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Over the long weekend, we're featuring episodes from the podcast Read This . In this episode, host Michael Williams chats with author Briohny Doyle, whose most recent novel Why We Are Here explores the complexities of grief, both individual and collective. They discuss the role of writing during the pandemic and how relationships with non-human others enable us to access repressed parts of ourselv...

Many Australians could have been infected with Covid-19 for the second, third or even fourth time in the last couple of months. That’s because a new variant of the virus has caused the biggest wave in over a year. But while for many the symptoms are milder, and the risks of serious illness are dropping – what do we need to know about the new variants still emerging? And what evidence do we have ab...

Yesterday, Labor’s emergency legislation on immigration detention was slammed by crossbenchers and the Greens as a “race to the bottom” on the way governments treat asylum seekers. But in the lead up to that move, criticisms that Labor is trying to be tougher than the Coalition on immigration laws have been growing louder.  So, why is Labor intent on being known for its hardline border policy? Tod...

If a child experiences a complex mental health condition like psychosis, everyone would agree that someone at such a young age needs careful and considered care. If drugs are prescribed, the benefits must outweigh the risks.  But there are fears that isn’t always happening, and that growing demand for mental healthcare means the people who need the most specific treatment aren’t always getting it....

An Australian court once ruled that the federal government has a duty of care to young people, to protect them from harm the climate crisis will inflict during their lifetimes. That decision was overturned on appeal, but today there’s an inquiry looking into how that responsibility could be enshrined in law via the parliament. It’ss been a long journey for the young woman who first brought that ca...

On the Las Vegas strip, in a sea of casinos, sits an enormous dome that lights up the sky. It’s called The Sphere and it’s a performance venue where punters are dazzled by 54 thousand metres of LED screens capable of showing 256 million colours, in a display so overwhelming that some concertgoers faint.  Writer Elmo Keep travelled to Vegas to see her favourite band U2 play at The Sphere in their i...

There are laws in Australia that desperately need to be overhauled and amended for the modern era.. But even with almost universal agreement that these laws need to be updated, the challenge is to get our politicians to agree on how to rewrite them. This is exactly the situation we find ourselves in on reforms to religious discrimination – which still protects religious schools' right to discrimin...

The Coalition is going all in on nuclear power. The opposition’s vision for Australia’s future puts the technology front and centre, despite experts’ concerns about its costs, risks and impracticalities. So, is there more to it than first appears? Have the Coalition found the answers to making nuclear work in Australia? Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper , Mike Seccombe, on the r...

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...