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The federal government frames itself as the responsible economic manager. But many of the claims it makes about the economy do not stack up. The government uses economics to say it has no choice on some policies - when the opposite is often true. Guest: Economist and contributor to The Saturday Paper Richard Denniss. Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Today, writer Richard Cooke will be reading his story from the latest edition of The Monthly . It’s called ‘Market of the apes: NFTs and digital art’, and in it, he explores how the art market has been transformed by NFTs, and how artificial intelligence might transform art itself. Guest: Contributing editor to The Monthly , Richard Cooke. Background reading: Market of the apes: NFTs and digital a...

As an election inches closer, both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese are seeking to define their public images.  For Albanese, that’s involved an appearance on 60 minutes, and after a near death experience, a so-called glow-up.  For the prime minister, it’s about turning negatives into positives, and attacking his opponent.  Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Pau...

In November 2019, a 19-year-old Walpiri man, Kumanjayi Walker, was killed by Northern Territory police constable Zachary Rolfe.  It happened during an attempted arrest in the remote community of Yuendumu. Rolfe shot Walker three times. Walker died shortly after. Rolfe was charged with murder. His trial has been playing out in the Darwin Supreme Court, and last week a verdict was handed down. Rolfe...

Almost two weeks on from the catastrophic flooding on the east coast of Australia, residents have begun the slow process of rebuilding their lives. But they’ve been left with a lingering question: where was the help? Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on the dramatic rescues conducted by ordinary people, and why they were necessary in the first place.  Editorial note: Since...

Over the past year, there’s been pressure on the Morrison government to step up and take significant action on women’s safety, as rates of sexual violence have increased. And in the wake of Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame’s campaigning - the federal government has released a draft plan that seeks to end violence against women and children.  However, survivors and experts are disappointed with the...

When Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie entered politics - via a housing commission, the army and eventually Clive Palmer - her speeches on Sharia law, and her op-shop outfits, marked her out for ridicule.  Since then Jacqui Lambie has had a remarkable turnaround. Wielding her influence in the senate to advocate for veterans, those on low incomes, and to argue against corruption.   She’s become known...

This week, the federal government has faced anger, outrage, and criticism over its response to the catastrophic floods in Queensland and NSW.   And Prime Minister Scott Morrison is facing another, related, problem: disquiet within his own ranks about his leadership.  Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on how precarious the Prime Minister’s position might be.  Guest: Columnist f...

All across the country, waitlists for public housing are on the rise. In NSW alone, there are more than 50,000 families in need of affordable housing. Some families will be waiting for five to 10 years to be housed. In the meantime, state governments are selling off public housing estates to developers - doing nothing to reduce these ballooning waitlists. Today, Rick Morton on how governments and...

Right now, much of Ukraine is in the cross hairs of war. Russian troops continue to descend on the country, and shelling is intensifying near the capital Kyiv, and in other cities including Kharkiv and Mariupol. But as the war on the ground in Ukraine escalates, there is another battle playing out: a coordinated series of fake videos and social disinformation - produced by Russia as justification...

Across Australia, energy companies are beginning to realise they need to rely less on fossil fuels, and redirect their strategy to renewables and green energy.  To do that - they’re working with state governments, who have their own climate goals and investment plans.  But there’s one big barrier to this transition: the federal government.  Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike...

For decades, house prices in Australia have been accelerating - surpassing expectations, and defying every prediction of a crash.  The pandemic has done nothing to slow down that trajectory, with prices continuing to go up, despite economic uncertainty and slow population growth.  The result of it all is more people permanently locked out of the housing market, facing steep rent hikes and homeless...

This week, record breaking floods in Queensland and New South Wales have left thousands of homes decimated, with tens of thousands of residents forced to evacuate, and a number of people dead. Meanwhile, overseas, Russian forces have been intensifying their attacks on Ukraine - with key cities beginning to fall to Russian troops.  So how is the Prime Minister Scott Morrison - who also received a C...

Since the last election, the federal government has deported more than 4,000 non-citizens from Australia. Many of those people have been in Australia almost their entire lives, and have no connection with their country of origin. Now the Morrison government is trying to pass new laws that could see the number of deportations increase dramatically. Today, principal solicitor at the Asylum Seeker Re...

Class action lawsuits are one of the only ways ordinary people can get justice and compensation if they’ve been mistreated by powerful corporations and institutions.  Successful class actions have held companies and even governments to account over stolen wages, emissions fraud, and chemical contamination. But now, their future is under threat.  Today, journalist and lawyer Kieran Pender on the ne...

In the last 48 hours thousands of Ukrainians have fled their homeland and crossed into neighbouring Poland, seeking refuge from war and invasion. But millions more remain trapped in the country as Russian forces continue to advance and occupy towns and cities across Ukraine. Today, world editor for The Saturday Paper Jonathan Pearlman on why Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin is risking it all on Ukra...

All over the world countries are winding back, and in some cases completely removing their pandemic restrictions, and Australia is following suit. Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales have all recently abolished mask mandates, density limits and QR check-ins. But there’s debate over whether these changes are based on public health, political pressure or business lobbying. Today, journalist Han...

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has launched a military operation in Ukraine. Today, we cover the latest in Ukraine conflict and the political debate in Australia over our defence strategy. Just months away from a looming federal election Prime Minister Scott Morrison is facing one of the biggest challenges of his term - global military conflict. The federal government’s increasingly aggressive...

Lockdowns and ongoing concern about the pandemic have led to a significant spike in the number of Australians experiencing mental health issues. But when many people try to seek treatment they are faced with a complicated, under-resourced and expensive system. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on the real causes of Australia’s spiralling mental health crisis and the recent...

Climate change might be one of the biggest political issues on the agenda for the upcoming federal election, but the party most associated with environmental policy is struggling to cut through. According to the latest opinion polls, the Greens are finding it hard to connect with voters - even though some of the issues they’ve championed for decades are now considered part of the mainstream. Today...

In recent months senior Australian politicians have talked openly about a potential military conflict with China over Taiwan. The increasingly tense rhetoric follows a series of incursions by China into Taiwanese air and naval space. Now, China’s leaders are closely watching the current crisis in Ukraine, looking for clues as to how the US might react towards Chinese aggression in the Pacific. Tod...

For months, Russian troops have been amassing along the Ukrainian border.  While in recent days some of those troops have begun withdrawing, officials in the Biden administration are still warning that Russia is on the cusp of invading Ukraine.  But Russia has repeatedly rejected that claim, accusing the US of “nonsense and melodrama.”  The immediate crisis stems from Ukraine’s desire to join the...

With the government trailing in the opinion polls, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has attempted to improve his image - first, by inviting Channel 9 cameras into his home, and then by accusing the Labor opposition of being soft on crime and too close to China. But will these last ditch efforts work, or do they just appear desperate? Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on how Scott...

In 2019 a Northern Territory police constable, Zachary Rolfe, shot a 19-year-old Walpiri man, Kumanjayi Walker, in a remote community in the Northern Territory.  Last week, the murder trial for that shooting began. If a guilty verdict is reached, it would be the first time a police officer in Australia ever convicted on a murder charge involving an Aboriginal person in custody. Today, journalist H...

Companies like Uber and Airtasker have transformed the so-called ‘gig economy’ by hiring thousands of workers as independent contractors, rather than employees. But this practice has a downside - workers aren’t guaranteed basic rights like a minimum wage, superannuation or leave. It’s a model that is spreading across the Australian economy, removing more and more workers from traditional safety-ne...