Latest news with #IainAnderson
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
From homeless and using drugs to performing at the Edinburgh Fringe
Iain Anderson, 41, moved from Port Glasgow to Barcelona on a whim in 2011. Since ditching Scotland for the Spanish sun, the comic has gone from 'rock bottom' to finding himself in a blossoming comedy career. Now eight years sober, Anderson spoke candidly with The National about living in active addiction, experiencing homelessness, struggles with his mental health and how all of it informed his one-man show, which returns to the Fringe after a successful European tour. READ MORE: How TRNSMT's gender balance is shaping up in 2025 – see the graphs He got into comedy 'quite late', performing for the first time the night before his 39th birthday. 'People had been telling me to do comedy for a really long time. It was always one of those things that I thought was for other people. In the back of my mind, I was like, well, maybe I'm funny at work and maybe I'll just be the funny guy at a party', he said. He joined a writing class recommended by a friend. Despite describing himself as 'the worst one there" and saying reverting into a 'complete 15-year-old' who claimed his dog had eaten his homework, he powered through. As part of the course, Anderson had to perform a seven-minute open mic set. After 'smashing it', he put on his show once more before deciding to take the plunge, quitting his job in 2024 and heading to the Fringe for the first time to perform Traumedy: A Guide to Being a Fabulous Homeless Addict. The show focuses on Anderson's descent into addiction, which eventually left him living in a park in the heart of Barcelona. He said his move to the Spanish city, a place where 'nobody grows up', combined with the heavy party culture of its LGBT+ scene and a lack of contact with peers back home created the 'perfect storm' for his spiral. 'There was no one to say, hey, knock that on the head, that's enough. Everyone in my life was quite transient, and it meant that the only people I knew were people who wanted to have a good time', he explained. 'Those friendships, as beautiful as they might feel from a Friday to a Monday when you're absolutely out of it, those people are not going to come looking for you when you reach rock bottom and the shit hits the fan. 'I knew a lot of people, but none of them were friends.' Anderson slept in a park with his dog until receiving help and support (Image: Iain Anderson) After meeting another Scot who worked with Esperanca, a service providing hot meals for the homeless in Barcelona which Anderson now serves on the board of, as well as a brief stint in a psychiatric unit, the Port Glasgow native managed to leave the streets behind before eventually pursuing comedy. Despite his show being informed by his trauma, Anderson explained the nuance behind his eye-watering honesty and why people shouldn't heal in the public eye. He said: 'It's one of the things with the show that people have commented on most, 'I can't believe how honest you're being'. 'And I thought, well, things might be worse than I remembered and that will be some people's version of their experience with me. 'If your whole life is going to fall apart because someone catches you in a lie, your life is never yours, and so I work very hard at being excessively honest so that nobody can ever take anything away from me again. 'I think I talk about mental health in a way that is not coming from a victim mindset, and I don't say that to be disparaging to people out there who are trying to heal in public. 'I just don't think that's the right way to do it. I don't think you should be using the audience as therapy. READ MORE: BBC 'considering outsourcing plans risking thousands of UK jobs' 'I think the reason why people connect with my story is because I've done so much work around all this that I'm able to laugh with it too, and my show isn't about me. People come up to me afterwards now and say it's made them think about their mother, their friend, their own problems with substances. 'Even though it's sad, it's very funny, and it's funny for the right reasons, which is laughing at how insane it was, rather than me getting the joke in there before anyone else can.' Traumedy: A Guide to Being a Fabulous Homeless Addict has come leaps and bounds since its first outing at the Fringe in 2024. At last year's festival, the comic performed in the basement of Edinburgh's Kafe Kweer. 'I was too tall to stand up so I did the whole show sitting down in a massive Morticia Addams wicker chair with my legs crossed the full time because I was so uncomfortable', he said. Asked what audiences should expect now that Traumedy has been around continental Europe, Anderson told The National that 'you'll at least be able to see my lovely legs this time'. Iain Anderson will be performing at Boston Bar from July 31 until August 24. Tickets are available here. Help is available. We Are With You provides addiction support and Shelter Scotland can assist those experiencing homelessness.
The National
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Edinburgh Fringe comic opens up on addiction and homelessness
Iain Anderson, 41, moved from Port Glasgow to Barcelona on a whim in 2011. Since ditching the Scotland for the Spanish sun, the comic has gone from 'rock bottom' to finding himself in a blossoming comedy career. Now eight years sober, Anderson spoke candidly with The National about living in active addiction, experiencing homelessness, struggles with his mental health and how all of it informed his one-man show, which returns to the Fringe after a successful European tour. READ MORE: How TRNSMT's gender balance is shaping up in 2025 – see the graphs He got into comedy 'quite late', performing for the first time the night before his 39th birthday. 'People had been telling me to do comedy for a really long time. It was always one of those things that I thought was for other people. In the back of my mind, I was like, well, maybe I'm funny at work and maybe I'll just be the funny guy at a party', he said. He joined a writing class recommended by a friend. Despite describing himself as 'the worst one there" and saying reverting into a 'complete 15-year-old' who claimed his dog had eaten his homework, he powered through. As part of the course, Anderson had to perform a seven-minute open mic set. After 'smashing it', he put on his show once more before deciding to take the plunge, quitting his job in 2024 and heading to the Fringe for the first time to perform Traumedy: A Guide to Being a Fabulous Homeless Addict. The show focuses on Anderson's descent into addiction, which eventually left him living in a park in the heart of Barcelona. He said his move to the Spanish city, a place where 'nobody grows up', combined with the heavy party culture of its LGBT+ scene and a lack of contact with peers back home created the 'perfect storm' for his spiral. 'There was no one to say, hey, knock that on the head, that's enough. Everyone in my life was quite transient, and it meant that the only people I knew were people who wanted to have a good time', he explained. 'Those friendships, as beautiful as they might feel from a Friday to a Monday when you're absolutely out of it, those people are not going to come looking for you when you reach rock bottom and the shit hits the fan. 'I knew a lot of people, but none of them were friends.' Anderson slept in a park with his dog until receiving help and support (Image: Iain Anderson) After meeting another Scot who worked with Esperanca, a service providing hot meals for the homeless in Barcelona which Anderson now serves on the board of, as well as a brief stint in a psychiatric unit, the Port Glasgow native managed to leave the streets behind before eventually pursuing comedy. Despite his show being informed by his trauma, Anderson explained the nuance behind his eye-watering honesty and why people shouldn't heal in the public eye. He said: 'It's one of the things with the show that people have commented on most, 'I can't believe how honest you're being'. 'And I thought, well, things might be worse than I remembered and that will be some people's version of their experience with me. 'If your whole life is going to fall apart because someone catches you in a lie, your life is never yours, and so I work very hard at being excessively honest so that nobody can ever take anything away from me again. 'I think I talk about mental health in a way that is not coming from a victim mindset, and I don't say that to be disparaging to people out there who are trying to heal in public. 'I just don't think that's the right way to do it. I don't think you should be using the audience as therapy. READ MORE: BBC 'considering outsourcing plans risking thousands of UK jobs' 'I think the reason why people connect with my story is because I've done so much work around all this that I'm able to laugh with it too, and my show isn't about me. People come up to me afterwards now and say it's made them think about their mother, their friend, their own problems with substances. 'Even though it's sad, it's very funny, and it's funny for the right reasons, which is laughing at how insane it was, rather than me getting the joke in there before anyone else can.' Traumedy: A Guide to Being a Fabulous Homeless Addict has come leaps and bounds since its first outing at the Fringe in 2024. At last year's festival, the comic performed in the basement of Edinburgh's Kafe Kweer. 'I was too tall to stand up so I did the whole show sitting down in a massive Morticia Addams wicker chair with my legs crossed the full time because I was so uncomfortable', he said. Asked what audiences should expect now that Traumedy has been around continental Europe, Anderson told The National that 'you'll at least be able to see my lovely legs this time'. Iain Anderson will be performing at Boston Bar from July 31 until August 24. Tickets are available here. Help is available. We Are With You provides addiction support and Shelter Scotland can assist those experiencing homelessness.
ABC News
09-06-2025
- ABC News
A third of cases involving use of force by ACT police were escalated by officers, ombudsman finds
A third of cases involving the use of force by police in the ACT involved situations being unnecessarily escalated by the "unprofessional behaviour" of officers, a report has found. The ACT Ombudsman analysed more than 6,200 use-of-force reports and 200 clips of body-worn camera vision and CCTV recorded between January 2019 and December 2023. Officers drew, aimed or discharged a taser more than 1,600 times during that period. A firearm was used in almost 320 incidents, and a baton was used almost 260 times. Ombudsman Iain Anderson said the investigation had uncovered cases where the police response had "unnecessarily inflamed situations", resulting in poor outcomes. "While we have seen some excellent conduct by officers, handling difficult interactions with care and respect, we are concerned at the unprofessional conduct, offensive and abusive language, and unnecessary aggression displayed by some officers, the seniority of whom does not appear to have been a determining factor," he said in the report. Mr Anderson said while force was sometimes necessary to uphold safety, misusing it eroded community trust. "It also has the potential to disproportionately impact vulnerable members of the ACT community, including young people, First Nations people and those experiencing mental health challenges," he said. About 17 per cent of use-of-force cases involved a mental health incident and 10 per cent involved an intoxicated person. Police officers reported experiencing injuries in 21 per cent of confrontations, ranging from minor injuries, like bruises or scratches, to major injuries including serious head knocks or broken bones. In one case highlighted by the ombudsman, police stopped a suspected drink driver, threw him to the ground, handcuffed him and left him face down in the gutter. The matter was heard in the ACT Magistrates Court in 2022, where Magistrate James Lawton took aim at the officers' unlawful use of force. "Removing the defendant from his car without giving him opportunity to comply and then throwing him to the ground were outrageous," he said. "The actions of these officers [were] deplorable and should be denounced. "A strong message must be sent that this behaviour will not be tolerated." In another case criticised by the ombudsman, police arrested a heavily intoxicated 16-year-old boy who had fallen off a bench with his pants tangled around his ankles. The teenager had sworn repeatedly at police but had not displayed physical aggression before he was grabbed, rolled over and handcuffed, the report found. As the situation escalated, the boy spat at police and was pepper sprayed. He was denied his request to have his eyes washed out, with an officer telling him "No! Don't f***ing spit at us, c***." The ombudsman made 13 recommendations to improve the use of force in the ACT. They include better equipping officers to engage with intoxicated people and those experiencing a mental health crisis. The Ombudsman has also called for extra safeguards around the way young people are handcuffed. Other recommendations relate to improving the use of body-worn cameras. "By not reliably collecting audio and visual [body-worn camera] evidence, ACT Policing is failing to comply with the law and undermining the legislative intent of promoting accountability and protecting the safety of both police officers and members of the community," the ombudsman's report said. ACT Policing has fully accepted two of the report's recommendations, partially accepted eight and not accepted three. In a letter of response to the ombudsman, ACT Chief Police Officer Scott Lee said the investigation overlooked the many times officers were able to de-escalate situations without needing to use force. He said in most cases, force is used reasonably and proportionately. "Where you identified officer conduct lacking and not appropriately dealt with, I would like to assure you that ACT Policing members are held to account." Deputy Commissioner Lee said behaviour in the report would be reviewed, noting several cases had already been referred to the Professional Standards Unit. Sanctions for officers found to have engaged in misconduct range from verbal counselling to criminal charges. In September 2024, ACT Policing announced the establishment of an Operations Safety Practices Committee, to "further enhance rigour around the use of force by members".
News.com.au
03-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘End up homeless': Child support weaponised against single mums
Australian child support frameworks are in urgent need of reform as a new report reveals the number of parents, especially women, financially abused through the system. The Commonwealth ombudsman into the 'weaponisation' of the child support program has revealed the dark underbelly of the financial abuse rife throughout the system, with more than 153,000 parents having a combined $1.9bn in unpaid child support. Parents lying about their income, deliberately reducing their earnings, lying about how much they care for the children, or just straight up refusing to pay have all been identified as evidence the system is failing families, especially women and children. 'The legislation needs reform to address systemic problems and help Services Australia ensure children are not deprived of the financial support they need,' Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson said. In a survey of more than 500 separated mothers, four in five said their former partner had used the program to commit financial abuse. The system is meant to support more than 1.2 million separated parents and 1.1 million affected children. About 84 per cent of parents receiving child support payments to be women. The report condemned Services Australia as being 'unfair and unreasonable' by failing to use its powers to enforce payments. 'This passive approach is unfair,' the report said. 'It allows some paying parents to manipulate the system to avoid their financial responsibility in raising their children, largely without consequences.' It is reported that the Services Australia lacked the frameworks to proactively respond to cases of abuse. 'I am a single mum trying to look after my children. One has a disability. Services Australia is taking $500 from me a week and I simply cannot afford this,' one woman wrote in a complaint to the Ombudsman. 'My rent alone is $580. I am going to end up homeless with my kids and Services Australia is not understanding at all.' Under the current system, when a child support payer lodges their tax return, the government assumes any outstanding child support has been paid, which raises an overpayment of the Family Tax Benefit Part A. Services Australia then recovers the 'overpaid' FTB A, whether or not the child support has actually been paid. 'This kind of financial abuse is something our member centres see all the time, so we are very pleased to have it recognised in this morning's report from the Commonwealth Ombudsman,' Economic Justice Australia chief executive Kate Allingham said. 'However, what the scope of this report makes clear is that there is something broken at the heart of the social security system. 'It's mind-blowing that it is so easy for a perpetrator to inflict such profound financial harm on another individual; that they are so easily able to create a debt for a former partner which Services Australia is then required to pursue.' The ombudsman made eight recommendations to Services Australia, including developing a publicly available strategy on addressing financial abuse through child support, more effectively enforcing payments, and training staff to better understand financial abuse. All recommendations were approved. 'We thank the Ombudsman for the thorough investigation into this important issue. Financial abuse and all forms of family and domestic violence are serious and damaging issues affecting many of our customers,' a Services Australia spokesman said. 'Services Australia accepts all eight recommendations, and work has already begun to implement these fully. 'We'll implement many of the recommendations by December 2025 and the remainder by June 2026. 'We know financial abuse is a complex issue, and we're working closely with the Department of Social Services, the Australian Taxation Office, and the Office for Women to address this. 'While legislation limits some of the improvements we can make, we acknowledge there's work we can do within the existing policy to better support parents who are child Support customers and their children.' The Department of Social Services also accepted all conditions, except for introducing a Bill to amend the law to address legal limitations for the current system outlined in the report. 'Today's Ombudsman's report confirms child support is being weaponised against single mothers and that government systems have failed to recognise or respond to this. These failures mean the systems themselves have enabled financial abuse,' Single Mother Families Australia chief executive Teresa Edwards said, 'The concerns we have raised on behalf of single mothers over many years have been vindicated.'
Perth Now
03-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
‘Broken': Single mums financially abused
Australian child support frameworks are in urgent need of reform as a new report reveals the number of parents, especially women, financially abused through the system. The Commonwealth ombudsman into the 'weaponisation' of the child support program has revealed the dark underbelly of the financial abuse rife throughout the system, with more than 153,000 parents having a combined $1.9bn in unpaid child support. Parents lying about their income, deliberately reducing their earnings, lying about how much they care for the children, or just straight up refusing to pay have all been identified as evidence the system is failing families, especially women and children. 'The legislation needs reform to address systemic problems and help Services Australia ensure children are not deprived of the financial support they need,' Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson said. In a survey of more than 500 separated mothers, four in five said their former partner had used the program to commit financial abuse. The system is meant to support more than 1.2 million separated parents and 1.1 million affected children. About 84 per cent of parents receiving child support payments to be women. The report has revealed the plethora of ways child abuse can be used as a form of financial abuse. Commonwealth Ombudsman Credit: Supplied The report condemned Services Australia as being 'unfair and unreasonable' by failing to use its powers to enforce payments. 'This passive approach is unfair,' the report said. 'It allows some paying parents to manipulate the system to avoid their financial responsibility in raising their children, largely without consequences.' It is reported that the Services Australia lacked the frameworks to proactively respond to cases of abuse. 'I am a single mum trying to look after my children. One has a disability. Services Australia is taking $500 from me a week and I simply cannot afford this,' one woman wrote in a complaint to the Ombudsman. 'My rent alone is $580. I am going to end up homeless with my kids and Services Australia is not understanding at all.' Under the current system, when a child support payer lodges their tax return, the government assumes any outstanding child support has been paid, which raises an overpayment of the Family Tax Benefit Part A. Services Australia then recovers the 'overpaid' FTB A, whether or not the child support has actually been paid. 'I'm going to end up homeless,' the current system is allowing parents to manipulate the child support system, report says. istock image Credit: istock 'This kind of financial abuse is something our member centres see all the time, so we are very pleased to have it recognised in this morning's report from the Commonwealth Ombudsman,' Economic Justice Australia chief executive Kate Allingham said. 'However, what the scope of this report makes clear is that there is something broken at the heart of the social security system. 'It's mind-blowing that it is so easy for a perpetrator to inflict such profound financial harm on another individual; that they are so easily able to create a debt for a former partner which Services Australia is then required to pursue.' The ombudsman made eight recommendations to Services Australia, including developing a publicly available strategy on addressing financial abuse through child support, more effectively enforcing payments, and training staff to better understand financial abuse. All recommendations were approved. Services Australia is implementing all recommendations within a year's time. Credit: Supplied 'We thank the Ombudsman for the thorough investigation into this important issue. Financial abuse and all forms of family and domestic violence are serious and damaging issues affecting many of our customers,' a Services Australia spokesman said. 'Services Australia accepts all eight recommendations, and work has already begun to implement these fully. 'We'll implement many of the recommendations by December 2025 and the remainder by June 2026. 'We know financial abuse is a complex issue, and we're working closely with the Department of Social Services, the Australian Taxation Office, and the Office for Women to address this. 'While legislation limits some of the improvements we can make, we acknowledge there's work we can do within the existing policy to better support parents who are child Support customers and their children.' The Department of Social Services accepted all recommendations except for one. iStock Credit: istock The Department of Social Services also accepted all conditions, except for introducing a Bill to amend the law to address legal limitations for the current system outlined in the report. 'Today's Ombudsman's report confirms child support is being weaponised against single mothers and that government systems have failed to recognise or respond to this. These failures mean the systems themselves have enabled financial abuse,' Single Mother Families Australia chief executive Teresa Edwards said, 'The concerns we have raised on behalf of single mothers over many years have been vindicated.'
