Why Tom Ballard is so angry at politicans

Tom Ballard is possibly the most political comedian in Australia, with his stand up tackling issues including asylum seekers, racism, the monarchy and capitalism.

His new show, Good Point Well Made, is no different. He reflects on Australia’s failed voice referendum and Donald Trump- alongside a healthy dose of toilet humour.

In this chat with Tom Tilley, Tom opens up about the process of writing the show, why he loves performing, and the rise of fellow comedian and friend Hannah Gadsby.

So, why did Tom head into the comedic space and was it just more to him than entertainment?

“I’ve often had this thought to myself like, okay Tom, if you really care this much about this politics, why are you telling d*ck jokes to strangers and profiting basically off talking about these issues?”

“I have some comedian friends… you know, doing lots of political activism while also talking about politics on stage, and then you’ve got someone like Corinne Grant who just quit comedy to train as a lawyer to help people with their work claims.

“She’s like, I’m sick of doing jokes about the stuff I care about. It’s not making a difference. I’m going to get out there and be involved.

“I have a huge amount of respect for those people.”

You can now WATCH The Weekend Briefing over on the Listnr Newsroom YouTube channel!

Every weekend we speak to interesting people, doing interesting things. Send us your Weekend Briefing suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!

Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on LiSTNR today. The Briefing serves up the latest news and deep dives on topics affecting you, all in under 20 minutes.