Thursday Breakfast

• The Impacts of Criminalising Young People, Lilie James’ Coronial Inquest, Injured Workers’ Support Team, Rave 4 the Towers, Ombudsman Criticises Mutual Obligations Remediation

  Acknowledgement of Country// Headlines:Youth social media ban comes into effectNT government blocks UN human rights inspectors from prison accessVictorian Government apology to First Nations people criticised as performativeNew fossil fuel exploration permits not welcome in Victoria Care in Unit 18 found 'inhumane' in Cleveland Dodd coronial inquestCity of Port Phillip councillors vote to punish rough sleepers Bridget Dunne, senior lawyer at Youthlaw, joined us to discuss the Adult Time for Violent Crime Bill recently passed by the Victorian Parliament. Bridget works in the early intervention space aimed at helping young people involved in the justice system. She is an experienced criminal lawyer and human rights advocate who has worked around Australia and internationally.//  Content warning: this segment discusses family and domestic violence and femicide. For support, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467.Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon and Matt Tyler spoke with us about Lilie James’ coronial inquest and the urgency of government action on femicide and domestic violence. Kate is a Professor at Monash University and leading international expert on domestic, family and sexual violence. She was an expert advisor in Lilie James coronial inquest and gave evidence during the public hearings. Matt Tyler is one of Australia’s leading advocates focussed on improving the lives of children and young people. As Executive Director of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services, he has led groundbreaking work to reduce violence, prevent child sexual abuse and promote flourishing amongst men and boys.// We spoke with Vasaila Govender, one of this year's Eureka Medal recipients, who was awarded last week in recognition of her long term advocacy work as the founder of the Injured Workers Support Team (IWST). IWST is a grassroots community network providing human-centred support to people navigating Victoria’s complicated workplace injury compensation system. Today, Vasalia shared more about IWST's most recent campaign. You can sign IWSTs petition here. Listen back to 3CR's Eureka Day 2025 Special Programming here.// Maurice/Moonstarzzie from Resident Frequency Studio joined us live in-studio to discuss Rave 4 the Towers, a day of music and food by the community for the community, in solidarity with public housing residents in the 44 flats. Rave 4 the Towers is from 4-8pm on Friday 19th December, at Harmsworth Park in Collingwood.// Kristin O'Connell, spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, joined us to break down the second report by the Commonwealth Ombudsman in its investigation into the Targeted Compliance Framework, otherwise known as "mutual obligations", where welfare recipients are subjected to a regime of compulsory activities in order to access social security payments. The report, published on Tuesday this week, covers the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' approach to remediation for unlawfully suspended payments, which the Ombudsman has described as neither fair nor reasonable. Read the full report here. If you need support navigating payment suspensions, you can contact [email protected].//

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• Recognising Young Peoples’ Chronic Pain, Fundraising for Elijah’s Independence and Freedom, History of the Whitlam Dismissal, Health Workers Union Strike, Questioning the National AI Plan

  Acknowledgement of Country// Headlines:Mass arrests at Rising Tide protest in NewcastleUN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visit AustraliaWest Papuan National Flag DayCalls for federal government to wipe household energy debt Victorian healthcare workers strike today Physiotherapy researcher and health science communicator Dr Joshua Pate joined us to unpack the impacts of chronic pain on young peoples' lives, and the consequences of failing to believe young people and adequately resource paediatric pain care in Australia. Joshua co-authored the 2025 National Kids in Pain Report commissioned by Chronic Pain Australia, released in September 2025, which details the scale and impact of chronic pain for young people in Australia. The report documents how these experiences shape young peoples' worlds and have flow-on effects in all parts of their lives, and you can read it here.// Artist, creative director and producer Grace Dlabik spoke with us about a fundraising campaign to purchase an accessible vehicle for her 22-year-old son Elijah so that he can expand his independence and freedom. Grace discussed the challenges of navigating the administrative burden of the NDIS to secure transport and mobility devices and modifications, and the relationship between mobility, transport and the agency and independence of people with disability. Donate to the fundraiser here.// We hear an excerpt of an address by author and historian Professor Jenny Hocking on the history of Gough Whitlam’s Prime Ministership and his dismissal in 1975, as well as revelations from her successful High Court bid to release palace correspondence.// Jake McGuinnes from the Health Workers Union joined us to discuss the Union's first protected industrial action in 25 years.Thousands of Victorian healthcare workers will walk off the job today, furious about a threatened pay cut amid heavy workloads and staff shortages. Join them from 12PM as they rally at the Victorian Parliament steps, Spring Street.//Lucinda Thorpe, Privacy Campaigner for Digital Rights Watch, spoke with us about the federal government's National AI Plan released on Tuesday the 2nd of December, which is backed by a $30 million commitment to set up the AI Safety Institute in early 2026. The thin plan is managed under the former industry minister's "mandatory guardrails" to protect against Al's worst harms. While experts have called for greater and targeted regulations for Big Tech, the government is opting to use existing frameworks instead. Read Digital Rights Watch’s media release on the plan here, and head to their website for further information to equip you to write to your local MP about it.//

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• DPFC Lockdowns on Beyond the Bars, Victoria Police’s Racial Profiling Practices Revealed, An Evening with FAMILI, Drug Checking During Festival Season

  Acknowledgement of Country// Headlines:Torrential flooding across southeast AsiaSudan and Palestine updatesRampant racial profiling in Victoria Police searches and use of force6-month expansion of Victoria Police search powers in Melbourne’s CBDHigh Court challenge against Australia's social media age ban Fundraisers this Saturday the 29th of November:RAHU x AUWU Solidarity BBQ, 12-4PM, Edinburgh Gardens Rotunda, Fitzroy VIC. Husk Fundraver, 3PM-late, location TBC - follow @husk_housingsupport on Instagram for updates.44FU Turns One Birthday Fundraiser, 5PM-late, ON3 Studio, 325 Victoria St, Brunswick VIC. We played some excerpts of 3CR's 2025 Beyond the Bars prison radio broadcasts, which aired live during NAIDOC week this year, sharing the mic with First Nations inmates in Victorian prisons from 7-11 July. Today, we heard the voices of women at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre speaking about the violence of lockdowns in prison and the way that these measures compound multiple forms of punishment that the women are forced to endure. Listen back to the full Beyond the Bars 2025 broadcasts here, and swing by the station at 21 Smith St, Fitzroy, to pick up a free CD!// Independent researcher Dr Tamar Hopkins joined us to discuss the latest data release by the Racial Profiling Data Monitoring Project, an analysis of Victoria Police's use of force data and updated search data. Tamar's analysis demonstrates the alarming rates at which Victoria Police conduct searches of and use force against people they perceive to be Aboriginal, African, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern. Join Tamar and a stellar panel of anti-racist community organisers to unpack the findings at the IPCS (Institute for Postcolonial Studies) in North Melbourne next Monday the 1st of December from 5:30-7:30PM - register here to get your ticket. The Racial Profiling Data Monitoring Project is a project of the Centre Against Racial Profiling.// Poro, a member of FAMILI, a collective born at the intersection of Pasifika, Blak, queer, and trans experiences, joined us to discuss their EP BLOODFIRE released yesterday, as well as their new Short Film. FAMILI’s work connects past, present, and future into a space that refuses easy categorisation, a space where ancestral traditions met futuristic sounds. Catch FAMILI’s show tonight, Thursday the 27th of November, from 7PM at the Northcote Social Club, featuring an hour-long set of new, unreleased music that has been years in development (get your tickets here). FAMILI are joined by DJs Nicholas Currie + TIAKI + a Special Guest to be announced. Support FAMILI’s work on Bandcamp and follow them on Instagram.//We caught up with Cameron Francis, CEO of The Loop Australia, to discuss the importance of drug checking and harm reduction, particularly at mobile sites, ahead of festival season. The Loop is a national harm reduction charity delivering drug checking services in Victoria and New South Wales, and, until recently, in Queensland. Check out the latest findings and reports from running the drug checking services.//The Loop VIC (95 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy) will have extended opening hours over the holidays. The Loop drug checking will also available at the following festivals:Spilt Milk, Ballarat – Saturday 6 December 2025Dangerous Goods 6XXL, Melbourne – Saturday 24 January 2026Pitch Music and Arts Festival, Mafeking – 6-10 March 2026.//

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• Disability Justice for Collective Liberation, Public Housing for Older Renters, Protesting ‘Infected Mushroom’, Save Cohealth Campaign Updates, From Pledges to Action at COP30

  Acknowledgement of Country// Headlines:israel continues assault on Gaza, the West Bank, and LebanonEscalating famine and RSF attacks across Kordofan provinceUrgent demand to halt rocket testing on Googatha CountryLegal Aid Northern Territory cuts support for adults and children as young as 10Mass coral death revealed at Ningaloo Reef Writer, artist, and 3CR's Disability Day coordinator Pauline Vetuna shared some reflections on the work of disabled oracles in transforming the world in the wake of the recent passing of revolutionary disability activist Alice Wong. Pauline also reflected on the importance of critically attending to how we practice solidarity and community with disability justice at the core, and reminded us about this year's upcoming Disability Day special broadcast on the 3rd of December. Alice Wong was involved in establishing and organising with a myriad of disability justice initiatives, including most prominently the Disability Visibility Project and the Society of Disabled Oracles. Pauline mentioned a talk by Alice Wong as part of Assembly for the Future, broadcast as part of 3CR’s 2020 Disability Day - listen to it here.// Fiona York, Executive Officer of Housing for the Aged Action Group, spoke with us about the ways that housing stress manifest for older people in the Victorian rental market, and how this relates both to poverty and to different types of rental tenure. Fiona unpacked the impact of the government's public housing high-rise redevelopment program and how it is already affecting older people living in the flats. Catch Fiona on 3CR's Raise the Roof program every Wednesday from 5:30-6PM, and hear her in conversation with other housing justice advocates in next week's 'From Housing Crisis to Dwelling Justice' event at RMIT University in the city. The podcast image for this week's show is a beautiful piece of art made by Sam Wallman for the event.// We heard a speech by Mai Saif, member of Free Palestine Melbourne, at the community protest held against israeli psytrance duo 'Infected Mushroom' on Monday the 3rd of November outside the Forum Theatre. Free Palestine Melbourne had written a letter to the Marriner Group, who manage and operate the Forum and five other popular venues, expressing their concerns about its decision to host ‘Infected Mushroom’, but the Marriner Group ultimately declined requests to cancel the concert.// Liz, a doctor and member of Socialists in Healthcare, joined us to provide some updates on the campaign to Save Cohealth, including about upcoming events this week. During this conversation, Liz and Inez shared breaking news that Cohealth has secured emergency funding from the Albanese Government to allow community health centres at Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington to remain open until the 31st of July 2026. The fight is far from over, though, and campaigners are asking that people show up to the following events this week:Healthcare Workers Speakout tomorrow, Friday the 21st of November from 4:30PM opposite the Peter Mac Hospital in Haymarket, andSave Cohealth Fitzroy Protest on Sun the 23rd of November from 1PM, starting outside Cohealth Fitzroy (75 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy), with a march to the Health Minister's Office. Find out more and join the campaign here.// Dr Simon Bradshaw, COP31 Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, joined us live from COP30 in Belém, Brazil with updates from the conference as it reaches its close. While Australia continues to angle for the privilege of hosting COP31, serious questions about climate finance commitments and concrete action on an end to fossil fuels remain unanswered. Simon has been a researcher, writer and campaigner for climate action for over two decades, attending many rounds of international climate negotiations. He was formerly Research Director at Climate-KIc Australia, and a climate specialist with Oxfam.//

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• Rally for Sudan, Mparntwe for Falastin Updates, Footscray Belongs To Everyone, PSEUDA on ‘This Is All’, Racial Discrimination Challenge Against Bail Checks

  Acknowledgement of Country// HeadlinesStand with Sudan RallyWhistleblowers speak out on corrupt Nauru refugee dealVictoria Legal Aid employees accuse management of censorship on Palestine Allan Labor government introduces draconian "Adult Time for Violent Crime” billYarra City Councillors urged to save Medically Supervised Injecting Rooms// AnnouncementsListeners are urged to email Yarra City Mayor Councillor Stephen Jolly and Deputy Mayor Councillor Sarah McKenzie before 10:30am, to rescind last night’s motion to withdraw long-standing support of the Medically Supervised Injecting Rooms Initiative in Richmond. You can find Yarra City Councillors email addresses here, and more information about the issue on Councillor Sophie Wade’s Instagram.// Rally for SudanWe listened to speeches from the Rally for Sudan at the State Library on Sunday 9th November. We heard from organisers, community, and those in solidarity on honouring the martyrs, collective ongoing grief, the challenges and urgent need for mutual aid, the history and current counter revolutionary violence taking place in Sudan. You can support ongoing mutual aid efforts for Sudan by following Bakri Mahmoud and Sawt Al Sudan on Instagram.// Mparntwe for Falastin UpdatesWe heard an interview with journalist and horticulturalist Jorgen from Mparntwe for Falastin, discussing ongoing efforts to close Pine Gap, renewed in response to the genocide in Gaza.// Footscray Belongs To EveryoneOskar from Footscray Community Response joined us in-studio to discuss an upcoming protest, 11am this Saturday 15th November, in Nicholson Street Mall, Footscray,  the Maribyrnong City Council’s decision to hire private security to harass and displace homeless people from Footscray CBD.// PSEUDA on ‘This Is All’Songwriter, producer and FAMILI collective member PSEUDA joined us in-studio to talk about their latest album ‘This Is All’. Six years in the making, it is a masterfully produced and dynamic album with dreamy vocals. From a distance, ‘This Is All’ presents itself as an electronic pop record, but up close, its intricate sound design and restless experimentation draws from the fringes of breakbeat, prog-rock, classical and hybrid trap.// Racial Discrimination Challenge Against Bail ChecksGrace Gooley, Senior Solicitor at the Justice and Equity Centre (JEC), joined us to discuss a racial discrimination case launched in the Federal Court by two young Aboriginal brothers against the New South Wales Police. The brothers, aged 11 and 13, were subjected to over 150 "bail compliance" checks by NSW Police over a 20 month period, raising serious concerns about the level of police intervention in the lives of Aboriginal children and young people, including in their own homes.//

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