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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...

Today on the show, author Carrie Tiffany, with her piece from The Monthly .  After the death of her mother, Carrie reflects on the hold of sugar upon her family’s health and history. Carrie will read her piece, ‘Sweet Regret’ after a short conversation with the Editor of the 7am podcast, Scott Mitchell. (This episode first aired in July 2023) Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram...

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 right, but for many, they knew him through his years of conversation with John Safran on TV and their Sunday Night radio show. Father Bob passed away earlier this year and received a state funeral in Melbourne and today we feature John’s writing ab...

Described by the Washington Post as "one of our greatest living novelists", Richard Flanagan has been writing for more than three decades. His 2013 novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North won the Booker Prize and his essays have been published across Australia and internationally. This week Michael heads to Tasmania to speak with Richard at his home in Hobart about his latest and most personal nov...

Melissa Lucashenko writes about big ideas and brutal experiences, but she does so with grace, with generosity and – maybe above all else – a rich sense of humour. In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This , Michael sits down with Melissa for a conversation about her new book, Edenglassie, and they discuss history, eccentric characters, and why writing a love story is a revolutionary...

George Saunders is one of literary fiction's most acclaimed living writers. Along with his many collections of short stories, he also published the Booker Prize-winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo . In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This , Michael chats with him about his life and career, and George reveals the three words that made him a writer. (This episode was first published...

Kate Grenville has spent her career bringing history to life, often using the lives of her own family to tell stories about the kinds of voices who are often left out of the official record. In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This , Michael heads to Kate's house to discuss her latest novel, Restless Dolly Maunder , and why she is preparing for the chance that someday someone’s goi...

Award-winning writer and historian Tony Birch grew up listening to stories from his nan, Alma.  In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This , Tony shares how Alma's advice has influenced his life and his writing. (This episode was first published in July 2023) Reading list: Shadowboxing , Tony Birch, 2006 Blood , Tony Birch, 2011 Ghost River , Tony Birch, 2015 Common People, Tony Birc...

John Hughes was once hailed as a young literary genius, and won a scholarship to Cambridge. Yet he found himself back in Australia working as a librarian and a teacher before his writing found an audience. Hughes was shortlisted for some of the greatest honours in Australian writing. But under the scrutiny of greater acclaim, a strange web of inconsistencies and copying struck one reader: Anna Ver...

The 2022 federal election saw a historic loss for the Coalition and a historic shift towards independent candidates like Allegra Spender in Sydney, Zoe Daniel in Melbourne and Kate Chaney in Perth.  Elected on promises to fight climate change, make progress on gender issues and advocate for more integrity in politics, the Teals flipped some of the wealthiest and safest Liberal seats.  But as the c...

Australia voted in the first referendum in over 20 years this year — a referendum billed as the culmination of decades of reconciliation work. Today, we’re looking back on this interview between Ange McCormack and Daniel James, on what the result revealed about the country and where we go from here. (This episode was first published in October 2023.) Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and I...

Australia can claim a significant world first: a special government adviser on Women’s Affairs. Fifty years ago, Elizabeth Reid stepped into the newly created role in Gough Whitlam’s government. Abortion access, workplace rights, contraception and education – it was a time of huge change in gender parity and access. But the reaction to Reid and the new position was vicious in some circles. She res...

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 were some on the frontline who knew from the very beginning that this government shakedown was wrong. One, Colleen Taylor, came forward at the royal commission. While senior leaders failed to recall, or refused to say how robo-debt happened, she tol...

At certain times of the year, a group of volunteers can be found roaming Canberra’s bush reserves bearing raw chicken carcasses – all in the name of saving and studying the small local population of goannas. Of particular interest to the volunteers is the Rosenberg’s monitor – only seven are known to be living in the area, and their survival in an environment so close to Canberra’s city is uncerta...

When Behrouz Boochani first wrote about life on Manus Island for The Saturday Paper in 2016, he described it as an island of the damned. Writing through WhatsApp, he documented the horrors of everyday life as a subject of Australia’s policies towards asylum seekers. Behrouz is now free, after being granted refugee status in New Zealand. Despite being told he would never step foot in Australia, las...

Former radio host Alan Jones was once the most influential broadcaster in the country. Now, he’s been accused of indecent assault by six men who revealed their allegations of abuse, which Jones denies, in reporting by the Nine newspapers.  This isn’t the first time Alan Jones has dealt with a scandal. In fact, his career has been defined by controversy, and his reputation is something he’s spent d...

The defamation trial between Bruce Lehrmann and Network Ten is nearing its end.  More than two weeks of the hearing has revealed emotional evidence from witnesses, exposed lies and shed new light on the culture inside Parliament House.  Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on the attitudes, behaviour and personal feuds in the lead up to the events in Canberra in March of 2019....

This time last year, the government was confident, popular and getting its agenda through without controversy. But a year later, the Labor government has slumped in the polls, lost a historic referendum and is now facing stronger opposition – both inside and outside the parliament. So, is this all a temporary blip, or an urgent warning? And does the Albanese government need to change course, or is...

The world’s biggest climate change summit, COP, is held every year with a bold vision: to bring nations together to negotiate and find solutions for the climate crisis. But COP28 faces criticism for becoming a corporate wasteland filled with lobbyists. So has the summit strayed from its purpose?  Today, climate leadership expert from the University of Melbourne , Linh Do, who is in Dubai at COP28,...

Rupert Murdoch’s global media empire is in decline - yet, as Malcolm Turnbull tells Paddy, he was still able to roll a sitting prime minister and be invited into cabinet. In this series finale, Paddy investigates Rupert’s relationship with Donald Trump and his ongoing impact on democracies around the world. Finally, with Lachlan taking over from his father, he explores how much longer the empire w...

A High Court decision ruling indefinite detention unlawful – leading to the release of 148 immigration detainees, some of whom are criminals – has sparked weeks of toxic political debate about refugees. In the last few days, the government raced to pass new immigration laws that will put an end to it, but the style of debate has already caused damage. So, what have we learned from the debacle, and...