7am

Right now hundreds of ships carrying Australian coal are stranded in Chinese ports. More than 1,000 sailors have been trapped on board for months now because of one reason: Australia’s escalating trade war with China. Today, Anna Krien on the men trapped at sea and the question of who is responsible for them.   Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper Anna Krien. Background reading: Sailors caught...

Labor’s Anthony Albanese has been facing growing criticism over his political strategy and there’s renewed speculation over his leadership. With 2021 shaping up as an election year, what is Albanese’s plan? Today, Rachel Withers on how Labor is placed to take on Scott Morrison. Guest: Contributing editor for The Monthly Rachel Withers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See...

While thousands of Australians are still stranded overseas, 1,200 tennis players, officials and support staff have flown into Melbourne to take part in the Australian Open. Today, Ben Rothenberg on the debate over the decision to go ahead with the tournament, and what it could mean for the future of global sports.   Guest: Journalist and writer for The Saturday Paper Ben Rothenberg. Background rea...

Last year Scott Morrison announced Australians would be first in line for the Covid-19 vaccine. But with 50 million people now vaccinated around the world, the rollout here is yet to begin. Today, Rick Morton on when Australians can expect to be vaccinated, and if it’s happening fast enough.   Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno. Background reading: Did Australia put its money o...

On Invasion Day, Wirlomin Noongar author Claire G. Coleman discusses how tokenistic gestures from our federal government have replaced the real change demanded by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and the inability of Australians to acknowledge the legacy of colonialism.   Guest: Writer for The Saturday Paper Claire G. Coleman. Background reading: How political fear erodes Indigen...

As Joe Biden takes the reins in the US, the legacy of Donald Trump continues to cast a shadow across the world. Today, Richard Cooke on how the ideas and policies that came to define Trump found a welcome home in Australia.   Guest: Writer for The Monthly and The Saturday Paper Richard Cooke. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

After five years on Manus Island, Imran Mohammad was resettled in Chicago. He says arriving in America was one of the happiest days in his life. But the coronavirus shutdown has brought back memories of detention and isolation. Guest: Writer and Rohingya refugee Imran Mohammad. Background reading: Resettled refugees in Covid-19 lockdown  in The Saturday Paper See acast.com/privacy for privacy and...

From thunderstorm asthma to the increasing prevalence of infectious disease, a warming planet is already making us more sick. In the final part of this series, we investigate how climate change puts us more at risk of disease. Today, Climate change will kill you, part three: sickness.  Guest: Contributing editor to The Monthly, Paddy Manning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informati...

Australian author Heather Morris has made millions selling books about the Holocaust. But the people she writes about are in many ways unrecognisable, to their families and the historical record. Investigative journalist Christine Kenneally on the dangers of falsifying history. Guest: Author and investigative journalist Christine Kenneally. Background reading: The fabulist of Auschwitz  in  The Mo...

In 2011 the Queensland town of Grantham was inundated with rain, causing flash flooding. It had a devastating impact on the town’s residents. But events like this are predicted to become more common, as the planet warms leading to more extreme weather events. Today, Climate change will kill you part two: flood. Guest: Contributing editor to The Monthly, Paddy Manning. See acast.com/privacy for pri...

For decades, students in Footscray in Melbourne’s West, have been taught in Vietnamese alongside English, in line with the suburb’s long-standing heritage. But now, the program is under threat. Today, André Dao on why we value some languages more than others, and what it says about where Australia sees its place in the world. The audio of Professor Alan Crookshank in this story is from the Earshot...

From bushfires and heat, to floods, and the increasing severity of disease, Australians are already feeling the impacts of a warming planet. In this new series, journalist Paddy Manning investigates the link between climate change and human health, and tells the stories of those who have become some of the first casualties of the climate crisis. Today’s episode is part one: heat.  Guest: Contribut...

Four times as many questions plus two times as many guests equals more laughs than it’s possible to quantify. In this final episode of The Saturday Quiz, two teams of returning guests - Zoë Coombs Marr and Kate Jinx, and Sarah Snook and Dave Lawson - go up against each other in the ultimate battle of general knowledge. How does Dave’s expert category of “colours” fare against Zoë’s encyclopedic ma...

Twelve months ago the eastern half of the country was blanketed in smoke and our Prime Minister was nowhere to be seen. Since then the pandemic has seen a big bounce in Scott Morrison’s approval ratings. But with an election predicted for next year, will it be enough? Today, Paul Bongiorno on how federal politics played out in 2020, and what’s coming next.   Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper...

The federal government has proposed new laws that would give federal police the power to spy on Australian citizens. But the decision contradicts the government’s own review into national intelligence. Today, Karen Middleton on the controversial expansion of national security laws.   Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton. Background reading: AFP’s new power to...

The Royal Commission report into the Christchurch terrorist attacks led to an apology from the New Zealand government. But in Australia, there’s been an unwillingness to grapple with how the shooter was steeped in a culture of far-right extremism. Today, Shakira Hussein on Australia’s responsibility for the Christchurch massacre.   Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper Shakira Hussein. Backgrou...

  The Liberal party has historically been handbrake on serious climate action, but in NSW one minister is pushing through ambitious environmental policy. Today, Mike Seccombe talks to Matt Kean, the Liberal minister forcing action on climate change and uniting the Nationals and the Greens.   Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe. Background reading: The Liberal ministe...

Scandal after scandal has battered the authority of the government and diminished the trust the public has in our democratic institutions. Today, former leader of the federal Liberal Party John Hewson on how rorts, mates and marketing took over politics, and how we can take it back.   Guest: Former Liberal Party leader and contributor to The Saturday Paper John Hewson. Background reading: How rort...

The two guests joining John on this season’s penultimate episode are show business royalty. Mitchell Butel is an actor, singer and the artistic director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia, and Nancye Hayes AM is currently starring in Mitchell’s production of the play Ripcord to socially-distanced packed houses. Nancye was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2014 for signif...

Just as parliament was wrapping up for the year, the government introduced radical and controversial proposed changes to worker’s rights. The new legislation looks set to dominate the political agenda in the new year. Today, Paul Bongiorno on how the political battlelines are being drawn.   Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inform...

The passage of the medevac legislation last year allowed sick refugees in offshore detention to travel to Australia. The legislation was bitterly opposed by the federal government. Now those refugees say they’re being punished as a result. Today, Karen Middleton on what happens when a government is forced to implement a law it opposed. Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Ka...

After years of careful manoeuvring, the Coalition government is laying the groundwork to make radical changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The revised system could make it harder for people to get the support they need. Today, Rick Morton on the Coalition’s bid to reshape the NDIS.   Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton. Background reading: Exclusive: The seven...

This year we’ve seen relations between Australia and China plummet. But the story of Australia’s increasing friction with China goes back much further than the recent storm over a tweet. Today, Jonathan Pearlman on how serious the current situation is, and whether there’s a solution to the tension.   Guest: World editor for The Saturday Paper Jonathan Pearlman. Background reading: China–Australia...

New Zealand’s rapid response to Covid-19 and the political success of Jacinda Ardern has seen the world start to pay more attention to our neighbour’s political culture. Today, Laura Tingle on what Australia can learn from New Zealand.   Guest: Contributor to the Quarterly Essay Laura Tingle. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Artists Amrita Hepi and Jason Phu do extremely well at the quiz, even though the one question in Arita’s expert category nearly trips her up. We never find out what Jason’s expert category might be, but he does know what colour Mickey Mouse’s shoes are and which part of the body tinnitus affects. He also thinks Nicholas Nickelby sounds like the name of an annoying person. Guests: Artist and dancer...