It was 2020 when the government first discovered that a glitch in its system was wrongfully cutting welfare recipients off from their payments. Rather than fixing the error, the department did nothing for three years. In that time, ten people died. Whether their deaths were the result of suicide or destitution after losing support, Services Australia won’t say. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton with his exclusive story about the ministers who failed to act on behalf of th...
Feb 25, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1485
The results in the latest Closing the Gap report are grim. Only five of the 19 targets are on track, and Indigenous incarceration rates are rising. But is the policy itself part of the problem? Critics like independent senator Lidia Thorpe argue that Closing the Gap hasn’t delivered change and should be scrapped. Meanwhile, the government has announced hundreds of millions in new spending, including major investments in remote communities and initiatives to reduce grocery prices in the Northern ...
Feb 24, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1484
One of the cardinal Murdoch family rules is never speak about the family outside the family. So, when journalist McKay Coppins got in touch with James Murdoch last year, he really wasn’t expecting a reply. But Coppins was curious – what would happen to the Murdoch empire when Rupert died? And what it would mean for his youngest son, James, who was seemingly an outcast from the family? What he didn’t yet know was there was a secret high stakes legal battle going on – and James was ready to talk. ...
Feb 23, 2025•12 min•Ep. 1483
Last year, one of the world’s most powerful families converged in a Nevada court room to fight over the future of their empire. Rupert Murdoch was attempting to change a decades-old family trust in order to install his chosen son, Lachlan, as heir apparent when he dies. Exactly what happened in that court room was a tightly guarded secret. But then, in a rare interview with The Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins, James Murdoch gave his account of the case and how it tore his family apart. Today...
Feb 23, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1482
Two time Miles Franklin Award-winning author Alex Miller is 88, but with 17 books under his belt and more writing on the way, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. On this episode of Read This , host Michael Williams sits down with Alex to discuss his latest book The Deal , which revisits the life of Lang Tzu, a character in his critically acclaimed novel The Ancestor Game . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 22, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1481
In news rooms, board rooms and electoral offices around the country, there's one question driving everyone insane: when is Anthony Albanese going to call the election? Nervous backbenchers are willing him to strike while the Reserve Bank’s decision to cut interest rates is fresh in voters’ minds, but the prime minister is being coy about his preferred date. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on when Labor insiders are expecting an election and how Peter Dutton is coping with ...
Feb 21, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1480
Australia faces its most “difficult threat environment” in 50 years, with larger and more varied plots than ever before. That was the message from the director-general of ASIO, Mike Burgess, when he gave his annual threat assessment on Wednesday night, taking the extraordinary step of declassifying some of the intelligence behind the warning. According to Burgess, foreign interference and espionage are at extreme levels, with ASIO foiling five major terror attacks against Australians last year. ...
Feb 20, 2025•14 min•Ep. 1479
Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s confirmation as US health secretary made official one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial appointments. Kennedy’s confirmation came off the back of fiery questions from both Democrats and Republicans on his record on vaccines. Under oath, Kennedy denied he was against vaccinations, but watching closely was investigative journalist Brian Deer, who says Kennedy is beyond a vaccine sceptic – he’s “the most prominent anti-vaccine campaigner in the whole world”. Toda...
Feb 19, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1478
On Tuesday afternoon, the Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate to 4.1 per cent. It’s the first interest rate cut since 2020, after 13 consecutive hikes between May 2022 and November 2023. Treasurer Jim Chalmers welcomed the cut, saying it's a relief “Australians need and deserve”. But RBA governor Michelle Bullock has warned not to expect further cuts and given the impact on mortgage repayments will be modest, how much political mileage the government can get out of this remains to be seen. T...
Feb 18, 2025•14 min•Ep. 1477
Meals on Wheels is an essential service for many elderly people across the country. It’s the sort of service that you can’t really put a price on – providing community connection and support to people who might be falling through the cracks. That’s what makes this failed plot to take over Meals on Wheels so shocking. It’s a story that’s got it all: dubious alliances, shocking lies, boozy nights – and millions of dollars. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Senior repor...
Feb 17, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1476
When Bob Brown spoke out against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, at the height of the war on terror, he was widely derided. He was mocked in the press, and even abused by a young Queensland MP, Peter Dutton. But looking back, he says it’s one of his proudest moments. Now, at 80 years old, Bob argues that speaking up in public and in private is crucial to pushing back against the strongman leaders of today – with their assaults on democracy and on the planet. Today, lifelong activist and former Gre...
Feb 16, 2025•14 min•Ep. 1475
In 2017, Rachel Khong released her debut novel Goodbye, Vitamin to critical acclaim. In 2024, she followed it with her second novel, a sweeping family saga spanning five decades. Real Americans is a fascinating exploration of what makes us who we are and challenges some of the corrosive myths that underpin America. In this episode of Read This , Michael chats with Rachel about her new book and she shares her thoughts on luck, science, and the ultimate unknowability of each other and sometimes, e...
Feb 15, 2025•30 min•Ep. 1474
The Brereton inquiry uncovered shocking allegations of war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. But there was one failing of Australian soldiers that wasn’t investigated. According to documents and interviews, some Australian soldiers in Afghanistan used foreign rules of engagement in combat which they weren’t trained in, or permitted to use. The use of these rules may have resulted in the killing of a large number of unarmed Afghans who would not otherwise have been killed. T...
Feb 13, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1473
This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament it must face up to the fact only five of the 19 Closing the Gap targets are on track, as he handed down the government's annual implementation plan. Pledging an $842.6m investment in the Northern Territory over the next six years, the prime minister said closing the gap is about acknowledging what’s working and what isn’t. The federal, state and territory governments, along with peak bodies, have committed to improving the lives of Indig...
Feb 12, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1472
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has thrown American science and medical research into disarray. Through a flurry of executive orders, he withdrew the US from the World Health Organization, imposed a communications blackout on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ordered the removal of publications, guidelines and databases “that inculcate or promote gender ideology”. Thousands of government webpages were taken offline, erasing references to gender, race and sexual or...
Feb 11, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1471
Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher has reported on Elon Musk for decades. In that time, they’ve talked publicly and privately on many occasions. But not anymore. Elon Musk is in the process of dismantling US government spending as the head of the new “Department of Government Efficiency”, better known as DOGE. And Kara Swisher says the techno-dictatorship he’s building with Trump’s blessing is just the beginning. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Tech journalist Ka...
Feb 10, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1470
Australia is a small player in global trade, compared with giants like the US and China. And when the world’s two biggest economies embark on a trade war, we feel the impact. Donald Trump’s new tariffs on China could reverberate through the Australian economy – affecting everything from iron ore exports to the cost of everyday goods. Australia is making the case that tariffs don’t make economic sense. But with Trump, the usual rules don’t apply. Today, chief political correspondent for The Satur...
Feb 09, 2025•12 min•Ep. 1469
Two-time Miles Franklin Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser has never been afraid of formal experimentation. Her seventh and latest book supports that idea. It is bold and, once again, a heady mix of serious intellectual inquiry with beautifully observed characterisation and formal play. On this episode of Read This , Michael sits down with Michelle for a conversation about Theory & Practice and she reveals why writing it felt so different to all of her other books. See omnystudio.com/l...
Feb 08, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1468
Peter Dutton is making a bold move – aligning himself with Donald Trump. Dutton’s colleagues have been quick to draw the comparison, pitching him as strong and decisive. But it’s a political strategy not without its risks. Trump’s return to the White House is already causing global instability, from a new trade war with China to extraordinary announcements on Gaza. With the federal election looming, Dutton is hoping a strongman approach will resonate with the electorate during a time when cost o...
Feb 06, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1467
In a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump said the United States would “take over the Gaza strip”, “level it out” and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. He made the comments during Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, the first foreign leader to visit since the inauguration. Trump also said that Palestinians should be permanently settled somewhere outside of Gaza – an idea Arab nations including Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as Pale...
Feb 05, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1466
Tens of millions of dollars in “dark” donations to political parties have renewed calls for election funding reform. The Australian Electoral Commission’s annual release of political contributions data for 2023-24 revealed the major parties received over $140 million in donations, with close to half of that undisclosed. Even the disclosed donations are only now just being reported – in some cases 18 months after they were made. The Albanese government is proposing to reform the system, but indep...
Feb 04, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1465
The arrival of DeepSeek wiped more than $1 trillion off the value of America’s tech firms, topping the country from its unquestioned position at the forefront of the global AI race. The Chinese AI company also upstaged President Donald Trump’s announcement of the Stargate Project – a $500 billion AI initiative. The fact that a relatively small disruptor like DeepSeek could cause such damage raises serious questions about everything Silicon Valley wants us to believe about artificial intelligence...
Feb 03, 2025•13 min•Ep. 1464
Lech Blaine’s debut book Car Crash , told the gripping story of his life in the aftermath of a horrendous road accident that killed several of his friends. Since then he’s written political essays and thoughtful journalism for The Monthly , the Quarterly Essay and beyond. On this week’s episode of Read This we’re bringing you Michael’s conversation with Lech at Canberra Writers’ Festival, where they discussed his latest book Australian Gospel: A Family Saga . The book details the outrageous true...
Feb 01, 2025•29 min•Ep. 1462
Donald Trump returned to the White House with a campaign that routinely attacked trans gender people. On the night he was elected, trans people in the United States were panicking. Online, they shared concerns about access to hormone treatment and surgery, while swapping notes about moving to countries where they might feel safer. In Australia, writer and lawyer Sam Elkin began preparing for what the Trump era will mean for trans people in our country. Now, senior federal politicians have begun ...
Jan 30, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1461
The company that’s run Australia’s immigration detention network for over a decade, British conglomerate Serco, has lost its contract, but not before helping build what’s been called one of the world’s ‘most extreme and secretive’ detention regimes. Across the life of the contract, there have been scandals, incidents of self-harm and allegations of mistreatment and disproportionate use of force. The federal government’s decision to dump Serco has been welcomed by advocates and former detainees, ...
Jan 29, 2025•14 min•Ep. 1460
As a child, Grace Tame often felt isolated and misunderstood, a feeling later explained by her autism diagnosis. It’s a common experience for autistic people, who have long been misrepresented, misdiagnosed and mistreated. The government aims to address this with Australia’s first National Autism Strategy, which it says will prioritise the voices and experiences of autistic people. While there's optimism, questions remain about whether the six-year plan will lead to real change. Today, former Au...
Jan 28, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1459
In 2017, the billionaire businessman Sanjeev Gupta rescued the Whyalla steelworks from administration, becoming known as the “saviour of steel”. There was hope in this small town, 400 kilometres north of Adelaide, that steelmaking would continue and the thousands of people who rely on the steelworks for their livelihoods would get a reprieve. But now, the 60-year-old steelworks has been losing $1 million a day, and if it is forced to close – which looks increasingly likely – the town will be hit...
Jan 27, 2025•14 min•Ep. 1458
Peter Dutton’s announcement last month that he won’t stand in front of the Aboriginal flag got the exact reaction he was likely after – talkback minutes, headlines, private agreement from some quarters and outrage from others. Professor Marcia Langton saw something else. She knows the tactic: a toxic political circus in the lead up to Australia Day, centred on lies about Aboriginal people. And she knows Dutton’s record on Indigenous affairs. She doesn’t want him anywhere near the flag. Today, Pr...
Jan 26, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1457
Best known for his thought-provoking explorations of sexuality and identity across generations, British author Alan Hollinghurst rose to international stardom after his 2004 novel The Line of Beauty was awarded the Booker Prize. In his seventh novel, Our Evenings , Alan adopts the memoir format, offering a delicate meditation on memory, loss, and the passage of time. On this episode of Read This , Alan discusses his life and career and reveals why this book is as close as he will get to writing ...
Jan 25, 2025•30 min•Ep. 1456
As wildfires tore through some of LA’s most affluent neighbourhoods, burning down mansions owned by celebrities, some wondered if it might be a turning point in how seriously we take the climate crisis. But climate scientist Joëlle Gergis wasn’t sharing that hope. Instead, Gergis was angered by our heartache for wealthy communities while the impact of climate change disproportionately affects the poor. And to make matters even worse, a climate denier has entered the White House. Now, Gergis is t...
Jan 23, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1455
