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When starting out at university, it’s normal to want to meet new friends and establish a community.  But for some young Australians, that formative time has led them down the path of a secretive and extreme religious sect that some former members describe as exerting “mind control” and taking over their lives.  So, who’s behind this group? And how are Australians being impacted? Today, contributor...

The gender pay gap in Australia is well documented, with data on the difference between men’s and women’s wages more detailed and comprehensive than ever. But we haven’t always been on a course for greater transparency. Almost a decade ago, the Coalition government attempted to dismantle open reporting on the gender pay gap. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Kristine Ziwica, on how Australi...

Peter Dutton is a lot of things: a right-wing firebrand, a former Queensland cop and a champion of what he believes are simple Australian values. But he’s also a multi-millionaire who colleagues describe as pleasant, shy, but fiercely ambitious. Lech Blaine spent months studying Peter Dutton’s past and political ascendency to discover who the leader of the opposition really is and what’s underneat...

Coles and Woolworths are in the sights of a Senate inquiry, which has been hearing evidence across Australia this week. It’s looking into whether prices are set fairly and what could be done to make them more reasonable. While that was underway, one of parliament's most colourful characters stole the show. Bob Katter has been ratcheting up a campaign of high-profile stunts to force the major parti...

The royal family is no stranger to gossip, innuendo and controversy. But this week, the rumours and speculation over the whereabouts and health of Kate Middleton reached new, conspiratorial depths.  So, after an official photo of Kate Middleton and her children was revealed to be digitally altered – leading to more questions than answers about the princess – how broken is the trust between the pub...

Zachary Rolfe, the former Northern Territory police officer who shot and killed an Indigenous teenager, Kumanjayi Walker, has been back in the witness box. Rolfe was acquitted of Walker’s murder in 2022, but now he’s given new evidence in a coronial inquest into the death.  So, what do newly revealed text messages and evidence tell us about the culture inside the Northern Territory police? And whe...

Stan Grant left the ABC, citing the media had failed — it had failed him and his family, and it had failed the country. Last week, he was struck by a stark reminder when the news of the charging of Sam Kerr in the UK led to an enormous amount of coverage that failed to deal with the story with grace, humanity and a real interrogation of what racism means. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper St...

It’s in the best interests of politicians to come up with policies that appeal to voters and secure their support at the next election. So it was particularly interesting when last week, Peter Dutton announced his first policy since becoming opposition leader. It’s something experts, including former strategists for the Liberal Party, say will lose Peter Dutton votes from the exact people they sho...

Today on the show, journalist Ange Lavoipierre will be reading her piece from a recent edition of The Monthly . In the suburb of Newtown, in Sydney, two support groups almost diametrically opposed are asking essentially the same question: how much sex is too much for one person?  In one group, the Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous meeting welcomes those who are ashamed about the size of their sexual...

Labor won the Dunkley byelection last weekend, but the Liberal Party spent most of the week claiming the result was a win for them as well. But even while the Liberal Party was claiming a groundswell in support, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton disappeared from public view. When Dutton emerged, he announced a reshuffle of his front bench. So, what was going on inside the Liberal Party? What message...

Despite the government’s commitment to cutting emissions and reaching net zero, Australia’s gas industry is expanding – and we’re making it easier for gas companies to do their business. So, who is behind the gas lobby? Who puts the most pressure on our politicians, and are they the usual suspects? Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on how the gas lobby is changing...

An alarming number of Australian boys are engaging with, and looking up to, the misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate. Tate’s influence is warping classroom conversation, driving female peers to the fringe of discussion and even causing some teachers to quit. So why are misogynistic influencers reaching so many young men? And how is it forcing teachers to walk away? Today, contributor to The Monthly...

Aunty Donnas Kerr has spent her life fighting for Indigenous rights.  A member of the stolen generations, she grew up seeing members of her family die in custody and marching the streets for justice.  In 2022, Aunty Donnas received a phone call about her own son, Joshua Kerr, who had died alone in a prison cell after calling out for help.  Today, the mother and sister of Joshua Kerr, Donnas and Ma...

A new bill that redefines Australia’s gas industry has a surprising section smuggled into the fine print. It’s designed to change not just the way we approve gas projects, but reshape the balance of power inside the Labor cabinet and take powers away from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. So who is behind this major shift, and what does it say about the gas lobby's influence over politics?  To...

Ten years ago, Schwartz Media launched its weekly independent newspaper, The Saturday Paper . On page three of its first edition was a story about a woman who had just become a household name: Rosie Batty. Thrust into the spotlight while grieving the murder of her son Luke at the hands of his father, Rosie Batty used the worst moment of her life to put domestic violence on the national agenda. Tod...

Scott Morrison has left the building. The former prime minister was known for his finely crafted personal image, a dad from the shire who loved rugby league.  But Morrison’s career was more notorious than that. From being the minister who forged ahead with robodebt, to proudly displaying a trophy for “stopping the boats” and famously saying he wouldn’t hold a hose during the bushfires.  So, who re...

Pork-barrelling isn’t illegal, but it's one of the dark arts of politics: governments spending money in seats they want to win. So, when does the practice cross the line from politicians faithfully serving the public into pork-barrelling and using taxpayer dollars to essentially bribe voters? Today, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton on the two Labor grants that a...

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton may have found the message he’s taking to the federal election: stop the “armada of boats”. It hasn’t been high on the agenda for years, but a couple of weeks ago a boat arriving in far north Western Australia gave him an opportunity to put the issue back on the front page. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, fact checks Peter Dutton’s...

Australia has spent almost 15 years trying to buy new surface ships for the navy, but they are still yet to arrive. That’s because governments have repeatedly thrown out the old plan to introduce their own. Last week, the Albanese government was the latest to reveal their plans for the future of the navy’s surface fleet. So, will it work? Today, emeritus professor of strategic studies at the Austr...

Today on the show, writer Jane Gleeson-White, with her piece from a recent edition of The Monthly . In inner-city Sydney, the heart of the urban jungle, Jane meets environmental lawyer turned activist, Michael Mobbs.  His ambition is to transform the concrete warren of terraces and narrow streets of Chippendale into a sustainable oasis.  Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Gues...

Julian Assange has spent years fighting to prevent his extradition to the United States and this week, the battle has come down to just two days in court, when his lawyers made what could be their final stand. The British High Court now holds his fate in its hands, as it considers his request for an appeal. So, while supporters anxiously await the judges’ ruling, what lies ahead for Julian Assange...

Jon Ronson has spent time with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, uncovered the secret US military program to train psychic soldiers and told the stories of the first people to be publicly shamed in the age of social media. Now, Ronson’s investigating the culture wars. From fears about left-wing activists taking over the streets to paranoia about vaccines – he charts the surprising origins of our mos...

After asylum seekers arrived by boat in Western Australia last week and were sent to Nauru, old debates about offshore immigration detention have been reanimated.  It comes as the government has admitted they aren’t able to account for $80 million paid to Papua New Guinea for the welfare and support of people formerly held in offshore detention. So, how did millions of taxpayer dollars disappear?...

The Bureau of Meteorology determines a lot: from whether we bring an umbrella to work, to how much warning we get of a natural disaster – all the way to what we know about climate change.  But now, serious questions are being raised about the bureau’s management – and it’s emerged that senior executives deliberately misled a federal court. So, why did they lie?  Today, senior reporter for The Satu...

It was three years ago last week that Brittany Higgins made allegations that rocked Australia. Those allegations resulted in a mistrial, and while Bruce Lehrmann strenuously maintained his innocence, many questions were raised about the handling of Higgins’ claims.  So, an inquiry was launched, to see if lessons could be learned to improve the justice system. But last week, we learned more about h...