Breaking Politics Podcast

Cafe and restaurant owners are warning they will need to increase prices, in order to cope with a series of new expenses. The industry is concerned a by 4.75% boost to the award wage, will place further pressure on businesses already feeling the squeeze. David Bitton, who owns Sydney cafe Bitton's Rose Bay claims, the impact of the wage hike will be compounded by other looming expenses. He jo...

A small group of locals in rural New South Wales launched "Grain of Hope" to ship 500 tonnes of locally donated wheat to famine-stricken Sudan. Despite facing a massive $1.3 million logistical hurdle due to the skyrocketing costs of shipping into a conflict zone, the team is moving ahead with their first 100-tonne shipment to prove that ordinary people can drive global change. Riverina Farmer Rob...

The Lowy Institute has released a new analysis claiming western militaries have failed to learn important lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. It argues countries like Australia have been slow to boost capability, while authoritarian states like China, Russia and Iran are rapidly embracing new technologies. Report author Retired Major General Mick Ryan joins Breaking Politics to...

A group of four women and nine children with links to Islamic State are set to arrive in Sydney and Melbourne today, ending years of limbo in a Syrian detention camp. While the Federal Police prepare to lay charges against some of the women, the children face a complex journey of therapy, de-radicalisation, and community integration.  But, what chance do these children actually have at a norm...

The Federal government has announced a suite of changes to reduce the cost of the ballooning NDIS. Eligibility criteria will be tightened, participation will be slashed and mandatory registration for providers will be expanded. CEO of Autism Awareness Australia, Nicole Rogerson, joined Breaking Politics to dissect what the changes will mean for her members.   See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

A top American defence official says the US Navy’s priority is manufacturing its own ballistic missile submarines, not the Virginia-class vessels Australia depends on under AUKUS. Michael Shoebridge from Strategic Analysis Australia joins Breaking Politics to discuss whether Australia will receive it's nuclear submarines by the due date?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Some of the nations most prominent musicians have joined forces calling for a 25 per cent levy on export revenue. Artists including Jimmy Barnes, Missy Higgins and Ben Lee say the additional funds could be used to help support the local music industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Albanese government has outlined a new framework, expecting tech companies building A-I data centres to fund their own renewable energy infrastructure, in exchange for fast-tracked development approvals. The Opposition says nuclear can't be ruled out.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research shows an increasing number of young Australians are looking for an alternative political system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI Group analysis shows $10-billion is being drained from the federal budget from illegal cigarettes See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Reid represents the NSW Central Coast in Federal Parliament, but he also works part-time as an emergency doctor at a local hospital. He swung by our Canberra studios for an in-depth conversation about the issues facing the healthcare system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Government has sent the Iranian ambassador and his diplomatic staff packing in response to ASIO's finding the Islamic Revolutionary Guard was responsible for two anti-semitic attacks. We hear from the spy agency's boss, the government and opposition, and an Iranian advocate about the regime's history of foreign interference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State and Federal education ministers have agreed to a raft of childcare reforms including a trial of mandatory CCTV in early learning centres, to better shield young Australians from predators. The overhaul has been discussed at a crucial meeting in Sydney. We hear from the government, opposition, experts and advocates about what the changes mean. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

The government will inject two billion dollars into a new support program aimed at funnelling children with mild autism and developmental disorders off the National Disability Insurance Scheme. But how will it work, and what does it mean for parents who already rely on the NDIS? We hear from the Health Minister and his opposition counterpart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business executives, union bosses and experts are converging on Parliament House in Canberra for the Federal Government's economic roundtable. But is the three-day gathering just a talkfest, or can we expect genuine economic reform? We hear from the Treasurer, the head of the Productivity Commission, and the boss of the Council of Small Business to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

A new report from the Australian Institute of Criminology shows more than half of all Australians have been victims of cybercrime in the last 12 months. But there is some good news, with the rates of most kinds of online crimes falling slightly. We speak to AIC Research Manager Anthony Morgan for more detail on the findings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister has announced plans to formally recognise the state of Palestine when he travels to the United Nations General Assembly in September. So what does the decision mean for the people of Gaza and the Middle East more broadly? And will it have any practical impact? We hear from a number of the key players including Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and former Foreign Min...

A program is being rolled out nationwide, aimed at supporting parents and others who might be concerned about a young person being radicalised with an extremist ideology. But officials are dealing with an increasingly complex set of circumstances, as artificial intelligence makes it harder to know who to trust, and some young people adopt a "salad bar" of different, sometimes contradictory grievan...

Australia has struck a new agreement with the US, India and Japan for greater cooperation on critical minerals. But how much of a difference will it make when China dominates the global market? We speak with Critical Minerals Association of Australia Managing Director Namali Mackay to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warning - this episode deals with some distressing content. Revelations two Melbourne men have been charged with dozens of crimes including child sex offences have sparked an outpouring of community anger. For politicians, the focus is now turning to what can be done to ensure something like this doesn't happen again. State and federal governments have some ideas - now they just need to make them...

Artificial intelligence is already starting to revolutionise some industries, so what does it mean for yours, and what can Australia do to prepare? We hear from Redbridge pollster Kos Samaras, who argues the Government should be helping people retrain, if they're likely to be impacted. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As many as half a million Australians could be falling through the cracks because the mental health and suicide prevention agreement between state and federal governments is "not fit for purpose". That's the finding of the Productivity Commission, which has released a scathing report into the issue. We hear from commissioner Selwyn Button, who worked on the report, about what needs to change. See...

The US has unleashed "bunker buster" bombs and tomahawk missiles on three Iranian nuclear sites. Australia has expressed support for the move, but has warned against any further escalation. What happens now? We hear from the boss of Strategic Analysis Australia to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister is back home after his trip to the G7. He missed out on a meeting with the US President, but did get sit-downs with other world leaders. We hear from our reporter Michael Pachi who travelled with the PM to the G7 summit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese is on his way to Canada for the G7 summit, and he's stopping in Fiji and Seattle on the way. What can we expect when gets to the gathering of world leaders, and will the highly anticipated meeting with Donald Trump go ahead? We speak with former DFAT official and Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment executive director Pru Gordon for all the details. See omnystu...