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Australia's Secret History
🕑 Added 2025-06-15 04:54:40 +0000 UTC[Early Access]
Hello Patrons,
This week we're taking a look into how Australia's union history helped shape us into the country we are today. It's also worth noting that certain actors in our recent history have tried to suppress this.
We've got a few long explainers like this in the works, we took note of the popular topics from the last Patreon poll. Look forward to an in-depth look of how the Senate works next week! Speaking of the Patreon poll, it's usually our policy to make the winning topic as soon as possible. Last month's winner was Future Made in Australia, We've just done a long video on FMIA recently and doing another video quickly would be very similar to it. Rather than doubling up, we're going to produce something longer over time about FMIA's progress. That video will come out eventually, but in the immediate future we're making videos on all of the other popular topics from that poll and we'll create another poll soon.
Additionally, we'll be filming an "insider baseball" type video for the higher Patreon tiers this week too, keep your eyes out for that.
Thank you all for the support and enjoy the video!
The FJ Crew
Comments
Mark
Same here profound change in my mindset and vision for me and my future family’s future
Jake
Also uk labour have been disconnecting union control since Tony blair.
Jesse
This video made me tear up a bit inside, it's like finding a missing part of your soul/identity you didn't realise was missing because you grew up with no knowledge or memory of it, only ever seeing the vestiges of the shadows it once cast. Thanks FJ and the team
Leo Dewberry
Feels kind of a nod to Mr M History channel about how Howard. With how Australia got nerfed video, I really want to see a collab video with Cameron Mitchell and you one day!
Bradley
I'm a member, i hope you are too
Bradley
Hey mate, I get where you’re coming from, but honestly some of that is a bit off. Yeah, there have been cases where certain unions or individuals went too far. No one’s pretending they’re perfect. But acting like the whole union movement is just bribery and cost blowouts really misses the bigger picture. Unions played a massive role in building the standard of living we all enjoy today. The 8-hour workday, penalty rates, decent wages, workplace safety, sick leave, even weekends... that stuff didn’t happen because businesses felt generous. It was fought for and won by organised workers. And the “next generation paying the debt” line gets thrown around a lot, but it’s not the whole story. Most of that debt goes toward infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and roads. Those things don’t just benefit us, they benefit future generations too. Plus, Australia’s debt levels are still pretty low compared to other developed countries. If we’re going to talk about excesses, let’s also look at things like corporate tax avoidance, wage theft, and how casual and insecure work has become for a lot of people. That stuff hurts the economy and workers just as much, if not more, than union actions ever did. Unions aren’t perfect, but pretending they’re the main problem just doesn’t stack up. They’re still one of the few forces out there actually standing up for regular working people.
Cameron Stewart
Yeess. Good points. But what happens when tax payers have to pay upwards of 30% excess for big builds (ahem bikie bribes) and the state racks up record debt that the next generation has to pay off. What about the old small business business and their troubles and toils. Maybe the entrepreneur's challenges. Not so easy for these folks. Where is the balance FJ. Capital and labour working in balance in the next video thanks. A bit of an address to the excesses of the union movement would be a good thing. Union history in this country is not the whole picture, when trying to strike (no puns here) a balance that leads to real wealth and harmony (aka national standard of living excellence) and we're awesome vibes.
brophy
This is the real history of Australia! (minus the indigenous, but it's also Howard's fault we don't talk about that)
Jake
Union membership on the up!
Heathen71
A great video. Union proud ❤️❤️❤️
Dob WoLF
Great video and will get the book :)
Sir Jo
As a CFMEU guy make a union thug shirt or I’ll get the bikeys on you
Al Goormay
Well said. My first Union was the P.K. I.U. The Printing and Kindred Industries Union. I’m hoping membership numbers will increase after the election.
Alex Isaac
I don't hear any racism? He makes fun of his own race?
Nathan Croucher
you give howard too much credit, he just bought the shit stain generation. Keating set them up and howard made them rich.
ching hamburger
MAKE THE SHIRT!! I'll buy 3, 1 for me, and 2 for my support workers who vote green 😂😂😂😂
Mark Lyons
Fuck yeah union member and Fj patreon member, Toooooo Much Winnnnnnnning
Putz
Great video. Nailed it with the Anzac legend. That's why Paul Keating tried to shift our defence legend to Kokoda in my (very minimally researched) opinion.
A
Really interesting video about our history!
Blake Walden
I really sincerely hope you tone down some of the racism in this before it goes live. I really don't know why you decided to take this path with this video because all it's going to do is piss off a lot of people you could have otherwise convinced.
Mick
Love. Union proud!
George
This is really important, thank you
Rick Craig
Getting the book
Ooga Booga
First
