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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 small vineyard” and in it he tries to discover the true effort and cost of going organic and interrogates what difference it makes. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Writer, Konrad Muller Background reading: Notes from a sm...

The right to disconnect will become law, after an agreement was reached between the government, the Greens and independents. The law will help change our relationship to work and will perhaps allow us to finally log off. But it’s only one part of a massive new batch of workplace reform that is being passed into law. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on the changes to rights i...

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 a short statement. But the RBA’s first decision of the year marked a new era of transparency. After announcing an interest rate pause this week, governor Michele Bullock hosted a candid press conference where the board’s decision was finally allowed...

Nick Feik spent eight months looking into one of the worst institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse this country has ever seen… It took him to the Tasmanian town of Deloraine and to Ashley Youth Detention Centre – where he found a culture of violence, child sexual abuse, cover-ups, blame-shifting and a system incapable of rooting out abusers.  Today, contributor to The Monthly...

Videos of emotional protesters outside a private all-boys school in Sydney have gone viral, with some former students of Newington College opposing the school welcoming female enrolment. The topic of single-sex schooling is familiar to Chanel Contos – a consent advocate who has for years accused private boys schools of fostering a dangerous and toxic culture.  Today, founder of Teach Us Consent an...

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 selling their new tax cuts, giving interviews and addressing the National Press Club. So what makes the government confident they’ve made the right call? And how does it set up the political chessboard for the first week of parliament? Today, chief pol...

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 Africa and Indonesia. One person watching this closely is Anne Applebaum. She was calling out authoritarianism spreading around the world while western leaders were still shaking hands with Vladimir Putin.  So, where could the world’s politics be heading? ...

The ABC has started the year fighting off accusations of racism, unlawful dismissal and a failure to protect journalists from outside attacks.  The case of Antoniette Lattouf’s sacking, a description which the ABC denies, has ignited a debate about the broadcaster’s editorial policies, its coverage of the war in the Middle East and its vulnerability to external lobbying and pressure.  So, are the...

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 a vindication, as orders have been made to prevent any genocidal acts in Gaza and the ICJ will move towards a full trial. Others heralded it as a win for Israel, with the court refusing to make an order for the end of military action against Hamas. T...

The Labor government promised it would return transparency to government once elected at the 2022 election. More than anyone else that mission was given to the new first law officer of Australia: Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus. So how has he measured up to Labor’s promise? Today, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, on his essay in the new edition of The Monthly and his vision of a more honest Australian...

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. What does the change mean for all of us? Is there such a thing as a good promise to break? And does this decision signal that Anthony Albanese is taking a new approach to being prime minister? Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on...

Surrounded by what we know as the Kakadu National Park, the Northern Territory’s Ranger Uranium Mine finally ceased processing in 2021, after nearly 50 years of operation.  With the mine now closed, Kakadu’s traditional owners are seeking that the government make good on the original promise of a national park in their care. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Writer and...

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 celebrating Australia Day, many businesses and cultural institutions are moving ahead with not recognising a holiday that celebrates colonisation. So is the culture war actually failing? Is the debate over? And in the shadow of the referendum defeat, what is...

All over the world, humanity is rushing to regulate the development of artificial intelligence. Now, the Australian government has announced its first steps toward controlling the development of AI. But is it already too late? And do we really understand what the risks are? The technology is advancing at such a fast pace that some examples are becoming indistinguishable from real life. Today, Prof...

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 reached its end. Next month, Julian Assange has one final chance, to request an appeal of his extradition to the United States. If it fails, medical experts insist Assange will take his own life.  Today, Gabriel Shipton on his brother’s last shot at fr...

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 following a High Court decision, allows judges to strip a dual citizen of their Australian citizenship if they repudiate ‘Australian values’.  But, what are Australian values? And can they be defined, anyway? Today, constitutional and citizenship exper...

Supermarket prices have finally caught the attention of our leaders. While the cost of living crisis continues, customers and, now, politicians are becoming increasingly fed up with the price of groceries, while Woolworths and Coles rake in billions of dollars in profits. So, what can be done about it? And will government scrutiny be enough to fix an industry dominated by two powerful players? Tod...

Professional sport has grappled with how to address athletes’ domestic violence and sexual assault allegations for years. It’s an issue that’s currently unfolding before viewers worldwide, who are tuning into the Australian Open in Melbourne. Tennis star Alexander Zverev is playing at the tournament while facing domestic violence allegations and an impending trial in Germany. Today, sports journal...

Donald Trump has passed the first electoral test of his ambitious campaign to return to the White House. The former president convincingly won the Republican caucus in Iowa, asserting his stronghold over the party, less than four years after losing the presidential election to Joe Biden. Trump is now likely to become the Republican presidential nominee. So, what does his victory say about America?...

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 against the ABC, Lattouf alleges she was dismissed over a pro-Palestine social media post, as well as claiming systemic racial discrimination within the organisation against people of Arab or Muslim backgrounds. Meanwhile, the public broadcaster is d...

The catholic church is known for running schools and charity services in Australia, but it also operates more than 20 publicly funded hospitals.  It’s an arrangement that helped bring healthcare to the public before Australia was even federated, but it often goes unnoticed by patients.  So, what happens when a hospital run by a catholic body gets into major financial strife? Today, senior reporter...

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 – one that could last all year. But the longer the war continues, the more devastating the humanitarian situation in Gaza becomes, and the higher the chance of more war breaking out across the region. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper and Middle Eas...

A clinic inside Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital is quietly changing lives through the power of tattoos.  The Combined Breast Service offers breast reconstruction, including making nipples anew with tattoo ink. It’s an offering that empowers post-mastectomy patients and breast cancer survivors, who often grapple with accepting their new chests.  Today, author Katherine Wilson will be reading her...

Today on the show, writer Richard King, with his piece ‘Machine Learning’ about the AI chatbot ChatGPT. He begins his story with discourse sweeping a university campus as AI reaches the hands of ordinary students and teachers. How will this technology – still only a few months old – change not only teaching and marking, but the very nature of the transfer of knowledge? This is the question he sets...

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” – is the memorable opening line of L.P. Hartley’s 1953 novel, The Go-Between . It’s a line that has stuck with Christos Tsiolkas since he read it in high school - and a sentiment that has made him reflect on his life, his migrant parents’ lives, and t...