If You're Listening is back, and better than ever. Same espionage, same corruptions, same scandals, but more often. Not only will we be in your feed every Thursday, we'll also cover a different story each week. And if you prefer to watch rather than listen, we're also making videos for iView and YouTube. Episode one drops Thursday, 27th July.
After ten months of war, a few likely outcomes of the war in Ukraine are emerging. A win for Vladimir Putin. A win for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A bitter frozen conflict. Neither Putin or Zelenskyy will sign a peace agreement and admit defeat. But what if Putin’s regime ends? Guests: Dr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence Organisation Lieutenant General (retired) Ben Hodges - former commanding general of the US Army in Europ...
After ten months of war, a few likely outcomes of the war in Ukraine are emerging. A win for Vladimir Putin. A win for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A bitter frozen conflict. Neither Putin or Zelenskyy will sign a peace agreement and admit defeat. But what if Putin’s regime ends? Guests: Dr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence Organisation Lieutenant General (retired) Ben Hodges - former commanding general of the US Army in Europ...
Protest is not allowed inside Russia. There was little resistance from the Russian people to the invasion of Ukraine, and those who didn’t like it simply left. But Vladimir Putin has made a decree that has caused discord across Russia. Has he finally pushed his people too far? Guests: Zoya Sheftalovich - Contributing editor for POLITICO Dr Christina Ezrahi - Historian; author of Swans of the Kremlin and Dancing for Stalin Denis Volkov - Director - Levada Centre, Moscow Dr Yevgenia Albats - Chief...
On 26 September, a series of underwater explosions destroyed a cluster of natural gas pipelines on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The pipes were designed to deliver gas directly from Russia to Germany, and the explosions exacerbated the already dire energy crisis in Europe. Everyone agrees it was sabotage, but nobody can agree on who did it. Today: the mystery of the Baltic Sea bubbles, and the story of how Germany’s plan for peace-through-capitalism blew up in their face. Featuring: Dr James Hen...
What does war look like on the ground, for the soldiers who go off to fight? What’s it like to be sent into the muddy confusion of a battlefield, asked to lay down your life for your country? In this episode: two soldiers. A Ukrainian in his 50s and a Russian in his 20s. One of them is still on the battlefield. The other fought for a week, and is now serving a 15 year prison sentence. These two stories explain a lot about how Russia messed this up, and how Ukraine was far stronger than anyone re...
What does war look like on the ground, for the soldiers who go off to fight? What’s it like to be sent into the muddy confusion of a battlefield, asked to lay down your life for your country? In this episode: two soldiers. A Ukrainian in his 50s and a Russian in his 20s. One of them is still on the battlefield. The other fought for a week, and is now serving a 15 year prison sentence. These two stories explain a lot about how Russia messed this up, and how Ukraine was far stronger than anyone re...
Vladimir Putin's plan for a three day takeover of Ukraine relied on a quick strike to take out Volodymyr Zelenskyy - to kill him, to capture him, or to make him flee. Putin assumed that Zelenskyy was weak, but on the very first day of the invasion, two events showed that Putin was wrong, and led to the transformation of a man into a symbol of defiance against Russian tyranny. Guests: Simon Shuster - Reporter for Time Magazine; author of an upcoming biography of Volodymyr Zelenskyy Zoya Sheftalov...
For 20 years the Russian President Vladimir Putin was happy to lurk in the shadows, trying and occasionally succeeding to manipulate the rest of the world into doing what he wanted them to do. But this year he chucked that out the window. His invasion of Ukraine has turned global security and the global economy upside down. In this episode we ask, why did he do it? Guests: Philip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and Times Dr Yevgenia Albats - Chief Editor of The...
For 20 years the Russian President Vladimir Putin was happy to lurk in the shadows, trying and occasionally succeeding to manipulate the rest of the world into doing what he wanted them to do. But this year he chucked that out the window. His invasion of Ukraine has turned global security and the global economy upside down. In this episode we ask, why did he do it? Guests: Philip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and Times Dr Yevgenia Albats - Chief Editor of The...
In the seventh season of If You're Listening, we tell the story of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Will Putin fulfil his dream of expanding the Russian empire, or has he made the biggest mistake of his life? Episode 1 drops Wednesday November 9!
Australia is now in a race to build enough renewable energy to replace our coal fired power stations before they close. We’re in this situation because of a series of ignored warnings and missed opportunities over the last five decades. Now, experts are telling us that the transition to a decarbonised economy presents a big opportunity for Australia. The question is - can we grasp it? Guests: Dr Alan Finkel - Commonwealth government energy advisor and former Australian Chief Scientist Alison Ree...
Over the last five years, politicians in Australia and around the world have regularly tried to blame renewable energy whenever something goes wrong with our electricity supply. But lately whenever something catastrophic has happened to our energy supply, it’s been old technology at fault. This is the story of a series of disasters that show how the system we’ve always relied on to deliver electricity is faltering. Guests:Dr Alan Finkel - Commonwealth government energy advisor and former Austral...
Over the last five years, politicians in Australia and around the world have regularly tried to blame renewable energy whenever something goes wrong with our electricity supply. But lately whenever something catastrophic has happened to our energy supply, it’s been old technology at fault. This is the story of a series of disasters that show how the system we’ve always relied on to deliver electricity is faltering. Guests:Dr Alan Finkel - Commonwealth government energy advisor and former Austral...
Australia has always found energy underground - digging up coal, gas and uranium. As climate change begins to change the way we get our power, our leaders regularly argue that we can keep on digging for power while also saving the planet. But do nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage, and gas fired power have a role to play in the future?
For more than a decade, Australian politicians have discovered - the hard way - that climate policy is a dangerous game. But as the Federal Parliament tore itself apart, the rest of the world moved on, finding new ways to understand the effects of climate change, and deal with it. This is the story of how Australia fell behind the rest of the world, and why we might finally be ready to catch up. Guests:
In 1997, the debate over climate change in Australia was relatively civil. The question was not whether climate change was happening, but what should be done about it? In the following decade, Australia’s mining industry polluted the debate with misinformation. This is the story of how Australia's understanding of this vital issue went backwards.
In 1997, the debate over climate change in Australia was relatively civil. The question was not whether climate change was happening, but what should be done about it? In the following decade, Australia’s mining industry polluted the debate with misinformation. This is the story of how Australia's understanding of this vital issue went backwards.
Australia intends to keep exporting coal for as long as there are countries willing to buy it. Miners have grand dreams of establishing new coal regions in Queensland to supply coal to the power stations and steel mills of India. But how much longer will India, and our other big coal customers, keep needing it? Guests: Neelima Jain, Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies Mika Ohbayashi, Director of the Renewable Energy Institute, Tokyo M...
Australia’s second-oldest city, Newcastle, was built around a single resource - coal. Since then, Australia has come to rely on coal for its prosperity. Our industries grew around the cheap energy it provided, and our global trade balance relies on its export. But now, that has to end. The question is - what will happen to Australia, and its coal communities - when it does? Guests: Professor John Maynard, Emeritus Professor, Indigenous Education and Research, University of Newcastle Dr Judith Br...
In 1987, scientists gathered in Melbourne for a landmark conference where they discussed, for the first time, the effects climate change might have on Australia. In the decade after that, two decisions were made by federal governments - one Liberal, and one Labor - which have shaped the climate debate in this country ever since. Australia, If You’re Listening will look at why Australia’s found it so hard to tackle climate change since then, and what that means for the future. Guests:Dr Graeme Pe...
The sixth season of If You’re Listening tells the story of Australia’s turbulent history with climate change, and what that means for the future. As we approach a federal election where climate and energy is a key battleground, this 8 episode series will examine how Australia wasted decades fighting change, instead of capitalising on it. Episode 1 launches on February 23.
For months commentators and politicians in Australia have been talking about one of the most frightening topics imaginable — a war between the United States and China over the island of Taiwan. It's the last frozen remnant of a hundred year old Civil War — two governments both claiming to be the legitimate rulers of China, separated by 100 miles of ocean. In this episode, we explain the bizarre story which led to the current tension, and look at what might happen next. Guests: Katherine Wei, Tai...
For months commentators and politicians in Australia have been talking about one of the most frightening topics imaginable — a war between the United States and China over the island of Taiwan. It's the last frozen remnant of a hundred year old Civil War — two governments both claiming to be the legitimate rulers of China, separated by 100 miles of ocean. In this episode, we explain the bizarre story which led to the current tension, and look at what might happen next. Guests: Katherine Wei, Tai...
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused the shutdown of travel from China, it shone a harsh light on the way Australia treats Chinese students who come here to study. Some feel isolated and discriminated against, others feel they are being treated as "cash cows" by a university sector desperate for their fees. Can we do better? And can we handle it when problems arise inside the bubble we have created around Chinese students? Guests: Dr Fran Martin, associate Professor & Reader in Cultural Studies...
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused the shutdown of travel from China, it shone a harsh light on the way Australia treats Chinese students who come here to study. Some feel isolated and discriminated against, others feel they are being treated as "cash cows" by a university sector desperate for their fees. Can we do better? And can we handle it when problems arise inside the bubble we have created around Chinese students? Guests: Dr Fran Martin, associate Professor & Reader in Cultural Studies...
From humble beginnings in a tiny town whose name means "deep drainage ditch", electrical engineer Ren Zhengfei grew his company Huawei into a global technology giant, delivering competitive telecommunications equipment at low prices. But when Australia accused Huawei of being a security risk, a snowball began to roll which led to arrests, hostages being taken, and pure white hot fury in Beijing. This is the story of how a decision made in the midst of a Prime Ministerial spill may lead to a new ...
When China rolled out their trade sanctions regime against Australia to try and punish us for a litany of perceived insults, the trade of one commodity was conspicuously left untouched. China's desperate need to stimulate economic growth through construction has left them with an insatiable appetite for Australian iron ore. In this episode, we look at the incredible things they've built using our most valuable resource, and what might happen if they decide to stop buying it. Guests: Dinny McMaho...
When China rolled out their trade sanctions regime against Australia to try and punish us for a litany of perceived insults, the trade of one commodity was conspicuously left untouched. China's desperate need to stimulate economic growth through construction has left them with an insatiable appetite for Australian iron ore. In this episode, we look at the incredible things they've built using our most valuable resource, and what might happen if they decide to stop buying it. Guests: Dinny McMaho...
In 1989, five days after tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing and brutally ended weeks of protests, the then prime minister Bob Hawke gave a horrifying description of what Australia thought happened. But where did the account come from? And what did it get wrong? Over the past three months China, If You're Listening investigated the source of this description and found it was a previously undisclosed diplomatic cable from the Australian Embassy in Beijing, which subsequently had key det...
