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Episodes
Introducing Read This: We Went to Helen Garner's House
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're bringing you something special. The first episode of our new podcast: Read This.In the first episode of the show, host Michael William...
Who will the NACC nick?
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the biggest stories and characters in Australian politics could soon be under the scrutiny of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.It’s a...
El Niño is coming, at the worst possible time
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
El Niño is coming again and Australia is vulnerable. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization declared this week that the extreme weather event ...
The anti-corruption commission has a weakness: whistleblowers.
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the dawn of a new era in federal politics, with a brand new anti-corruption watchdog now operating and promising to help combat corruption in C...
What people inside the Yes campaign really think
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The ‘Yes’ campaign has intensified its efforts this week, with thousands of people turning out for rallies nationwide on Sunday to back the Indige...
Why Berejiklian’s corruption goes deeper than a bad relationship
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Once there was public outcry from some quarters that ICAC would even investigate Gladys Berejiklian – one of the most popular premiers in NSW histor...
The Weekend Read: Carrie Tiffany on sugar, family and loss
01 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, author Carrie Tiffany, with her piece from the Monthly. After the death of her mother, Carrie reflects on the hold of sugar upon h...
Stuart Robert, we thought we said goodbye
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stuart Robert may have resigned from parliament – but this parliament might not be done with him yet.New allegations, which he strongly denies, pain...
Thomas Mayo on the Voice, the polls and the critics
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since the Voice to Parliament referendum was announced, it has enjoyed majority support, according to the biggest opinion polls – that is, until thi...
Why Peter Dutton referred David Van to a body without real powers
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Parliament is struggling with how to handle the case of Senator David Van, who continues to strenuously deny allegations of sexual harassment and assa...
Will Vladimir Putin survive the year?
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Russian president Vladimir Putin may have averted an armed mutiny, but the wounds could prove fatal for his leadership.Wagner group, a private militar...
Australian police and their use of excessive force
25 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A string of recent incidents involving the use of force has raised questions about the way in which Australian police wield power, and how these incid...
Crimes and Misdemeanours: Donald Trump and Hunter Biden
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We learned this week that United States president Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, will accept a plea deal on federal tax crimes.With the 2024 presidential ...
Max Chandler-Mather on why the Greens blocked the housing fund
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The government’s housing policy could be dead in the water.On Monday, the Greens chose to block the legislation – by deferring the vote on the bil...
How the justice system failed Kathleen Folbigg
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kathleen Folbigg was once known as Australia’s worst female serial killer – now she’s free after being pardoned.New scientific evidence played a...
Peacock in the Pacific: Inside Australia’s bid to host COP31
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Albanese government is campaigning to host the next United Nations Climate Conference in partnership with Pacific nations.Some have described this...
Why private schools are ruining Australia
18 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One way that inequality becomes baked into Australian society is through education. For decades, the school system has become increasingly stratified...
The Weekend Read: Esther Linder on food insecurity
17 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, journalist Esther Linder will be reading her piece from the May issue of The Monthly.While Australians often can’t skip a rent payment, they ...
Lidia Thorpe alleges sexual assault in Parliament House
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Parliament began this week with bitter arguments over the handling of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation, with the opposition using leaked text messa...
The people willing to face jail time for forests
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Activists around Australia have proven willing to risk jail time and fines of tens of thousands of dollars under new anti-protest laws, as states and ...
Who leaked Brittany Higgins' texts?
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Personal text messages between Brittany Higgins and her partner, David Sharaz, have been splashed over the news for days – reopening questions about...
Why the Voice can’t be the only answer
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While the push towards a Voice to Parliament continues, decisions are still being made that affect the lives of Indigenous people.Mines continue to op...
Spotlight: Why is Australia importing anti-trans activists?
11 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A speaking tour claiming to quote “let women speak” has been at the centre of disturbing scenes across Australia.In Melbourne, neo-Nazis stood on ...
Philip Lowe thinks you should do more work
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe pushing Australia into a recession?That has now become the biggest question in the Australian economy – as hous...
The dysfunction inside the NDIS watchdog
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the department that’s supposed to watch over the support system for Australians with a disability – and ensure the care they’re receiving...
The people who knew the truth about PwC for years
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Australian Tax Office suspected that PwC used confidential information to help their big corporate clients get richer – seven whole years ago.Bu...
How the Pentagon plans to mine Australia’s minerals
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A new green energy agreement with the US, signed by President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, will allow the Pentagon to fund mining projects in Au...
We can say it now: Ben Roberts-Smith is a war criminal
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Roberts-Smith dined with prime ministers, attended the Queen’s funeral as a hero and was held up as an icon of the Australian Defense Force. In ...
The Weekend Read: Michael Williams on The Monthly’s 200th edition
03 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To mark the 200th edition of The Monthly, the editor of the magazine, Michael Williams, joins us – to read a piece by the late-Mungo Maccallum from ...
The politicians who think the sky is falling
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anthony Albanese says politicians are running around Canberra claiming the sky is falling.“Chicken littles”, he’s calling them, doomsayers tryin...
Anthony Albanese: Bold reformer or cautious operator?
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anthony Albanese’s government faces significant challenges – looming climate disaster, a widening wealth gap and international security concerns. ...
Stan Grant and Australia's failure to talk about racism
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Australia’s most high-profile Indigenous journalist was forced to step away from his role because of racist abuse – it made headlines around ...
The Tasering of a 95-year-old woman
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The police officer who allegedly Tasered 95-year-old great-grandmother Clare Nowland reportedly said three words before firing: “No, bugger it”.He...
The big myths about the housing crisis
28 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows we have a housing crisis – rents are spiralling, homelessness is growing and more and more of our income is going towards keeping a r...
Dutton’s dangerous rhetoric unleashed in parliament
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton stood to address parliament on the bill that will allow a referendum on the Voice to parliament.What he said...
The PwC tax scandal: Should private consultants be trusted?
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The very people who were meant to be closing loopholes in the Australian tax system have been using that information to advise their big corporate cli...
The real reason the robo-debt royal commission asked for a delay
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s been a delay in the release of what could be the most explosive findings from a royal commission in decades.The commissioner of the robo-deb...
Is Labor gaslighting voters on climate?
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After more than half of voters at the 2022 federal election said climate change was a top concern, helping Labor take power, it became known as the ‘...
Inside Australia’s cocaine trade
21 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The global cocaine business is controlled by cartels worth tens of billions of dollars – and in that world, Australia is drawing more and more atten...
The Weekend Read: Sasha Gattermayr on an obsession with carnivorous plants
20 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, Sasha Gattermayr, with her piece on the fascination with carnivorous plants from The Monthly magazine. Sasha takes us inside a ban...
How Anthony Albanese’s doing a year after winning
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s almost a year since Anthony Albanese did what no Labor leader had done in 15 years: win an election from opposition.It was a momentous time for...
How Putin’s henchmen started fighting with each other
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a state begins to rely on a private company to fight wars?We’ve seen it before, but not like this – the power that Russian Presi...
Australia’s first women’s advisor on why she left the country
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia can claim a significant world first: a special government adviser on Women’s Affairs.Fifty years ago, Elizabeth Reid stepped into the newl...
Inside the inquiry into the Lehrmann trial
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The trial of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins never reached a verdict – and Lehrmann still strenuously maintains his innocenc...
Farewell, Stuart Robert. We hardly knew ye.
14 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There comes a time when politicians say ‘enough is enough’ and they leave parliament.Often they depart the stage without anyone really noticing, o...
The middle class vs. the poor: Why the Coalition wants them to fight
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since the budget dropped on Tuesday night, the Coalition and some parts of the media have begun to pick a very strange fight.It’s over whether some ...
Peter Dutton’s Liberal party is turning on its closest ally
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s one relationship the Liberal Party has always prized: its relationship with business.Other support bases for the party have ebbed and flowed...
Budget 2023: Explained
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Treasurer Jim Chalmers promised a responsible budget, and one that helped Australians as costs soar.There was some relief, but it wasn’t as generous...
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher reveals the toughest budget decisions
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight’s budget promises relief for Australia’s single parents, who will receive extra income support until their youngest child turns 14.It’s ...
So, the coronation was pretty weird – with Craig Foster
07 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If, over the weekend, you watched the coronation of King Charles, stood up in your living room and read out a pledge of allegiance – you were probab...
The Weekend Read: Quentin Sprague on shocking reports in the Aboriginal art industry
06 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, writer Quentin Sprague, with his piece from The Monthly. He examines the recent revelations of “white hands on black art” – reports of W...
Is Albanese going to ignore young people?
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The economic news got worse this week, with the RBA unexpectedly raising interest rates and some dire economic forecasts.So far, it looks like the eco...
Why is the ADF ‘not fit’ to deter China?
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Missiles that can precisely target enemy forces 500 kilometres away are the future of the Australian defence forces, according to the recent defence s...
How HECS became a debt trap
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you went to university, there’s an increasing likelihood you could be carrying HECS debt for several decades.There are now more than 300,000 peop...
From fatal negligence to a new $33 million contract
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine being arrested, put into custody – and in desperate need of medical care.Who is responsible for helping you? Who are you meant to turn to f...
How to fix the budget to lift people out of poverty
30 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
‘We don’t have enough money.’That’s what governments always say this time of year. But the case is being made for the poorest and most disadva...
Why can the government spend money on weapons but not welfare?
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the way the government chooses to spend its money was put into sharp focus.On Monday, it announced a bold new plan for military spending, b...
Just how ‘elite’ are the people behind the Voice?
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Criticism of the Voice to Parliament from the conservative side of politics has ratcheted up ever since Peter Dutton’s decision to oppose it.The mai...
Why the Murdochs settled Dominion and abandoned Crikey
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From settling the biggest payout in US libel history, to the abandoned defamation claim against Australian website Crikey – It’s been a tumultuous...
Spotlight: The search for the very first star
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Something going on far above us, in orbit, might be doing more to shape the future of humanity than any events here on earth.Up there is one of the mo...
When Julian Assange’s lawyer met Penny Wong
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
He published secret documents that gave us damning insight into the West’s military conduct inIraq and Afghanistan, and for that Julian Assange will...
The Weekend Read: Richard King on how ChatGPT is changing how knowledge is shared
22 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, writer Richard King, with his piece ‘Machine Learning’ about the AI chatbot ChatGPT.He begins his story with discourse sweeping...
51 ways the RBA has to be better
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s independent of government, has enormous power over our lives and hasn’t been reformed in 25 years.But yesterday, the Reserve Bank bowed to a ...
Who is Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price?
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a week that forced a reshuffle on the Coalition front bench, Peter Dutton had to announce a new spokesperson for Indigenous Australians – he n...
A mental health crisis at Australia’s mental health commission
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia has a body that’s supposed to look after all of our mental health, and make recommendations to the government on how to make the situation...
#MeToo and Canberra’s reckoning: how a mix of scandals and leadership led to change
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Jenkins has wrapped up a distinguished term as Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner.In her seven years in the job, we’ve seen the glob...
We were told to recycle plastic. Now it’s stockpiled around the country.
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was meant to transform the way we deal with waste.Australians were told to sort through their bins, and take plastic bags and packaging to drop-off...
How Peter Dutton’s ‘No’ is tearing the Liberals apart
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If the Liberal Party’s announcement that it would oppose the Voice to Parliament was meant to take attention away from fractures in the Liberal Part...
Forget inflation. Inequality is the real economic problem.
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cost of living pressures and interest rate rises mean that millions of Australians are struggling.But what often isn’t acknowledged by the Reserve B...
Why Australia won’t ban TikTok before the US does
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia isn’t the first country to ban TikTok from government devices.In fact, all of our closest allies have already taken steps to keep the app ...
Can Penny Wong stop us from going to war?
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Penny Wong has assumed the Foreign Affairs portfolio at a crucial time in Australian history.For years China has been on the rise, but now it’s chal...
Spotlight: How counter-terrorism turned a blind eye to the far right
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In recent weeks, we’ve covered an appearance by neo-Nazis at a rally in Melbourne, as well as ASIO’s decision to steer away from labels like ‘ri...
The Weekend Read: Lucianne Tonti on the battle to stop wasting brand-new clothes
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, author of ‘Sundressed’ and fashion editor for The Saturday Paper Lucianne Tonti reads her piece on confronting the hundreds of ...
Spotlight: How death became the fight of Andrew Denton’s life
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia is one of just a handful of countries around the world that have legislated in favour of euthanasia. Every Australian state has now legalis...
No Voice and no votes: the future of the Liberal Party
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Liberal Party has finally come to a position on the Voice to parliament: No.Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s announcement comes in the wake of t...
Can a deal be done to get us affordable homes?
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Renting or buying a home is not getting any easier in Australia – and the future could get even worse if we don’t do something.With the population...
The state locking up more children than any other
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One state in Australia locks up more children than any other: Queensland. And new laws will send more children into custody than ever before.The laws ...
Is Murdoch media about to turn against the Voice?
02 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A scare campaign is gathering momentum in the conservative media.Will the Voice to Parliament dictate policy? Are elite interests behind the referendu...
Inside Peter Dutton’s leadership test in Aston
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Liberal Party is in a state of disarray.After the NSW election loss, powerbrokers and former strategists were airing dirty laundry – has the par...
Trump 2024: Why Republicans want to vote for him, even if he’s arrested
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump officially launched his campaign to be president again on a stage in Waco, Texas.Despite the likelihood of an imminent arrest and a campa...
It won’t stop climate catastrophe. So why are the Greens voting for it?
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Bandt stood in front of TV cameras this week and announced a decision that could define the future of the Greens.The party will support Labor’s...
Banks are failing around the world. Could it happen here?
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about a bank run, you might think of lines around the block – of regular workers eager to get their hard-earned wages out of a troubl...
Why is Australia importing anti-trans activists?
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A speaking tour claiming to quote ‘let women speak’ has been at the centre of disturbing scenes across Australia.Last week in Melbourne, neo-Nazis...
The Weekend Read: Sophie Cunningham on the cost of native logging
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, author Sophie Cunningham on why we’re still logging native forests.She begins her story with the last sheafs of white office pape...
The dissent in Labor ranks over the US alliance
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia’s AUKUS deal was meant to have unanimous support, but it has thrown up unexpected challenges for the Labor government — with senior part...
We tried to fit all the NSW scandals into 20 minutes. Here's how far we got.
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This Saturday, the longest-reigning Coalition government in the country heads to the polls.Dominic Perrottet hasn’t been premier of NSW for long, bu...
The climate protestor who beat a 15-month prison sentence
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, Deanna ‘Violet’ CoCo was standing on top of a truck on Sydney Harbour Bridge with a flare in her hand.She was prepared to be arrested; ...
‘Treating private jets like Ubers’: Inside the Hillsong papers
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago, Independent MP Andrew Wilkie stood up in parliament and dropped a bombshell on the Australian megachurch Hillsong.He tabled a cache o...
Bob Brown on the fight Tanya Plibersek needs to have
19 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bob Brown, the founding leader of The Greens, is ready to make a plea to Tanya Plibersek: stand up in cabinet and be a voice against coal and gas.Whil...
Will Albanese and Dutton agree on the $368 billion question?
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The AUKUS agreement has brought a rare political sight this week: the government and the opposition are agreeing with each other.Both major parties su...
Why the AUKUS submarines will never arrive
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The single biggest defence spend in Australian history was announced this week, with the government committing up to $368 billion over the next 30 yea...
Being John Hughes: Inside literature’s plagiarism scandal
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Hughes was once hailed as a young literary genius, and won a scholarship to Cambridge.Yet he found himself back in Australia working as a librari...
‘Web of cowardice’: What we learned from the final robo-debt hearings
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The royal commission hearings into robo-debt are over.With over 100 witnesses and nine weeks of hearings, the commission into one of the greatest fail...
How we’re betting our climate future on a scam
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia has to act fast to help cut emissions and avoid a global climate catastrophe.After decades of inaction, the Labor Government has brought the...
The Weekend Read: The late Robert Adamson on fishing the river he loved
11 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, a tribute to publisher, poet and memoirist Robert Adamson.Robert died late last year and to mark that moment, The Monthly decided to posthumous...
Why can't Labor and the Greens get along?
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia’s climate future is again hanging in the balance.And, once more, it could all depend on a Labor government negotiating with the Greens.As ...
How the family court is failing traumatised women
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The family court is a place of last resort for spouses and parents, to settle the legal, financial and parenting disputes that can sometimes arise. B...
It's all about money: Rupert Murdoch's Fox News deposition
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We now have the clearest insight into the inner workings of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.The mogul was forced, under oath, to answer questions abou...
‘Disaster capitalism’: What’s happening after climate catastrophe
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether it’s floods or bushfires, climate-related disaster is something Australia will have to contend with more and more.But so far, Australia isn’...
ASIO is worried you’re helping foreign spies
05 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our intelligence community used to believe terrorism was the greatest threat to Australians.But today, Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASI...