Backchat

Commuters, drivers and Western Sydney students were among the state budget's winners... but what about the losers? Producer Rebecca Cushway dives deep on where the money is flowing.  On a related note, UNSW has just announced plans to expand their presence in Parramatta by building a new campus. Over ten years the University will invest over $65 million in a multi faculty campus that can acco...

On April 26, eleven Australians set sail from Sicily aboard the second Global Sumud Flotilla with the mission to break the Israeli siege on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. Among the activists was 22-year-old community organiser Ethan Floyd. Following the interception of their vessel in international waters, Ethan and five fellow activists were detained by the Israeli Occupation Forces. After re...

Palantir Technology is in the news, and not in a good way. Tech reporter at Crikey Cam Wilson dives into the controversial tech company's growing influence on global politics, including how it's become entangled with Australian surveillance and international conflict.  Is conservatism making a comeback among young people? A new report from IPSOS and the King’s College London suggests Ge...

Were you one of the hundreds of thousands gathered at Melbourne’s Albert Park to bring in the 2026 Formula One season last week? Producer Nyaboth Chuol breaks down F1's newfound popularity and diversity in the sport. NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson joins to discuss the risks associated with Operation Shelter, a controversial new police operation initially designed to combat anti-semitism and isl...

Have you been keeping up with the Heated Rivalry craze? Producer Eva Sikes-Gerogiannis breaks down why women in particular are loving the show, and our obsession with the gay romance genre. NSW’S first queer ice hockey club, Harbour Lights Hockey Club, celebrated Mardi Gras with the Pride on Ice Tournament. Producer Jess D’Souza speaks to Harbour Lights’ president Brigitta Slinn...

A terrorism charge has been laid over an attempted bombing at the Invasion Day rally in Perth, nine days after the attack. Producer Pongyada Sootthipong speaks to Roxy Moore, Noongar organiser of the Boorloo Invasion Day rally, about the aftermath of violence on a day of mourning and solidarity for the First Nations community. Anti Cop founder Tom Raue joins to break down the heavily criticised po...

Ahead of Israeli president Isaac Herzog's state visit to Australia, producer Gabriella Accaria breaks down his political background and the reception of his visit by politicians and activist groups.  The findings from the coronial inquest into the Bondi Junction stabbing were recently handed down, highlighting the importance of housing for people living with a mental health condition. Habilis...

We're back for 2026! The Australian Open is one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, so how did it turn into a spectacle of everything but tennis? Producer Gabriella Accaria unpacks the social, cultural, economic and geopolitical issues at the Australian Open with Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management at the University of Technology Sydney.  Pride in Protest members...

Producer Pongyada Sootthipong breaks down the drama at last week’s TikTok Awards in Sydney following allegations of racism against its Black creators. Zee Feed founder Crystal Andrews unpacks the discussions kicked up around Australia’s media diversity. Would you swim in the Cooks River again? Backchat speaks to Brooke about her ventures diving in the river, amidst council plans to cle...

The City of Parramatta Council believes it has done its "fair share" in building housing, and will write to the state government to ask to be exempt from the Housing Development Authority. Backchat producer and local council head Holly explains what this means for development in Western Sydney.  The Albanese government increased funding for 1800 RESPECT by 40% in light of the International Da...

Producer Euan Kielly breaks down the beef between pharmacists and GPs after a proposal to expand the scope of practice for pharmacists to include medicine prescriptions.   Demolition work has begun on a 35-year-old public housing estate in Glebe. Producer Gabriella Accaria unpacks the fight to defend public housing against privatisation with ACP member Dan Miller and Socialist Alliance seat f...

Who is putting up, and now tearing down, the Greek anarchist posters in Sydney’s suburb of Earlwood? Producer Gabriella Accaria talks to Dr Sky Croeza to investigate.   Producer Euan Kielly joins to break down the uptick in triple-zero outages and telecommunications failures in Australia.   Have you stumbled upon the ‘Cairo Takeaway needs our help’ posts on your social...

Pro-Palestinian protestors clashed with police outside the recent Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney. Dani Zhang takes us through how the government's support of the defence expo contradicts its public statements about Australia's role about the war in Gaza.  Producer Jessica D'Souza chats to NSW Treaty Commissioner Naomi Moran about the process towards a treaty with Abo...

Host Eva Sikes-Gerogiannis speaks about the controversial opening of a kebab shop by notorious Sydney influencer and outspoken homophobe, Spanian, in Sydney's queer capital, Newtown. Executive producer Bec Cushway gives an update on the recent highs and lows of trans healthcare policies in Queensland. Eva and Bec discuss the Labor Party's leaked talking points on Israel and Palestine and it's poli...

The Good Food Guide has announced that they are no longer recommending Merivale venues due to allegations made against the company, shortly after dropping Swillhouse venues late last year. Producer Bec Cushway joins to explain the impact on venues and food media. Producer Gabriella Accaria investigates why Orthodox Christianity is seeing a revival among young people. Have you wrestled with a chatb...

EDIT: This episode has been edited after broadcast to accurately reflect the input of the author of the petition to Mandate Trauma-Informed Training for All NSW Police Officers, Claudia Kuper. Over ten thousand people have signed a legislative assembly petition calling for mandated trauma-informed training for NSW Police. Producer Pongyada Sootthipong speaks to lead petitioner Claudia Kuper and so...

A new report from market research behemoth Roy Morgan has shown that, while fewer people think homosexuality is immoral than they did 20 years ago, the rate at which that is changing has slowed dramatically. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine joins the show to break down the findings.  As neo-nazis become increasingly visible on streets all around Australia, we're rerunning producer Emilios Kwasne...

Are numbers and statistical data as objective as people think they are? Producer Nyaboth Chuol and journalist Madi Chwasta get into why understanding how stats work could stop you (and your middle aged relos on Facebook) from falling down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole.  Dani and Bec also chat with Estelle Grech, head of planning and policy at the Committee for Sydney, about whether Parramat...

To break down the recent news that Melbourne University Press is closing Meanjin, Australia’s second-oldest literary journal, Holly explains why this is about much more than just finances or literary snobbery. A major conversation is unfolding in New South Wales following the state’s first drug summit in 25 years, with growing calls to reform driving laws for medical cannabis users. To...

To unpack the impacts of cancer rates skyrocketing in young people, Producer Jaspar McCahon-Boersma talks with hosts Dani Zhang and Tanita Razaghi, with audio from Rare Cancer Australia CEO Christine Cockburn. A major campaign is slowly gaining momentum across New South Wales, calling on the state’s criminal  justice system to provide extra support for victim-survivors of sexual violenc...

We start off the start of spooky season strong with a harrowing tale of real estate developers, NIMBYs and former antique dealers. Producer Holly Payne breaks down Woollahra's ghost train station and the future of development in the city's east. Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance deputy CEO Adam Portelli also joins to discuss the death of journalists in Gaza.  Next, Asylum Seeker Resource...

For the first time in 25 years, the NSW government has launched a regional plan to support Western Sydney arts, culture and creative industries. Producer Pongyada Sootthipong joins to discuss how the plan will impact historically underfunded arts communities. Have you or a loved one fallen in love with an AI companion? Producer Eva Sikes-Gerogiannis dives into the dark world of AI-induced psychosi...

Do young Australians still care about the Logies? Producer Jessica D'Souza dives into the lack of cultural representation of the Logies and the future of Aussie TV.  We live in an era of constant surveillance, and online and every little bit of our info is being harvested by tech companies to more effectively sell you stuff. Researcher Lena Prosky unpacks these risks and explores how weakened...

On Thursday the 31st July, producer Gabriella Accaria attended the Australian Communist Party's screening of 'To Kill A War Machine', a documentary about Palestine Action and their militant strategy of targeting weapons manufacturers, a group that has been designated a terrorist group by the UK. In response, documentary producers Rainbow Collective have authorised no further screenings of the film...

Last week, producer Jaspar McCahon-Boersma sat down with Eleanor Morley, the Secretary of the NSW Socialists party. Some of that interview made its way into his story on the launch of the party on our most recent Backchat episode below, but we wanted to bring you the full interview - and here it is.  If you haven't heard the story covering the party's launch, who rocked up, and what they care...