Bonafide with Luke Bona

Luke Bona
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Bonafide with Luke Bona is the unfiltered voice of everyday Australia. After decades in national radio, Luke brings his legendary no-BS approach to the podcast world. We tackle the real issues the mainstream media ignores: Australian politics, the cost of living, motoring, technology, culture, and the transport industry. From the realities of the road on Truckie Tuesday to wild true crime in the Man Cave, get the raw, unhinged truth you’ve been looking for. No censors. No apologies. Subscribe to join the conversation.

  1. 1d ago

    Truckie Tuesday: The Family That Would Rather Shut Down Than Build UHF Radios Overseas

    The last family-owned company still manufacturing UHF radios in Australia says they'd rather shut the factory doors than take the job overseas. On this Truckie Tuesday, Rod Hannifey sits down with Tony Crook, Group Marketing Manager at GME, for a proper yarn about UHF etiquette, six decades of Australian-made radios, and why a $200 UHF set might be the most important thing in your cab. Plus: the channel-40 pests nobody can trace, a caravan door that could've caused a real accident, the isolation and mental load of life on the road, and Rod's hot-topics rundown, covering new speed rules for road trains, the Aldi safety stoush, and Australia's first home-built electric truck. No censors. No apologies. This is Bonafide with Luke Bona. 00:00 GME Sponsor Open & Truckie Tuesday Intro 00:31 Checking In With Rod Hannifey From Dubbo 01:16 Coming Up: The Casino Truck Show 01:43 Introducing Tony Crook, GME's Group Marketing Manager 03:20 Meet The Only Family Still Building UHF Radios In Australia 05:58 UHF Radio Etiquette 101, With Rod Hannifey 17:50 Inside GME's Sydney Factory 18:53 "If We Can't Make Radios In Australia, We'll Shut The Doors" 21:08 The Case For An "Australian-Made" Supermarket Aisle 22:40 Ten-Four And Other UHF Lingo, Explained 24:52 Why A UHF Isn't Just An Accessory, It's A Lifeline 25:45 A Caravan Door, A Stranger, And Why UHF Saves Lives 27:37 A Listener's Song For The Casino Truck Show 29:21 What Truck Shows Actually Mean To The Industry 30:19 Humanising Truckies: Isolation, Mental Health And Respect 33:15 Hot Topics: NSW's New Speed Limit Rules 35:38 Hot Topics: The Aldi Driver Safety Dispute 38:19 Hot Topics: Australia's First Electric Truck 42:26 Casino Truck Show Sign-Off & Thanks To GME #TruckieTuesday #AustralianMade #UHFRadio #Trucking ❤️ Cheers to GME for making Truckie Tuesday possible! Outfit your rig with the very best, Australian-made communication technology here: https://www.gme.net.au/au/ 🫶 Join The Bonafide Family Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-aud Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/ Catch Up On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/ Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay updated with LIVE SHOWS: 🎙️ Get Involved Leave us a digital voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/Bonafide Call the Bonafide Hotline to leave a voicemail: (02) 9128 9311 Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Reach out at: community@bonafidepod.com

    Truckie Tuesday: The Family That Would Rather Shut Down Than Build UHF Radios Overseas

  2. 1d ago

    Dr Karl On The Electric Car Fire Myth, Plus Iran, UK Politics and Truckie Tuesday

    This week on Bonafide: Dr Karl joins Luke to bust the biggest myth in the electric-vs-petrol car debate, walks through why nuclear reactors have to be abandoned after about 50 years, and explains why coal ash is radioactive. Sky News' Jonathan Kearsley checks in on the escalating Iran/US conflict and the flow-on risk to petrol prices here, and Channel 7's Ben Downie breaks down Britain's fifth Prime Minister in five years, Andy Burnham, and what's left of Brexit's promise. Plus a listener's own housing crisis, a very silly debate about chicken salt, and Truckie Tuesday with Rod Hannifey and regular co-host Belinda Hughes — dash-cam law, demerit-point myths across the states, and a sobering discussion of a fatal crash on the Hume Highway alongside the road-safety-investigation case it raises. ⚠ This episode includes discussion of a fatal traffic incident and an active international military conflict. Listener discretion advised. Support: Lifeline 13 11 14 Guests: Dr Karl, Jonathan Kearsley, Ben Downie, Rod Hannifey, Belinda Hughes No censors. No apologies. This is Bonafide with Luke Bona. 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:50 Welcome to Episode 126 00:16:06 Jonathan Kearsley on Iran and Oil Prices 00:24:24 Dr Karl on Nuclear, Thorium and Electric Car Fires 01:07:26 Ben Downie on Britain's New Prime Minister 01:27:17 Truckie Tuesday with Rod Hannifey and Belinda Hughes 01:51:39 The Hume Highway Crash 02:05:17 Belinda Hughes' Legal Win of the Week For expert defence or advisory services, contact Hughe's Lawyers on 0422 388 370 : https://hugheslaw.com.au/ Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-aud Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/ Catch Up On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/ Leave us a digital voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/Bonafide Call the Bonafide Hotline to leave a voicemail: (02) 9128 9311 Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Reach out at: community@bonafidepod.com

    Dr Karl On The Electric Car Fire Myth, Plus Iran, UK Politics and Truckie Tuesday

  3. 5d ago

    Tracey Tully on School Safety, Remembering Sam Neill, and Nick McKim on Supermarket Surveillance

    This week on Bonafide: educator and whistleblower Tracey Tully joins Luke for a frank, urgent conversation about violence in Australian schools — a friend's on-air account of being assaulted by a student and the PTSD that followed, real incidents involving weapons, and a concrete case for metal detectors at school gates. Bonafide pauses to remember actor Sam Neill, who passed away this week after a rare blood disease. Tasmanian Senator Nick McKim breaks down why supermarket prices keep climbing — and a genuinely surprising tangent into "surveillance capitalism," including supermarket loyalty programs that can identify shoppers by the way they walk. Plus: AMP chief economist Shane Oliver on why it takes 50% longer to build a home than it did a decade ago, and in Man Cave, Neurons AI Robotics' Adrian Tyson brings a live robot into the studio to talk AI in healthcare and the uncanny valley. ⚠ This episode includes frank discussion of violence in Australian schools, including real accounts of assault and weapons, and a teacher's account of PTSD. Listener discretion advised. Support: Lifeline 13 11 14 Guests: Senator Nick McKim, Tracey Tully, Shane Oliver, Adrian Tyson No censors. No apologies. This is Bonafide with Luke Bona. 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:52 Welcome to Episode 125 00:52:51 Senator Nick McKim on Supermarkets and Surveillance 01:22:11 Tracey Tully on Violence in Our Schools 02:14:36 Shane Oliver on Housing Costs 02:36:24 Man Cave: Remembering Sam Neill 02:52:45 Adrian Tyson and the Rise of AI Robotics 03:26:53 Sign-Off Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-aud Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/ Catch Up On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/ Leave us a digital voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/Bonafide Call the Bonafide Hotline to leave a voicemail: (02) 9128 9311 Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Reach out at: community@bonafidepod.com

    Tracey Tully on School Safety, Remembering Sam Neill, and Nick McKim on Supermarket Surveillance

  4. Jul 14

    Derryn Hinch Spent 12 Days in Jail Rather Than Stay Silent

    Before he was a household name, Derryn Hinch went to jail. In 1987 he was sentenced to 12 days for contempt of court — not for a crime against anyone, but for naming a paedophile priest the church kept moving from parish to parish. Following Hinch's death this week, his 3AW anchorman and 42-year friend Craig Willis joins Luke Bona to tell the story behind the headline: the principle Hinch never backed down from, the management who wanted him censored on live radio, and the friendship that outlasted five decades in an industry that sacked him more times than either of them can count. ⚠ This conversation includes discussion of historical child sexual abuse and a paedophile priest's conviction, discussed factually and without graphic detail. Listener discretion advised. Support: Lifeline 13 11 14 No censors. No apologies. This is Bonafide with Luke Bona. 00:00 Cold Open: Remembering Derryn Hinch 01:51 Craig Willis Joins Luke to Remember an Old Friend 02:21 How a Newsroom Job Became a 42-Year Friendship 03:33 "Show Me a Man With a Good Voice…" — Their First Meeting 03:53 The 40th Birthday All-Nighter 05:23 Hearing the News: Why It Still Came as a Shock 06:22 Apollo 11, New York and a Career in Journalism 07:39 The John Laws Rivalry 08:48 Why Hinch Went to Jail — Naming a Pedophile Priest 11:23 The Bob Rogers Pub Story (and the Apology Letter) 13:42 The Dump Button: His Defiant Last Day on Air 16:16 The Interview Prunella Scales Almost Walked Out Of 19:13 Chuck Yeager's Signed Book: "Keep Flying" 20:29 Jacki Weaver — Married Twice 22:37 The Liver Transplant Controversy 23:42 "That's Life": Revolutionising Australian Radio 26:32 How Should Australia Remember Him? #DerrynHinch #AustralianMedia #BonafidePodcast 🫶 Join The Bonafide Family Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-aud Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/ Catch Up On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/ Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay updated with LIVE SHOWS: 🎙️ Get Involved Leave us a digital voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/Bonafide Call the Bonafide Hotline to leave a voicemail: (02) 9128 9311 Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Reach out at: community@bonafidepod.com

    Derryn Hinch Spent 12 Days in Jail Rather Than Stay Silent

  5. Jul 14

    Truckie Tuesday: A $200,000 Fine For Paperwork, Belinda Hughes On Truckies' Unfair Tickets

    This week's Truckie Tuesday: Luke Bona and co-host Rod Hannifey sit down with Belinda Hughes, principal of Hughes Law and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator's former Director of Prosecutions, to go through the real cases crossing her desk — a $206 fine for an unscheduled coffee break, a driver facing a $200,000 maximum penalty over 86 unticked log-book boxes, and her own calculation that a paperwork slip can carry a bigger fine than threatening a partner's life under NSW's stalking laws. They also get into whether electronic work diaries actually help, why professional drivers might deserve more demerit-point leeway rather than less, the NHVR's "Don't Muck With a Truck" youth-driver campaign, and Belinda's own rule for talking to police roadside: don't. Guests: Rod Hannifey (National Road Freighters Association) · Belinda Hughes (Hughes Law; former Director of Prosecutions, NHVR) Chapters (each its own line):(00:00) Intro & GME(01:06) Meet Belinda Hughes(03:34) Is NHVR Enforcement Fair?(10:58) The $206 Coffee-Break Ticket(14:54) A $200,000 Penalty Over Paperwork(15:44) Paperwork Fines vs. Domestic-Violence Penalties(20:09) Electronic Work Diaries: Help or Hindrance?(25:07) A $20,590 Rest-Hours Technicality(28:47) Ticketed Asleep, Parked Legally(35:08) Should Truckies Get Extra Demerit Points?(36:45) Don't Muck With a Truck(43:26) Body Cams & the #1 Roadside Rule(50:07) Sign-Off ❤️ Cheers to GME for making this episode of Truckie Tuesday possible! Outfit your rig with the very best, Australian-made, communication technology here: https://www.gme.net.au/au/ 🫶 Join The Bonafide Familyhttps://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/ Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-aud Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/ Catch Up On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/ Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay updated with LIVE SHOWS:  🎙️ Get Involved Leave us a digital voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/Bonafide Call the Bonafide Hotline to leave a voicemail: (02) 9128 9311 Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Reach out at: community@bonafidepod.com

    Truckie Tuesday: A $200,000 Fine For Paperwork, Belinda Hughes On Truckies' Unfair Tickets

  6. Jul 13

    Remembering Derryn Hinch, Robbie Katter on the $60B Olympics, & Bogus Backlash

    This week on Bonafide: Queensland MP Robbie Katter makes the case that Australia can't afford a $60 billion Brisbane Olympics, and weighs in on nuclear power and water infrastructure. Craig Willis, who worked alongside Derryn Hinch for 42 years, joins Luke to remember the legendary broadcaster following his passing this week — the jail term for naming a pedophile priest, the on-air sackings, and the friendship that lasted five decades. Tech commentator Trevor Long breaks down what really happened in the Telstra network outage and the media pile-on that followed. Channel Seven's UK correspondent Ben Downie covers the UK's incoming prime minister, Nigel Farage's chaotic by-election, Prince Harry's tense return to the UK, and the latest on the Prince Andrew investigation. And it's Truckie Tuesday 124 — Rod Hannifey is joined by Tony Crook from GME to talk UHF radio etiquette, Australian manufacturing, and why the family behind GME says they'd rather shut the doors than build overseas. ⚠ This episode includes a brief, non-graphic mention of a distressing current news story involving the death of a child, and Derryn Hinch's own disclosure of childhood sexual abuse. Listener discretion advised. Support: Lifeline 13 11 14. Guests: Robbie Katter, Craig Willis, Trevor Long, Ben Downie, Rod Hannifey, Tony Crook No censors. No apologies. This is Bonafide with Luke Bona. 00:00:00 Cold Open00:00:39 Welcome to Episode 12400:05:13 Headlines00:31:04 Trevor Long on the Telstra Outage00:49:46 Remembering Derryn Hinch00:51:37 Craig Willis on 42 Years With Derryn Hinch01:16:51 Robbie Katter on the Olympics and Nuclear Power01:55:44 Ben Downie on UK Politics and the Royals02:26:55 Truckie Tuesday 124 With Rod Hannifey and GME03:12:31 Sign-Off Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-audFollow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/Catch Up On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/Leave us a digital voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/BonafideCall the Bonafide Hotline to leave a voicemail: (02) 9128 9311Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Reach out at: community@bonafidepod.comCheers to GME for making Truckie Tuesday possible! https://www.gme.net.au/au/

    Remembering Derryn Hinch, Robbie Katter on the $60B Olympics, & Bogus Backlash

  7. Jul 9

    Tobacco Wars, Nuclear Power & a Colonel's Warning on National Security

    A retired Army Colonel and former federal MP says Australia's illegal tobacco trade is tangled up with the same transnational crime networks that help fund terror groups overseas. Mike Kelly joins Luke in the Man Cave for a hard-hitting hour: the tobacco wars burning through Melbourne and Sydney, the radicalisation gaps behind the Bondi terror attack, and why he says our gun laws still aren't keeping up. Also this episode: shadow energy minister Dan Tehan makes the case for nuclear power, Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly gives a first-hand account of the tobacco-shop firebombings tearing through his own council, Sky News Washington bureau chief Jonathan Kearsley breaks down the Iran situation and the war in Ukraine, the Dry July Foundation's CEO on a decade of cancer-fundraising, and defensive driving expert Ian Luff makes the case for compulsory driver training. This episode discusses the Bondi terror attack, including a reflection on the death of a child. Listener discretion advised. Guests: Mike Kelly (retired Army Colonel, former federal MP for Eden-Monaro) · Dan Tehan (shadow minister for energy) · Stephen Jolly (Yarra City Council Mayor) · Jonathan Kearsley (Sky News Washington bureau chief) · Ian Luff (defensive driving expert) · the Dry July Foundation's CEO Chapters: (00:00:00) Cold Open (00:00:39) Welcome to Episode 123 (00:01:42) Coming Up This Episode (00:05:18) Headlines: Melbourne's Livability Ranking and the World's Fastest Spider (00:24:28) Dan Tehan on Should Australia Go Nuclear (00:53:35) Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly on the Tobacco Wars (01:05:27) Dry July's CEO on a Decade of Cancer Fundraising (01:12:54) Jonathan Kearsley on Iran, Ukraine and the World Cup (01:48:08) Ian Luff on Defensive Driving (01:54:32) Mike Kelly Joins the Man Cave (02:08:48) Tobacco Wars, Terror Financing and the Bondi Attack (02:21:06) Man Cave Banter (02:25:51) Mike Kelly's Story: From Humble Beginnings to Colonel (02:37:37) Mike Kelly's Car Memorabilia Collection (02:37:56) Sign-Off and What's Coming Next 🫶 Join The Bonafide Family Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-aud Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/ Catch Up On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/ Support The Vice Captain this Dry July: https://www.dryjuly.com/teams/decepticons Casino Truck Show: https://casinotruckshow.com.au/ 🎙️ Get Involved Leave us a digital voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/Bonafide Call the Bonafide Hotline to leave a voicemail: (02) 9128 9311 Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Reach out at: community@bonafidepod.com

    Tobacco Wars, Nuclear Power & a Colonel's Warning on National Security

  8. Jul 6

    A Liberal Civil War, ASIO's Press-Freedom Row & Fog Lines

    Former NSW Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister David Elliott joins Luke to explain why he's calling for federal opposition leader Angus Taylor to resign — and reflects candidly on the Bondi terror attack and the hate-laws debate it's sparked. Also this episode: Greens Senator David Shoebridge on ASIO's press-freedom controversy and the Bondi Royal Commission, America's chaotic 4th of July, and Rod Hannifeyfor Truckie Tuesday 122 — new safety-accreditation rules and the Great Western Highway fix. ⚠️ This episode discusses a real terror attack and includes a reflection on the death of a child. Listener discretion advised. Guests: David Elliott (former NSW Minister for Police, Emergency Services & Counter-Terrorism) · David Shoebridge (Greens Senator, NSW) · Rod Hannifey (Truckie Tuesday) Chapters: (00:00:00) Cold Open (00:01:03) Welcome to Episode 122 (00:04:24) Headlines: America's Wild 4th of July (00:15:59) Listener Mail & a Blast-From-the-Past Ad (00:27:21) Greens Senator David Shoebridge Returns (00:33:07) ASIO, Press Freedom & the Bondi Royal Commission (00:41:55) David Elliott Joins the Podcast (00:43:49) The Liberal Civil War: Why Elliott Wants Angus Taylor Gone (01:08:34) Bondi, Little Matilda & the Hate-Laws Debate (01:16:23) Define "Australian Culture": Elliott's Seven Points (01:29:59) Truckie Tuesday 122 with Rod Hannafin (01:36:45) The Great Western Highway Fix (02:01:31) Sign-Off ------------------------------- ❤️ Cheers to GME for making Truckie Tuesday possible! Outfit your rig with the very best, Australian-made communication technology here: https://www.gme.net.au/au/ 🫶 Join The Bonafide Family Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-aud Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/ Catch Up On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukey.bona/ Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay updated with LIVE SHOWS: 🎙️ Get Involved Leave us a digital voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/Bonafide Call the Bonafide Hotline to leave a voicemail: (02) 9128 9311 Want to be a guest or suggest a topic? Reach out at: community@bonafidepod.com

    A Liberal Civil War, ASIO's Press-Freedom Row & Fog Lines
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Hosts & Guests

About

Bonafide with Luke Bona is the unfiltered voice of everyday Australia. After decades in national radio, Luke brings his legendary no-BS approach to the podcast world. We tackle the real issues the mainstream media ignores: Australian politics, the cost of living, motoring, technology, culture, and the transport industry. From the realities of the road on Truckie Tuesday to wild true crime in the Man Cave, get the raw, unhinged truth you’ve been looking for. No censors. No apologies. Subscribe to join the conversation.

Information

  • Creator
    Luke Bona
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    185
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Luke Bona
  • Show Website
    Bonafide with Luke Bona

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