If you heard our full episode on 9 October, you have already had this one. This is Luke's chat with Jim Penman on its own, for anyone who just wants Jim.

When nobody would back his ideas as an academic, Jim went back to mowing lawns full-time, about $35,000 in debt, he says, and by his own account terrible at managing his first subcontractors. He tells Luke how he turned it around, from selling lawn rounds to ringing the big Adelaide franchise and being told no thanks, and why he drew up a contract he wouldn't mind signing as a franchisee.

Jim also explains the $700 contract fee he could have set far higher, why the business was his way of paying for his research into why civilisations rise and fall, and the argument in his new book with Andrea Pearson, Birth-Rate Crisis. Plus pass the parcel, cold showers, and why he doesn't expect to win Northcote at the Victorian election.

Guests: Jim Penman

Birth-Rate Crisis by Jim Penman and Andrea Pearson: https://birthratecrisisbook.com/

This interview contains strong language and mentions suicide.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)

00:00 The man behind Jim's Mowing

00:59 How Jim's Mowing started

02:05 A burned-out academic with a mower

03:23 When he tried to join his biggest rival

04:37 A contract he'd want to sign

06:03 What he learned from Ray Kroc

07:24 The list that won over franchisees

08:40 Why so many franchises come and go

09:29 $700 for a contract, not $5,000

10:32 How Jim's keeps an eye on quality

12:00 Long-term thinking, and a franchisee veto

14:35 $5 pizzas and franchisees who can't sell

16:09 Before you buy a franchise

17:22 When a division doesn't take off

18:33 The brush cutter and a neat edge

21:01 More jobs than franchisees

21:55 Birth-Rate Crisis, Jim's new book

23:22 The rise and fall of civilisations

25:17 Is it money, or priorities?

27:23 The dopamine theory

28:20 Why he says hard times bring baby booms

30:22 Everybody wins a ribbon

31:43 Pass the parcel, with a prize in every layer

33:26 Cold showers, and a seat he doesn't expect to win

34:08 Two-stroke, electric or push mower?

35:14 Advice for 12-year-old Jim

35:48 In trouble at school

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If you heard Tuesday's full episode, you have already had this one. This is the Truckie Tuesday on its own, for anyone who just wants the truck stuff.

A driver tells Rod Hannifey he was refused a shower at a truck stop because he hadn't bought fuel, even after offering to buy food. Rod knows of only one truck stop with showers on his run to Adelaide, and he found a key-tag block he couldn't use because he doesn't cart livestock.

Luke and Rod work through your mail, from radiator fixes with a raw egg or pepper to why caravans on the Nullarbor should leave gaps and show their UHF channel front and back. There's also a question for next week about EWD phones in compliance mode.

Belinda Hughes from Hughes Law updates Danny's case, and her win of the week is an appeal she says cut a Transport for NSW registration suspension after a tunnel incident. Hughes Law sponsors Truckie Tuesday.

Guests: Rod Hannifey (Truckie Tuesday co-host), Belinda Hughes (Hughes Law)

00:00:00 Where Was Rod Last Tuesday?

00:03:45 Where's Rod Next? A Truck Stop With A Shower

00:06:30 A Raw Egg In The Radiator?

00:09:58 Grass In A Tyre To Get You Home?

00:11:10 Wombat's Two Rules On Fatigue

00:13:06 Fuel Excise: Who Got The Savings?

00:14:48 Caravans On The Nullarbor, And UHF 40

00:19:07 Green Reflector Bays On The Mildura Road

00:21:02 Windscreens And A Thicker Kenworth Screen

00:25:06 Should Truckies Get Free Meals And Coffee?

00:28:01 Can An Officer Walk Off With Your Phone?

00:30:10 Key-Tag Showers For Stock Carriers Only

00:32:24 No Fuel, No Shower

00:33:53 Belinda Hughes: What's Next For Danny

00:35:21 Is The NHVR Changing How It Enforces?

00:38:47 Win Of The Week: A Tunnel Suspension Cut On Appeal

00:41:17 Where's Rod Headed Next?

❤️ 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/

Truckie Tuesday's legal segment is with Belinda Hughes, principal lawyer at Hughes Law: https://hugheslaw.com.au or call 1300 448 443

This segment is general information only and is not legal advice. Laws differ between states. If you have a matter of your own, speak to a lawyer.

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Robbie Katter, the Member for Traeger and leader of Katter's Australian Party, tells Luke why he and his dad Bob want North Queensland to become Australia's seventh state, and why he thinks city people lose out while the north's metals stay in the ground. He also covers shark and crocodile culling, and the case for nuclear power.

Jonathan Kearsley, News24's Washington correspondent, unpacks Katie Zacharia's five days as White House press secretary and Kimberly Guilfoyle's exit as ambassador to Greece, which follows a report she denies. Ben Downie from Seven in London covers the limit on Ukraine's Starshield service and the riots in France. Young farmer Jacob Wright talks farm workers and apprentices, and what diesel and urea now cost.

On Truckie Tuesday, Rod Hannifey goes looking for a truck stop shower and asks whether free meals would change where drivers stop. Belinda Hughes from Hughes Law follows up Danny's grounding and shares her win of the week. Hughes Law sponsors Truckie Tuesday. Luke and Kelsey also take on NSW's truancy fines and your voicemails.

Guests: Robbie Katter, Jonathan Kearsley, Ben Downie, Jacob Wright, Rod Hannifey, Belinda Hughes

This episode contains coarse language and adult themes. It discusses alleged sexual offences against women and girls, and fatal animal attacks.

Support:

1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 (24/7)

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (24/7)

Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7)

In an emergency call 000

00:00:00 Episode 146, and Trump's week

00:10:22 Charges over the Narrabeen Lagoon incidents

00:12:44 Truancy fines of up to $11,000

00:16:19 Your voicemails: roosters and mine gas

00:20:13 Ben Downie: Ukraine and Starshield

00:25:55 Riots across France

00:29:03 Pope Leo after lung surgery

00:31:56 Robbie Katter on a seventh state

00:40:03 From 1852 to the Brisbane Line

00:45:30 Should sharks and crocs be culled?

00:53:03 One Nation and Pauline Hanson

00:55:44 Uranium and the case for nuclear

01:01:11 Jonathan Kearsley: five days at the podium

01:10:02 Kimberly Guilfoyle and the Amex bill

01:18:25 Jacob Wright, young farmer

01:23:13 Farm workers and migration cuts

01:27:51 Who will drive the trucks?

01:33:11 The pros and cons of farming

01:42:42 Truckie Tuesday 146: where was Rod?

01:46:43 The truck stop with a shower

01:49:15 A raw egg in the radiator

01:58:53 Caravans and UHF on the Nullarbor

02:05:44 Windscreens and stone guards

02:10:12 Free meals for truckies?

02:13:06 Can they walk off with your phone?

02:15:15 Key-tag showers, and no fuel, no shower

02:18:49 Belinda Hughes on Danny and the NHVR

02:23:57 Win of the week: a tunnel suspension

02:26:22 Where's Rod headed next?

❤️ 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/

Truckie Tuesday's legal segment is with Belinda Hughes, principal lawyer at Hughes Law: https://hugheslaw.com.au or call 1300 448 443

This segment is general information only and is not legal advice. Laws differ between states. If you have a matter of your own, speak to a lawyer.

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If you heard our full episode on 2 October, you have already had this one. This is Luke's chat with Nick on its own, for anyone who just wants the prison stories.

Nick was a NSW prison officer for 15 years, at Lithgow and at the women's jail at Emu Plains. In B unit, he watched an inmate crack the perspex with a pool ball, and he tells Luke why he says three months of training was mostly about paperwork.

He explains why officers walk the yard unarmed and why he says they couldn't properly search visitors' prams. Then there's the inmate who threatened his family. Nick's view is that most prisoners don't want to be rehabilitated. The ones who do, like the woman who left jail a qualified chef, get there because they want the help, he says.

This interview contains strong language. It discusses sexual assault in prison, domestic violence and the death of a prison officer.

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24/7)

Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)

In an emergency, call 000.

00:00 Should prisoners get a second chance?

01:46 Why the inmates called Nick Chief

02:45 Why he swapped his own business for a prison job

04:45 Trapped in B unit when the perspex cracked

07:14 Three months of training, signed off on paper

08:02 The officer who died at Silverwater

09:00 Double shifts and big overtime

10:31 His sister, assaulted at Parramatta Gaol

11:06 Unarmed in a yard of 30 inmates

13:40 Why officers couldn't search prams

14:48 Who really controls a jail?

16:22 Case management with no training

17:45 The inmates who care for injured wildlife

18:53 Should prisoners be paid $25 an hour?

19:30 The kiss that smuggled drugs into Lithgow

21:35 Corrupt officers: blue, not green

22:22 Why lifers are the easiest to manage

23:53 Why he'd rather work with maximum security men

25:10 What men fear most about going to jail

26:26 The inmate who walked out a chef

28:12 Knives in the kitchen and a Shawshank moment

29:55 Why are Indigenous Australians over-represented?

32:21 Do prisoners want to be rehabilitated?

34:08 The inmate who threatened his family

36:32 Seen as weak, or called a dog

38:30 The prisoners who come back for the security

40:16 Should prisoners have to work?

41:29 Get out of the job or I'm divorcing you

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Our first live show. Nick, a former NSW prison officer, comes back for part two and takes Luke through a first-timer's day in prison, from the strip search to the cellmate you don't get to choose. He also explains how new inmates get pushed into carrying contraband for someone else, and how they can say no.

Rob McKnight from McKnight Tonight reviews the calls he made in September about Nine's Today show and The Voice, and talks about 4BH's rise in Brisbane and Sam Armytage's run-in with Michael Usher's son. David Littleproud, in a chat recorded before the show, takes on the card surcharge ban and the trust tax, and says drivers who don't own an EV shouldn't help pay for new chargers.

In the Man Cave, Adam McDonald turns 50 and Granny Sue calls from Yorkeys Knob to back a seventh state for North Queensland. They also argue about a Tasmanian school taking Christmas out of the name of its end-of-year raffle, and whether an Australian astronaut is worth $100 million.

Guests: Rob McKnight, David Littleproud, Nick, Adam McDonald, Granny Sue

Recorded live on Thursday 15 October 2026.

This episode contains strong language and adult themes. It discusses violence in prisons and deaths in custody, including suicide watch.

Support:

1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 (24/7)

Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7)

In an emergency call 000

00:00:00 Episode 145, our first live show

00:05:49 Should North Queensland be the seventh state?

00:10:01 Rob McKnight on the old tonight shows

00:13:23 Kyle and Jackie O, and Sam Armytage

00:20:29 Rob's report card: who got the Today show

00:27:33 How 4BH became number one in Brisbane

00:33:40 Is The Voice finished?

00:36:53 Rob at Luna Park, and Skippy

00:41:03 David Littleproud on One Nation

00:42:55 Card surcharges and paying tax by credit card

00:47:08 A 30% tax on family trusts

00:49:39 Who should pay for EV chargers?

00:57:07 Nick, part two: your first day in prison

01:07:35 The strip search

01:12:35 Cellmates, and the rules inmates set

01:18:09 Who can you trust inside?

01:20:18 Deaths in custody

01:26:22 Drugs passed in a kiss, and Billy in the airlock

01:30:34 The inmate who threatened his family

01:33:23 How contraband gets in, and saying no

01:36:40 Where offenders rank inside

01:41:01 The inmate Nick took to her son's wedding

01:41:59 Man Cave: Adam turns 50

01:47:17 Granny Sue on splitting Queensland

01:49:31 Who gets your seat on the bus?

01:53:05 When does falling over become a fall?

01:59:07 Should schools still call it Christmas?

02:07:30 The grand final and the World Cup

02:13:44 Bathurst's last-lap fuel-out

02:14:44 Woolies' bachelor's handbag

02:16:43 The moon landing, and a $100 million astronaut

02:19:59 Should we cull sharks and crocs?

02:24:47 Finders keepers, and Kerry Packer's gold

02:30:55 Should the suburbs ban roosters?

02:35:48 Adam's clocks, and what we learned

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Shark fisherman Joel Nancarrow says the great white that killed a swimmer at Sorrento Beach in Perth should have been hunted down. Adam McDonald's view is that it's the risk you take when you swim, and the Man Cave gets heated. Then Luke asks about dangerous dogs, and Adam comes round, as long as it's the right shark.

Joel runs Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration in Newcastle. He explains how a jaw is restored, why he buys jaws from commercial fishermen rather than selling what he catches, and why every bull shark he lands dies. A bite-resistant wetsuit surprised him more than anything else he's tested, though he says nothing would stop a shark the size of the one at Sorrento.

Joel's views on shark numbers and behaviour are his own, from years on the water. Some of them aren't backed by published research.

Joel's first interview with Luke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsX3Aq_UYqs

Should a shark that attacks someone be hunted down? Tell us what you think in the comments.

This interview contains strong language and discusses fatal shark attacks. If it raises anything for you:

Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)

In an emergency, call 000.

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#Sharks #BullShark #ManCave

If you heard our full episode on 2 October, you have already had this one. This is Luke's chat with Shane Oliver on its own, for anyone who just wants the money talk.

The Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate to 4.60% on 29 September, and AMP chief economist Shane Oliver says that if he had to single out one cause, it's too much government spending. It now makes up about 28% of the economy, and he explains why cutting it would spread the pain beyond people with a mortgage, and which projects could wait a few years.

Luke asks who Australia owes its $1 trillion debt to, and who collects the interest. Then Shane weighs up One Nation's plan to let renters and mortgage holders take 3 of the 12 percentage points of their employer super as cash for three years. He thinks the real problem is that housing costs too much, and he has advice for young buyers in a falling market. Last question: will rates go up again before Christmas?

Guests: Shane Oliver

Recorded 30 September 2026, the day after the Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate to 4.60%.

Shane's comments are general information, not personal financial advice.

00:00 The RBA lifts rates to 4.60%

01:11 Why rates rose: too much demand

03:19 David Koch's challenge: is it government spending?

05:35 Which projects could wait a few years?

06:40 The public service and the NDIS

07:49 Who do we owe $1 trillion to?

09:03 No money put aside for a rainy day

09:55 Why the interest bill is climbing

10:53 Should we be in surplus right now?

11:35 Keating's 1986 banana republic warning

12:08 How big is $1 trillion, really?

13:05 Who gets the interest on the debt?

13:58 One Nation's plan to pay some super as cash

14:48 Why housing is the real problem

16:33 One Nation's migration cut: housing and jobs

17:50 Advice for young people trying to buy a home

18:31 Another rate rise before Christmas?

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If you heard Tuesday's full episode, you have already had this one. This is the Truckie Tuesday on its own, for anyone who just wants the truck stuff.

Kylie Robinson missed the weighbridge near Willow Tree and rang the NHVR to report it herself. She was still fined $800. Belinda Hughes from Hughes Law is acting for her for free and taking it to court. Hughes Law sponsors Truckie Tuesday. The NHVR told Big Rigs that her call counted in her favour but didn't undo the missed entry. Belinda also answers your work diary questions, including whether a spelling mistake can get you fined.

Rod Hannifey and Luke take on speed camera revenue and NatRoad's call to cut the road user charge to zero. Rod's rant is about three dangerous overtakes in one hour.

Guests: Belinda Hughes (Hughes Law), Rod Hannifey (Truckie Tuesday co-host)

We're going live this Thursday, 15 October, at 7:30am AEDT on YouTube and Facebook.

00:00:00 Where's Rod? Here Are Your Clues

00:02:38 A Caravan On The Wrong UHF Channel

00:03:29 Should Speed Camera Fines Pay For Road Safety?

00:09:03 Bathurst Traffic And The Grain Harvest

00:12:37 $3 Diesel And The Road User Charge

00:14:39 Is The Driver Shortage Getting Worse?

00:17:27 Belinda Hughes And Her Win Of The Week

00:19:04 Who Should Teach You To Fill In A Work Diary?

00:22:25 Why Was The Logbook Brought In?

00:25:52 Can A Spelling Mistake Get You Fined?

00:26:25 How To Fix A Mistake In Your Logbook

00:27:08 Advice For New Drivers: Watch Your Odometer

00:29:39 Kylie Robinson's $800 Weighbridge Fine

00:33:29 Rod's Rant: Three Overtakes In An Hour

00:37:08 Where's Rod? One More Clue

❤️ 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/

Truckie Tuesday's legal segment is with Belinda Hughes, principal lawyer at Hughes Law: https://hugheslaw.com.au or call 1300 448 443

This segment is general information only and is not legal advice. Laws differ between states. If you have a matter of your own, speak to a lawyer.

🫶 Join The Bonafide Family

Get Your Bonafide Merch here: https://bonafidepod.com/en-aud

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeBonaThatRadioGuy/

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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