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This week, Tony Abbott re-emerged in a string of radio and television interviews. Some Liberals speculate it is part of a push he is making to become president of the NSW Liberal Party.  In the course of this, Abbott has also become a surprise backer of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s foreign policy. Another big week of international meetings was met with applause by a former prime minister bett...

At its worst, long Covid can lead to complete debilitation. It can cause fatigue and an inability to complete basic tasks. But understanding the cause and the cure for the illness has been a challenge for scientists.  This challenge becomes more urgent as case numbers rise.  Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Bianca Nogrady on the people living with long Covid. Socials: Stay in touch with us...

Hillsong is in crisis. More and more people are leaving. But what happens after someone leaves the church? And what does it tell us about how the church operates? Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Tanya Levin on why former Hillsong members are increasingly reporting that they suffer PTSD and what’s known as religious trauma syndrome. Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper Tanya Levin See...

Late last week, the attorney-general dropped charges against whistleblower Bernard Collaery. It was a sensational development in a case that has outraged many. But Collaery is not the only whistleblower on trial for revealing shocking misconduct by the government, the public service, or the army. What’s next for those cases? Today, lawyer and contributor to The Saturday Paper Kieran Pender on the...

Boris Johnson has announced he will resign as Prime Minister of the UK. He once delivered his party historic victories, but now he is being called a risk to the United Kingdom and an existential threat to the existence of the Conservative party — by some of his own colleagues. So how did one man do so much political damage? Today, World Editor of The Saturday Paper , Jonathan Pearlman on Boris Joh...

Anthony Albanese returned from Europe this week to several crises sweeping the country. Floods have devastated communities on the east coast, and now two new subvariants of Omicron have health authorities warning another wave of Covid-19 infections is only ramping up. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Chris Wallace on the end of Anthony Albanese’s honeymoon and the urgent work ahead for the...

NASA’s latest mission to Mars has the explicit aim of discovering whether or not there has been life on the red planet. It’s led by the first Australian and the first woman to lead such a major mission for NASA, astrobiologist Abigail Allwood.  So what are scientists uncovering and are we closer than ever before to discovering evidence of life on Mars? Today, contributor to The Monthly Will Higgin...

Yesterday afternoon, the Reserve Bank of Australia lifted rates for the third time in three months – raising the cash rate by a full 50 basis points to 1.35%. The rise will lift interest rates to their highest levels in years and put more pressure on household budgets, but it’s something the RBA says is necessary to bring down inflation. However, the RBA’s decision comes just as questions are bein...

Last week, environmental activists Blockade Australia shut down traffic in Sydney, causing hours of chaos in the city. But it was the police response to the blockade that could have the longest legacy, with Human Rights Watch calling the police crackdown and the use of new anti-protest laws “an alarming new trend”. So what did the police do to crackdown on these protestors and what do their action...

The decision of the US supreme court to overturn Roe v Wade , and the winding back of abortion rights in America has led to reflection on rights and access to reproductive healthcare. Here in Australia, the Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said it was a reminder to Australians to “remain vigilant because hard-fought-for wins before our parliaments can be taken away easily.” So are women treated e...

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Europe and he’s there because of the war in Ukraine. Four Asia-Pacific nations, including Australia, have been given a seat at the table at the latest NATO summit because NATO is keen to engage partners around the world. But it’s also an opportunity for Albanese – to reset relationships with NATO members like the United States, France, Spain and the UK. So has...

Trans athletes have effectively been banned from elite swimming, because of a decision last week by the international governing body of the sport, FINA. The decision and the document released by FINA could have an impact not just on swimmers, but on how other sports around the world handle participation and inclusion. So, what does it say? How have the people it affects most – trans athletes – rea...

The case that established the legal protection for people in the United States to choose to have an abortion has been overturned. The majority of Americans support the right to choose, but trigger bans in several states across the country have made it immediately illegal to perform an abortion. So how did a small minority of religious conservatives overturn the rights of millions to choose?  Today...

When you become prime minister, a lot changes – but there’s only a few people who know exactly what that's like. One of them is Kevin Rudd, and according to the former prime minister, one of the most drastic changes is the way you’re treated by News Corp. So what kind of conversations does a prime minister have with the Murdoch press? And what’s at stake if you don’t play the game required of you?...

This winter flu, colds and Covid are all pushing hospitals to breaking point. Across the country, hospital staff are overworked and frustrated. And tomorrow nurses and midwives across NSW will stop work over pay and conditions. So what is happening to the care of patients as hospitals fill up? And can we stave off a major crisis? Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton on a deva...

Australia has a new emissions reduction target. Last week, Anthony Albanese promised the United Nations Australia will cut emissions by 43 per cent of our 2005 levels by 2030. But the Prime Minister wants to turn that target into law by passing it through parliament. Whether he can will come down to the historic new senate crossbench, which was finalised this week. Today, columnist for The Saturda...

The Liberal Party is now in the political wilderness. As well as a devastating federal election loss, the party is only in government in New South Wales and Tasmania. The immediate reaction to the recent federal election focused on Scott Morrison’s personal approval and a series of scandals in the last term of government.  But is there a bigger decline happening? Is something irreparably broken in...

In recent weeks, we’ve seen chaos at airports around the country, and it’s about to get worse. Major airports and airlines have warned that the July school holidays could see even more delays and disruptions as they scramble to try and fill thousands of job vacancies. Of course, there’s one Australian airline that used to fly above all the chaos: Qantas. It’s long been one of the safest and most r...

There’s a type of power plant we don’t have in Australia. Advocates say that it could help us overcome both the climate crisis and the energy crisis. They’re suggesting bringing nuclear energy to Australia. So why is there a conversation about nuclear power right now? Is it safe? And could it even work in Australia? Today, former Greens senator and anti-nuclear activist Scott Ludlam on the Nuclear...

Right now, our grocery bills are soaring, with some common vegetables more than doubling in price. Part of the reason is that there’s a nation-wide shortage of leafy greens, but there’s also a bigger force at play: inflation. Inflation is now at a higher level than anytime since 1990 and the cure for inflation could involve more economic pain for many of us. Today, journalist and Policy Fellow at...

Today, writer and pianist Anna Goldsworthy will be reading her piece from the latest issue. It's called ' The slow fade of music education ', and in it she discusses the importance of music and learning, in an arts landscape eroded by nearly a decade of wilful neglect. Guest: Writer and pianist, Anna Goldsworthy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, the wholesale energy market was suspended.  It’s the first time the Australian energy market operator has ever had to take that step to keep electricity flowing to homes and to businesses. But this crisis has been decades in the making, caused by a policy vacuum that both sides of politics share responsibility for. So the question now is, how do you fix over a decade of political inacti...

As new Labor ministers begin their jobs in earnest, they say they’re discovering an unexpected challenge — the depth of disarray left behind. According to some ministers that looks like negligence, delayed decisions, and a demoralised workforce. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton on the state of the public service, and the task of the new government to fix it.  Guest: Senio...

There are power interruptions forecast around Australia and gas prices are skyrocketing. But the strange thing about high gas bills arriving at Australian households is that we’re one of the biggest gas exporters worldwide.  So why are we paying so much for it? Do we need even more gas? Or would that be learning the wrong lessons from this current crisis? Today, journalist Jesse Noakes on eye wate...

Last week, a legal battle involving the Australian YouTube sensation Friendlyjordies and the former deputy premier of NSW John Barilaro came to an end, with a judge finding the YouTube videos from 2020 were ‘replete with racist, hate-filled rants’. But it wasn’t the comedian Friendlyjordies who was in court this time. It was the owners of YouTube, Google. So what did we learn about how Google runs...