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Episodes
âThe system isn't broken. It was never set up for women.â
21 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last weekâs march for justice highlighted how the justice system stacked against women, from the law, to the police, to the courts. Today, Bri Lee o...
Christian Porter goes back to parliament
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Christian Porter is still facing calls for an inquiry into allegations of sexual assault levelled against him, allegations he denies. But Porter has a...
The new law that could censor the internet
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Online Safety Bill is being framed by the government as a way to modernise how Australia regulates the internet. But concerns have been raised abo...
The billionaire who went bust, and the town on the brink
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For years the rise of Lex Greensill, a farmerâs son turned billionaire investor, seemed unstoppable. But now things are falling apart, and the econo...
As Australians march for justice, Christian Porter sues
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of Australians marched in cities and towns across the country yesterday. The protests were sparked by allegations of sexual harassment and a...
The end of Hong Kong
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On Thursday night the Chinese government passed new laws effectively stamping out democracy in Hong Kong, significantly strengthening the Communist Pa...
tHe RuLe oF LaW
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Prime Minister has declared Christian Porter âinnocentâ and said any inquiry into the allegations of sexual assault would undermine the rule o...
What police are getting wrong about the far-right
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Growing concern about far-right extremists in Australia has led to the creation of a new federal inquiry, but the inquiry has revealed that one police...
Why is Australiaâs vaccine rollout taking so long?
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Australiaâs Covid-19 vaccination rollout is already behind schedule, but while the headlines have focused on issues with supply and delivery, there ...
Fixing a broken system
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the most significant report to examine aged care in Australia was released. The Saturday Paperâs senior reporter Rick Morton has been cov...
Bruce Pascoe's vision for the future: 'Leon Musk is welcome to Mars'
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the past three years author and farmer Bruce Pascoe has been trying to establish a sustainable practice on his land. Informed by the Indigenous fa...
Inside the Christian Porter strategy
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Attorney-General has so far refused to resign, denying the rape allegation levelled against him. Heâs been supported by senior ministers and the...
Christian Porter names himself (plus, Australiaâs university crisis)
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The federal Attorney-General Christian Porter has identified himself as the cabinet minister accused of a sexual assault that allegedly took place in ...
The sexual assault crisis that rocked Australia
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A cabinet minister in the federal government has been accused of rape, but he hasnât been publicly identified and the Prime Minister has so far refu...
A refugee prison in Carlton
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Across Australia more than one hundred asylum seekers are being detained in hotel rooms. They have no access to fresh air and limited space to exercis...
Young people v. the Queensland police
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Following a series of fatal car accidents, Queensland has announced a major crackdown on youth crime. According to youth advocate Siyavash Doostkhah, ...
A Neanderthal on the crossbench
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Craig Kelly quit the Liberal Party to sit on the crossbench. But the Morrison government is so mired in scandal, it went largely unnoticed....
Living with a disability through the pandemic
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Description: For some people living with disabilities, the pandemic triggered feelings of being different and even dispensable. Micheline Lee on livin...
Why wonât house prices go down?
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Australian property prices have just hit a record high â despite predictions the market would crash during the pandemic. So what happened? What will...
âI was a staffer, and so was my perpetratorâ
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Eighteen months ago, Dhanya Mani spoke to the press about being assaulted while working as a Liberal Party staffer. This week, she reflected on how li...
Robo-debt: the origin of the supervillain
21 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two long-forgotten High Court cases warned the government that robo-debt might be illegal. But they persisted with the welfare scheme anyway. Rick Mor...
Episode 400: Sitting week
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Brittany Higgins case has dominated the week in Canberra. This is the story of how the prime minister has responded to her alleged assault, and ho...
Tanya Plibersek: Labor after Covid-19
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As Labor prepares for a possible early election, Tanya Plibersek says the party is ready to confront the government over shortcomings in its handling ...
James and the giant breach
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A damning report has found Crown Resorts unfit to hold a casino licence in NSW. But what does that mean for James Packerâs operations in other state...
The colonisation of space
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The early era of space exploration was dominated by romantic ideas of universal connectedness. But the increasingly privatised nature of the space ind...
How Covid-19 keeps escaping hotel quarantine
14 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Victoria has been plunged back into lockdown after a new strain of Covid-19 escaped from hotel quarantine into the community. In recent weeks leaks ha...
The Coalitionâs climate standoff
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Prime Minister is trying to calibrate his climate policy to better fit into a post-Trump world, but he faces a conservative revolt on his own back...
Eddie McGuireâs gone but Australiaâs racism problem isnât
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Eddie McGuireâs resignation as the President of Collingwood is the culmination of a decades-long story of racism at the club. But the story isnât ...
The Liberal MP who wants to empty your super
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Coalitionâs surprise win at the last federal election is largely attributed to a relentless campaign targeting Laborâs key economic policies, ...
Inside Australiaâs military fetish
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
While Australians grapple with shocking allegations of war crimes levelled against our armed forces, the federal government is moving ahead with a $50...
The world's newest dictatorship
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Myanmarâs democratically elected leader, Aung Sun Suu Kyi, was arrested last week as part of a military coup. The country is now back under complete...
The miseducation of Craig Kelly
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Morrisonâs attempt to restart the political year was blown off course after one of his backbenchers was criticised for promoting misinformatio...
China is warning against a new Cold War. Will Australia listen?
03 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Diplomatic and trade tensions between Australia and China are at an all time high, and Chinaâs president has even warned against the risk of a new c...
Is GameStop a win for the good guys?
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Financial analysts and investors are scrambling to understand what is actually going on with GameStop, Reddit and the sharemarket. But in this battle ...
The world is embracing climate action. Why isn't Australia?
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
All over the world governments are abandoning fossil fuels like coal and gas, and embracing renewable energy, leaving Australia isolated and economic...
The sailors stranded at sea because of Australia's trade war
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Right now hundreds of ships carrying Australian coal are stranded in Chinese ports. More than 1,000 sailors have been trapped on board for months now ...
Has Labor already given up the next election?
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Laborâs Anthony Albanese has been facing growing criticism over his political strategy and thereâs renewed speculation over his leadership. With 2...
The Australian Open has divided the country. But could it save sport?
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
While thousands of Australians are still stranded overseas, 1,200 tennis players, officials and support staff have flown into Melbourne to take part i...
When are we getting the vaccine?
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last year Scott Morrison announced Australians would be first in line for the Covid-19 vaccine. But with 50 million people now vaccinated around the w...
Invasion Day: Why white Australia wonât reckon with its past
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On Invasion Day, Wirlomin Noongar author Claire G. Coleman discusses how tokenistic gestures from our federal government have replaced the real change...
How Trump changed Australian politics forever
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As Joe Biden takes the reins in the US, the legacy of Donald Trump continues to cast a shadow across the world. Today, Richard Cooke on how the ideas ...
Highlight: âIn my new home, I am loved.â
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After five years on Manus Island, Imran Mohammad was resettled in Chicago. He says arriving in America was one of the happiest days in his life. But t...
Climate change will kill you, part three: sickness
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From thunderstorm asthma to the increasing prevalence of infectious disease, a warming planet is already making us more sick. In the final part of thi...
Highlight: How 4 million books were sold on fabrications
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Australian author Heather Morris has made millions selling books about the Holocaust. But the people she writes about are in many ways unrecognisable,...
Climate change will kill you, part two: flood
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 2011 the Queensland town of Grantham was inundated with rain, causing flash flooding. It had a devastating impact on the townâs residents. But ev...
Highlight: The school fighting to save its language
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, students in Footscray in Melbourneâs West, have been taught in Vietnamese alongside English, in line with the suburbâs long-standing ...
Climate change will kill you, part one: heat
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From bushfires and heat, to floods, and the increasing severity of disease, Australians are already feeling the impacts of a warming planet. In this n...
The Saturday Quiz: Zoë Coombs Marr, Kate Jinx, Sarah Snook and Dave Lawson
18 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Four times as many questions plus two times as many guests equals more laughs than itâs possible to quantify. In this final episode of The Saturday ...
The year that was (plus, Buon Natale from Paul Bongiorno)
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Twelve months ago the eastern half of the country was blanketed in smoke and our Prime Minister was nowhere to be seen. Since then the pandemic has se...
Duttonâs new plan to spy on Australians
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government has proposed new laws that would give federal police the power to spy on Australian citizens. But the decision contradicts the ...
Australia's responsibility for the Christchurch massacre
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Royal Commission report into the Christchurch terrorist attacks led to an apology from the New Zealand government. But in Australia, thereâs bee...
The Liberal minister forcing action on climate
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
 The Liberal party has historically been handbrake on serious climate action, but in NSW one minister is pushing through ambitious environmental poli...
John Hewson on whatâs wrong with politics
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scandal after scandal has battered the authority of the government and diminished the trust the public has in our democratic institutions. Today, form...
The Saturday Quiz: Nancye Hayes and Mitchell Butel
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The two guests joining John on this seasonâs penultimate episode are show business royalty. Mitchell Butel is an actor, singer and the artistic dire...
Morrison gears up for a summer brawl
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just as parliament was wrapping up for the year, the government introduced radical and controversial proposed changes to workerâs rights. The new le...
Locked up for being sick
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The passage of the medevac legislation last year allowed sick refugees in offshore detention to travel to Australia. The legislation was bitterly oppo...
The plot to undermine the NDIS
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After years of careful manoeuvring, the Coalition government is laying the groundwork to make radical changes to the National Disability Insurance Sch...
Whatâs really behind Chinaâs break-up with Australia?
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This year weâve seen relations between Australia and China plummet. But the story of Australiaâs increasing friction with China goes back much fur...
Laura Tingle on where Australia went wrong
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealandâs rapid response to Covid-19 and the political success of Jacinda Ardern has seen the world start to pay more attention to our neighbour...
The Saturday Quiz: Amrita Hepi and Jason Phu
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Artists Amrita Hepi and Jason Phu do extremely well at the quiz, even though the one question in Aritaâs expert category nearly trips her up. We nev...
Scott Morrison feeds the trolls
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The growing diplomatic dispute between China and Australia took an ugly turn this week, after a Chinese government official posted an incendiary tweet...
The climate threat to Australiaâs leaders
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese are caught between a global shift towards more serious climate action and pro-coal members of their respective par...
Hostage diplomacy: Freeing Kylie Moore-Gilbert
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 2018 Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert was arrested and sentenced to 10 yearsâ imprisonment in an Iranian jail. Last week, she was released...
What Scott Morrison can learn from Daniel Andrews
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic has exposed big cracks in the way Australiaâs economy and social services operate, particularly when it comes to insecure work and aged...
Waleed Aly on what happens *after* cancel culture
29 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From boycotting celebrities to calling out poor behaviour, cancel culture has become a controversial phenomenon in the age of social media. But the id...
The Saturday Quiz: Agatha Gothe-Snape and Alison Bell
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Try as they might, old friends Agatha Gothe-Snape and Alison Bell just canât seem to find the answers to the questions in this weekâs quiz. But th...
How to lose a trade ally in 14 ways
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Australiaâs relationship with China is at its lowest point in decades. Trade boycotts are impacting local businesses, and now the Chinese government...
The laws letting miners destroy sacred sites
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rio Tintoâs destruction of the Juukan Gorge caves sparked a global backlash, and now a parliamentary inquiry is exploring what needs to change. Toda...
How the government makes your mental health worse
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A landmark report has quantified the economic and social cost of Australiaâs mental health crisis. Itâs also pointed to poverty and unemployment a...
Enemy of the state
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
West Papuan separatists have been fighting for independence from Indonesia for decades. Now independence activists have been targeted by the Indonesia...
Who is responsible for Australiaâs war crimes?
22 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Detailed accusations that Australian soldiers in Afghanistan committed war crimes have drawn widespread condemnation from around the world. But who is...
The Saturday Quiz: Wesley Enoch and David McAllister
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The outgoing artistic directors of Sydney Festival and the Australian Ballet, Wesley Enoch and David McAllister, combine forces to battle against thei...
The truth about Robodebt and political responsibility
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government has settled the largest class action in Australian history, over the unlawful robodebt program. Today, Paul Bongiorno on who wa...
Why is Australia deporting this man?
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mojtaba is 29 years old. Heâs lived in Australia for nearly a decade, but last year he was placed into immigration detention. Since then he hasnât...
Here come the vaccines
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A huge, global effort to try and find a vaccine for coronavirus is showing growing signs of success. A number of possible candidates are moving into t...
Sacked after speaking up
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recent scandals and allegations of workplace bullying have put the spotlight on the treatment of women in Parliament. Today, Karen Middleton on the un...
Rudd, Turnbull and the Murdoch cancer
15 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rupert Murdochâs News Corp is under assault, with two former Prime Ministers, from opposite sides of politics, uniting in their criticism of the med...
The Saturday Quiz: Nakkiah Lui and Gabe Dowrick
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, writer, actor, activist, and recently one of Who magazineâs sexiest people of 2020, Nakkiah Lui and her tv editor husband, Gabe Dow...
How Biden is changing Australian climate policy
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Bidenâs victory in the United States has already had ramifications for Australian politics, particularly on the issue of climate change. Today, ...
Yanis Varoufakis on making billionaires richer
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The world is struggling to contain the fallout of the coronavirus, but has the pandemic exposed something more fundamentally broken about our economic...
Who is Joe Biden?
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After one of the most tumultuous periods in recent US history, voters have chosen Joe Biden to try and reunite a divided country. Today, Jonathan Pear...
When police charge the victim
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A new report collating the experiences of hundreds of frontline workers has revealed how criminal and judicial systems are failing victims of family v...
How Australia will live with the virus
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Australia has managed to effectively suppress Covid-19, but with more international arrivals experts predict that outbreaks will continue. Today, Amy ...
The Saturday Quiz: Emily Barclay and Tom Ward
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Emily Barclay and Tom Ward like going to amusement parks. But Emily is too scared to go on any of the roller-coasters, so Tom has to do so on her beha...
Trumpâs last stand
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Protests have broken out across the US in response to Donald Trumpâs attempts to cling to power. But as counting continues in key states, Joe Bidenâ...
Election 2020: Trumpism is here to stay
04 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After a full night of counting votes, the outcome of the US Presidential election still remains in doubt, with Donald Trump holding on to key states t...
Trump 2020: How to steal an election
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As voters in the US head to the polls, President Trump has warned that a close or uncertain result could spark chaos. Behind the scenes both parties h...
Can Anthony Albanese beat Scott Morrison?
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After losing last yearâs election the Labor party turned to Anthony Albanese to rebuild. But what does he actually stand for? Today, Richard Cooke o...
Australiaâs new convict age
01 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years Australia has seen an acceleration in law and order style electioneering, and itâs led to a record high incarceration rate. Now, as ...
Not by the Hehir of my political sin
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pressure has started to mount on the federal government following a string of scandals involving senior public officials. Labor and crossbench senator...
Cutting down the Djab Wurrung trees
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the Victorian government began cutting down sacred Djab Wurrung trees to make way for a highway expansion between Melbourne and Adelaide. A...
What went wrong at Australia Post?
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As an investigation into Australia Postâs leadership gets underway, a deeper crisis at the organisation is threatening to jeopardise the way it oper...
The teenagers taking on Adani
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The controversial Adani coalmine in Queensland has already been approved by both state and federal governments, but a new legal challenge by two teena...
Australiaâs diplomatic blind spot
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Australiaâs relationship with Indonesia has a significant impact on our culture, economy and national security. But despite our proximity, itâs of...
Scott Morrisonâs Labor obsession
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As political battles over the governmentâs stimulus measures and proposed industrial relations reforms loom, Scott Morrison has been taking aim at t...
Short back and emotional asides
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After enduring one of the worldâs longest lockdowns, Melbourne is slowly reopening and hairdressers are some of the first businesses allowed to welc...
Duttonâs new war on refugees
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In recent weeks refugees and asylum seekers living in Australia have received letters from the federal government stripping them of financial support ...
Public office with (alleged) benefits
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A week after her secret relationship with a politician being investigated over corruption was first revealed, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is still ...
The new path out of lockdown
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After more than 100 days of strict lockdown, Victorians finally have a new path out of restrictions. It signals a more gradual easing than the governm...
The Saturday Quiz: Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
All the way from their home in Los Angeles, actors Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall provide more information than is entirely necessary as they stumb...