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In the spring of 2012, an unarmed Afghan villager, Ali Jan, was allegedly kicked off a cliff by Ben Roberts-Smith, who then purportedly directed another soldier to execute him. That allegation was central to the landmark defamation action brought by Roberts-Smith, where the court found it to be “substantially true”.  Roberts-Smith has appealed that decision and the allegations have never been prov...

Today on the show, Author and founder of AIME (the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) Jack Manning Bancroft. Published on the day of the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, Jack’s piece is a statement on the continuing power of Indigenous knowledge systems, despite the long shadow of a failed referendum outcome. Jack will read his story, ‘The Indigenous Knowledges Systems La...

Off-the-record lunches, handwritten notes and a bouquet of red roses mark Rupert’s secret friendship with Britain’s most controversial PM, Margaret Thatcher. She helps drive Rupert to become the most powerful media mogul in the commonwealth. Together they will stoke wars against enemies both foreign and within. With Thatcher’s support, Rupert will pull off his most daring piece of business, and ar...

Social harmony in Australia is under threat. The war in Gaza is prompting concerns about rising anti-Semitism and Islamophobia locally, and these deeply felt and wounding subjects are being hotly debated in our parliament. This week, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton clashed in one of the most fiery parliamentary confrontations since they assumed the roles of prime minister and opposition leader,...

If it wasn’t for the images of devastation emerging from Gaza in the Israel-Hamas war, this conflict would have the world on edge. It is happening just a few hundred kilometres to the north of Gaza, on the border between Lebanon and Israel – Hezbollah, the most powerful non-state military force in the world, is getting involved. Today, world editor of The Saturday Paper Jonathan Pearlman, on what...

The murder of a young woman at an elite private school – and the reaction from a former principal – has led to nationwide outrage. It’s also highlighted a broader culture of privilege in which young boys are protected from consequence or culpability. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on the murder of Lilie James, and what it tells us about our most elite institutions. Socia...

The parole system exists to help people in prison who are no longer deemed a risk to the community begin to re-enter society. But the death in custody of an Indigenous woman who had been eligible for release for a year has raised questions about whether the laws are too strict. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Denham Sadler on the consequences of Victoria’s parole laws, and the case for fu...

Australia is not out of the woods on the cost-of-living crisis – prices are still rising too fast. Last week, the RBA were so concerned that they hiked interest rates again, saying it’s the only way to slow down the spending that’s pushing prices higher. But who is doing the spending? And how do they have money to throw around? Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on...

Rupert wields enormous influence over Australia’s political landscape, but it wasn’t always this way. In the 1960s and ’70s, Rupert's struggle to step out of his father’s shadow drives him to launch the first national broadsheet. His gamble pays off when the paper helps elect our most ambitious and progressive leader, Gough Whitlam.  But as Rupert gets closer to power, he’ll learn just how far his...

Humanitarians say the crisis in Gaza is like nothing they’ve ever seen before.  There are especially grave concerns about the lives of children, after the deaths of at least 4000 children in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began. It’s why 18 international aid agencies – including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children – have now called for a ceasefire.  Israel, however, says it can’t enter...

It’s been a long time coming, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally met Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. The friendly meeting is in stark contrast to our diplomatic relationship in recent years, when China wasn’t picking up the phone to Australia.  So how did it go? Why are both leaders so keen to restore ties? And can the relationship be repaired without compromise? Today, chief poli...

Renters across Australia are facing a worsening housing crisis. With hikes in rents and growing complaints about the quality of living in rental homes, many are at breaking point.  But now, as national cabinet considers options for strengthening the hand of those who rent, a High Court judgement has redrawn the relationship between tenants and landlords. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Pap...

Over the years, countless efforts have been made to release Julian Assange. As of now, he’s still likely to be extradited to the United States to face charges that amount to over 100 years in jail. The latest attempt to free him has united an unlikely band of politicians: members of the Greens, Labor, the Coalition and Independents recently travelled to the US to call for Assange’s release. Today,...

While they’re far from a household name, almost all Australians have now heard the political messages they craft.  Advance, a right-wing campaigning group, has gained enormous ground in the past few years, and played a crucial role in defeating the Voice referendum. So who are they? And what are they after next?  Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on how a mysterio...

Today, journalist Nicole Hasham, with her piece from a recent edition of The Monthly .  On top of a hill in a remote Aboriginal community, hours from Alice Springs, is an unmissable sight: a 20 metre high, steel Christian cross. It’s a monument that was a decade in the making, cost 2 million dollars to build, and has attracted the interest of Hollywood star Mel Gibson. But despite the grandiosity,...

After his father’s death, a young Rupert inherits a small newspaper in 1950s Adelaide. There, he teams up with the paper’s editor to save a man sentenced to hang. When the paper is threatened, a ruthless streak emerges in the boy publisher. He brings down the man he saw as a father figure.  In the present day, Paddy finds an unpublished manuscript that sheds new light on how Rupert’s relationship...

As images of the Gaza ground invasion continue to dominate the news, many Australians are distressed and grieving. Divides in the community are also reflected among our politicians – with splits emerging not just between the major parties, but within them. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper , Paul Bongiorno, on how bipartisanship has been lost over conflict in the Middle East and the fault li...

Ian Parmeter was Australia’s ambassador to Lebanon when Hezbollah was fighting Israel in the late 1990s. And although there are parallels between what he saw then and what is happening today in Gaza, the situation is very different. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and prevent it from ever launching another attack like the one on October 7 – but is that even po...

As Anthony Albanese and Joe Biden toasted each other last week, one of the most significant deals in Australian history hung in the background. The AUKUS submarine deal isn’t just one of the biggest spends our government has ever made, it also promises to transform Australia’s military relationship with the United States. Today, spokesperson on Defence for the Australian Greens, Senator David Shoe...

Over the weekend, Israel said it was entering the ‘second stage of war’ with Hamas. Israel destroyed phone and internet capabilities in Gaza, while a large number of Israeli troops crossed the border. The civilian death toll is mounting daily.  Meanwhile, a majority of countries at the UN General Assembly voted in support of a humanitarian truce.  So, why did Australia abstain from the vote?  Toda...

For three years, China and Australia had virtually frozen their diplomatic ties – our largest trading partner and regional superpower was not picking up the phone. But there’s been a rapid turnaround in the relationship. Ahead of a visit this week by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, we’ve seen the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei and the scrapping of trade tariffs. So, what will Albanese...

Rupert Murdoch is the media’s most powerful man. His newspapers and TV networks can topple leaders, change policies and throw into doubt the outcome of entire elections. In this six-part series from Schwartz Media, investigative journalist Paddy Manning charts Rupert Murdoch’s rise from a small newspaper in Adelaide to his reign as the last global media mogul. Find out what drives Rupert Murdoch a...

This week, Anthony Albanese was given the highest honour a guest of the US president can receive, a state dinner – attended by powerbrokers from Washington and Hollywood. But while the PM was riding high in the US, back home his government is polling at its lowest levels since their election. So, is it all downhill from here? Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on why Labor is...

Calls are growing louder for a ceasefire, or at least a “humanitarian truce”, in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israeli troops are still on standby at the border, and the Netanyahu government seems committed to pushing into Gaza. But though several hostages have been freed, hundreds are still held by Hamas – can Israel invade without putting their lives at risk? Today, world editor of The...

Independent MP Zali Steggall has used her time in parliament to advocate for stronger climate targets, and criticised both Labor and Coalition governments for not acting fast enough.  Now she’s calling for an urgent change to our climate targets in Australia, to raise them and to include every sector in the economy. Today, Member for Warringah Zali Steggall on what climate action she wants to see...