for her attendance and support of Trump. In Melbourne, the dull thud of tennis balls being whacked has been interrupted by all sorts of dramas involving players, a heavy drinking crowd and a TV reporter whose antics have been seen as an insult to the nation of Serbia. It's been a nice distraction from the usual culture war leading up to January 26... Music played on RTHK3 Midnight Oil - US Forces The Seven Ups - New World Monkeys King Stingray - Cat 5  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrodwatt.substack.com [https://jarrodwatt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Arson about in a viral video; Dutton launches “GABOT”, the Aussie MAGA; Albo pokes Musk, massive new funnel-web spider

Talking about the East Donnie video which went viral involving an arsonist charred with crime, and enquiries about whether this put arson hospital; opposition leader Peter Dutton launches his Australian version of MAGA, although this one spells GABOT. Phil points out this is Tagalog language for “ripped out/weeded out/pulled out”.  Interestingly Peter Dutton launched his campaign in electorate stood for and lost by Hong Kong born  Gladys Liu in the last election. Meanwhile, scientists have identified three species of funnel-web spider, including one from the Newcastle region that is larger than them all, albeit with a not very creative name. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrodwatt.substack.com [https://jarrodwatt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Australia cabana drama; phony election campaign begins, end of two party system beckons; a gender reveal burnout

Just days before Australians are implored to celebrate British soldiers marching up a beach and planting a Union Jack flag in 1788, the nation is arguing over how to share space on its beaches. Is it unAustralian to set-up a cabana on a beach early in the morning, go away and then come back when you're read to use it? Or is it the foundation of Australian identity to simply claim a bit of land as yours? The 2025 Federal Election is yet to be announced but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in campaign mode, while analysts suggest electoral trends indicate this year's election will mark the end of the two party system and the beginning of a new era of minority governments. Meanwhile in Adelaide, a burnout 210 metres long was delivered by a Commodore as part of a gender reveal party while mulleted petrol-heads gathered in Canberra for the annual Summernats and national burnout competition. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrodwatt.substack.com [https://jarrodwatt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

A political gamble: social media ban goes to parliament, Bluesky and Australia's word of the year

A year after a Federal Parliamentary inquiry into the impact and influence of gambling ads on Australian people, and having received 31 proposals for banning advertising and controlling its impact on young people, the Albanese government has decided to... spend three hours debating a social media ban for the under 16s after giving the public 24 hours notice of a 12 hour public submission period before introducing legislation... backed by Peter Dutton's Federal Opposition. With two media oligarchs also making hundreds of millions of dollars each year from gambling advertising, it's plain to see the Albanese government is not going to start a fight just before an election... Meanwhile the rantings of Elon Musk are fading down under as millions of Australians join the X-odus from Twitter to BlueSky and media organisations set up new social media presences. All of this in a week where the Macquarie dictionary people have announced the Australian Word of the Year - coined by Cory Doctorow in 2022, the word "ensh**ification" received both the Macquarie and people's choice vote for 2024's word of the year. Music played on RTHK3: Ella Thompson - Jigsaw King Stingray - What's the Hurry Emily Wurramurra - Boom Biddy Bye ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrodwatt.substack.com [https://jarrodwatt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]