The remaining members of the Bali Nine – Scott Rush, Matthew Norman, Si-Yi Chen, Martin Stephens and Michael Czugaj – are all serving life sentences in jail. But now there is a real possibility the five men, arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle heroin out of the resort island, may finally return to Australia to serve their time here. Guardian Australia reporter Ben Doherty is a former foreign correspondent covering south-east Asia, and Kate Lamb was a senior Indonesia correspondent before ...
Nov 27, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast When climate and energy policy is in the news, it’s not always easy to decipher what’s accurate and what’s not. There can be straw man arguments, false equivalencies and misleading claims. An interview with Dick Smith broadcast around Australia on a long-running ABC radio program earlier this month caused environment and climate correspondent Graham Readfearn to raise an eyebrow. He examines the millionaire businessman’s claims about renewable energy – and why his comments matter
Nov 26, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones’s devastated families have pleaded with Laos authorities to get to the bottom of a suspected mass methanol poisoning tragedy. The Australians, both 19, are among six foreign tourists who have died in Laos. It’s not clear how the tourists came to ingest the suspected poison, but their deaths have started a conversation about the possible dangers of bootlegged liquor. Victorian state reporter Adeshola Ore tells Reged Ahmad what we know happened in Vang Vieng and why t...
Nov 25, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone in US politics has an opinion on why the Democrats lost the election, and finger-pointing within the party is rife. As the debate rages, Jonathan Freedland will be speaking to various experts about what the party got wrong – and how it can bounce back. This week he meets James Carville, the veteran political strategist who helped get Bill Clinton elected twice You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport
Nov 24, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast With only one parliamentary sitting week left this year, the ALP and the Coalition have their sights set on the upcoming federal election.Reged Ahmad talks to Guardian Australia’s editor Lenore Taylor, deputy editor Patrick Keneally and head of newsroom Mike Ticher about how the major parties are not only looking forward – they’re also looking back at the US election and whether there are lessons for them in Donald Trump’s big win
Nov 21, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson have dominated the breakfast slot in Sydney for almost two decades. But their show’s recent expansion into the Melbourne market has tanked. And while they have a reputation for crude language and stunts, the conversations that are broadcast continue to raise questions about how the show skirts decency standards. Senior correspondent Sarah Martin and reporter Kate Lyons tell Nour Haydar how Australia’s highest-rating radio program gets around broadcast regul...
Nov 20, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Big money and politics seem to go hand in hand, but the government wants to pass new electoral reform laws that they say will keep cashed-up donors out of federal politics. But the detail has independents and minor parties crying foul.Guardian Australia chief political correspondent Paul Karp speaks to Reged Ahmed about why Labor and the Coalition have been accused of cooking up a ‘secret deal’ on new electoral rules
Nov 19, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the lead-up to his return to the White House, president-elect Donald Trump has quickly assembled a new team of loyalists including Elon Musk, a Fox News host and a vaccine sceptic. While his cabinet nominees will still need approval from Congress, the controversial list is already raising alarm bells. Washington DC bureau chief David Smith speaks to Nour Haydar about what these latest announcements tell us about Trump’s plans for his second term
Nov 18, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast At a moment when the world feels like a particularly unsettling place, Guardian podcast Science Weekly is asking what it is that makes humans happy – and how can we bring more happiness into our lives? In episode one of this two-part series, Ian Sample asks what makes a country happy. Johannes Eichstaedt, assistant professor of psychology and human-centred AI at Stanford University, explains why the Nordic countries often rank highly in the annual World Happiness Report and what we can learn if ...
Nov 17, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Guardian Australia’s political editor, Karen Middleton, speaks to the federal housing and homelessness minister, Clare O’Neil.They discuss the housing crisis, whether a double dissolution is on the horizon, and the role housing will play in the upcoming federal election
Nov 16, 2024•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Guardian is no longer posting on Elon Musk’s X. The move comes after Musk’s hands-off approach has allowed lies and hate speech to spread on the platform formerly known as Twitter. The world’s richest man has also become increasingly aligned with the US president-elect, Donald Trump, often using the now toxic social media site to shape political discourse.Bridie Jabour talks to Guardian Australia’s editor-in-chief, Lenore Taylor, and deputy editor Patrick Keneally about the future of news on...
Nov 14, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a privately owned company, Aldi rarely gets the sort of scrutiny faced by its listed competitors Coles and Woolworths, which are required to provide regular public disclosures including profit updates. But this week the public got a rare glimpse into the supermarket chain’s profits and strategy as its executives underwent questioning by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Senior business reporter Jonathan Barrett tells Nour Haydar how the German company makes $12bn in annual r...
Nov 13, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dental care in Australia is largely privatised and nearly always expensive. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, almost one in five adults delay or don’t see a dentist due to cost. For those who can access the public system, staff are often overstretched and the long wait times mean crucial appointments come far too late. Guardian Australia health reporter Natasha May speaks to Reged Ahmed about how the perfect smile is a privilege increasingly available only to the wealt...
Nov 12, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Will richer nations find the climate finance desperately needed by developing countries? Damian Carrington reports
Nov 11, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last week the prime minister delivered a pitch to young Australians: Labor will slash their student debt by 20% next financial year if the Albanese government is re-elected. The surprise announcement is part of a major federal government overhaul designed to boost access to education and address ‘intergenerational unfairness’. But while the move has been welcomed by many, it has also been widely criticised for not doing enough to help students as well as unfairly penalising all taxpayers. Chief ...
Nov 10, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Guardian Australia’s political editor Karen Middleton speaks with Arthur Sinodinos AO, former ambassador to the US, chair of the Australia Practice at the Asia Group, as well as a former Liberal senator and adviser to John Howard. They talk about why Americans voted as they did, what the outcome means for Australia’s upcoming election, and how big a threat Donald Trump’s plans are to the Australian economy and security in the region
Nov 09, 2024•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Countries around the world are coming to terms with what a second Donald Trump presidency will mean for their climate policies, trade and economies. In Australia political leaders will be drawing their own conclusions about what the American result means for their own election campaigns.Bridie Jabour talks to the editor-in-chief, Lenore Taylor, the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, and the national news editor, Josephine Tovey, about how Trump won and how the media will cover his presidency
Nov 07, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Americans have made their decision and they have sent Donald Trump back to the White House. Guardian reporters tell the story of the night from around the United States
Nov 06, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the time of recording, late on Wednesday afternoon Australian time, Donald Trump has won the swing states of Georgia and North Carolina, the only two of the seven swing states called in the race so far. It is not known who has won, but the former president is doing better than many expected. Guardian Australia’s UK/US site editor, Jonathan Yerushalmy, tells Reged Ahmad whether Kamala Harris can find a path to victory and when we can expect a result
Nov 06, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast In just a few hours, polls will close in what is being called the most consequential election in US history. With pre-polling showing the race is too close to call, it is not known whether the result will immediately be known, with some analysts saying it could take days for a winner to be declared. Reporter and live blogger Helen Sullivan tells Nour Haydar how she plans to navigate the results – and what to look out for as the count begins You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullsto...
Nov 05, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Americans are on the eve of election day. The race remains too tight to call and all eyes are on the seven swing states that will determine the outcome. Washington DC bureau chief David Smith tells Reged Ahmad about how the US is poised to choose between two realities You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport
Nov 04, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Harris campaign is making a special effort to reach out to young voters. So how important will they be? The Guardian democracy reporter Alice Herman travels to rallies, campuses and college bars in Wisconsin to get a sense of whether young voters can swing the US election
Nov 03, 2024•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ahead of the 2024 US election, Madeleine Finlay speaks to climate activist and author Bill McKibben to find out what a win for Donald Trump could mean for the environment and the world’s climate goals Polls tracker: Trump v Harris latest national averages
Nov 02, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Just two weeks ago, the prime minister was engulfed in a crisis of optics when he bought a $4.3m property in middle of a housing crisis. Now he is under pressure once more for allegedly seeking free Qantas flight upgrades directly from then CEO Alan Joyce while serving as transport minister and opposition leader – allegations he has denied. Reged Ahmad speaks to political editor Karen Middleton about the politics of perks and why the PM is facing a possible perception problem
Oct 31, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast What happens when the human body is treated like a machine – pushed to its limit – for the sake of a company’s efficiency standards? Former and current staff at Woolworths allege that the supermarket has been cracking down in a way they describe as ‘bullying’ and unsafe, something the company’s supply chain arm denies.Reged Ahmad asks investigations reporter Ariel Bogle if Woolworths’ warehouse tactics are putting their workers’ health and safety at risk
Oct 30, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast PFAS, more commonly known as “forever chemicals”, are a group of chemicals that have been used in manufacturing since the 1950s. They’re found in everything from waterproof clothing to electrical devices, and they take decades to degrade. There are thousands of different types, and now research has shown that some of them may cause cancer, prompting the government to recommend that the amount of certain chemicals allowed in our drinking water should be reduced. Matilda Boseley asks science repor...
Oct 29, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Independent senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe’s protest before King Charles in the great hall of Parliament House last week caught news attention around the globe. While it prompted a few reactions, it also started a conversation about the British monarchy’s role in the lasting legacy of colonisation for First Nations people. Reged Ahmad speaks to political editor Karen Middleton about why Australians can’t stop talking about the royal protest and what it means for Thorpe’s role as a senator You...
Oct 28, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Harry Shukman of the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate went undercover to expose how some of the wealthiest and most powerful people see race. He tells Michael Safi what he found
Oct 27, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why is the tech billionaire owner of X spending millions on helping the Republican campaign? What does he get out of it? What’s at stake for him if Kamala Harris wins the US election on 5 November? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian US democracy reporter focused on misinformation, Rachel Leingang
Oct 26, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Oritsé Williams of JLS and the Guardian’s head rock and pop critic Alexis Petridis reflect on the singer’s extraordinary success and his struggles with the fame that came with it
Oct 25, 2024•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast