7am

Monique Ryan on the fight to free Julian Assange

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the years, countless efforts have been made to release Julian Assange.As of now, he’s still likely to be extradited to the United States to fac...

From ‘jokers’ to right-wing slogan masters

05 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While they’re far from a household name, almost all Australians have now heard the political messages they craft. Advance, a right-wing campaigning...

The Weekend Read: Nicole Hasham on a Christian monument a decade in the making

04 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, journalist Nicole Hasham, with her piece from a recent edition of The Monthly. On top of a hill in a remote Aboriginal community, hours from A...

Rupert: The Last Mogul: Two blasted young reds

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After his father’s death, a young Rupert inherits a small newspaper in 1950s Adelaide. There, he teams up with the paper’s editor to save a man se...

Are our leaders playing politics with war?

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As images of the Gaza ground invasion continue to dominate the news, many Australians are distressed and grieving.Divides in the community are also re...

Israel, Hamas and what comes next

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Parmeter was Australia’s ambassador to Lebanon when Hezbollah was fighting Israel in the late 1990s.And although there are parallels between wha...

'Interests not friends': Australia's $368 billion submarine gamble

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Anthony Albanese and Joe Biden toasted each other last week, one of the most significant deals in Australian history hung in the background.The AUK...

Why Australia refused to vote on a truce in Gaza

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend, Israel said it was entering the ‘second stage of war’ with Hamas.Israel destroyed phone and internet capabilities in Gaza, while...

Inside the new China-Australia relationship

29 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For three years, China and Australia had virtually frozen their diplomatic ties – our largest trading partner and regional superpower was not pickin...

Rupert: The last mogul (Episode 0)

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rupert Murdoch is the media’s most powerful man. His newspapers and TV networks can topple leaders, change policies and throw into doubt the outcome...

What was the point of Albanese’s US trip?

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Anthony Albanese was given the highest honour a guest of the US president can receive, a state dinner – attended by powerbrokers from Was...

Secret hostage negotiations and the delayed invasion in Gaza

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Calls are growing louder for a ceasefire, or at least a “humanitarian truce”, in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.Israeli troops are still on...

‘Too slow’: Zali Steggall assesses Labor’s climate action

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Independent MP Zali Steggall has used her time in parliament to advocate for stronger climate targets, and criticised both Labor and Coalition governm...

‘Payment suspended’: Hundreds of thousands caught in unfair system

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Australia, if you’re on welfare your payment can be suspended by a for-profit, private company – even if you’ve done nothing wrong.With tens ...

Thomas Mayo on what follows the Voice

22 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Thomas Mayo, one of the most prominent “Yes” campaigners for the referendum, is still reeling from its defeat. But after observing a week of sile...

Read This: David Marr vs Australia’s Old Lie

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For many Australians, facing the reality of this country is a task that has proved enduringly difficult, both at a public and a political level. For i...

Treaty: Is it possible after a Voice defeat?

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After the Voice to Parliament was rejected, attention turned to Canberra this week to ask what’s next.But for those who held out any hope our politi...

‘Totally f***ed you over’: Australia’s reputation on climate

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s record on climate action places us well behind other countries. But, at a global summit in New York last month, you’d be forgiven for...

Right-wing politics and the lie of 'activist judges'

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The US Supreme Court has become extraordinarily politicised. Judge appointments are watched like a spectator sport and decisions like the overturning...

What would an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza mean?

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The international community could soon bear witness to the ground invasion of Gaza, one of the most densely populated residential areas in the world.T...

The ‘true elite’ behind the ‘No’ win

15 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The “No” campaign’s victory was anything but assured 12 months ago. It’s victory came from the elevation of key spokespeople and talking point...

Australia votes 'No': Is this the end of reconciliation?

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australians have resoundingly voted against the Voice to Parliament referendum in every state. First Nations Australians won’t be recognised in the...

The Fight for a Voice: The future

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow, Australia will vote on the future of reconciliation.It’s a binary question, but we’re being asked to consider the country’s relationsh...

The Fight for a Voice: The conservative case for ‘No’

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There was a time when conservatives could have supported the Voice, by backing a proposal brought by Indigenous Australians at the request of then pri...

The Fight for a Voice: Inside the case for ‘Yes’

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The “Yes” campaign set out to accomplish a rare feat in Australian politics: to win a majority of Australians and a majority of states. That is, t...

The Fight for a Voice: The progressives voting ‘No’

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the course of the referendum’s official campaign, the case against the Voice has been dominated by the conservative “No” campaign, led by O...

The Fight for a Voice: The road to the referendum

08 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On October 14, we will be asked a question to which we must answer yes or no.While the question itself is simple, the issues in and around the debate ...

The Weekend Read: Robyn Annear on the untold history in our public toilets

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, writer and historian Robyn Annear, with her piece from the September edition of The Monthly. While researching the opening of the ...

Is this week a turning point for ‘Yes’?

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia will vote in the historic Voice to Parliament referendum in just over a week.While the “Yes” camp has lost support throughout the campai...

Micheline Lee on fixing the NDIS

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Barely a decade ago the NDIS, the scheme to support Australians living with a disability, was called the social reform of a generation.Last week it wa...

Is Australia about to burn again?

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend, 85 fires blazed across New South Wales. Fires remained out of control in Victoria’s Gippsland yesterday, and more threatened homes...

How an Australian pastor is influencing the presidential race

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, is hoping to be the next president of the United States.To become the Republican nominee, Ron DeSantis knows wh...

The woman fighting to end sex discrimination in Australia

01 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has a new Sex Discrimination Commissioner.Anna Cody will be tasked with tackling discrimination on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation an...

The Pezzullo texts: How power really works in Canberra

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of Australia’s top-paid public servants has been accused of trying to pull the strings of senior federal politicians. Texts from Mike Pezzullo,...

Olympus has fallen: Dan Andrews is gone

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Andrews was a premier like no other. As Labor’s longest-serving Victorian leader he provoked outrage, conspiracies and adoration beyond his stat...

Inside Lachlan's plans for the Murdoch empire

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rupert Murdoch changed the face of global media – and now he’s stepping down from his empire and giving it to his son, Lachlan. Only a few years ...

Is Australia about to waste our biggest opportunity?

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When US President Joe Biden was looking at how to make the largest economy in the world switch to electricity, he turned to an Australian…Dr Saul Gr...

The Albanese interview: There's still hope for the Voice

24 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joins us for a special conversation about the Voice to Parliament. In this episode, the prime minister shares ...

The Weekend Read: Patrick Dodson makes his case for the Voice

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode is a very special edition of Weekend Read. Patrick Dodson is a respected Aboriginal elder, a federal Senator, and widely known as t...

Is the ‘No’ campaign imploding?

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The campaigning around the Voice to Parliament has been heated, but this week figures in the “No” camp threatened to turn that negativity on each ...

‘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...