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In 2014 two friends from Sydney created a company that transformed the way we buy and sell things online. That company, Afterpay, has become a bedrock of the online shopping experience, growing exponentially every year. Its success was cemented when it was sold for $39 billion, making it the largest corporate deal in Australian history. Afterpay promises the allure of credit-free online shopping....

No matter which major party wins the next federal election, the top 5 percent of income earners in Australia will receive tax cuts worth 180 dollars a week.  These tax cuts, which will overwhelmingly benefit high income earners, will cost the budget 300 billion dollars over 10 years. So how will those cuts be funded? According to those in the social services sector it's likely to be made from cuts...

Eighteen months into the pandemic Scott Morrison has announced a plan for the way out, underpinned by modelling from one of our most respected scientific institutes, The Doherty Institute. The plan itself, which has four phases, is based on vaccination rates. It predicts we could be living almost as normal when we reach 80 percent of the population fully vaccinated.  But how likely are we to reach...

For thousands of years naturally occurring psychedelics have been used medicinally. But for the past few decades, research into their potential has been on hold, because their supply and use is illegal. Now, things are changing. In Australia there are a number of trials currently underway investigating the use of psychedelics as a way to treat depression and addiction.  But while the research is h...

In 2018 singer Billie Eilish released her debut album ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ With it the teenager pretty much immediately changed the face and sound of modern pop music. Her album won all four of the major categories at the Grammy awards that year. The first time that’s happened since 1981. Her hit Bad Guy took out the top spot on the Hottest 100, making her both the youngest p...

Today, Scott Ludlam, ICAN ambassador and former Australian Greens Senator, reads his cover essay from the latest issue of The Monthly . It’s called ‘The Endgame’. It explores the trial of Julian Assange, and the powers fighting to extradite him, while his condition deteriorates in a UK prison. Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Scott Ludlam, ICAN ambassador and former Australian...

After riding high in the opinion polls for the past 12 months, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is now facing the consequences of a slow and messy vaccine rollout. To try and claw back public support the PM has tried to tap into the country’s Olympic spirit, describing our vaccine challenge as a “gold medal” race. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the intertwined fates of the...

Sydney has been in lockdown for six weeks now, but the number of Covid-19 infections is still continuing to rise. While most residents are able to stay at home, thousands of essential workers are traveling to their place of employment everyday, to keep the city turning. They’re doctors, nurses, teachers, carers, but they’re also cooks, cleaners and factory workers. And according to the state gover...

More than three million Australians face a health crisis that can severely impact their quality of life: chronic pain. But many people experiencing chronic pain are let down by an outdated healthcare system. It’s a system that frustrates both patients and doctors, so is it time for a radical overhaul of how public health operates in Australia? Today, Beth Atkinson Quinton speaks to The Saturday Pa...

Hosting the Olympics is an honour that cities have competed for over a century. It’s seen as recognition of a nation’s economic superiority, and a source of national pride.  But, is winning the bid to host the Games really worth it?  As some cities are finding - dealing with the International Olympic Committee can leave them financially and legally ruined. Today, national correspondent for The Sat...

Every two years the Australian and US defence forces engage in a massive military exercise called Talisman Sabre. It's about strategising for potential conflict - and this year, many observers say the focus has been on China. The wargames haven’t gone unnoticed - in fact, the Chinese navy sent two spy ships to monitor the situation. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Brian Toohey on the dang...

The original Gossip Girl debuted 14 years ago and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Now the show is back with a brand new cast and brand new storyline, along with promises of more politically correct storylines. But do we need a new version of the show in 2021? And is it even any good? To answer these questions, and more, New York City based culture writer Tara Kenny joins the show.   Guest: T...

While many Australians were focused on watching the Olympics this week, the federal Labor Opposition quietly made some significant policy changes. The party has now fallen in line with the government's tax cuts for the wealthy, despite previously labelling them unfair and ineffective. The backflip comes as Labor tries to minimise potential attacks from the Coalition, ahead of the next election. To...

Last weekend thousands of people marched across Australia to protest against lockdowns. Officially the rallies were called “Marches for Freedom”... but attendees represented a wide cross-section of the community, from anti-vaxxers, to conspiracy theorists, and the far-right. But the sheer size of the protests suggests that the anti-lockdown movement might also be crossing over into the political m...

Over the past few weeks a slow-moving weather event has led to record high temperatures across North America. This kind of event is known as a heat dome, and it’s breaking existing models that try to predict the weather. Today, journalist for The Saturday Paper Max Opray on why this particular heat even is alarming climate scientists, and what it means for the next Australian summer. Stay in touch...

If there’s a state government the Prime Minister has spent the most time talking up over the past year it’s the one led by Gladys Berejiklian.  Scott Morrison has regularly praised the NSW Premier for her government’s so-called ‘gold standard’ approach to contact tracing, and unwillingness to enter lockdown. But behind the surface there are growing tensions between key Liberal party figures in NSW...

In Australia, DNA testing has been routinely used for decades in deciding who can and can’t enter the country. The tests can be used to unify families, but they can also tear them apart. The story of one couple trying to make a new home in Australia has raised new questions about how exactly the tests work, and if they discriminate against people from certain racial backgrounds. Today, writer Osca...

Britney Spears is one of the biggest music stories in the world right now, but it’s not because of her music. It's to do with the saga of her controversial 13 year long conservatorship. In 2019 the Free Britney hashtag and movement went viral. More recently we’ve seen a series of documentaries covering the issue, and the story has grown and grown. Then, a few weeks ago, after years of silence, we...

After being postponed last year, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games officially begin tonight in the middle of Japan’s third wave of Covid-19 and amidst a pandemic that is still raging across the world. Tens of thousands of athletes and officials have poured into Tokyo, but stadiums will be empty, with fans prohibited from taking part. But, with athletes pulling out and more and more participants testing...

Throughout this pandemic one group in particular have been at the forefront of key policy debates: young people . From whether schools should close, to how likely children are to get sick from Covid-19, the conversation has been filled with uncertainty and doubt. But as we’ve learnt more about the virus, a new fault-line has emerged: the question of how and when to vaccinate young people. Today, c...

Four years ago the mining giant Adani was struggling to fund its massive coal project in Queensland’s Galilee Basin. Public pressure and a political backlash had stalled the company’s plans to build the biggest coal mine in the country. So Adani turned to the Chinese government to try and secure its financing.  Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper , Mike Seccombe on how a group of...

The rapidly spreading Delta variant has forced nearly half of Australia’s population back into lockdown, and it’s not clear when the restrictions might end. The slow uptake of vaccinations has been pointed to as a key factor behind the latest outbreaks, and how fast they spread. But why is vaccine uptake so slow in Australia? Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on how shiftin...

The Tarkine rainforest, in Tasmania's north west, is Australia's largest temperate rainforest and home to some of the country’s most endangered species.  So far it’s natural wilderness has remained largely untouched. But now a mining company has started clearing the Tarkine, to build a new dam. And the project could cause irreparable damage to the natural environment.   Today, former leader of the...

In 2017 Melbourne musicians Ed Service and Jack Madin recorded a song in their Brunswick studio. It was recorded with, and for, their friends. The track got some love at local gigs and warehouse parties, but disappeared pretty quickly. Ed and Jack soon moved on with their lives and got day jobs. But four years later that song they wrote has gone international. It’s playing at festivals and stadium...

This week Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a new COVID-19 financial support package for Sydneysiders currently in lockdown.  The new measures were welcomed as a necessary response to help those impacted by a loss of work and business. But the announcement was met with frustration from other states, particularly Victoria, who had been asking for help during their own lockdowns. Today, contri...