Lots of good news from Parliament House this week, including the “right to disconnect” Bill, the government’s new legislation to scrap “sexual reputation” as admissible evidence in sexual assault cases, plus Senator Raff Ciccone becoming the first father to bring his baby into the Senate. 

We end this ep with a wrap of the Grammys, which this year was all about women! Thank you for listening.

Stories included this week:

• ‘Sexual reputation’ would no longer be admissible as evidence in government’s proposed Bill
• Anthony Albanese calls for men to ‘take responsibility’ for Australia’s epidemic of violence against women
• Investors overwhelmingly backed all-male startup teams in 2023
• Want a better work-life balance? The new ‘right to disconnect’ legislation might help
• Jay-Z’s shout out to his wife: Why has Beyoncé never won Album of the Year at the Grammys?
• Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ reaches number one on iTunes, 36 years after its release
• ‘Rot in piss’: Phoebe Bridgers takes aim at former Recording Academy CEO over remarks about women
• The Grammys was all about women this year
• Kylie Minogue wins second Grammy in four-decade career

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

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This week, Angela Priestley and Tarla Lambert look at the ABC’s first episode of its docuseries Nemesis, a three-part docuseries looking into the nine-year Coalition government in Australia. Plus, they discuss the neo Nazi group making an appearance in Sydney on Australia Day. 

Stories discussed this week include:

• E Jean Carroll suggests she will fund ‘something Trump hates’ after $83 million defamation ruling
• Right-wing personalities claim Taylor Swift is rigging 2024 presidential election
• Those working in the care sector remain largely ignored in Australia Day honours
• Dr Sabrin Farooqui receives OAM, as hundreds of Aussies are recognised for their service
• ‘Egregious invasion of privacy’: Taylor Swift’s name blocked on X after sexually explicit deepfakes go viral
• ‘Your body is always up for grabs’: Nine News photoshops Victorian MP Georgie Purcell’s body
• Adobe confirms edited image of Georgie Purcell would have required ‘human intervention’
• What we learnt from the first ep of Nemesis? That the Liberal Party is still as cooked as ever
• Neo-nazis in Artarmon? A stark reminder that none of us are immune from the politics of division

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

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In this week’s episode, Angela Priestley and Olivia Cleal discuss the Barbie snub at this year’s Oscar nominations, how climate change increases unplanned pregnancies, the stage three tax cuts and an inquiry into women’s pain in Victoria.

Stories discussed this week:

• ‘A better deal for working women’: Albanese unveils changes to Stage 3 tax cuts
• ‘Not everybody gets a prize’: Whoopi Goldberg defends Oscars after Barbie snub
• When did business meetings in saunas and ice baths become a thing
• New research finds women faced higher rates of unplanned pregnancies in 2022 Northern Rivers floods
• Men to take majority of tax cuts as women still fight for equal pay
• Oscars 2024: Barbie’s plot plays out in real life as Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie snubbed
• ‘It’s time we stopped treating women’s health like a niche issue’: Victoria launches inquiry into women’s pain

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

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In our first episode for 2024, we start with a couple of great wins, including Mar Galcerán becoming the first parliamentarian in Spain with Down syndrome, as well as Naomi Osaka’s open vulnerability about returning to tennis after childbirth.

It’s a record-breaking year for democracy around the world – but will we get proper representation of women leaders that we so desperately need? It doesn’t look like it. Plus – how on earth are Australia’s richest people making $1.5 million per hour? And how on earth do we stop it?

Stories from this week include:

• Mar Galcerán is Spain’s first parliamentarian with Down syndrome
• Naomi Osaka’s open vulnerability on tennis as a new mother is a win
• Men set to still dominate leadership this record-breaking election year but some firsts ahead for women
• Australia’s three richest people have made $1.5 million per hour since 2020. How on earth do we stop this?

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

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This week on the podcast, we discuss men talking about domestic violence, Annastacia Palaszczuk retiring from politics, and later, Pamela Anderson making headlines again for her “pro-ageing” movement. Plus, Angela Priestley sits down with human rights lawyer Prabha Nandagopal from Elevate Consulting Partners to talk more on the positive duty changes that came into effect this week.

But first – why was Taylor Swift was announced Time Person of the Year?

Stories discussed in this week’s podcast:

• A man has told the truth about how women are affected by violence. Finally.
• ‘It’s harder to hit a moving target’: The remarkable evolution of Taylor Swift laid bare in Time’s Person of the Year Interview
• Annastacia Palaszczuk took a decimated party to victory to become the longest-serving female premier
• Pamela Anderson’s bare-faced “rebellion” is a small step for our right as women to age on our own terms
• Please stop asking me when I’m going to retire
• Party season comes just as employers required to proactively eliminate sexual harassment
• What is ‘positive duty’ and how will it work?

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

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Speaking of which, earlier this week Tarla sat down with Australian philanthropist and businesswoman Carol Schwartz about VC funding for female entrepreneurs and female-founded businesses. We find out more about her trailblazing efforts to champion female entrepreneurship, part of Women’s Agenda’s Global Entrepreneurs Week series.

Plus – are TikTok videos the new resumes and cover letters? 

Stories included this week:

• ‘Matilda’ named 2023 Word of the Year recognising our trailblazing national team
• ‘All in this together’: All ages and backgrounds push for climate action today
• Leadership? Not with a ‘part time promotion cliff’ still holding women back
• Four-day school weeks: a ‘future facing’ approach or just another challenge for women?
• Goodbye cover letters and CVs, hello TikTok resumes?
• Women’s Agenda’s Global Entrepreneurs Week series

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

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It’s clear after the 2023 Startup Muster report’s first version of the top eight mentors in the sector that we must find a better action plan to have more diversity and inclusion in Australia’s startups.

This week, we also take a look at a staggering report that shows three in five employers in Australia are failing to take sexual harassment and discrimination complaints seriously.

But we also have a few wins to recognise, including the Matildas’ pay boost, a positive update on US reproductive rights and a woman on live TV in Australia leading the way in normalising conversations of menopause and perimenopause. 

Stories included this week:

• Matildas to receive pay boost and equal treatment under new CBA
• How US voters turned out to support abortion rights
• The all-male mentor list is a symptom of a sick startup ecosystem
• Three in five employers fail to take sexual harassment and discrimination complaints seriously
• ‘I don’t think hormones respect national television’: Guest host praised for normalising perimenopause symptoms on live TV
• Senator Larissa Waters to motion inquiry into the impact of menopause and perimenopause on women
• Reserve Bank issues first cash rate rise under Michele Bullock

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

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Later, Tarla Lambert sits down with Amanda Rishworth, the Minister for Families and Social Services, to learn more about the new Carer Inclusive Workplace Initiative. The Albanese government announced the new framework at the end of October during Carers Week, saying it will be a win for all unpaid carers in Australia, but also a win for employers.

WARNING: This podcast episode contains discussions and references to family and domestic violence, which may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. If you or someone you know is in need of support or resources related to these topics, please consider reaching out to a local helpline or support organisation.

Stories included this week:

• A hand up, not a hand out: CARE Australia’s Lendwithcare platform, a sustainable approach to charitable support
• Larissa Waters, Bridget Archer and Alicia Payne call for renews focus on men’s violence
• Male violence kills five women in ten days as police discover a woman’s body in Perth
• A ‘good guy’ who snapped? We must do better and unite on ending gender-based violence in Australia
• Lilie James’ grandmother pays tribute to the 21-year-old who was ‘full of life’ and ‘so kind’
• Headlines offering ‘reasons’ why a man murders a woman are a distraction

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Megan is a Cobble Cobble woman from south-west Queensland with a long and impressive international career, and someone who is instrumental in The Voice debate and the upcoming referendum.

Megan has just published a new book, co-authored with George Williams and published by UNSW Press, Everything you need to know about The Voice, described as essential reading on the Voice to parliament and government, how our Constitution was drafted, what the 1967 referendum achieved, what it left unfinished and the Uluru Statement.

Megan is Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous UNSW and a Professor of Law, UNSW Law. She currently serves as a United Nations expert with the UN Human Rights Council’s Expert Mechanism on the rights of Indigenous peoples based in UN Geneva

Davis was also one of our very first Agenda Setters of the Year, at the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards — ten years ago in 2013!

You can learn more and buy the book here.

The Crux is the weekly podcast from Women’s Agenda, published by Agenda Media, a 100 per cent women owned and run independent media business.

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A proud Noongar-Yamatji woman, a youth work and mental health advocate, Blurton is also co-host of the podcast Not So PG and author of the memoir titled, Big Love: Reclaiming Myself, My People, My Country. 

A media personality as well, Blurton made giant waves in for representation in Australian media by being both the first Indigenous and openly queer lead in The Bachelorette franchise. 

In our latest podcast episode of The Crux, Blurton chats with Women’s Agenda about using her advantage of being in the public eye to amplify positive social change following a live coaching session she undertook to unpack what responsibility looked like for herself on an episode of Kemi Nekvapil’s new Audible original podcast, Power Talks.

“I think, with social media and being part of the media, and being part of television, it’s really easy to get so wrapped up in it and, I guess, sort of forget and move away from what you wanted to achieve in this world,” says Blurton.

“I’m really lucky, in a more cultural sense, that my culture is a gift and I have been gifted it and I feel so beautiful and blessed to share my culture around. It always sort of comes to a full front and leads charge with anything that I do. Naturally in life, I feel like we should live in alignment,” she says, adding that it’s important to reflect on what our purpose is.

“I think I always sort of revert back to why I would be doing something and does it bring me joy? Does it share or educate people on something? Is it something that I feel passionate about? I always sort of ask myself a few other questions of why I do some things. I think that kind of helps with reflecting and then going back and being like, ‘Yes, this is a part of me and who I am.’” 

While being in the public eye and having such a large social media following has meant Blurton can advocate for causes she’s passionate about, the spotlight unfortunately isn’t without online trolls.

Blurton says that while the trolls can “cut deep at different times”, she is also constantly reminding herself to ask, “Is there a learning here? Is there an educated response here? Or is it a matter of just realising that these people who want to write these comments, they’re just hiding behind the keyboard at the end of the day?”

“It’s definitely a muscle that I’ve worked on for a very long time to build myself up to be able to pull away and lean in when I need that support,” she says.

“I’ve always just been very transparent with my mental health because I think that there’s an urgency with it, there’s an importance to it, and there’s a priority to it.”

When it comes to social media, Blurton says it’s important we ask ourselves how we would live our lives if it was to disappear because at the end of the day, “it’s just an app”.

“If it was to go tomorrow, how would we actually live our life and would we be living in abundance? Would we be living a wholesome enjoyable life? Could we do that without it? I think that’s more important.”

“Yes, it’s part of my job and I do enjoy it. I do love it most times, but at the times when my mental health and my self-esteem are being impacted, I do an elimination process. That elimination is eliminating what’s bringing me distress or what’s bringing me stress and discouragement. I think social media is one of them, and that’s probably the first to go.”

“I’m not superhuman. I’m actually just a real human that navigates emotions, feelings, and situations. I’m navigating my lived experience as well. I think it’s a nice reminder to people that not everyone is just living a highlight reel.”

For any young people struggling with the pressures of social media, Blurton’s message is to “try to live in the present moment and try to live out all types of experiences”.

“I think we’re just so stuck and drawn to our phones these days, and when it comes to self-esteem and building yourself up, try not to be anything that you’re not and always stick and stay in alignment with who you want to be and who you are. I think that will drive your life to where you’re going, whatever your purpose is really.”

Listen to our latest podcast episode featuring an interview with Brooke Blurton.

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