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This week on Represent National, the whole team is back in the studio as Ashley walks us through the federal government's backflip on banning credit card payments to the tax office. Between that and the credit card surcharge ban, small business owners are reportedly not very happy campers.  Benita then takes us up to New South Wales, where a new 'Armed Response Command' initiative will see police officers patrolling Sydney streets with long-arm rifles less than a year after the Bondi mass shooting that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah event. The Represent National team debates whether this will really increase public safety, or create fear and further endanger marginalised people.  Finally, Fatima gives us the rundown on the eSafety Commissioner's plans to block the livestream of a United States execution by firing squad in Australia. Should our government block access to livestreams of executions in the US? Would we even be having this conversation if it weren't in the US?  Share your thoughts with us on Instagram @synrepresent! Represent is a Syn Media podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People have been adapting The Odyssey longer than they've been writing it down. To talk to us about the hold this story seems to have on us and its place in Western colonisation we were joined by Associate Professor Ika Willis, Head of School of Culture & Communication at the University of Melbourne. We also finally reveal Represent International's true political leanings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pre-COP31 wrapped up in Fiji today and Gerard Anapu joined us fresh off his flight from Nadi to give us the low down on how things went down. To celebrate the first Represent International episode with the whole gang in the studio, we decide to take a political personality quiz as a group to find out who Represent International really is in one of the most heated segments in Represent history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Represent National, Zoe and Ashley hold down on the fort while Nayan is trapped in a lift.  Ashley takes us through who the federal Greens' new leader David Shoebridge is, and his approach to leading the party so far. We discuss The Greens' political tactics, whether Shoebridge is a good pick for the leadership, the party's media coverage (or lack thereof) and their prospects for the upcoming Victorian election. Zoe then walks us through how exactly voting in the Victorian election works, with voting rules in the upper house changing this year following the recent abolishment of the 'group voting' system. We then have a chat about why Victorian Labor is waiting until just a month before the election to announce their upper house candidates (hint: in-fighting, desperation and factional deals have a lot to do with it).  Will you vote above or below the line on your upper house ballot? Will Nayan make it out of the lift in time to join the show? You'll have an answer to at least one of these questions after listening! Represent is a Syn Media podcast.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Represent National, we bring you the second half of our interview with Mohamed Semra, the 27-year-old Mayor of Maribyrnong City Council in Melbourne's inner west. In part two, we spoke to Mohamed about racism in politics, media representation of African communities, barriers to entry in leadership, and key areas of discussion in (and about) the City of Maribyrnong like data centres, social welfare, homelessness, land banking, and crime concerns.  In her Represent National segment debut, Fatima takes us through OpenAI's hack on a Medicare database way back in June, which the company only told our government about in August via... a regular email to Medicare that got lost in the inbox, of course. How did this happen? Who should be held responsible? Are we ready for the threats AI poses to national security? All that and more in this segment. Finally, Ashley takes a look at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese winning a United Nations Global Citizens award. But what on earth did he get this award for, exactly, why is he brushing shoulders with Wicked's Cynthia Erivo, and why aren't we hearing much about this in mainstream media? Listen in and find out, my friend.  Represent is a Syn Media podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the pilots of a flydubai plane bound for Tel Aviv incapacitated his co-pilot and attempted to crash the plane carrying more than 170 passengers as it crossed into Israeli territory. Naturally Nayan wasn't here for the one plane story. Where was he? On his way back from flying a plane... Fifty kilograms of cocaine that have gone missing from Fiji’s High Court, including more than $10 million worth of cocaine that was replaced with (quick you have to guess, what the funniest possible answer?) flour. Serbia’s President has stepped down in an act of gracefully giving up power before his final term is up. His retirement plans? To run for Prime Minister in a snap election later this month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of Represent National is a big one! History-making City of Maribyrnong Mayor Mohamed Semra joins the team for part one of an interview about leadership, local government, being elected as an independent, representing your communities and making tough decisions you can live with. Mohamed came to Australia as a refugee from Sudan as a child and was elected Mayor at just 27 years old, and talks us through his fresh perspectives on local politics.  And a new (Re)presenter has entered the ring: Fatima comes aboard to make this the biggest and best Represent National team yet.  We also chat about the government's most recent Intergenerational Report, looking at the state of ageing, birth rates, housing and affordability, with one key question in mind: are young people doomed?! Finally, we chat about the federal opposition's education policy announcements, which include encouraging ex-defence force members to become teachers to crack down on discipline and behavioural issues in schools... interesting.  Represent is a Syn Media podcast.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 18th BRICS summit was held in New Delhi, India and again has raised questions about the balance of geopolitical powers. Is BRICS the G7 of the Global South? Is it just an symptom of an increasingly multi-polar world? Women in South-Africa have taken to the streets to rally against gender-based violence and fe micide (GBVF) after the bodies of nine women were found in Johannesburg over the past two months. GBVF was declared a national disaster in South Africa just under a year ago but how much has changed since? And should Australia also declare a similar disaster? And you may not have heard but legislative elections were held in Russia over the weekend. You probably didn't hear about it because it went exactly as you think it did. Sometimes no news is bad news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Germany's far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) has won a landslide election in the Saxony-Anhalt state election coming just short of forming government. If they do manage to form government, it will be the first time a far-right party governs a German state since... uhh... you know,,, the Nazis. And who said history doesn't repeat itself? Back home, Australia is being accused of foreign interference after texts were leaked between them and Solomon Islands leadership about a new treaty. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Represent National, Ashley, Benita and Zoe talk about the Liberal and National Parties' leaders comments about 'anti-boy' ideology being taught in schools (???) and Respectful Relationships education.  They also look at huge, high-voltage concrete power poles that have popped up in Melbourne's inner west to power data centres, which locals say they were not consulted over nor warned about. The team discusses issues around data centre location, whether Labor is neglecting the West as 'safe seats', and a whole lot of avoiding accountability.  Finally, the team has a chat about the government's proposed social media algorithm 'opt-out' measures, and how aggressive algorithm targeting has changed the user experience.  Represent is a Syn Media podcast.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No way, Norway has royal family? And the king is dead? And his family's kind of weird? And the monarchy is desperately trying maintain relevance in the modern world? Oh, so a tale as old as time. Pacific leaders try to get literally any work done in Palau while external forces keep getting in the way. And New York makes their attempt at answering the whole AI in schools thing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Represent National, Ashley, Benita and Zoe sat down with Pamela Anderson, the CEO of EMILYs List Australia, to talk about women in politics, reproductive rights, the Liberal Party's glaring gender issue and whether the Labor Party is a viable avenue for progressive politics anymore.  We also talked about the federal Labor government teaming up with the LNP to pass changes (see: cuts) to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, despite advocates, participants, experts and even the Australian Human Rights Commission urging the government to withdraw the bill.  Finally, we discussed Pauline Hanson's appearance at the Farmers Fightback rally in the Wimmera region of Victoria, and the strategic benefits of winning over farmers and rural Victorians ahead of the state election.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Notoriously polite Canada has said "no more Mr Nice Guy" by firing back at the US with retaliatory tariffs in a heated trade war. Should Ukraine hold a wartime presidential election? Well, sacked defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov seems to think so. And no, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he's ranking #3 in the election polls. The Canadian province of Alberta might soon take their oil rich land and run, as the referendum approaches which is predicted to ignite debate about their independence from Canada.             See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it too good to be true?!  In this week's Represent National show, Ashley, Benita and Nayan take a look at the Victorian Government's election promise to create 10 free dental clinics in Victoria, and relive the dental woes of Christmas past.  The team also looks at shocking revelations from a Four Corners investigation reporting thousands of older Australians have died while waiting for aged care funding - who would've thought putting the computers in charge of life-changing care funding could be a bad idea?! And according to the state Auditor-General’s Office, the Victorian Government hiked public transport fares from last year to fund part of the Suburban Rail Loop, and didn't let the public know! Fun! Want to listen to Represent National live? Tune to 90.7 FM or listen online at www.syn.org.au every Wednesday from 4-5pm! Represent is a Syn Media podcast.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eurovision won't let winning countries involved in active armed conflict host the competition in another move from the famously political singing competition that is strictly apolitical. Presumably preparing for the possibility that they enter and win one day, South Korea is calling for a new push to formally end the Korean War. Because we all know if they were ever allowed to compete in Eurovision, South Korea would absolutely SWEEP. And in their strongest worded letter so far, Australia expressed outrage at the IDF’s announcement they would not pursue criminal investigations into the strikes that killed seven humanitarian aid workers including Australian citizen, Zomi Frankcom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.