Dear Australia, from Hong Kong, China

Jarrod Watt
  • 0.0 (0)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

For nearly a decade Jarrod Watt has been the “Australia affairs” reporter on RTHK3 radio in Hong Kong, delivering a weekly summary of significant events in Australia's politics, economy, culture and society, often focusing on the historic and contemporary geopolitical and economic relationships between Australia, Hong Kong and mainland China, including the deeper influence of Cantonese language and culture that began in the goldfields of Ballarat and Bendigo in the 1850s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. jarrodwatt.substack.com

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

    01/28/2025

    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 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

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

    01/22/2025

    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 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

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

    01/14/2025

    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 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

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

    01/09/2025

    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 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

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

    11/26/2024

    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 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

    18 min
  6. Albo's social media ban; Trump's impact on Australian politics, Murdoch media and economy

    11/12/2024

    Albo's social media ban; Trump's impact on Australian politics, Murdoch media and economy

    Anthony Albanese has finally united Australia to one point of view: his plan for social media bans on under 16 year old is being panned at all levels of society while Albanese tries to tell Australian parents their kids should be riding bikes like the 1970s and not being educated about electronic media and responsibility. There's an important background to this policy idea, though: the deal forcing the owner of Facebook and Instagram (Meta) to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to selected Australian media organizations, predominantly Murdoch-managed News Corp, ended after three years earlier this year. Meanwhile, the election of Donald Trump has lead to a) Australia's ambassador to the US Dr Kevin Rudd to delete a number undiplomatic tweets b) Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong to tweet their fealty to Trump c) News Corp to begin its campaign to remake Peter Dutton in the style of Donald Trump and d) at least one person to ask questions about Australia's $200 million dollar export market in vaccines to the US now that Robert F Kennedy Jr looks to be put in charge... Songs played on RTHK3: King Stingray - Light Up the Path Night Parrots - you Tried To Let Me Down Hosted on Acast. See 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

    19 min
  7. King Charles wasn't heckled: analyzing historical facts and the biscuit crime at a Royal reception

    10/23/2024

    King Charles wasn't heckled: analyzing historical facts and the biscuit crime at a Royal reception

    What really happened when a democratically elected Senator from Victoria with Aboriginal heritage shouted at the descendant of a European dynasty of Kings and Queens in Canberra? Hear how Senator Thorpe a) did not heckle and b) raised issues of fact in her short and loud serve delivered to King Charles III in the Great Hall of the Australian Parliament, including the tens of thousands of Aboriginal artefacts still not returned from museums across the UK, the King's refusal to issue a similar apology to that of Kevin Rudd in 2008, the facts of the Mabo decision in 1991 declaring no such thing as "Crown land" in Australia and the bigger issue of a "treaty" - promised in 1988 but yet to be delivered, making Australia the only nation one of few not to have one with its First Nations people. But are we missing a bigger scandal? Keen-eyed observers have noticed an item on the canape menu for the Royal reception that might just be cause for a criminal investigation behalf of the ANZAC spirit... Songs played on RTHK3 The Cruel Sea - Just a Man The Angels - Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again The Seven Ups - Machine Learning  Hosted on Acast. See 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

    16 min
  8. Shock as republicans unveil "last reign" merch for King Charlie down under - but why won't he visit the Big Tractor?

    10/15/2024

    Shock as republicans unveil "last reign" merch for King Charlie down under - but why won't he visit the Big Tractor?

    The BBC, the British/Murdoch press are up in arms about Aussie humour in advance of 75 year old King Charles the Third making his brief visit to Australia on his way to Samoa for CHOGM; PM Albanese's republican and working class credentials in doubt after the last referendum and a multimillion dollar property purchase; Aussies don't care about royalty - it's climate change, cyclones and snakes they're worried about; the West Australian town of Carnamah joins the pantheon of Aussie towns with Big Things with the unveiling of their Big Tractor. Songs played on RTHK3 Midnight Oil - Stand in the Line Gut Health - Uh Oh Horns of Leroy - It’s About Time Hosted on Acast. See 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

    17 min
See All (16)

About

For nearly a decade Jarrod Watt has been the “Australia affairs” reporter on RTHK3 radio in Hong Kong, delivering a weekly summary of significant events in Australia's politics, economy, culture and society, often focusing on the historic and contemporary geopolitical and economic relationships between Australia, Hong Kong and mainland China, including the deeper influence of Cantonese language and culture that began in the goldfields of Ballarat and Bendigo in the 1850s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. jarrodwatt.substack.com

Information