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Since the beginning of the pandemic, healthcare workers have faced wave after wave of outbreaks, working around the clock in tough conditions. Eighteen months in, Australia has more case numbers than ever, and our doctors, nurses and other health professionals are reporting alarmingly high rates of exhaustion, burnout and mental health issues. Today, Doctor Natasha Smallwood on the stress that hea...

Can you believe it’s been almost three years since Lil Nas X dropped ‘Old Town Road’? With that one track, produced for less than $100, the rapper made history. ‘Old Town Road’ became the longest running single to sit at number one on the charts, and kicked off a debate about the definition of country music. Lil Nas X himself became the first openly queer Black artist to win a Country Music Associ...

This year Rupert Murdoch turned 90, and that milestone has focused discussion on who will take over the world’s largest media empire. Now, Murdoch’s son Lachlan is making major strategic moves in his role as News Corp’s co-chair. He’s also changing the way the company is structured - signalling that power is finally shifting in the media dynasty.  Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Paddy Man...

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has so far refused growing international pressure to commit to net zero emissions by 2050. Now he’s facing a concerted push from MPs in his own party to embrace the policy. But on the other side of the Coalition, right-wing Nationals are refusing to budge - including senior figures in the government. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccom...

On Tuesday, Dominic Perrottet won the support of his Liberal Party colleagues to become the party’s leader, and the 46th Premier of NSW.  He’s taking over the Premiership at a crucial time for the state, as it prepares to end a long lockdown and enter a new phase of living with Covid-19. But he’s already facing criticism for his socially conservative views on issues ranging from abortion to volunt...

Australia’s two largest states are getting ready to end their long lockdowns and reopen when 80 percent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.   But what does reopening with that target mean for the 20 percent who are yet to receive their vaccines?  Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on how some of our most at risk communities fell through the cracks of the national vac...

On Friday, after serving for a decade on the front line of New South Wales politics, nearly half of that as Premier, Gladys Berejiklian suddenly resigned. Her shocking departure from the top job has left the state in political turmoil in the midst of a pandemic. It's also raised important questions about political accountability and transparency.  Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Pap...

Today, Hugh White, emeritus professor of strategic studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, reads his cover essay from the latest issue of The Monthly . It’s called ‘War of Error’. It explores the failures of the United States in Afghanistan, and the folly of Australia’s unquestioning support. Guest: Hugh White, emeritus professor of strategic studies at...

When NITRAM, a newly released film about the perpetrator of the Port Arthur massacre, was announced there was swift backlash from politicians and film critics who argued that the story was too painful and traumatic to tell.  On today’s episode of The Culture we dissect the film, and explore the bigger questions it raises about how to tell stories about trauma and violence. Plus, we speak to the di...

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has returned from his trip to Washington, and is spending the next couple of weeks in quarantine at The Lodge in Canberra. But he’s already facing pressure over another international summit - the UN climate change conference in Glasgow next month. Scott Morrison is under criticism from the UK government, the hosts of the summit, over his unwillingness to confirm h...

The Catholic Church has historically been one of the most powerful institutions in Australia, influencing both sides of politics. But now the Church is in steep decline with dwindling congregations and fewer and fewer donations.  In response to its current crisis, a once-in-a-century meeting is being organised to discuss the future of Catholicism in Australia. This plenary is pitting church reform...

The country's two largest states, NSW and Victoria, now have clear roadmaps out of the pandemic and towards a future where we live with COVID-19. Those pathways, as well as the national plan, are heavily influenced by modelling conducted by the Doherty Institute, which estimates case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths as the country reopens. But the Doherty Institute isn’t the only organisation...

Throughout the pandemic health experts and human rights advocates have been warning about the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak in the prison system. Now it’s happened. Hundreds of prisoners in NSW have contracted Covid-19 in recents weeks, with the worst of the outbreak centred at Parklea, a private correctional center. Family members of those inside Parklea are now speaking out about their concerns ov...

In October last year Simon Rice found himself in an unusual situation.  As a law professor at the University of Sydney, he’d gone to observe a rally on campus with his students. But then police moved in, and Simon was physically restrained, arrested and fined.  When he tried to challenge the fine, he discovered a serious lack of accountability at the heart of the New South Wales Police Force. Toda...

Have you ever wondered how long you would last if you were dropped into the wilderness with just a hunting knife, a shovel, and a sleeping bag? A day? A week? That’s the premise of a show called ‘Alone’. Think ‘Survivor’, but on steroids. Contestants are isolated with nothing but a camera for company. They take on grizzly bears and hunt wildlife. And the last person standing wins a cash prize. It’...

In the final episode of Everybody Knows , Ruby Jones unpacks what she’s learnt about the rise and fall of MeToo in Australia, and why holding perpetrators accountable still feels so hard. To help answer that question, Ruby speaks to two people who have thought deeply about the problems in the music industry. The first is Dorothy Carvello. She worked for major labels in the US, and is now blowing t...

Scott Morrison has hailed Australia’s military alliance and new submarine deal with the United Kingdom and United States as a landmark achievement. But it’s already led to a global diplomatic standoff, pitting Australia against a number of European countries as well as further deepening tensions with China. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the fallout from Australia’s nucl...

Australia is now steadily marching towards the magic number of 80 percent of the population aged 16 and above being fully vaccinated: the number that should see lockdowns and most restrictions end.  But given how few countries have reached that target so far, even with a significant head start, how likely are we to actually get vaccination coverage that high? Today, journalist with the Australian...

Over the past few weeks an internal brawl over who will represent the Labor party in the western Sydney seat of Fowler at the next federal election has been playing out in public. The move to parachute in a high profile Labor frontbencher, who doesn’t live in the seat, has exposed the rifts and rivalries within the party. But it's also raised a bigger question.. Is Labor doing enough to make sure...

Australia has entered into a new trilateral military alliance with the United Kingdom and the United States, called AUKUS. The partnership was sealed with the announcement that Australia would, for the first time, construct and operate a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.  The new deal has been criticised by former Prime Minister Paul Keating and national security experts. It’s also led to incre...

A major new study has found that the therapeutic use of the illicit drug MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy, could cure people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The landmark findings could radically change the way PTSD is treated. Now an Australian psychologist is finally embarking on Australia’s first ever clinical trial using the drug.  Today, James Bradley on the healing power of...

Sally Rooney’s third novel, ‘Beautiful World, Where Are You’, was one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year. Now that it’s out, it’s smashing sales records. Her new book covers similar ground to her earlier work, but this time, more than ever, Rooney turns inward and grapples with what it means to be a successful writer in the current moment. So why has Rooney’s work struck such a cho...

In episode four of Everybody Knows Ruby Jones speaks to three women who have worked at Sony Music Australia, who all have something in common: they all experienced bullying and intimidation from the same man at the company. Two of those women have lodged complaints to Sony about this man as part of Sony's internal investigation into workplace culture. But the longer the investigation has gone on,...

After a slow and delayed start, vaccination rates across Australia are finally gaining momentum, with NSW and Victoria hitting 80 percent and 70 percent single dose targets this week. The targets were reached despite a confusing rollout, riddled with mixed messages from the federal government. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on whether the Morrison government has the trust a...

From this week residents in NSW, who have been locked down for nearly three months, will finally be able to leave their homes. But the new freedoms are contingent on one important factor: their vaccination status. It’s the first time the easing of restrictions has been linked to vaccine status, but it’s likely to become the new normal across Australia. Today, journalist with the AAP Hannah Ryan on...