The Briefing

A recent report forecasted that this financial year, toll operators will rake in $3.7 billion in toll revenue. What's scary is that over 80% of toll roads in Australia (all of which are located in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney) are operated by the same company - Transurban. And what about those rebates that some drivers are able to get back from toll payments? Well, the government foots that bill...

Could a Brisbane teenager have the solution to achieving net zero? 17-year-old Will Shackel launched the ‘Nuclear for Australia’ campaign a year ago, and has since launched a petition that’s received over 10,000 signatures and given evidence to a senate committee, advocating for a ban on nuclear power in Australia to be lifted. Will joins Katrina Blowers to explain what’s he thinks should be next...

Australia has voted on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, with the result being firm rejection of the proposal. All states and territories, excluding the ACT, voted no - but what happens when we look deeper into the numbers? How much did socio-economic factors, your proximity to the city, or your cultural heritage affect your vote? In this extra episode of the Briefing, Amelia Oberhardt is joined...

On Saturday the country voted in the first referendum since 1999 on a Voice to Parliament. The country voted with 39.4% saying ‘yes’ and 60.6.% saying ‘no’. The country has voted overwhelmingly to reject a Voice to Parliament. In this episode of The Briefing, we speak to one of the most prominent No advocates Nyunggai Warren Mundine about the result and what comes next.   Headlines: 'Yes' campaign...

Jelena Dokic has had an extraordinary tennis career and why she may have left the tennis court she hasn’t left public life. In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Jelena explains how she felt lost after retiring at only 29, the impacts of being body shamed and how her first book and memoir Unbreakable changed her. Jelena’s new book Fearless - Finding the Power to Thrive reflects on everything that’s happ...

Sad news broke this week of the passing of beloved comedian Cal Wilson, after a short illness fighting an unexpected and aggressive cancer. Cal, who was only 53, had a long and colourful career in Australian entertainment. Over the last 20 years she was a core character across the Australian stand-up comedy circuit, as well as a feature on many iconic TV shows, such as the original Thank God Your...

Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is a Yanyuwa woman from the Gulf country in the Northern Territory. Despite what the polls say she, and the Labor cohort, want you to vote yes in the referendum on Saturday. She joins Tom Tilley on the Briefing to take one last opportunity to explain why.   Headlines: Voting for the voice referendum is tomorrow ASIO boss wa...

How do you cope with catastrophic news? The world is reeling watching events unfold in Israel/Palestine. As the death toll climbs on both sides, and information is released including the deaths of families and babies, it becomes more and more difficult to process the news. It’s heartbreaking no matter which side you support – the Palestinians face a massive military onslaught, and the Israelis hav...

Peter Dutton’s opposition to the proposal for a Voice to parliament has been a crucial factor in its declining support over months of referendum campaigning. The leader of the Opposition joins Tom Tilley for an in-depth discussion on his final reasoning for a No vote before Saturday, what he thinks a No result will mean for the country, and what alternative policies he suggests will work to improv...

It has now been 15 years since the creation of Goop, the wellness giant established by actor Gwyneth Paltrow. But what exactly is wellness?  And why all of a sudden has it become such a big business?  Today we check in with the Therapeutics Goods Association and the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission to discuss the industry and the surrounding wellness scandals.  In this extra episode...

Israel has formally declared war on Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, following the groups attack on soldiers and civilians in Israel on Saturday. But what (or who) is Hamas, how did it come to the position it is currently in, and why has there been an increase in fighting in the region? Dr Mariam Farida, Lecturer in Terrorism Studies in the Department of Security St...

The world was horrified at the weekend to learn Hamas militants escaped from the Gaza Strip and wreaked havoc on Israel, killing more than 700 people and taking an estimated 130 hostages. Israel has promised a military offensive the likes of which the world has never seen. Sydney couple Joe and Kerry Carnuccio are stuck in a hotel room in Tel Aviv. We managed to get in touch with them between visi...

The disappearance of Lynette Simms from Sydney's northern beaches in 1982 was the cold case that gripped both Australia and the world. Uncovered by journalist Hedley Thomas in the record-breaking Teacher’s Pet podcast, the investigation would develop into a dramatic trial that would find her husband Chris Dawson guilty of her murder in 2022. In this episode Tom Tilley is joined by Hedley Thomas to...

This year, so much of our national conversation has revolved around whether our Constitution should be amended to include an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. But outside of Oz, what is the rest of the world saying about us? With arguments from the 'Yes' and 'No' camps expected to rage right up until Saturday's referendum date, today we look at what other countries are saying about our debate on the...

The Briefing brings you an up to the minute explanation of what has happened in Israel over the last two days. It began on Saturday morning with a shocking attack by Hamas militants on Israeli civilians. Israel has promised an ‘unprecedented price.’ Ali Hashem joins Tom Tilley and Katrina Blowers to explain what that may mean and whether this conflict could spread across the region.     Headlines:...

Elise Loehnen has achieved a lot! She has ghost written 12 books, was second-in-command at Goop and has now released her first book under her own name - On Our Best Behaviour: The Price Women Pay to Be Good. In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Elise explains where the seven deadly sins originated from (and nope they’re not from the bible) and the pressure women place on themselves to be good. Weekend...

People from all around the world travel to NSW’s Blue Mountains for the serenity. But did you know it’s actually home to a dark secret? The Twelve Tribes - which has been described as a cult - owns a cafe on a popular street in town. On this extra episode, we’re joined by LiSTNR journalist Loren Howarth to unpack what's happening there. You'll also hear from former Twelve Tribes member Matthew Kle...

A TikTok trend created by Swedish influencer Saskia Cort, who told her Instagram followers to ask men how often they think about the Roman Empire, has unexpectedly exposed the way we think about gender and history, with some experts suggesting it’s an example of “white cis gender masculinity” at play. Tom Tilley is joined by Professor of Modern History at Keele University Dominic Janes to discuss...

Paris may be the city of love, but there’s one local you wouldn’t want to share a bed with… Bed bugs. The city and host for the next Olympics in 2024 has been infested with bed bugs - the tiny biting insect that burrows its way into bed linen, furniture, carpets and rugs... And bites. In this extra episode of the Briefing, we’re joined by ecological expert Professor Dieter Hochuli to talk all thin...

For decades rates of doctors prescribing birth control has remained steady - but figures show that since the early 2000’s, the number of those choosing the pill has dropped, as an increasing number of women express concerns surrounding the impact of the pill on weight, mood and fertility. But what actually happens to you if you choose come off the pill? Katrina Blowers is joined by Dr Phoebe Holde...

Bushfires are already creating havoc and hardship across Australia. With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a dry, hot summer, things are expected to worsen. We all watched in horror during the Black Summer bushfires of 2019, as firefighters across the country risked their lives to save Australians stranded on fire fronts. So how and why do people become volunteer firefighters? And why aren’t m...

So you’re having trouble paying attention - scrolling has replaced daydreaming, TikTok has replaced reading a book or watching a movie, and focusing on anything for a long time feels hard. If deleting all digital distraction from your life isn’t an option, what steps can you take right now to fix it? In this three-part feature series, The Briefing dives deep into what has happened to make us all f...

Gender affirming surgeries reduce suicide, depression and gender dysphoria among transgender and gender-diverse people who need them. But they cost patients tens of thousands of dollars. In a historic moment for trans rights in Australia, an application has been made to get gender affirming surgeries fully funded under Medicare - and it’s estimated 47,000 people could take up the treatment in the...

Are you having trouble paying attention? Studies show most of us are increasingly feeling more distracted and less attentive - but if we’re all in the same boat, why should you care? In this three-part feature series, The Briefing dives deep into what has happened to make us all feel so distracted, why it matters, and what you can do to fix it. In this episode, Jan Fran speaks with Adam Guastella,...

Private islands have always been fascinating for Australians and popular with celebrities. With several small islands in Tasmania and Queensland recently hitting the market for just a few million dollars, could they be becoming more attainable? Former Victorian politician Clem Newton-Brown has owned Picnic Island in Tasmania for 20 years and is now selling for $5 million.  Richard Vanhoff gives hi...