Christiaan Van Vuuren is an everyday Aussie – a comedian and a father with a keen sense of fairness and justice.
Christiaan is proud of his country, its peaceful society and its sound political system. So proud, in fact, that he might be a little complacent.
Big Deal begins with Christiaan mocking the fact that the US democracy has been taken over by big money, but he soon realises that the situation in his home country is not all that different.
Presented by comedian Christiaan Van Vuuren (Soul Mates, Bondi Hipsters) and directed by Craig Reucassel (War on Waste, Fight For Planet A, The Chaser), in his directorial debut, Big Deal takes a look at Australia’s billion-dollar political lobbying industry. For every federal politician, there’s millions of dollars devoted just to swinging their opinion, or their vote.
This engaging ABC factual series is a wake-up call about the frightening extent to which money has infiltrated politics. In the series, Christiaan meets with a range of politicians, journalists, and experts, such as Malcolm Turnbull, Jason Falinski, Sam Dastyari, Scott Ryan, Kate McClymont, Dr Andrew Leigh, Helen Haines, Jacqui Lambie, Katharine Murphy, Linda Burney, and Zali Steggall, to ask, ‘Is Australia’s democracy for sale?’
Big Deal, writer, presenter, and everyday Aussie Christiaan Van Vuuren said:
“We Aussies love the underdogs, those who stand up against the powerful. So, I just don’t understand why we accept a system where the rich and powerful get special treatment? I want us to live in a country where passionate leaders lead and where their ideas for our nation are what get them elected … not their ability to raise money.”
Big Deal director and self-proclaimed ‘political tragic,’ Craig Reucassel said:
“Polling shows that many young people do not think that democracy is the best form of government – and that is absolutely tragic. We’re becoming disengaged, and unfortunately our democracy is moving away from something that is responding to us.
The surprising thing that this documentary reveals is that while there are a lot of problems, many that politicians need to fix, there’s also a lot of things that we can do ourselves.”
Production Credits: A Jungle Entertainment, Stranger Than Fiction, Shark Island, Madman Entertainment and ABC Production. Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Screen NSW. Director: Craig Reucassel, Producer: Aline Jacques, Executive Producers: Jen Peedom, Bridget Callow-Wright, Jason Burrows, Malinda Wink and Paul Wiegard. ABC Manager of Documentaries Stephen Oliver.
Great television documentary, well done. Looking forward to the following episodes!
Thank you for daring to do this you guys! It is a common belief in the middle class that we have less of a say than we wish to – The truth is in the detail – also probably more like whose quiver is more equipped with Westminster knowledge in competition with the control of people’s borders, land and families! 🙂
Aaahhh, government, the best money can buy !
There is no point in voting as both sides have been bought, and their actions, policies, laws, mandates are dictated by those that fund them. Those that control the money supply have the control.