7am

Why Coles and Woolies have politicians 'oinking'

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Coles and Woolworths are in the sights of a Senate inquiry, which has been hearing evidence across Australia this week.It’s looking into whether pri...

Can we believe anything the Royal Family say?

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The royal family is no stranger to gossip, innuendo and controversy.But this week, the rumours and speculation over the whereabouts and health of Kate...

Inside the Zachary Rolfe hearings: The culture of racism the police deny

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Zachary Rolfe, the former Northern Territory police officer who shot and killed an Indigenous teenager, Kumanjayi Walker, has been back in the witness...

Stan Grant on Sam Kerr and the media’s failings

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Stan Grant left the ABC, citing the media had failed — it had failed him and his family, and it had failed the country.Last week, he was struck by a...

Why Australia is heading for a minority government

10 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s in the best interests of politicians to come up with policies that appeal to voters and secure their support at the next election.So it was par...

The Weekend Read: Ange Lavoipierre on how much sex is too much for one person

09 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, journalist Ange Lavoipierre will be reading her piece from a recent edition of The Monthly.In the suburb of Newtown, in Sydney, two...

The Liberals’ failed bid for suburban voters

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Labor won the Dunkley byelection last weekend, but the Liberal Party spent most of the week claiming the result was a win for them as well.But even wh...

The people pushing Australia’s gas expansion

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the government’s commitment to cutting emissions and reaching net zero, Australia’s gas industry is expanding – and we’re making it ea...

The Australian teachers quitting over Andrew Tate

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An alarming number of Australian boys are engaging with, and looking up to, the misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate.Tate’s influence is warping clas...

‘Enough is enough’: a mother’s fight for justice over her son’s death in custody

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Aunty Donnas Kerr has spent her life fighting for Indigenous rights. A member of the stolen generations, she grew up seeing members of her family die...

The most powerful minister you’ve never heard of

03 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new bill that redefines Australia’s gas industry has a surprising section smuggled into the fine print.It’s designed to change not just the way ...

Rosie Batty and a decade of public grieving

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ten years ago, Schwartz Media launched its weekly independent newspaper, The Saturday Paper.On page three of its first edition was a story about a wom...

Scott Morrison leaves parliament: A winner or a loser?

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Morrison has left the building.The former prime minister was known for his finely crafted personal image, a dad from the shire who loved rugby l...

Why Labor is being accused of pork-barrelling

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pork-barrelling isn’t illegal, but it's one of the dark arts of politics: governments spending money in seats they want to win.So, when does the pra...

Everything Peter Dutton is getting wrong on asylum seekers

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton may have found the message he’s taking to the federal election: stop the “armada of boats”.It hasn’t been high ...

‘They don't know much’: Politicians spending on the military

25 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has spent almost 15 years trying to buy new surface ships for the navy, but they are still yet to arrive.That’s because governments have r...

The Weekend Read: Jane Gleeson on why we need decay to save the planet

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, writer Jane Gleeson-White, with her piece from a recent edition of The Monthly.In inner-city Sydney, the heart of the urban jungle,...

The two days that could decide Julian Assange's freedom

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Julian Assange has spent years fighting to prevent his extradition to the United States and this week, the battle has come down to just two days in co...

Jon Ronson on who really started the culture wars

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jon Ronson has spent time with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, uncovered the secret US military program to train psychic soldiers and told the stories...

A missing $80 million to keep asylum seekers in limbo

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After asylum seekers arrived by boat in Western Australia last week and were sent to Nauru, old debates about offshore immigration detention have been...

Why the Bureau of Meteorology lied to court

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Bureau of Meteorology determines a lot: from whether we bring an umbrella to work, to how much warning we get of a natural disaster – all the wa...

Texts, calls and a Brisbane lunch: Murdoch press and the Bruce Lehrmann inquiry

18 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It was three years ago last week that Brittany Higgins made allegations that rocked Australia.Those allegations resulted in a mistrial, and while Bruc...

Can Labor be forced to end negative gearing?

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Following its loss at the 2019 federal election, touching negative gearing — tax concessions that benefit property investors — has been unthinkabl...

The Taylor Swift conspiracy: The world’s biggest popstar and the US election

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While Taylor Swift arrives in Australia for the biggest shows of her career, she’s found herself at the centre of conspiratorial fantasies sweeping ...

Jane Caro on Labor's school funding deal

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While some private schools in Australia fret over the construction of their new waterpolo centres or drama theatres, public schools face more pressin...

Why Peter Dutton believes he can win

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since becoming opposition leader, Peter Dutton has clawed back in the polls by relentlessly attacking the Labor government – now that approach is be...

The teals' plan to shock the major parties

11 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The teals of the 2022 election outdid expectations – flipping six historically Liberal seats independent. It’s a result that has energised their ...

The Weekend Read: Konrad Muller on organic wine and whether it’s worth it

10 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, writer Konrad Muller reads his latest piece on the quest to learn whether making organic wine is worth the effort.It's called “Notes from a s...

You can ignore your boss after work. It’s now the law.

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The right to disconnect will become law, after an agreement was reached between the government, the Greens and independents.The law will help change o...

Is this a new era for the Reserve Bank?

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For decades the Reserve Bank has done things the same old way: announcing their decision on interest rates the first Tuesday of every month, with just...

‘Every system failed’: Inside Tasmania’s abuse cover-up

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Feik spent eight months looking into one of the worst institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse this country has ever seen…I...

Why the Newington old boys are crying

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Videos of emotional protesters outside a private all-boys school in Sydney have gone viral, with some former students of Newington College opposing th...

Inside the Albanese reset

04 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For someone who’s been accused of breaking an election promise, Anthony Albanese isn’t hiding.The prime minister and his front bench have been out...

Is 2024 democracy's biggest test?

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

2024 will be democracy’s biggest year. Over four billion people will head to the polls, with major battles in the United States, India, South Afric...

Is the ABC’s reputation in trouble?

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The ABC has started the year fighting off accusations of racism, unlawful dismissal and a failure to protect journalists from outside attacks. The ca...

What did the ICJ's ruling really mean?

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last weekend’s decision by the International Court of Justice was heralded as a victory by many.South Africa and the Palestinian Authority saw it as...

The Dreyfus interview: The Attorney-General's vision for ‘honest government’

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Labor government promised it would return transparency to government once elected at the 2022 election. More than anyone else that mission was giv...

Why Albanese changed his mind on tax cuts

28 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The stage three tax cuts the Labor government said they’d deliver will be altered and now be of greater benefit to lower and middle-income earners.W...

The Weekend Read: Anthony Ham on what happens when a mine is meant to be rehabilitated

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Surrounded by what we know as the Kakadu National Park, the Northern Territory’s Ranger Uranium Mine finally ceased processing in 2021, after nearly...

Peter Dutton’s failing culture war over Jan 26

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This year, the attempt to whip up nationalism over January 26 has taken a different turn.While politicians and the media talk about pride in celebrati...

Is Australia lagging on AI?

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

All over the world, humanity is rushing to regulate the development of artificial intelligence.Now, the Australian government has announced its first ...

Julian Assange’s brother on his last shot at freedom

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For years, Gabriel Shipton has been desperately advocating for the release of his older brother, Julian Assange. It’s a fight that may have nearly ...

Why judges will soon get to decide ‘Australian values’

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of last year, the government rushed through new laws that have largely flown under the radar. The new citizenship act, which was passed fo...

Why time’s up for Coles and Woolies

21 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Supermarket prices have finally caught the attention of our leaders.While the cost of living crisis continues, customers and, now, politicians are bec...

The ‘elephant in the room’ at the Australian Open

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Professional sport has grappled with how to address athletes’ domestic violence and sexual assault allegations for years.It’s an issue that’s cu...

Why America is willing to re-elect Trump

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has passed the first electoral test of his ambitious campaign to return to the White House.The former president convincingly won the Repu...

The chaos at the ABC

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The ABC is facing mounting scrutiny over the sacking of radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf, just days into a short-term contract.In a Fair Work case a...

A major hospital in strife

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The catholic church is known for running schools and charity services in Australia, but it also operates more than 20 publicly funded hospitals. It’...

What will happen if the Israel–Hamas war lasts for all of 2024?

14 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza now seems like it will last even longer, with the Israeli military saying it is prepared for a long conflict – ...

The Summer Read: New nipples with tattoo ink

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A clinic inside Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital is quietly changing lives through the power of tattoos. The Combined Breast Service offers bre...

The Summer Read: Richard King on how ChatGPT is changing how knowledge is shared

10 Jan 2024

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...

The Summer Read: Christos Tsiolkas on pieces of fiction that stay with us forever

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, author Christos Tsiolkas with a recent piece from The Monthly. “The Past is a foreign country: they do things differently there”...

The Summer Read: Carrie Tiffany on sugar, family and loss

08 Jan 2024

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...

The Summer Read: John Safran on life lessons from Father Bob

07 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, writer and filmmaker John Safran, with his piece from the latest edition of The Monthly. Father Bob Maguire was an icon in his own...

Read This: The Cause and Effect of Richard Flanagan

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Described by the Washington Post as "one of our greatest living novelists", Richard Flanagan has been writing for more than three decades. His 2013 no...

Read This: Melissa Lucashenko is the Poet Laureate of Ratbags

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Melissa Lucashenko writes about big ideas and brutal experiences, but she does so with grace, with generosity and – maybe above all else – a rich ...

Read This: The Three Words That Made George Saunders a Writer

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

George Saunders is one of literary fiction's most acclaimed living writers. Along with his many collections of short stories, he also published the Bo...

Read This: Kate Grenville Makes History

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Grenville has spent her career bringing history to life, often using the lives of her own family to tell stories about the kinds of voices who ar...

Read This: Tony Birch Doesn’t Believe in Luck

31 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning writer and historian Tony Birch grew up listening to stories from his nan, Alma. In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read ...

7am in 2023: The Literary Scandal

21 Dec 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...

7am in 2023: The Teals

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The 2022 federal election saw a historic loss for the Coalition and a historic shift towards independent candidates like Allegra Spender in Sydney, Zo...

7am in 2023: The Result

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia voted in the first referendum in over 20 years this year — a referendum billed as the culmination of decades of reconciliation work.Today,...

7am in 2023: The Trailblazer

18 Dec 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...

7am in 2023: The Whistleblower

17 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Those who imagined, designed and delivered robo-debt put their personal ambition above the wellbeing of the people they were meant to serve. But there...

The Weekend Read: Suzannah Marshall Macbeth on the role of predators

16 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At certain times of the year, a group of volunteers can be found roaming Canberra’s bush reserves bearing raw chicken carcasses – all in the name ...

‘Machine of violence’: Behrouz Boochani on Australia’s immigration system

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Behrouz Boochani first wrote about life on Manus Island for The Saturday Paper in 2016, he described it as an island of the damned.Writing throug...

The power and influence of Alan Jones

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Former radio host Alan Jones was once the most influential broadcaster in the country.Now, he’s been accused of indecent assault by six men who reve...

'Bad vibes': Bruce Lehrmann and the Reynolds office

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The defamation trial between Bruce Lehrmann and Network Ten is nearing its end. More than two weeks of the hearing has revealed emotional evidence fr...

Will 2023 convince Albanese to change course?

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This time last year, the government was confident, popular and getting its agenda through without controversy.But a year later, the Labor government h...

How COP28 became the ‘Burning Man’ of climate summits

10 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s biggest climate change summit, COP, is held every year with a bold vision: to bring nations together to negotiate and find solutions for...

Rupert: The last mogul: There’s only one Rupert

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rupert Murdoch’s global media empire is in decline - yet, as Malcolm Turnbull tells Paddy, he was still able to roll a sitting prime minister and be...

Australia is being toxic about immigrants again

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A High Court decision ruling indefinite detention unlawful – leading to the release of 148 immigration detainees, some of whom are criminals – has...

Joe Biden's five 'noes' in the Israel-Hamas war

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is well and truly over, with the war expanding to include southern Gaza, where many have already fled to escape...

Arrested 22 times, Colette has no plans to stop protesting

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It had been over 10 years since anyone in the state of Tasmania was sentenced to prison for protesting.But that all changed when Colette Harmsen faced...

Why private school kids run the country

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Australia, where a person went to school increasingly tells a story about their privilege, class and academic opportunity. While the majority of A...

Bruce Lehrmann vs Channel Ten

03 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In searching for the truth, the defamation trial between Bruce Lehrmann and Network Ten has been defined by the discovery of lies. In the witness box...

The Weekend Read: The Bhutanese nuns editing Wikipedia to share their culture

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A 14th century monastery in Bhutan might be the least likely place to find a hive of busy Wikipedia editors, but for Bunty Avieson, it was the perfect...

Rupert: The last mogul: Next in line

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Around the turn of the century, Rupert’s empire hits a peak. But he’s about to face two of the biggest crises of his career - the phone hacking sc...

Is it finally time to change immigration detention?

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few years, Australia’s immigration detention policy, which was once the feature of political debates and elections, has stopped making...

The moment boomers cooked the housing market

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, with values soaring much faster than wages.This has altered Australian society, ...

Is Australia’s regime of secrecy over?

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Critics say Australia may be the world’s most secretive democracy, with a patchwork of laws and obstacles standing in the way of transparency and pr...

What does the Israel-Hamas ceasefire really mean?

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The first brief ceasefire has taken effect in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.As the shooting stops, families are being reunited, as hostages...

Lachlan Murdoch’s first big move

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At the shareholders meetings for News Corp and Fox Corporation this month, for the first time, Rupert Murdoch wasn’t the star of the show. The meet...

Rupert: The last mogul: Attack, attack, attack

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

By the 1990s, Rupert is cemented as one of the world’s most powerful and divisive men, but his unrelenting drive is beginning to take a toll. As Rup...

How Australia is taking advantage of one nation’s climate crisis

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As climate change threatens to sink small and vulnerable countries, large and powerful ones are seeing an opportunity.The climate crisis is giving the...

The ceasefire and the Israel–Hamas war protests

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Israel’s government has agreed to a four-day ceasefire with Hamas in exchange for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza – but promises to push a...

Why army whistleblower David McBride pleaded guilty

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David McBride is the first Australian who could face jail in relation to alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.But McBride isn’t who committe...

The ‘missing’ robo-debt recommendation

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The royal commission into the robo-debt scheme delivered 57 recommendations to the government in July.Four months later, the Albanese government has g...

Ali Jan’s family speaks: We want to testify against Australian troops

19 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the spring of 2012, an unarmed Afghan villager, Ali Jan, was allegedly kicked off a cliff by Ben Roberts-Smith, who then purportedly directed anoth...

The Weekend Read: Jack Manning Bancroft on Indigenous knowledge systems

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, Author and founder of AIME (the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) Jack Manning Bancroft.Published on the day of the refer...

Rupert: The last mogul: My dear Prime Minister

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Off-the-record lunches, handwritten notes and a bouquet of red roses mark Rupert’s secret friendship with Britain’s most controversial PM, Margare...

‘Extremely dangerous’: Did Dutton’s question go too far?

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Social harmony in Australia is under threat. The war in Gaza is prompting concerns about rising anti-Semitism and Islamophobia locally, and these deep...

Will Hezbollah and Israel bring war to Lebanon?

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If it wasn’t for the images of devastation emerging from Gaza in the Israel-Hamas war, this conflict would have the world on edge.It is happening ju...

The murder of Lilie James and the culture at private schools

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The murder of a young woman at an elite private school – and the reaction from a former principal – has led to nationwide outrage.It’s also high...

Heather was eligible for parole, but she died in custody

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The parole system exists to help people in prison who are no longer deemed a risk to the community begin to re-enter society.But the death in custody ...

Who’s driving inflation? (hint: they’re wealthier and older)

12 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia is not out of the woods on the cost-of-living crisis – prices are still rising too fast.Last week, the RBA were so concerned that they hik...

Rupert: The last mogul: The kingmaker and his king

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rupert wields enormous influence over Australia’s political landscape, but it wasn’t always this way. In the 1960s and ’70s, Rupert's struggle t...

The war’s impact on children in Gaza

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humanitarians say the crisis in Gaza is like nothing they’ve ever seen before. There are especially grave concerns about the lives of children, aft...

'Handsome boy': Albanese meets Xi Jinping

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a long time coming, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally met Chinese President Xi Jinping this week.The friendly meeting is in star...

A game-changing victory for renters

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Renters across Australia are facing a worsening housing crisis. With hikes in rents and growing complaints about the quality of living in rental homes...