From thunderstorm asthma to the increasing prevalence of infectious disease, a warming planet is already making us more sick. In the final part of this series, we investigate how climate change puts us more at risk of disease. Today, Climate change will kill you, part three: sickness. Guest: Contributing editor to The Monthly, Paddy Manning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 18, 2021•20 min
Australian author Heather Morris has made millions selling books about the Holocaust. But the people she writes about are in many ways unrecognisable, to their families and the historical record. Investigative journalist Christine Kenneally on the dangers of falsifying history. Guest: Author and investigative journalist Christine Kenneally. Background reading: The fabulist of Auschwitz in The Monthly See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...
Jan 15, 2021•17 min
In 2011 the Queensland town of Grantham was inundated with rain, causing flash flooding. It had a devastating impact on the town’s residents. But events like this are predicted to become more common, as the planet warms leading to more extreme weather events. Today, Climate change will kill you part two: flood. Guest: Contributing editor to The Monthly, Paddy Manning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 11, 2021•18 min
For decades, students in Footscray in Melbourne’s West, have been taught in Vietnamese alongside English, in line with the suburb’s long-standing heritage. But now, the program is under threat. Today, André Dao on why we value some languages more than others, and what it says about where Australia sees its place in the world. The audio of Professor Alan Crookshank in this story is from the Earshot series “Tongue Tied and Fluent.” Guest: Contributor to The Monthly Andre Dao. Background reading: A...
Jan 08, 2021•15 min
From bushfires and heat, to floods, and the increasing severity of disease, Australians are already feeling the impacts of a warming planet. In this new series, journalist Paddy Manning investigates the link between climate change and human health, and tells the stories of those who have become some of the first casualties of the climate crisis. Today’s episode is part one: heat. Guest: Contributing editor to The Monthly, Paddy Manning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. ...
Jan 04, 2021•19 min
Four times as many questions plus two times as many guests equals more laughs than it’s possible to quantify. In this final episode of The Saturday Quiz, two teams of returning guests - Zoë Coombs Marr and Kate Jinx, and Sarah Snook and Dave Lawson - go up against each other in the ultimate battle of general knowledge. How does Dave’s expert category of “colours” fare against Zoë’s encyclopedic mastery of Xena: Warrior Princess? And what is better quiz preparation: Staying up late on a Sunday ni...
Dec 18, 2020•47 min
Twelve months ago the eastern half of the country was blanketed in smoke and our Prime Minister was nowhere to be seen. Since then the pandemic has seen a big bounce in Scott Morrison’s approval ratings. But with an election predicted for next year, will it be enough? Today, Paul Bongiorno on how federal politics played out in 2020, and what’s coming next. Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listene...
Dec 17, 2020•14 min
The federal government has proposed new laws that would give federal police the power to spy on Australian citizens. But the decision contradicts the government’s own review into national intelligence. Today, Karen Middleton on the controversial expansion of national security laws. Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton. Background reading: AFP’s new power to spy on Australians in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. S...
Dec 16, 2020•16 min
The Royal Commission report into the Christchurch terrorist attacks led to an apology from the New Zealand government. But in Australia, there’s been an unwillingness to grapple with how the shooter was steeped in a culture of far-right extremism. Today, Shakira Hussein on Australia’s responsibility for the Christchurch massacre. Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper Shakira Hussein. Background reading: Christchurch massacre: an Australian crime in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for...
Dec 15, 2020•16 min
The Liberal party has historically been handbrake on serious climate action, but in NSW one minister is pushing through ambitious environmental policy. Today, Mike Seccombe talks to Matt Kean, the Liberal minister forcing action on climate change and uniting the Nationals and the Greens. Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe. Background reading: The Liberal minister forcing action on climate change in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out i...
Dec 14, 2020•18 min
Scandal after scandal has battered the authority of the government and diminished the trust the public has in our democratic institutions. Today, former leader of the federal Liberal Party John Hewson on how rorts, mates and marketing took over politics, and how we can take it back. Guest: Former Liberal Party leader and contributor to The Saturday Paper John Hewson. Background reading: How rorts, mates and marketing took over politics in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and ...
Dec 13, 2020•15 min
The two guests joining John on this season’s penultimate episode are show business royalty. Mitchell Butel is an actor, singer and the artistic director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia, and Nancye Hayes AM is currently starring in Mitchell’s production of the play Ripcord to socially-distanced packed houses. Nancye was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2014 for significant service to the performing arts, particularly musical theatre - and the Hayes theatre in Sydney...
Dec 11, 2020•21 min
Just as parliament was wrapping up for the year, the government introduced radical and controversial proposed changes to worker’s rights. The new legislation looks set to dominate the political agenda in the new year. Today, Paul Bongiorno on how the political battlelines are being drawn. Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 10, 2020•14 min
The passage of the medevac legislation last year allowed sick refugees in offshore detention to travel to Australia. The legislation was bitterly opposed by the federal government. Now those refugees say they’re being punished as a result. Today, Karen Middleton on what happens when a government is forced to implement a law it opposed. Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton. Background reading: Medevac refugees: we face special punishment in The Saturday Pape...
Dec 09, 2020•17 min
After years of careful manoeuvring, the Coalition government is laying the groundwork to make radical changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The revised system could make it harder for people to get the support they need. Today, Rick Morton on the Coalition’s bid to reshape the NDIS. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton. Background reading: Exclusive: The seven-year plot to undermine the NDIS in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out i...
Dec 08, 2020•16 min
This year we’ve seen relations between Australia and China plummet. But the story of Australia’s increasing friction with China goes back much further than the recent storm over a tweet. Today, Jonathan Pearlman on how serious the current situation is, and whether there’s a solution to the tension. Guest: World editor for The Saturday Paper Jonathan Pearlman. Background reading: China–Australia ties worsen over Zhao tweet in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inform...
Dec 07, 2020•17 min
New Zealand’s rapid response to Covid-19 and the political success of Jacinda Ardern has seen the world start to pay more attention to our neighbour’s political culture. Today, Laura Tingle on what Australia can learn from New Zealand. Guest: Contributor to the Quarterly Essay Laura Tingle. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 06, 2020•15 min
Artists Amrita Hepi and Jason Phu do extremely well at the quiz, even though the one question in Arita’s expert category nearly trips her up. We never find out what Jason’s expert category might be, but he does know what colour Mickey Mouse’s shoes are and which part of the body tinnitus affects. He also thinks Nicholas Nickelby sounds like the name of an annoying person. Guests: Artist and dancer Amrita Hepi and artist Jason Phu In the paper: The perpetual motion of choreographer Amrita Hepi in...
Dec 04, 2020•27 min
The growing diplomatic dispute between China and Australia took an ugly turn this week, after a Chinese government official posted an incendiary tweet. Today, Paul Bongiorno on the harsh realities of an increasingly dominant China, and whether Scott Morrison can navigate Australia through a period of growing tension. Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 03, 2020•15 min
Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese are caught between a global shift towards more serious climate action and pro-coal members of their respective parties. Today, Karen Middleton on how Australia’s political leaders are grappling with climate policy. Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton. Background reading: How Australia’s leaders are preparing for climate change in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio...
Dec 02, 2020•15 min
In 2018 Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert was arrested and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in an Iranian jail. Last week, she was released in a diplomatically fraught prisoner swap involving four different countries. Today, Jonathan Pearlman on what her freedom means for the other foreign citizens still jailed in Iran. Guest: World editor for The Saturday Paper Jonathan Pearlman. Background reading: The jailing of Kylie Moore-Gilbert in Iran in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy ...
Dec 01, 2020•16 min
The pandemic has exposed big cracks in the way Australia’s economy and social services operate, particularly when it comes to insecure work and aged care. Today, Rick Morton on how the Victorian state government is trying to lead the national conversation on what needs to change. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton. Background reading: Andrews budget wedges Morrison on aged care in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio....
Nov 30, 2020•13 min
From boycotting celebrities to calling out poor behaviour, cancel culture has become a controversial phenomenon in the age of social media. But the ideas behind it have been around for a long time. Today, Waleed Aly on the origins of cancel culture and what’s really driving it. Guest: Contributor to The Monthly Waleed Aly. Background reading: Woke politics and power in The Monthly See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 29, 2020•19 min
Try as they might, old friends Agatha Gothe-Snape and Alison Bell just can’t seem to find the answers to the questions in this week’s quiz. But there’s plenty of laughter along the way as the artist and actor struggle to name Australia’s deputy opposition leader, the solar system’s hottest planet, and the No.1-ranked golfer in the world. Guests: Artist Agatha Gothe-Snape and actor Alison Bell See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...
Nov 27, 2020•28 min
Australia’s relationship with China is at its lowest point in decades. Trade boycotts are impacting local businesses, and now the Chinese government has issued a fourteen point list of grievances it has with Australia. Today, Paul Bongiorno on the challenges Scott Morrison faces trying to navigate a tense moment in global politics. Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...
Nov 26, 2020•14 min
Rio Tinto’s destruction of the Juukan Gorge caves sparked a global backlash, and now a parliamentary inquiry is exploring what needs to change. Today, Mike Seccombe on how the system locks out traditional owners, and the cross-party alliance of federal politicians pushing for reform. Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe. Background reading: The failures behind the destruction of the Juukan Gorge caves in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o...
Nov 25, 2020•16 min
A landmark report has quantified the economic and social cost of Australia’s mental health crisis. It’s also pointed to poverty and unemployment as key factors behind why so many people are struggling with mental health. Today, Rick Morton how the government’s social policies are causing harm to our most vulnerable communities. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton. Background reading: Big picture: Robo-debt, politics and poverty in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy fo...
Nov 24, 2020•16 min
West Papuan separatists have been fighting for independence from Indonesia for decades. Now independence activists have been targeted by the Indonesian government for posting on social media. Today on 7am, Zach Szumer on the woman who fought back, and became an enemy of the state. Guest: Writer for The Monthly Zach Szumer. Background reading: Enemy of the state in The Monthly See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 23, 2020•14 min
Detailed accusations that Australian soldiers in Afghanistan committed war crimes have drawn widespread condemnation from around the world. But who is ultimately responsible for the actions of Australian armed forces? Today, Karen Middleton on the disturbing and shocking allegations involving Australia’s most elite military unit, and our collective shame. Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See om...
Nov 22, 2020•17 min
The outgoing artistic directors of Sydney Festival and the Australian Ballet, Wesley Enoch and David McAllister, combine forces to battle against their impending irrelevance, by doing extremely well at the quiz. Whether it’s questions about WWII tanks or Greek mythology, these two pass with flying colours. They even ace the sports question. But like everyone else, they come undone with geography. Guests: Wesley Enoch and David McAllister In the paper: After the virus: Radical optimism for the ar...
Nov 20, 2020•25 min
