The Cheryl Lacey Show

Australia's identity has brought benefits and challenges and an uncertain future.  Editor of the book Immigration and Multiculturalism - The Past The Present and The Future, Chetan Mahadik shares insights from her role as editor and the essays provided in this Connor Court Publication. Support the show

Losing a teaching licence in New Zealand was one of several crises that forced Chris Valli to confront difficult truths about himself. Following a period of professional and personal upheaval, some of it self-inflicted, he came to see vulnerability not as weakness, but as an act of courage and honesty. In this conversation, Chris reflects on poor decisions, consequences, accountability, and where...

For decades, Australians have been denied the freedoms and self-evident truths their nation was founded upon. While a parade of political dinosaurs, claim to be their defenders. But the problem runs deeper than politics. Selfishness and egocentricity are corroding our civic life just as collectivism and co-dependency sits on the other side of the pendulum. What does genuine responsible citizenship...

The polls are showing more than a growing interest in Hanson. It seems she's a rock star for those desperate for something other than the two major parties. Will it last or will something change, turning this disruptor into another has been? A Conversation with Greg Cheesman Support the show

From Madonna and Cyndi Lauper to Lady Gaga and Kylie, some of the most fearless dressing the world has ever seen have influenced fashion for decades. So why did menswear come away from it all in navy and grey? Daniel Montgomerie takes us back to fashion's greatest decade-defining moments to explore what men could and would look like, with a little colour and a lot of fun. A conversation with...

You can't make this stuff up. $50 billion a year. That's 50 million thousands in the hands of anyone willing to sell a sibling, son or mate, while the genuinely needy miss out. A conversation with Peter Richardson. Support the show

Islam doesn't whisper its intentions — it broadcasts them. But the doctrine of Taqiyya, the sanctioned use of deception in service of expanding the Islamic world, has many thinking otherwise. To understand the Middle East, stop listening to the narratives and start reading the text. A conversation with Dr. Isaac Support the show

As Australia's Muslim population grows where does the compatibility of certain Islamic legal rulings fit with Australian law and values. Some of the most controversial fatwas and practices include the legality of child marriage, the role of women in arranging marriages for their daughters, and a deeply divisive ruling from a number of sheikhs permitting sexual acts between male fighters durin...

Energy isn't mentioned  in the Australian Constitution, yet Australia has a national electricity market with national rules and national regulators. The secret is in one state taking the lead, the others mirror its legislation, all of which include a clause to give the Commonwealth power over power and energy. In the case of energy, South Australia is lighting the way. A conversation with Mik...

Five years on, the COVID cover-up is finally cracking open and someone is going to pay for it. Fauci's right-hand man has been indicted. And the man at the top? He got pardoned before a single charge could be filed. Is the truth about Wuhan  finally catching up with the people who buried it? Support the show

Zohran Mamdani swept into office promising a new New York, but is Zohran Mamdani's vision of government actually what citizens thought?  Critics say his brand of progressive governance is less about lifting people up and more about another agenda. Is he leading New Yorkers or creating a state of co-dependency? A conversation with Lawrence Rogak Support the show

The major parties have had decades to get it right, and they haven't. In a system so captured by vested interests and career politicians, could voting for Pauline Hanson be a rational act of protest? Not because you agree with everything she says, but because disruption has a value of its own. Mike Holt recommends a "spoiler vote," and what it will ultimately achieve for Australia....

They left Australia to join one of the most brutal terrorist organisations in modern history. They watched, and in some cases supported beheadings, slavery, and mass murder.  Now the Albanese government is rolling out the welcome mat.  The women who left made a choice. Who's making the choices now, and are they making them for Australia or ISIS? Support the show

What happens when the two biggest parties in Australian politics decide to write the rules in their own favour - and get caught?  Liberal and Labor strategised and passed donation laws that capped donations for independent's and minor parties at just $1,084 per year, while leaving themselves free to rake in unlimited funds.  The High Court has now ruled those laws unconstitutional. They shoul...

The heroic leader who carries everything and asks for nothing is not sustainable and everyone in the school pays the price. Mentoring leaders is key for school leaders. Can reduction of compliance lead to more personalised leadership? A conversation with Brad Gaynor. Support the show

Beyond reasonable doubt. On the balance of probabilities. Two standards of proof that underpin law, order and justice. Or do they?  With two court systems, two standards of proof, One Evidence Act and whole lot of words with different interpretation, it's fair to say most of us know very little about the law. As the conversation unfolds, there is a moment - four words worth noting - "cod...

Three assassination attempts in two years.  Whatever your politics the cold calculation behind those who have decided that removing Donald Trump - by any means necessary is not just acceptable, but justified - should send rivers of fear through everyone in the western world. When the ends justify the means, the rule of law is the first casualty. And history tells us it is never the last. A convers...

It's 2026, and an estimated 50 million people around the world are living in conditions of modern slavery. Trapped in forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, and sex trafficking. While the world talks about globalism, climate catastrophes, human rights and DEI, one of humanity's darkest ongoing crimes is ignored.  There is always much to learn from history, but in the case of slaver...

UK independent schools can no longer rely on reputation alone. Yet most still struggle to answer the question every parent is really asking: why you, and not the school down the road? What do independent schools offer and what do they say they can actually offer? It's no longer about the league tables. Whether you're a parent weighing a significant financial commitment, or a school leade...

It's one thing when a foreign government turns hostile. It's another when legal citizens, elected officials, and people whose ancestors built the USA start walking away from loyalty to the United States. A concerning and growing phenomenon of people who aren't rejecting America out of ignorance or malice, but deliberate choice.   A conversation with Sharon Rondeau. Support the show

When a teenager lies seriously injured on the road, the first instinct should be simple: call 000.  Not so in the infamous Bike Boy case involving former Premier Daniel Andrews and his wife Katherine.  A not to be missed conversation with Scott Hanley - private investigator - on phone calls, photographs and so much more. Support the show

A bill moving through parliament seeks to make ASIO's powers indefinite. No sunset clause, no expiry, no end date. But we have a long and legitimate tradition of lawful rebellion, of scrutinising, challenging and resisting laws that threaten the freedoms this country is built on.  "What does this bill mean for ordinary Australians, and what does it look like to push back, lawfully, loudl...

Reading got the wars. Writing got the leftovers. Cramming standards into an already overloaded curriculum has left almost no room for students to actually write.  A conversation with Dr. Andy Johnson Support the show

Most principals are dedicated to their schools, their staff, and their students, no matter the pressure. But dedication alone isn't enough. With so many challenges facing school leaders, professional support isn't optional, it's essential. A conversation with Andrew Cock Support the show

Britain's independent school sector is in free fall.  Since 2010, over 1,100 schools have closed and the pace is accelerating. VAT on fees, rising costs, and a co-dependency on international enrolments have pushed closures past 100 since January 2025, with some forecasts suggesting the sector could shrink from 7% of pupils to just 3%. For independent schools survival means charitable status,...