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In basements and bars across the country crowds gather to cheer on people wearing tight, spandex outfits as they toss and pummel each other all over a ring. In today’s episode we visit Deathmatch Downunder: one of the most spectacular, violent and progressive professional wrestling events in the country. It’s popular, it’s growing and it’s the perfect combination of sports and entertainment. But w...

For most of the past year the Coalition government has faced sustained criticism over its treatment of women. Now a former Liberal MP has added fuel to the fire, lashing a culture of sexism and bullying in the Liberal party, and accusing a cabinet minister of sexual harassment.  Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the latest allegations levelled against the Morrison governmen...

For most of the past 18 months, Australia has been hailed as a world leader in terms of its handling of the pandemic. But now, some of our biggest cities have been plunged back into lockdowns, restrictions and border closures, while Europe and the United States reopen. Last week the federal government outlined a plan to get us back to some kind of normality but it’s been criticised for being prett...

A scathing new report has found that in the lead-up to the last election the federal government spent more than half a billion dollars on infrastructure projects heavily targeted to seats held by the Coalition, or seats they were trying to win. The funding was specifically for car parks, but it raised serious questions about how government funding decisions are made, and the politicisation of the...

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, but now it’s on the cusp of being declared “in danger” by UNESCO. But scientists have been warning for decades that rising sea temperatures could kill off the Reef, though their concerns were largely ignored by the government. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe on the scientist who pred...

In a recent landmark judgement, the federal court has found that the government owes children a duty of care in preventing harm from the impacts of climate change. The case, which centred around the proposed expansion of a NSW coal mine, could have far reaching legal implications in Australia. Today, writer for The Monthly Kieran Pender on the case that saw a group of teenagers take on the Ministe...

Today, Richard Flanagan, Booker prize winner and author of The Living Sea of Waking Dreams , reads his essay from the latest issue of The Monthly . It’s called ‘To be free’ and it explores why he writes, and, in his words “the need to write against the dogmas of conformity”.   Guest: Writer for The Monthly Richard Flanagan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio....

Less than eight percent of Australians are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. This week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the Astra-Zeneca vaccine, previously only available for people over 60, could now be accessed by anyone, regardless of their age.  The announcement led to significant pushback, particularly from the Queensland government, who are still advising younger Australians t...

Australia’s meat processing industry is one of many that relies heavily on migrant workers, to do jobs that Australian residents often aren’t willing to do.  Many of those migrant workers come from China, with the promise that hard work will lead to permanent residency in Australia. But for some that promise is never delivered on. Today, writer for The Monthly André Dao on how Australia’s immigrat...

In the past few days over 10 million Australians have been plunged back into lockdowns, as fresh outbreaks of Covid-19 spread across major cities. The emergence of these new clusters has highlighted how vulnerable Australia still is during this phase of the pandemic, largely as a result of our low vaccination numbers. The current crisis forced the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, to announce a radi...

A case currently before the High Court, involving one academic’s controversial views on climate, could have significant ramifications for freedom of speech in Australia. Physicist Peter Ridd was fired after he publicly criticised his colleague’s research on the Great Barrier Reef, but what started as an employment dispute has become a test case on climate denial and cancel culture. Today, writer f...

As Australia grapples with new outbreaks of Covid-19, questions about the origins of the virus have been re-emerging. US President Joe Biden recently urged intelligence agencies to investigate where the virus came from, and who was responsible. And at the G7 summit, world leaders formally discussed the controversial Wuhan lab-leak theory: the idea that the virus didn’t emerge naturally, but came o...

After two years on the backbench, Barnaby Joyce is back as leader of the Nationals and as Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister. His return to power caught Scott Morrison off guard, and has put the spotlight on the tense relationship between the two Coalition parties. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on what triggered Barnaby Joyce’s return and what it means for the future of Aus...

Behrouz Boochani spent six years detained on Manus Island, a victim of Australia’s Pacific Solution. Last year he was granted refugee status in New Zealand, and since then has used his freedom to advocate on behalf of the hundreds of other asylum seekers detained by Australia. One group of detainees, the Murugappan family from Biloela, were recently moved from Christmas Island into community deten...

Tens of thousands of athletes and officials are about to descend on Tokyo as the city prepares to host the 32nd Olympic games.  But with Covid-19 cases surging in Japan, health experts and the majority of the Japanese public are opposed to the event being held at all.  So, why are the Olympic Games going ahead?  Today, sports writer Kieran Pender on the institution, and the vested interests, behin...

YouTuber Friendlyjordies has built up a significant audience in recent years through his pointed and acerbic political videos.  But he’s also attracted controversy, with the deputy Premier of NSW suing him for defamation.  Now, one of the comedian’s producers has been arrested by a controversial police unit established to explicitly focus on ideological extremists.  Today, senior reporter for The...

Recent breakthroughs in science and medicine have demonstrated that we may be much closer to being able to artificially grow and replace human organs than ever before.  But, those developments are also challenging long established ethical guidelines around the use of embryos, or embryo-like cells. Today, science writer and contributor to The Monthly Elizabeth Finkel on the latest scientific breakt...

The Underground Railroad, a new series on Amazon Prime, is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead.  It's directed by Barry Jenkins, who also directed the 2016 Best Picture winner Moonlight and the follow up, If Beale Street Could Talk.  The show is one of the most gripping, powerful and visceral series out this year, and it’s an opportunity to explore what p...

As the leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies gathered to discuss climate change, and pledged further action, the Australian government chose to reiterate its commitment to fossil fuels. With Prime Minister Scott Morrison out of the country the Nationals leader Michael McCormack used the spotlight to take a swipe at renewable energy advocates and talk up coal. Today, contributing editor to...

The QAnon conspiracy theory, focused on a belief in the existence of a Satanic child sexual abuse ring, has been collecting followers worldwide.  Here in Australia one of its adherents is a man called Tim Stewart, who also happens to be a long-time friend of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.  Now, questions are being asked about Tim Stewart’s influence on the Prime Minister.  Today, contributor to Th...

Australia’s health care system is facing unprecedented amounts of pressure. Our public health systems have been cut back for decades, and now the private system is facing a death spiral… with younger Australians opting out of increasingly pricey insurance options. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on why some health experts are worried that Australia’s health care system is...

Speaking from a hospital in Perth, Priya Murugappan details her daughter’s sickness and her family’s struggle in detention. More than three years after they were taken from their home in Biloela, the Tamil family just want to be settled. Medical records show their children are deficient in Vitamin D and have psychological issues related to being locked up.   Guest: Writer for The Saturday Paper Re...

Hip-hop is the biggest musical genre in the world right now, and one of the fastest growing locally, but in Australia it still feels like it hasn’t quite broken through and dominated the mainstream yet, in the way it has overseas - especially in the US and UK.  Acts like the Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso helped popularise Australian hip-hop in the mid-2000s, but while they were achieving commercia...

This week, Scott Morrison announced Australia’s involvement in a massive organised crime sting coordinated by the FBI. He pushed for greater security powers, but some observers believe what he really wants is a distraction from bad news and poor polling.   Guest: Contributing editor for The Monthly Rachel Withers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listen...

After 20 years of war, Australia gave three days’ notice before closing its embassy in Kabul. The dramatic end expresses how unsafe Afghanistan still is and how little the conflict achieved. But the decision also leaves hundreds of local staff vulnerable to retaliation by the Taliban.    Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy...