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Earlier this week, Vladimir Putin held a rally in Moscow. Even as Russia continued to lose ground in his war in Ukraine, he was defiant; calling the west satanic and making the case for a greater Russian empire. But the most significant thing about what Putin said that day was what it represented: a turn to the ultra-nationalism of the Russian far-right. Today, Associate Professor at the ANU Strat...

For decades now some of the most important public policy that's shaped our country hasn’t been designed by politicians or public servants – it has come from think tanks. Among the most influential in Australia is the Institute of Public Affairs, the IPA, a right-wing think tank that prides itself on being the policy brain of the conservative movement. But the organisation is in decline, it’s gener...

All of us know that a great teacher can make a huge difference in a person’s life – and a bad one can be a disaster for a young person who’s trying to find their way. So how do we make sure the best people become teachers? That’s the question that obsessed Julia Gillard when she was Education minister in 2008. The answer she came up with has had some unforeseen consequences that teachers are still...

The right-wing anti-immigration politician who led the Brexit campaign in Britain is currently touring Australia. Nigel Farage has become increasingly irrelevant in British politics, but he is commanding speaking fees and being given a hero's welcome by Sky News presenters and One Nation politicians It could be a cynical money grabbing exercise, a play for political influence in Australia… or both...

Mothers whose families were torn apart by the robo-debt scheme have welcomed the start of the long-awaited royal commission into the policy this week. One, Kath Madgwick, said her son took his own life just hours after learning he owed a Centrelink debt through the scheme – she’ll be making a submission to the royal commission. But this week’s hearings are only the beginning of an attempt to hold...

Millions of Australians will need new drivers licences and passports, after Optus’s lax data management exposed the details of around 10 million Australians to a hacker. Anthony Albanese has announced Optus should foot the bill for new ID documents and has called the hack a ‘wake up’ for corporate Australia. But why did Optus hold so much data on millions of Australians? Why wasn’t it held more sa...

As populations move and grow, communities are in desperate need of more hospitals. But what good is a building without staff? What good is a bed without the nurses and doctors to care for someone in it? That’s the question one state is facing, after it was revealed that NSW Health believe they will need billions more in operational budgets to sufficiently staff the new hospitals that are being ope...

If you are ever jailed for a crime, you would hope to do your time in jail and be released at the end of it. For a small number of people who are deemed to pose an exceptional risk to society, such as sexual offenders and terrorists, that hasn’t always been the case – and in some jurisdictions they can be kept in jail or given harsh restrictions long after they leave. But now those exceptions are...

Last week on the public holiday to mourn the Queen's death, there were protests against the monarchy in major cities across Australia.  The marches represented many who harbour a resentment towards the British crown and the unhealed wounds inflicted by the British Empire. In the UK, some people feel the same way and not all Britons participated in the scenes of public grieving that have been seen...

Police and security agencies often have access to a wealth of personal information about the people they’re investigating — including phone calls, texts, emails and metadata. Access to that information is supposed to occur under very controlled circumstances. But there’s evidence that’s not what’s happening.  A report has found that police and other agencies routinely break the law in handling pri...

After a 10-year legal battle, the “palace letters” were finally released. In full, they show how Gough Whitlam’s relationship with the governor-general broke down - and how involved the Queen was through this collapse. Today, we revisit our episode from 2020 with chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next year will be 10 years since Australia began offshore processing – sending refugees that arrived by boat to places like Papua New Guinea and Nauru. It would be easy to assume that with a change of government, and deals with the US and New Zealand to take refugees – that offshore processing was a thing of the past. It’s not, and the Albanese government looks like it is on the verge of signing a...

The very idea of a casino was invented with the involvement of the American mafia. But for decades we’ve been reassured that everything at Australian casinos is above board.  They’re supposed to beheavily regulated, closely monitored, and operated by reputable, publicly-traded corporations. But what we were told about many casinos in Australia is now unravelling, and we’re getting staggering insig...

King Charles III is now Australia’s head of state. As with all members of the Royal Family, the appearance of Charles’ political neutrality will be carefully protected. Although, we do have some clues about some of his opinions through hard won freedom of information cases. How much do we know about what he intends to do with the throne? What does he believe in? And how will that affect Australia?...

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be in London on Monday, joining other world leaders at the funeral for the Queen. Parliament has been suspended in Canberra for a period of mourning that is longer than that of the UK parliament. So why is that? What are the rules for mourning the Queen, and who decides them? Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on Australia’s extended gri...

The Ukrainian army has swept across areas in north-eastern Ukraine. Russian troops appear to have been thin on the ground, unprepared and quick to retreat. The stunning collapse could be a turning point in the war, but it’s also increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin at home, with previously loyal politicians and media figures criticising the leadership and decision making by the Kremlin. Today, jo...

Across the country, rents are going up. But it’s not because the value of the properties has risen - in fact values are largely going down. Instead, it has to do with the mortgage repayments of landlords, and the fact there’s not enough supply of rental properties at the moment. Rental stress in Australia is at a crisis point, with mental health and homelessness services raising the alarm. Today,...

We could be in for another wet, cloudy summer.  The chances of another La Niña weather event are growing, and it’s now very likely the east coast of Australia will be drenched once again. That could make it the riskiest summer yet for flooding, with catchments still full and communities still regrouping. Today, climate scientist and lead author on the IPCC’s most recent climate assessment, Joëlle...

Late last week, news broke that England’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96.  During her 70-year reign the Queen has steered the royal family through immense social and political change, and there are many who mourn her death.   But there is also a complex legacy of colonialism to grapple with, and questions are already beginning over whether Australia should n...

This week, rates rose to seven-year-highs and inflation still won’t be easing off anytime soon. Cost of living is a problem the government has promised it’s aware of, but there will be increasing pressure for it to start implementing practical solutions that actually help people who are struggling. So what is the Albanese government doing, how is it different and what can we expect the government...

Rupert Murdoch’s son, co-chair of News Corp, Lachlan Murdoch is suing a small independent publisher in Australia over an article it published on its website. The defamation suit, filed against Crikey a couple of weeks ago, could test Australia’s new public interest laws. Crikey says it wants to defend it, and force Lachlan Murdoch to prove his claims in court. But, the stakes couldn't be higher fo...

Before he was voted out, the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison received a pitch from the Governor-General David Hurley: the taxpayer should fund a foundation for ‘future Australian leaders’. We don’t know much about the merits of the program, who would get selected and what kind of training they would get – but it was promised the funding. Now, with the secret ministries saga still hanging over...

The federal election marked a change in direction for the country but it also signalled the beginning of 35 new political careers. As parliament returns once again, many of these newly elected parliamentarians are making their first speeches, a permanent record of their intentions that their actions in Canberra will be compared against. So what are they saying? And what do their speeches tell us a...

Tanya Plibersek is arguably Labor's most high-profile female politician.  Once described as the next female prime minister, she rose through the ranks to become deputy leader at one point, and was most recently the party’s education spokesperson.  But Labor’s election to power after almost a decade in opposition has had unexpected consequences for Plibersek – she’s found herself in a new portfolio...

Today, journalist and author Jock Serong will be reading his piece from the latest issue. It's called ' Front-row seats to the end of the Reef ' - in it he chronicles his residency at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and what coral tells us about the past and future of our oceans. Guest : Journalist and author, Jock Serong Background reading : Front-row seats to the end of the Reef See...