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‘Why I’m on trial for protesting climate change’

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, climate activist Joana Partyka illegally spray-painted Woodside Energy’s logo on a painting in the Art Gallery of Western Austral...

The media's campaign against trans kids

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Transgender people in Australia are facing rising levels of hate and discrimination – and according to advocates, irresponsible media reporting is p...

What the Voice polls aren't telling you

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A month out from the Voice referendum, according to the polls, the ‘Yes’ campaign is struggling. Across the board, they show a big lead for ‘No...

‘The Alan Joyce slayer’: The woman taking on Qantas

17 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When companies take advantage of consumers by misleading them, selling faulty products, or breaking promises, there’s a body that steps in – the A...

Leaks reveal ‘No’ tactics

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It felt like only a matter of time before we’d begin to hear allegations of dirty tricks in the lead up to the referendum.This week, leaked document...

Putin, Kim Jong-Un and a luxury train ride

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A secretive journey aboard an armoured luxury train has transported North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un into Russia for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.I...

‘Twiggy’ Forrest: Climate messiah or billionaire opportunist?

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the founder of one of the world’s biggest mining companies, Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest has done more to advance global heating than some small c...

Why didn't Labor agree to a rent freeze?

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The government says its key policy on affordable and social housing will pass the senate this week – after securing the support of the Greens yester...

Why speaking up in Australia is punished

10 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Speaking up when you see something wrong is too hard in Australia.People who’ve spoken up about corporate fraud and dodgy government deals, and even...

The Weekend Read: When music journalism meets an MRI scan

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, Mark Mordue reads his piece from The Saturday Paper.MRI scans are infamously claustrophobic and anxiety-inducing procedures. During...

The second referendum nobody asked for

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The first week of the referendum campaign started with an unmistakable voice: John Farnham.His iconic hit is now the anthem for “Yes” voters, who ...

‘Liars and cowards’ in the ADF

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The royal commission into veteran suicides is probing the ugliest parts of the Australian defence force.Putting the spotlight on accountability and le...

Australians have a big car problem

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia is already off-track with its emissions targets, just one year after setting them.It’s alarming news, and it’s partly because emissions ...

Is Australia prepared for a second Trump presidency?

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Deep inside Australia’s foreign policy and defence establishment, there are whispers that we should be considering an unsettling thought – we coul...

Qantas: the spirit of corporate greed

03 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Qantas’s luck has gone from bad to worse. The airline has had to ditch expiry dates for Covid credits, and faced questions over its prices and tick...

Can the government fix the gig economy?

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australian workplaces are set to change again – with the Albanese government introducing its second round of industrial relations reform since it wa...

“Yes” chair Rachel Perkins on truths, lies and the Voice

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday in front of cheering “Yes” campaigners in Adelaide, Anthony Albanese announced the date when Australians will vote on the Voice to Parli...

How China’s tanking economy will hurt Australia

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

China’s economy is in deep trouble and continues to get worse.As the world’s second biggest economy and our largest trading partner, the looming c...

Why the mushroom mystery captivates us all

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“Like a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, a Beef Wellington is a tenderloin or fillet wrapped in a layer of mushrooms, inside puff pastr...

The Voice: How other countries do it

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A Voice to Parliament would be a first for Australia, but it’s not the first of its kind in the world.Norway has had an indigenous-led Parliament fo...

The Weekend Read: New nipples with tattoo ink

26 Aug 2023

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...

Albanese’s wasted opportunity

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia is ageing rapidly, and our country will look very different by the turn of this century.That’s the prediction laid out in the government’...

Surviving in Australia’s hottest towns

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia is home to some of the hottest towns in the world. In the Northern Territory, remote communities with large Indigenous populations know how...

Alan Jones’ radical online comeback

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A channel to the right of Sky News has launched in Australia, with powerful and cashed-up backers.ADH TV has all the hallmarks of far right American p...

Leaks reveal abuse in aged care

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If someone in an aged care facility is hurt or mistreated, there’s a system in place that’s supposed to make sure incidents are flagged and follow...

How Australia inspired the UK’s floating detention centre

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Asylum seekers in the UK may face a new fate once they arrive: being loaded onto an enormous 10,000-ton barge, floating in a port on the south coast o...

Why it’s important to listen to Lidia Thorpe. Even if you’re voting Yes.

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To this day, a war is still being waged against Indigenous Australians by a colonial state.That is the vision sketched out by Senator Lidia Thorpe thi...

Centrelink’s dodgy maths goes well beyond robo-debt

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After the axing of the illegal robo-debt scheme, there were promises of reform in the welfare system to make it lawful, fair and transparent.It’s si...

The Matildas will have to battle friends and rivals to win

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time ever, Australia has reached the final four of a World Cup.Tonight, the Matildas face some familiar foes when they go up against Eng...

The deal for teachers that went horribly wrong

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The teacher shortage across Australia has left public school educators feeling burnt out and undervalued – that’s if they haven’t already quit. ...

‘More likely to put carbon on the moon’: Australia’s deep sea dump

13 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What if solving the climate crisis was as easy as dumping and burying our carbon emissions in the ocean? Capturing carbon and storing it under the se...

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

12 Aug 2023

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”...

‘What about me?’: Why support for the Voice is slipping

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Anthony Albanese became prime minister he imagined an optimistic future for his government.Sensible reform in the first year that the public woul...

Why politicians are doomed if they ignore renters

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As rent prices continue to spiral and many tenants finding themselves at breaking point, the rental crisis shows no sign of slowing.The Greens are cal...

Inside the leaking of the Lehrmann trial inquiry

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It was an inquiry meant to get to the bottom of why the trial of Bruce Lehrmann had to be abandoned. Its goal was to improve the justice system and ho...

Why Peter Dutton is stealing from Martin Luther King Jr

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The iconic words of Martin Luther King Jr are now being used to promote the exact causes that the civil rights activist would have opposed. In the Un...

David Pocock on voting for ‘not great’ policy and how he wants to fix it

06 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Pocock admits that sometimes he's had to vote for policy he doesn’t fully agree with.The first-term senator came into parliament with the best...

Albanese vs the ‘Noalition’: It’s about to get spicy

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Parliament is back – and it ain’t pretty!The government is pushing ahead with its contentious housing bill and finds itself, once again, sparring ...

Scott Morrison reckons he’s blameless for robo-debt

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The royal commission into robo-debt found Scott Morrison to have allowed cabinet to be misled. Commissioner Cathrine Holmes also found he provided un...

Does Peter Dutton have a secret on Nauru?

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s offshore processing facility on Nauru now sits empty. The detention centre has been a feature of Nauru’s identity for over a decade, ...

Cooking with gas is about to become a hate crime

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australians love to heat their homes and cook their meals with gas, but its future in our households has a limit. Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews...

Taxing big business to fix the housing crisis

30 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australian housing is in crisis – the country doesn’t have enough affordable homes for the growing number of people who need them.This week, the A...

The Weekend Read: Don Watson on cancelling a war hero

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, author Don Watson will be reading his piece from the June issue of The Monthly, reflecting on WW2 ace pilot Sir Douglas Bader.Bader was a remar...

Elon Musk and the letter X: A love story

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has a new pet project. He is reinventing, and possibly destroying, the site formerly known as Twitter.Now known ...

Green groups getting cosy with government

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Environmental groups such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Australian Conservation Foundation are some of the biggest recipients of donations from A...

Who axed a sexual consent campaign for students?

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who would axe a campaign to promote consent on university campuses?We know that sexual assault of students is an enormous problem, and a national camp...

Does the Voice actually need a referendum?

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In recent days, there has been speculation over whether the government should abandon the referendum and instead legislate the Voice through parliamen...

Beyond PwC: The big consultancy rip-off

23 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It started with PwC, but now accusations are being levelled at the other big consultancy firms in Australia.Over the last 10 years, more and more gove...

Albanese’s media blitz as Voice support drops

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anthony Albanese concedes support for the Voice to Parliament has slipped.Polls taken around this time last year showed more than 60 per cent of respo...

How the Matildas are taking on the world

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off tonight, with the Matildas playing Ireland in Sydney.The 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia is completely sold o...

Jacqui Lambie on referring ADF commanders to The Hague

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The international criminal court in the Hague looks at some of the gravest war crimes and crimes against humanity.Now, Independent Senator Jacqui Lamb...

Will Michele Bullock fix the RBA?

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Reserve Bank of Australia is getting a new governor: Michele Bullock.It’s an historic appointment. Michele Bullock is the first ever woman to ho...

Can the Teals fight for the poor while representing the rich?

16 Jul 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...

The Weekend Read: John Safran on lessons from his friend, Father Bob Maguire

15 Jul 2023

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...

Inside Robo-debt: The Mother

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is one story that had radiated through the witness list at the robo-debt royal commission, which profoundly altered the shape of that inquiry: t...

Inside Robo-debt: The Minister’s Adviser

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Robo-debt should never have made it into the real world, but once it did, its gatekeepers became greedy and turned the scheme on full throttle.In late...

Inside Robo-debt: The Social Engineering of Shame

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How did robo-debt ever make it out of the lab?We may never get a perfect answer to that question. But there is one person who can help piece together ...

Inside Robo-debt: The Whistleblower

10 Jul 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...

Inside Robo-debt: The Shorten interview

09 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia was gaslit by its own government. From ministers to public servants – they backed something that was illegal, just to shake down innocent ...

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...