This Friday’s Cladding Matters will take on a truly international flavour. Gareth Wax will be in the chair, joined as always by Stephen Day and myself, Hamish McLay. We’re delighted to be joined by former Premier of Victoria, Ted Baillieu, who co-chaired Victoria’s Cladding Taskforce – one of the first government-led responses to the flammable cladding crisis following Australia’s own building safety scandals.

His leadership helped shape a national approach that prioritised risk, transparency, and government accountability. While Australia faced many of the same challenges we have in the UK – unsafe materials, confused responsibilities, and frightened residents – their response was quicker and more structured. The focus was on identifying the highest-risk buildings first, rather than allowing remediation to drift into a postcode lottery.

It’s a contrast that raises plenty of questions about how we’re tackling the issue here. Although the UK government has pledged billions for remediation, there’s still an uneasy gap between who’s responsible, who’s paying, and who’s waiting. Many residents in unsafe blocks continue to live with uncertainty, while developers, insurers, and freeholders continue to shift blame. One wonders whether clearer leadership – as shown in Victoria – might have delivered more progress and less pain.

Ted Baillieu has also been outspoken on social media about the UK’s cladding crisis, calling for greater government intervention and fairer funding models. His perspective is refreshing because it’s grounded in practical experience, not just policy. As he’s pointed out, the cladding crisis isn’t only about replacing panels – it’s about rebuilding trust between homeowners, government, and industry.

The discussion on Friday will look at how the Australian system evolved, what worked, what didn’t, and where lessons could be shared. We’ll also be reflecting on the “polluter pays” principle, which Ted has supported in his own country, and whether the UK’s interpretation truly achieves justice for those trapped in unsafe or unsellable homes.

This is a rare chance to hear from someone who’s been at the heart of reform and knows what it takes to turn policy into results. Australia’s experience isn’t identical to ours, yet it offers valuable insight into what decisive action looks like – and what happens when governments take ownership of a problem rather than passing it down the chain.

Join us Friday 17th October live at the earlier time of 10am with a recording plus a live introduction at the normal time of 1pm for what promises to be a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about accountability, leadership, and the lessons both sides of the Commonwealth can share as we continue to rebuild confidence in our homes and our housing system.

Watch live or catch up later on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea

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