One of the most consequential political shifts of 2022 was the election of several ‘teal’ independent candidates to the federal parliament. The teals were mostly professional women who ran in traditionally Liberal-held seats, and campaigned on climate, integrity, and equality. Their election en masse was a shock to the Liberal party, and could herald a more permanent shift away from the major parties. Apart from their policy priorities, the other thing the teal candidates had in common was fundi...
Dec 26, 2022•19 min•Ep. 853
For decades we’ve been reassured that everything at Australian casinos is above board. They’re supposed to be heavily regulated, closely monitored, and operated by reputable, publicly-traded corporations. But this year, much of what we’ve been told unravelled. Since this episode, from September this year eleven former and current executives at the Star Entertainment Group were slapped with fines by ASIC, the corporate watchdog. Today, we take a look back at this episode with senior reporter for ...
Dec 25, 2022•19 min•Ep. 852
Seven months ago, Anthony Albanese’s Labor broke almost ten years of Coalition rule. Labor’s celebration were large and loud – and 7am was there to record the moment. We spent the night in Marrickville, home soil for the new prime minister, at Labor’s election night party. Over the course of the night we spoke with our reporter Karen Middleton, incoming minister Tony Burke, and, at the end of the night, we got one quick question with the newly-elected prime minister. Today, we return to Labor’s ...
Dec 22, 2022•19 min•Ep. 851
Back in May, our producer Elle Marsh was given unprecedented access to Dr Monique Ryan and her campaign, as they attempted to unseat one of Australia’s top politicians. At the time, we had no idea whether the so-called teal candidates would be successful in their campaigns against Liberal party members, often in safe seats. Kooyong, the seat that Dr Ryan was running for, had been held by the Liberal party for almost its entire existence and was occupied by the Treasurer of Australia, Josh Fryden...
Dec 21, 2022•25 min•Ep. 850
This year, the only head of state that most Australians have ever known died. It led to an outpouring of grief and mourning, particularly in the UK, but that wasn’t the only side of the story. There were also protests, marches and an attempt from some to reckon with the monarchy’s colonial past. Today we’re featuring this episode from September with the United Kingdom’s first Professor of Black Studies and author of The New Age of Empire , Kehinde Andrews, on what the monarchy represents today. ...
Dec 20, 2022•13 min•Ep. 849
Months after he lost the Prime Ministership, it’s still hard to get a handle on who Scott Morrison was. If anything, the secret ministries saga has only raised more questions about what drives him, what his values are and who he really is. After years in public life, Scott Morrison can still seem hollow and one-dimensional. According to his biographer, Sean Kelly, this is deliberate. That’s why we’re running this profile of Morrison from April this year. Today, Sean Kelly, author of The Game: A ...
Dec 19, 2022•19 min•Ep. 848
At 6 O’Clock in the morning on Thursday the 24th of February, Vladimir Putin addressed the world – he said he would begin a special military operation. It was the moment war broke out, and soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, sending troops into mainland Europe. Listening back to those first moments of war, it puts new context on just how surprising the next few months would be: the world’s response, the failures of the Russian military and the defence of Kyiv. Today, we’re featuring this episode ...
Dec 18, 2022•16 min•Ep. 847
We’re seeing a fitting end to a tumultuous year – parliament was urgently recalled to thrash out an energy deal, and a former prime minister grilled in front of a royal commission. This week’s showdowns were stark reminders of just how much our politics has transformed since January. But have the major parties learnt the right lessons from 2022? Who has listened to voters? And who’s at risk of losing touch? Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on how Adam Bandt, Peter Dutton an...
Dec 15, 2022•19 min•Ep. 846
It’s happening again. Ahead of these holidays, infections of Covid are spiking, and people are going home sick in droves. At the same time we’re also seeing major announcements from the federal government on changes to Covid policy, which signal the beginning of treating the virus like other respiratory illnesses. Today, Nobel laureate Professor Peter Doherty on what we can still learn from Covid and what it’s teaching us about the future of global pandemics. You can read his essay on this stage...
Dec 14, 2022•18 min•Ep. 845
The founder of Hillsong Church, Brian Houston is on trial. He faces charges of concealing historic child sexual abuse by his father, Frank Houston – who was also a Pentecostal pastor. Houston has returned to Australia and is fighting the charges in a Sydney court, with his defence team arguing that he didn’t conceal the crime from police. Today, author and contributor to The Saturday Paper Elle Hardy, on Brian Houston’s long-awaited day in court. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Ins...
Dec 13, 2022•12 min•Ep. 844
When our politicians are making decisions, they’re often lobbied. These lobbyists arrange meetings, and make the case why the company they represent would do a good job, why a certain policy would be a good one or a bad one. In short, they represent vested interests. There are supposed to be rules to disclose this activity to the public. But what happens when the rules don’t apply? What happens when the people who are talking to our politicians simply deny that they are lobbyists? Today, nationa...
Dec 12, 2022•18 min•Ep. 843
Up to 15 months in jail, with a minimum non-parole period of 8 months – that’s the sentence that a climate protester was handed recently in NSW. It caused widespread alarm from human rights and civil liberties groups, and it heralds a new era in sentencing as anti-protest laws are passed around the country. But will this sentence change the tactics of the climate action movement? Or will it open the door to re-examine these new protest laws? Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Royce Kurmelo...
Dec 11, 2022•16 min•Ep. 842
There’s one last thing Anthony Albanese has to do before the end of the political year. Energy prices are still out of control, and they’re only set to get worse. That’s in part because of global pressures, but also because ageing coal-fired power stations are going offline, without enough cheap electricity ready to replace their output. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the race to cap electricity prices before we see more damage to the economy. Socials: Stay in touch wi...
Dec 08, 2022•16 min•Ep. 841
The trial of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins – an accusation he strenuously denies – will not see a court room again, and a verdict will never be reached. It leaves both parties in limbo, and already there is rampant speculation that civil lawsuits could be filed. But the end of the prosecution raises concerning questions about our justice system, the media and who is put at risk when an allegation of sexual assault reaches the inside of a courtroom. Today, contributing e...
Dec 07, 2022•17 min•Ep. 840
Australia has a new, stronger emissions reduction target. But we are also one of the world’s biggest exporters of fossil fuels, and there’s no plan from the government to reduce that. That’s because Australian coal and gas exports that are burned overseas aren't counted in our emissions. But could that change? And will Environment minister Tanya Plibersek begin to consider those emissions and the damage they cause to our climate when new projects are approved? Today, contributor to The Saturday ...
Dec 06, 2022•15 min•Ep. 839
The Liberal Party is trying to resurrect its popularity after a devastating loss this year, under the leadership of Scott Morrison. But can changing the personalities at the top of the party make a difference? Or is there something deeper behind the decline in its fortunes? A study published yesterday indicates that only one in four voters under the age of 40 voted for the Coalition – and that seems unlikely to change. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on how th...
Dec 05, 2022•17 min•Ep. 838
In 1992, the UN General Assembly agreed that 3 December every year would be International Day of People with Disability. It marked an early attempt to treat disability as a human rights and access issue – something that was becoming a movement across the world at the time. Here in Australia, It was the same year that Australia passed the Disability Discrimination Act. But thirty years later, how much progress has been made? And has society really stopped viewing disability through the lenses of ...
Dec 04, 2022•15 min•Ep. 837
A prime minister will never again be able to secretly appoint themselves to act in multiple ministries. The practice will be made unlawful, with new rules to make appointments public – even Scott Morrison agrees with that. He said as much, when he rose in front of the parliament to explain his actions. But the speech he delivered was hardly an admission of guilt. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on what Scott Morrison did when faced with the chance to explain himself. Socia...
Dec 01, 2022•17 min•Ep. 836
There are people inside government departments who want to use insights into human behaviour to influence us. At its best, it can help design systems to get the best outcomes for people. But at its worst, it can ‘nudge’ people into accepting bad outcomes; from not appealing decisions to not getting the services they’re entitled to. Today, senior reporter at The Saturday Paper Rick Morton, on the job ad for someone to look into human behaviour and its strange links to the origins of the Robo-debt...
Nov 30, 2022•17 min•Ep. 835
This week, streets across China filled with angry protestors. Some held blank pieces of paper instead of signs, to protest censorship, others chanted ‘Down with Xi Jinping’. They’re the most significant protests China has seen for 30 years, according to analysts. But how have they happened under the surveillance regime of the state? And what do they mean for the future of the Chinese Communist Party and for Xi Jinping and the China he’s trying to shape? Today, Senior Lecturer in Journalism at th...
Nov 29, 2022•18 min•Ep. 834
If you don’t believe in God, then heaven help you in the ADF. Those are the words of Senator David Shoebridge, who has argued that our military is putting too much faith in religious chaplains to provide support for service members. The military employs 158 full-time chaplains, 150 of whom are ordained Christian ministers. But as the military becomes more diverse and more secular, who are these chaplains serving? Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Amy Fallon on the role of religion in the ...
Nov 28, 2022•15 min•Ep. 833
The wages and workplaces of Australians could be about to change. The government’s new industrial relations packages promises to make pay more transparent and strengthen the hand of workers in negotiations. But whether this passes, comes down to the decision of one man: David Pocock. His vote has become the most valuable commodity in Canberra. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, takes us inside how David Pocock made his decision to back Industrial Relations reform...
Nov 27, 2022•16 min•Ep. 832
The first major election since a wave of green and teal changed the federal map is set for this Saturday. The Victorian election is about a lot of things, including being a referendum on Dan Andrews and his premiership. But the election could also tell us more about how the electoral forces in Australia are shifting, and how alternatives to the major parties are rising. Today, election analyst and host of The Tally Room podcast Ben Raue on tomorrow’s election, the fate of Dan Andrews and the red...
Nov 24, 2022•17 min•Ep. 831
The World Cup is the most watched sporting event on earth. Some predict that this year’s matches in Qatar could be watched by 5 billion during the month-long tournament. But the grand spectacle of the World Cup is stained with allegations that migrant workers have died to make it happen. So what does it take for the world to look away? And what happens when sport and politics can’t be separated? Today, journalist Kieran Pender on how the world game found itself defending human rights abuses. Soc...
Nov 23, 2022•19 min•Ep. 830
The world has come to new agreements on climate action. At COP27 in Egypt, measures to tackle damage and loss in countries affected by climate change have been decided upon. But there was also disappointment, largely around the failure to make more ambitious commitments to reduce emissions. The summit also marked a turning point for Australia — a chance for a new government to bring its new targets to the international stage. Today, fellow of the Asia Society Policy Institute and former diplomat...
Nov 22, 2022•15 min•Ep. 829
Last week, Mike Cannon-Brookes succeeded in staging what amounts to an internal coup at Australia’s largest climate polluter, AGL. Having failed in his attempt to take over the company, the tech billionaire used its annual general meeting to get four new directors onto its board. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe on what’s next for Cannon-Brookes and the dirty company he wants to clean up. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram . Guest: National ...
Nov 21, 2022•17 min•Ep. 828
Some of the most sensitive data to be obtained by hackers in Australian history has been published. A Russian network of hackers has put online private medical data including names, records of pregnancy terminations, HIV status, and treatment for drug and alcohol problems. The data was obtained in an attack on Medibank, and the vulnerability of the health insurer has now convinced the Australian government to unleash new capabilities against hackers around the world. Today, senior reporter for T...
Nov 20, 2022•17 min•Ep. 827
Australia was one of the first western nations to recognise the communist government of China, almost 50 years ago. But more recently, China appeared to freeze out Australia diplomatically, and for six long years Chinese President Xi Jinping did not meet an Australian prime minister. This week, that changed. But how did the meeting come about? What was said? And can we restore diplomacy while continuing to speak vocally when criticism of the Chinese government is needed? Today, columnist for The...
Nov 17, 2022•18 min•Ep. 826
Dr Charlie Teo is known for his incredible brain surgeries, taking on operations that other doctors won’t touch. But several families have come forward, who allege they were misled about the risks and that Teo’s operations left their loved ones worse off than before. Teo denies any wrongdoing, and says he treats his patients like he would want to be treated. But there’s another player in this story that hasn’t been subject to scrutiny: the news media. Today, contributor to The Monthly , Martin M...
Nov 16, 2022•20 min•Ep. 825
It was the governor-general’s pet project, a foundation that promised to nurture the future leaders of Australia. But the elite foundation never came to be – the new government has axed it. So why did the governor-general put his name to it? Why did Scott Morrison decide to fund it before it was viable? And who was advocating for it? Today, Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton on the Australian Future Leaders Foundation and who was courted to support it. Socials: ...
Nov 15, 2022•17 min•Ep. 824
