William.Olson.Journo

28/06/2021

Episode 33 of my weekly "I Just Said That!" podcast is up -- and lots of topics (and rants) around the unions to be covered among the articles I wrote this week...
*The MEAA makes a plea to government and diplomatic officials in the spirit of solidarity for those reporting around Myanmar. Safe workplaces aren't just at risk; amid their coup, it's press freedom and human rights, too.
*States good, federal government bad -- that's the usual gist of the vaccine rollout, but when applied to the education sector, and especially in Victoria, the AEU is praising actions.
*With family and domestic violence cases on the rise, and being statistically verified with numbers that are simply alarming, the ACTU is pushing for the doubling of leave entitlements for women to cope with the consequences for themselves and their families.
*The ACTU has also provided a bit of constructive criticism to Parliament over a tabled bill to counter statistically-proven trends around sexual harassment and gendered violence in the workplace, saying it doesn't go far enough.
*All that, and yes, Gladys Berejiklian and the NSW government have been queued up in my "Almighty Serve" segment. Lack of "L" words and scapegoating seems to be their rule of the day, instead of providing proactive pandemic leadership. And the TWU, in the wake of recent events including the positive COVID case of a Virgin Australia flight attendant over the weekend, exists as a target of that scapegoating.
Enjoy listening -- and your feedback and engagement is always welcomed.

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23/06/2021

Wrote this article yesterday, for my "Various journalisms of William Olson" Patreon pages, it is union-related (since the MEAA figures in it significantly) -- and I judged the finished product about far too important issues of press freedom, free speech, and human rights being challenged in Myanmar to leave stuck behind my normal Patreon paywall. (FREE TO VIEW FOR ALL.)

Enjoy reading, and please share widely. (And please contribute to and support my Patreon. 😀)

27/04/2021

This is the final week of free-to-all access across my Patreon, as has been the case throughout the month of April -- starting with the latest edition, Episode 24, of the "I Just Said That!" podcast.

The paywall returns from Saturday, so if you enjoy the content I've been posting, please consider subscribing to my Patreon in order to continue receiving better journalism around topics which affect all of our lives, our livelihoods, and our democracy.



https://www.patreon.com/posts/podcast-i-just-50524104

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07/03/2021

New episode of my "I Just Said That!" podcast, Episode 17, dropping tomorrow around lunchtime (Melbourne/Sydney time).

Featuring all articles written by me this week -- and all articles are running exclusively on my Patreon for the foreseeable future.

The "I Just Said That!" podcast is running exclusively on my Patreon -- but being made FREE (paywall removed) for throughout the month of March.

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04/02/2021

Four articles written this week so far, so I'll be doing a taping of the "I Just Said That!" podcast this Sunday!

Sign up to my Patreon to hear Episode 13!

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04/02/2021

For the foreseeable future, all of my public interest journalism articles will be exclusively posted to my Patreon. You will have to subscribe in order to read them, plus you get a lot of other cool content as well, including the weekly "I Just Said That!" podcast. Great value for $5 per month.

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24/01/2021

Episode 11 of my "I Just Said That!" podcast is about to drop!

Was up til 2:00am drafting it, and you know what? I think it might be the best episode so far.

The "I Just Said That!" podcast is only available to my Patreon subscribers -- get it, and lots of other goodies, for $5/month.

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20/12/2020

Episode 6 of the "I Just Said That!" podcast will air on Tuesday this week.

Apologies for the delay.

07/12/2020

Better late than never this week... the "I Just Said That!" podcast, Episode 4, up now!

30/11/2020

Episode No. 3 of the "I Just Said That!" podcast is now LIVE on my Patreon!

To gain exclusive access to that, and other subscriber-only content, please join and contribute to my Patreon.

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23/11/2020

New podcast episode, my second one, is up on my Patreon.

Subscribe, and check it out!

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21/11/2020

My latest article this evening on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: On a day where federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg discussed long-frozen superannuation rates, the ACTU urged for its rate increases to proceed on schedule as of next July -- a schedule which has now been legislatively delayed since 2014.

In truth, it was a day of dueling reports from the federal government and the union movement -- while Frydenberg's massive paper presented no clear-cut recommendations on super's future, the ACTU's urged immediate action.

The ACTU backed their position based on what workers have lost since the Abbott government's decision in 2014 to freeze super rates at 9.5 percent until next July, and what workers may also stand to lose with an extension of a freeze existing as the LNP government's ideological position. Additionally, the ACTU warned that older workers may be left with no choice but to work past retirement age, even into their 70's, if the incremental rises in super rates were not adhered to.

Those are a few talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive journalism in Australia, regardless of who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/unions-call-for-thaw-of-superannuation-freeze/

If the best means to combat a freeze is with heat, then by applying heat on the Morrison government, O’Neil and the ACTU are advocating a quick thaw on superannuation rates.

20/11/2020

My latest article this morning on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) paints a picture of the October unemployment figures, being up 0.1 percent to 7.0 percent nationally, being a negligible increase. It's also a false flag.

The ACTU -- for a deeper dig into the numbers -- reminds us to "don't believe the hype", pointing out that the 0.1 percent rise is still an increase, and figures for youth unemployment and general under-employment are still in a state of distress. Consequentially, the ACTU and Sally McManus, its national secretary, given the projected shortcomings of the JobMaker subsidy scheme, have called upon the Morrison government for put forth a jobs plan focused on young people.

In fact, Labor's shadow minister for employment Brendan O'Connor and shadow minister for youth Amanda Rishworth have backed a blueprint of a plan that not only gets young people jobs and careers, but gives them a say as to how the policy can be run.

Those are a few talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive journalism in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/ignore-the-spin-unemployment-still-up-says-actu/

In the analysis of October's unemployment figures, a 0.1-percent rise may not seem like a lot -- but youth unemployment and under-employment still cause a worry, says the ACTU.

19/11/2020

My latest article for the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: In light of results not benefitting those in Indigenous communities in the way of job opportunities, the ACTU pushes for the overhaul of the Community Development program, which replaced the Remote Jobs and Communities Program in 2015, in regions around the states of New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.

While the statistical data and social impact of the five-year-old program have shown to possess a negative impact in Indigenous communities around Australia, the Morrison government is quick to defend the program, even to proceed with it. But the ACTU -- which had advocated a blueprint for a program to replace the CDP as far back as 2018 -- has partnered with Labor ministers and other lobby groups to exploit the program's ineffectiveness.

Those are a few talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, in supporting independent and progressive journalism in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/cdp-is-still-useless-claims-actu-group/

As results from the Community Development Program continue to regress at the loss of Australia's Indigenous communities, the ACTU keeps pushing for its overhaul.

17/11/2020

My latest sport article, and weekly NFL column, for the Inside Feed website: In the words of Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, after he gained 121 yards and scored two touchdowns in a key 37-12 win over the Denver Broncos, they scored over 30 points in an ugly win. And Raiders coach Jon Gruden, in true "Chucky" form, warned the rest of the NFL that they should be afraid... very afraid.

Is the Silver And Black's best yet to come in 2020? The Raiders lead a pack of six teams at 6-3 for the first of three AFC wild card playoff places in an expanded NFL playoff scheme this year -- but Gruden has his team's sights set higher. With the visit into Sin City of the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend, and as the Raiders have pinned the only defeat on the defending Super Bowl champions this season, another win against them will put them one game back in the AFC West, with tiebreaker in hand. That could be a playoff-picture game-changer, if the Raiders keep winning to smash-and-grab the AFC West.

Those are a few talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the Inside Feed sport website far and wide.

https://www.insidefeed.com.au/post/jacobs-raiders-stay-in-the-afc-hunt

The Raiders, at this point, hold the edge over the other 6-3 teams on various tiebreakers.

17/11/2020

My latest article for the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: As Parliament is currently in the middle of its final sitting for 2020, activist group GetUp! alleges while that Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton wants laws and orders rushed through to give ASIO more powers, public interest journalism lies under threat as one consequence to the proposed legislation.

GetUp! points out that the proposed legislation would increase surveillance powers, which would not even require a judge's warrant, putting journalists, whistleblowers, activists, businesses and citizens at risk. They also advise in opposing the proposed legislation, warning that ASIO -- acquired in a 2017 revision of Dutton's Home Affairs portfolio -- would have "unchecked powers" that would "wittle away" at democracy in Australia. And their position possesses multiple legal backings.

Those are a few talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive journalism in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/duttons-bidding-to-put-press-freedom-under-threat-again-getup/

Activist group GetUp! opposes legislation which would give Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton more power to grant towards ASIO that would further hamper public interest journalism.

14/11/2020

Just to shamelessly promote:

I will be doing my first podcast this week! Looking forward to putting it together.

This will be the first in my weekly podcasts, exclusive to my Patreon subscribers. So if you want to listen to my "I Just Said That!" podcast, you need to sign up to my Patreon -- only costs less than one barista-quality Melbourne CBD cafe coffee per week.

(Or sit down and listen to my "I Just Said That!" podcast as you have that barista-quality soy latte, or whatever your pleasure is.)

So watch this space, for notification on the "I Just Said That!" podcast... or better yet, sign up for my Patreon.

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Become a patron of The various journalisms of William Olson today: Get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.

14/11/2020

My latest article for the Inside Feed sport website: In Geelong's recap of the AFL's Trade Week, it resulted in three veteran players in, two reserve-grade players out, and a handful of draft picks exchanged. But the real value goes beyond that.

The Cats, through recruitment and list manager Steven Wells and coach Chris Scott, got a former Coleman Medal winner in Jeremy Cameron, a three-time Premiership player in Isaac Smith and a 2018 All Australian in Shaun Higgins.

Whether the three first-round picks Geelong sent to Greater Western Sydney for Cameron turns out to be a fair exchange remains to be seen -- but would an elusive Premiership on the last Saturday in September 2021 be the only measure of success on that deal?

The three players bring an added tactical value to Scott and the Cats: Cameron is another tall forward to complement Tom Hawkins and other forwards can feed off of, while Smith and Higgins are each good for key possessions and tackles, and will be good role players. And all three will help enhance one element of Geelong's culture by promoting intense competition for places in its best 22.

Those are a few of the talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the Inside Feed sport website far and wide.

https://www.insidefeed.com.au/post/trade-week-recap-more-than-just-cameron-as-cats-get-their-men

Geelong improved itself markedly with the addition of three very proven veteran players.

14/11/2020

My latest article on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: A new Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) free trade agreement among 15 Asian-Pacific nations, including Australia and New Zealand, is about to be ratified -- but ACTU president Michele O'Neil wonders, on the basis of past form, if Australians will be employed in it.

A preferential tendency for cheap labor on the part of ASEAN nations, and a poor track record for Australian employment in past FTA's, leaves the ACTU and O'Neil with cause for concern over the pact which will be ratified in the coming days. ASEAN nations' list of various abuses -- as long as one's arm, and then some -- also draws the ire of the ACTU and O'Neil. Seems an open letter to former PM Malcolm Turnbull from the Human Rights Watch advocacy group to influence improvement fell on deaf ears somewhere along the line.

Those are a few talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive journalism in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/asean-trade-deal-may-not-employ-australians-actu/

The Morrison government is due to sign a trade agreement whose final stages have been secretly negotiated among itself and 14 other nations in the Asia-Pacific region, but the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) remains sceptical as to whether jobs for any Australians will come up as a result....

14/11/2020

My latest article on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: Now that a Greens-led inquiry on former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's media diversity petition is on the cards in the halls of Parliament, parties with media interests are queueing up, starting with the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), the union looking after journalists and others in various forms of the media.

Marcus Strom, the MEAA's federal president of its media arm, is passionately interested in seeing how the nation's public interest journalism will be affected amid this inquiry. Strom welcomes the timing of the inquiry, saying it couldn't come at a better moment and the MEAA has put forth a list of items they would like to see addressed during the inquiry.

One particular study done on the heels of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's study into the rise of digital media saw one analyst conclude that the ACCC was doing more to compress media diversity instead of promote it. So is this inquiry a chance to correct those apparent errors?

Those are a few talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive journalism in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/meaa-sets-wish-list-for-media-diversity-inquiry/

One day after the Greens successfully won the right to have a media diversity inquiry on the Parliamentary agenda, the MEAA are hopeful their concerns will be heard.

14/11/2020

My latest article on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: Just when you thought the Morrison government relented to allow their JobMaker scheme to be adapted to protect older workers, here come One Nation's senators to screw all of that up.

As a result, workers over the age of 35 -- not the targets of the government's latest subsidized employment scheme -- may wind up being subject to reduced hours, casualization, or even redundancies, claim the ACTU. And aside from the unions, that scheme, now back in its original form after a last-minute Olympic-quality backflip from One Nation's Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts, has its critics in the ALP's shadow government.

Excerpt from Michele O'Neil, the president of the ACTU: "We have been calling on the Morrison government for months to put forward a comprehensive plan to create secure jobs through government investment... instead we get this." And O'Neil and the ACTU have every reason to feel frustrated -- for all of their workers, not just those over the age of 35, but under that age as well. Not to mention in their aims to help get the post-pandemic and post-recession economy going.

Those are a few of the talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to RT and share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive journalism, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/jobmaker-backflip-leaves-older-workers-exposed-says-actu/

Workers over the age of 35 are now more likely to fall victim to an oncoming wave of institutionalised ageism in hiring and human resources practices brought on by the advent of an approved JobMaker scheme in the federal Parliament, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) warned on Thursday. A...

14/11/2020

My latest article on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: After former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Parliamentary e-petition into media diversity and a received a record number of signatures, the Parliament has jumped to the will of the people. Via the combination of Labor MP Andrew Leigh tabling the petition and the Greens via senator Sarah Hanson-Young establishing an inquiry on the matter, the petition has taken the initial steps to see the light of day to defend Australian democracy.

Whereas the initiative of Rudd and the efforts of Leigh and Hanson-Young to follow it through reinforce a trust in the process of the federal Parliament, this will require the support of Labor, which has been slow to back it so far. However, it has also restored faith in believing that a bipartisan appeal of possible -- as strange bedfellows as ex-PM's Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull can be on one issue, the exists as a matter which can unite much of Australia... after all, 500,000+ e-signatures can't be wrong, can they?

Those are a few of the talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent journalism in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/rudds-anti-murdoch-petition-results-in-its-first-steps/

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's record-setting petition to examine media diversity has not only grabbed the imagination of the public, but now the Parliament as well.

14/11/2020

My latest article on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: After unleashing results of a study revealing systemic inequalities towards women in pandemic-era employment, comes an ACTU plea to establish a body to close those gaps. The statistics pointed out by the ACTU are alarming, and their study -- if you have a chance to read it, please do -- pulls no punches on the details, but Michele O'Neil, the ACTU's president, has also laid out a list of proposals to help fix the issues.

What about education and training, one may ask. Good idea, but statistics released today from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that engagement numbers for work and/or study are down, with women still less apt to partake in either.

Excerpt from O'Neil: "This crisis presents us with an opportunity to create a more equal society, address systemic failures and ensure that public investment is improving our society, not entrenching inequality." Therefore, the ACTU -- from O'Neil's pledge -- will be taking a proactive approach for solutions to the problem.

Those are a few talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to RT and share this article from the AIMN website. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive media in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/address-failings-in-womens-employment-actu/

Over-represented and under-rewarded – that’s a conclusion drawn by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) about women in the workplace impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in a study and report released on Wednesday. Focusing on those in the female-dominated and lower-paid industries such a...

14/11/2020

My latest article on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website:

Good news for JobSeeker recipients -- it's not ending in December but being extended to March.

Bad news -- $100 per fortnight is to be cut from the current $250-per-fortnight unemployment stimulus.

Uncertain news -- what does this mean for (that is, to permanently raise the rate of JobSeeker, or the old NewStart benefit)?

While the Morrison government views the cuts as an incentive for the jobless and under-employed to get back to work by March, the ACTU contends that this only strikes fear in those struggling to compete in a poor job market.

Excerpt from Michele O'Neil, the president of the ACTU: "Cutting JobSeeker will lead to greater financial hardship for the hundreds of thousands of working people who are currently out of work due to the pandemic and recession."

However, Linda Burney, Labor's shadow social services minister, has said that the $250-per-week JobSeeker stimulus to the old NewStart can still be saved by legislative action -- a similar path she and the ALP plan on taking to for the first time since 1994.

Those are some talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive journalism in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/jobseeker-extended-to-march-but-after-that-who-knows/

With the Morrison government announcing JobSeeker to stay -- only until March, and at $100 less per fortnight -- will the old NewStart rate be forecast for a rise?

14/11/2020

My latest on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: The Climate Change Bill currently in the federal Parliament, as introduced by Independent MP Zali Steggall, sits as a focal point for catching up with other countries on zero emissions by 2050, and has support.
That support comes from the likes of many key Labor shadow ministers, mainly holding climate change- and environment-related portfolios, with the ACTU joining the call for the bill's support.
With their support, the ACTU reminds us all that given what our current pandemic has wrought upon the nation's jobs and the economy, the same may occur again without a plan to tackle environmental emissions, and therefore support is required.
And joining in on the ACTU's attack on the Morrison government for dragging its collective feet on the climate change front, Mark Butler -- the ALP's shadow minister for climate change and energy, points out the extensive damage to Australian jobs and economy if the delay persists.
Those are a few of the talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent and progressive media in Australia, no matter who provides it.

https://theaimn.com/catch-up-on-climate-change-urge-actu-and-alp/

Australia’s union movement has aligned itself with a number of key Labor ministers to urge the Morrison government to pick up the slack when it comes to putting together and then approving a 2050 deadline on zero environmental emissions. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) advocated on M...

14/11/2020

My latest article, and weekly NFL feature, for the Inside Feed sport website:
Question: Is Kyler Murray, the Arizona Cardinals' quarterback, the most exciting player in the NFL right now? Even despite coming out on the losing end of a 34-31 game against the Miami Dolphins?
Does he deserve to be in that conversation, alongside the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, or otherwise? Or does he need to win the big games in order to qualify for that discussion?
Certainly his statistics -- despite an auspicious start where he didn't resemble Kyler Murray, but one Callum Murray -- against the Miami Dolphins verify his fantastic form, and the way he goes about about running the Cardinals' "Air Raid Offense" in a masterful manner on a weekly basis may qualify him for NFL MVP talks.
And about Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury's scheme, an excerpt: "With Murray at the helm of it, the “Air Raid” offense is to the West Coast Offense akin to what a strong double-strength cappuccino would be to chase down three bullet-cans of Red Bull: a nitrogen-powered stimulus to what already is a high-powered V8 engine."
Keeping in mind the Air Raid Offense in the context of the West Coast Offense and the Run-And-Shoot before it, Murray may be the perfect quarterback to run it, given his physical and mental skill sets as a complement to the Cardinals' team around him.
Those are some of the talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the Inside Feed website far and wide.

https://www.insidefeed.com.au/post/murray-s-thrills-something-to-behold-even-in-a-loss

Murray’s Arizona Cardinals may not have taken that next step, but in a game that came down to the final minutes, he was fun to watch.

07/11/2020

My latest article on the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN) website: Upset and feeling helpless with the apparent duopoly? Victor Kline is your man -- he and his partners have created a relatively new party, The New Liberals (TNL), to breathe new life, and a breath of fresh air, into the Australian political system.

Kline and TNL already possess a multi-demographical base which has latched onto their core values and policies, which are progressive in nature. And the basis of those values and policies exist as a foundation for its growth as well. Those TNL core values and policies happen to include -- but not be exclusive to -- matters on raising the minimum wage, ending unemployment, implementing a zero environmental emissions scheme by 2035 that "is doable", and enacting a federal ICAC "with teeth".

And in the spirit of William Shakespeare once penning, "What's in a name?", Kline wishes to remind everyone that TNL subscribe to the true meanings of what "liberal" means -- of that "lower-case 'L'" variety -- and not of *that* other name-saked party which has hijacked the word to twist its meaning and application over time.

Those are a few of the talking points -- enjoy reading, discuss, and feel free to share this article from the AIMN website far and wide. And many thanks, as always, for supporting independent & progressive journalism in Australia, no matter who provides it.

Many people upset with the status quo of the Australian political duopoly of the ALP and LNP usually display their frustrations in a manner akin to how people complain about the weather: everyone bellyaches about it, but no one does anything to fix it. But Victor Kline and a few of his contemporarie...