Australia is currently the only Western democracy without a national human rights act. Last week, a parliamentary committee recommended to the Federal Government that this change. It could mark a significant turning point in how rights are recognised and enforced across the nation. On today’s podcast, we sat down with Professor Justine Nolan, Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute and Professor at UNSW, about what this could mean for the country. Hosts: Sam Koslowski and Billi FitzSim...
Jun 02, 2024•15 min
It’s been a big few weeks for Donald Trump, whose first criminal case has just wrapped up after a five-week trial. The trial centred on Trump’s alleged cover-up of a ‘hush money’ payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. In today’s deep dive, we’ll cover what happened during the trial and what it means for the presidential hopeful. Hosts: Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski Audio producer: Annabelle Nicol Do you have feedback for the podcast? Share you...
May 30, 2024•11 min
The country has been rocked by another story of men’s violence against women after a Perth man killed a mother and daughter on Friday. It’s believed the man, a licensed gun owner, was looking for his ex-partner at the time of the incident. In the wake of the incident, the shooter’s daughter has issued a public statement about what she says is a failure by WA Police to adequately address safety concerns she and her mother had about her father. She claims she “raised the alarm” about her father th...
May 29, 2024•13 min
An expert panel has handed the Government a list of recommendations, aimed at reducing eating disorder rates in young people. It comes after eating disorder survivors and support advocates met with politicians and social media bosses in September last year. Now, they’re calling for legislative reform and changes to the way young people use social media. We'll unpack the panel's recommendations in the deep dive, and discuss whether these suggestions will lead to any change. Hosts: Zara Seidler an...
May 28, 2024•17 min
In the last week, there have been two major incidents of turbulence hitting commercial flights, causing injury. On Sunday, 12 were injured on a Qatar Airways Doha to Dublin flight while in the air over Türkiye. In today’s podcast, we talk to Professor Dr Jason Middleton, the Head of UNSW's Department of Aviation between 1995 and 2017, about why we’re seeing a sudden spike in incidents of turbulence, and why you should always wear a seatbelt. Hosts: Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski Audio producer: ...
May 27, 2024•13 min
News Corp and OpenAI, the tech company that created ChatGPT, have signed a multi-year content deal. Under the new partnership, News Corp’s content will be used to respond to ChatGPT user questions. News Corp CEO Robert Thomson said the deal will “set new standards for veracity, for virtue and for value in the digital age”. In today's deep dive, we'll explore why the deal matters, how the rest of the industry is handling the rise of AI and what comes next. Hosts: Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski Au...
May 26, 2024•13 min
Should kids under the age of 16 be banned from social media? A new campaign called 36 Months is calling for the age at which young people can sign up to social media to be pushed from 13 to 16. The organisers believe that the 36 months between the two ages are vital, and that “Kids need more time to develop healthy and secure identities before they’re exposed to the minefield of social media”. On today’s podcast, we speak to Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, one of two organisers of the campaign, about wh...
May 23, 2024•17 min
Over the last month, we have brought you a number of episodes about the rising rate of men’s violence against women in Australia. We have spoken about specific cases, about new statistics and about roundtables being convened to discuss the issue. For today’s podcast, we wanted to go straight to the person responsible for making sure this rate comes down, the Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher. Hosts: Billi FitzSimons and Zara Seidler Guest: Katy Gallagher, Minister for Finance and Women Audio pr...
May 22, 2024•21 min
The International Criminal Court’s lead prosecutor has announced he’s applying for arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Today on the podcast, we’ll explain what this all means and what could happen now. Hosts: Lucy Tassell and Emma Gillespie Audio producer: Emmeline Peterson Do you have feedback for the podcast? Share your thoughts via our survey! Subscribe to The Daily Aus newsletter Buy our book No Silly Questio...
May 21, 2024•19 min
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have died in a helicopter crash. The helicopter crashed in mountainous terrain in northern Iran amid heavy fog, triggering a large-scale search. While little is known about what comes next, Iran’s Vice President is expected to temporarily take over the Presidency. In today's podcast, we'll explain what we know about the crash and what it means for the country. Hosts: Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski Audio producer: Emmeli...
May 20, 2024•13 min
Three A-League players were arrested in Sydney on Friday morning over an alleged corrupt betting scheme. A-League is the highest level of professional men's soccer in Australia - and this has the potential to be one of the biggest scandals to hit Australian football in decades. In today’s podcast, we’re going to go through what we know about what has allegedly happened, what happens next, and Australia’s history of corrupt betting in sport. Hosts: Sam Koslowski and Billi FitzSimons Audio produce...
May 19, 2024•14 min
You may have seen that it is currently Fashion Week. It’s an exciting time for Australia’s fashion industry - showcasing the talents of some of the country’s best homegrown designers. But with fashion trends coming and going faster and faster, we're seeing more textiles going into landfill and becoming a problem for the environment, our health and our wallets. So, how do we reconcile the need for businesses to make money by new trends coming through, with the need for a more sustainable fashion ...
May 16, 2024•16 min
For the first time, someone has been imprisoned in relation to Australia’s alleged war crimes. His name is David McBride. But he didn’t commit those crimes; he was the whistleblower for a 2017 report by the ABC that investigated alleged war crimes committed by Australian forces in Afghanistan. And this week, McBride was sentenced to nearly six years in jail. On today's podcast, we'll break down everything you need to know about this story. Hosts: Billi FitzSimons and Zara Seidler Audio producer:...
May 15, 2024•14 min
The Government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, had two big decisions to make: what to spend money on, and where to get that money from. In today’s podcast we are going to focus on what it announced for young people. Listen to our episode Why your HECS is changing Hosts: Billi FitzSimons and Zara Seidler Audio producer: Emmeline Peterson Do you have feedback for the podcast? Share your thoughts via our survey! Subscribe to The Daily Aus newsletter Buy our book No Silly Questions Today’s ...
May 14, 2024•16 min
The Federal Government has announced a plan to ban the export of live sheep from Australia. It comes after an independent panel urged the Government to introduce a ban. In today’s podcast, we’ll discuss what the issue is, how this ban came to be, what the fallout has been. Hosts: Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski Audio producer: Emmeline Peterson Do you have feedback for the podcast? Share your thoughts via our survey! Subscribe to The Daily Aus newsletter Buy our book No Silly Questions Today’s sp...
May 13, 2024•13 min
Algorithms, child abuse, domestic violence, scams, extremist material, mis and disinformation, and the availability of good journalism on social media - these are all areas identified by the government for investigation as part of a new parliamentary committee investigating the influence and impacts of social media on Australian society. In today’s podcast, we’re going to look at what the committee has been asked to achieve, where this has all come from, and why it matters to you. Listen to our ...
May 12, 2024•13 min
This week, a Western Sydney Council voted to remove material about same-sex parenting from its library shelves. In the days following the announcement, the NSW Government threatened to reduce its funding for libraries in the area, amid calls to reverse the ban. On today’s podcast, we’ll dive into the headlines you’ve been seeing about the book ban and explain the context and fallout of the decision. Hosts: Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski Audio producer: Emmeline Peterson Do you have feedback for ...
May 09, 2024•12 min
In a major development in the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli forces have entered the southern Gazan city of Rafah, in an operation they say is aimed at destroying Hamas targets. For the 1.4 million people in Rafah, this presents yet another major challenge, with many having nowhere to go. In today’s podcast, we discuss Rafah’s significance in the broader context of the conflict, how the international community has responded, and whether a ceasefire is any closer. Hosts: Billi FitzSimons and Sam Koslo...
May 08, 2024•12 min
Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad have been confirmed dead in the Mexican state of Baja California, days after their family first raised the alarm that they were believed missing. Police allege they were murdered, possibly because thieves wanted their car tyres. In today’s deep dive, we’ll run through the timeline of what we know about their deaths. You can support their GoFundMe's here and here. Hosts: Zara Seidler and Lucy Tassell Audio p...
May 07, 2024•10 min
The Federal Government has announced it will wipe $3 billion in student debt and offer payments for some students undergoing mandatory placements. These announcements come a week before the Federal Budget and in the wake of recommendations made to the Government about how to reform the sector. On today’s podcast, we’ll explain what the changes to HECS could mean for you and how the placement payments will work. Listen to our episode 'Should uni students be paid for their compulsory placements?' ...
May 06, 2024•16 min
Sign up to the TDA Sport newsletter Last week, we learned the federal government will trial age verification measures aimed at blocking children from watching explicit adult content online, as part of a range of measures designed to lower the rate of gender-based violence in Australia. ‘Porn passports’ aren’t a new idea, either here in Australia or around the world, but we’re yet to see any sort of programs introduced domestically. Today on the podcast, we break down whether this trial could be ...
May 05, 2024•18 min
Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have intensified across U.S. college campuses and have now spread to universities here in Australia. Protesters are calling for an immediate ceasefire, and for their universities to ‘divest’ from (stop investing funds in) companies linked to Israel. According to CNN, more than 1,000 students have been arrested across at least 21 states since mid-April, so on today’s we’re going to explain exactly what you need to know. Hosts: Billi FitzSimons and Zara S...
May 02, 2024•13 min
The Prime Minister has announced several new measures to combat domestic violence. It comes after new data this week revealed the rate of women killed by a partner in Australia increased by nearly 30% in 2022/23 compared to the previous year. Today on the podcast, we unpack yesterday’s announcement and explain what the Government’s national plan to combat violence against women actually is. You can always call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 Read more about the student arrests in the U.S. Read the ...
May 01, 2024•16 min
This week, a hate speech trial against One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has begun in the Federal Court. It comes after Hanson was accused of racially discriminating against Greens Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi in a social media post from 2022. Hanson and Faruqi have both faced questioning so far in the hearing. On today’s podcast, we’ll explain what Hanson said, the context of the case, and what could happen next. Hosts: Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski Audio producer: Emmeline Peterson Do you have...
Apr 30, 2024•10 min
With the federal budget just over two weeks away, the economy is set to come roaring back into focus on your newsfeed. So, we thought we'd get you up to speed well in advance. How are we going with inflation and the cost of living? What should you expect from HECS and HELP debt indexation this year? And what early clues do we have about this year's budget? Today on the podcast, we speak to the Australia Institute and the Centre for Future Work’s Chief Economist, Greg Jericho, to take a temperatu...
Apr 29, 2024•18 min
It’s been labelled Australia’s ‘national shame' - so far this year, 27 women have been killed in acts of gender-based violence. Now, the country’s Domestic Violence Commissioner is convening a crisis meeting of leaders from across the country to figure out what comes next. It comes as thousands marched in rallies over the weekend calling for stronger action. On today's podcast, we’ll discuss the context, what the government is saying and what comes next in this national conversation about women'...
Apr 28, 2024•11 min
In a first for Australia, two people have launched an independent campaign to win a single seat at the next federal election. Bronwen Bock and Lucy Bradlow hope to run together for the same seat of Higgins and share the responsibilities of a federal politician. Today on the podcast, we speak to Bronwen and Lucy to ask them all our questions about how and if this could work. Hosts: Billi FitzSimons and Zara Seidler Guests: Bronwen Bock and Lucy Bradlow Audio producer: Emmeline Peterson Do you hav...
Apr 25, 2024•13 min
Earlier this week, the Victorian Government announced it would not proceed with plans to open a second supervised injecting room in Melbourne. On today’s podcast, we’re going to look at why the Victorian Government backflipped on its commitment, what the context of the decision is and how the community has responded. Listen to our episode 'Could TikTok actually be banned in the U.S.?' Hosts: Lucy Tassell and Billi FitzSimons Audio producer: Emmeline Peterson Do you have feedback for the podcast?...
Apr 24, 2024•10 min
When Elon Musk bought Twitter, he promised to make the social media platform a haven for free speech. Tonight, that commitment will be challenged in court by the Australian Government, as the eSafety Commissioner has demanded footage of last week’s Sydney church stabbing to be removed from the platform. On today's podcast, we’ll explain the controversy and why the ‘free speech’ argument might not hold up in an Australian court. Hosts: Lucy Tassell and Billi FitzSimons Audio producer: Emmeline Pe...
Apr 23, 2024•12 min
In the hours following the tragic murder of six people in Sydney’s Bondi Junction, families of some of the victims issued statement requesting that media remove images that were being circulated online. At the time, one victim’s family said that having those unauthorised photos being republished by the media was causing their loved ones “extreme distress”. On today’s podcast, we speak to Tarang Chawla about the media’s responsibility when it comes to reporting tragedies like we saw in Sydney rec...
Apr 22, 2024•23 min
