The Discussion

When the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran in February 2026 – killing its Supreme Leader, closing the Strait of Hormuz and triggering the worst global energy crisis in half a century – the world watched a superpower act without allies, without a UN mandate and without Congressional approval. For Bob Carr, former Australian foreign minister, the conclusion is stark:...

For decades, Australia has told itself a comforting story. That we are a fair society. That every child gets a chance. That the system, imperfect as it is, looks after its most vulnerable. But the evidence tells a different story. Children in solitary confinement. Aboriginal kids caught in a justice system stacked against them from the start. Young people sentenced under laws designed for adults....

A quarter century ago, religion retreated to the margins of Australian public life. Faith was personal, private, practised quietly. Today, that's changed. Religious identity is celebrated and amplified across social media, where belief systems compete for hearts and minds. But this renewal has coincided with something darker. Acts of violence committed in religion's name – like the Bondi...

Between 1952 and 1967, 39,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen witnessed 45 nuclear bomb tests in Australia and the Pacific.  Now survivors report devastating health impacts – cancers, birth defects, generational disabilities – yet their medical records remain classified or missing.  In this episode of The Discussion, investigative journalist Susie Boniface discusses allegations of a decades-lo...

What if our civilization is already collapsing – and we're too deluded to see it? Julian Cribb delivers a confronting message: the collapse of modern civilization isn't a question of if, but when. Throughout history, 90 civilizations have fallen, and ours shows all the warning signs – resource depletion, climate catastrophe, overpopulation, and a dangerous faith that growth can continue...

Is the United Nations still relevant in contemporary global affairs. In this episode of The Discussion I talk with international affairs expert Dr. Keith Suter who explores whether the organisation can effectively address modern conflicts and challenges, given its 1945 structure and the controversial veto powers held by five permanent Security Council members.  The podcast considers how the UN mig...

Sudan's humanitarian catastrophe extends far beyond immediate malnutrition. Over 13.6 million children need urgent assistance, while 10.8 million people have fled their homes.  The crisis encompasses destroyed healthcare systems, compromised water supplies, educational collapse, and widespread psychological trauma.  Famine conditions now exist in multiple locations across Darfur and beyond. I...

Join me for a crucial conversation about the devastating humanitarian situation unfolding in Gaza.  In this episode of The Discussion I speak with a Tony Stuart, the CEO of UNICEF Australia about the urgent food crisis affecting thousands of children, the challenges of delivering aid in an active conflict zone, and what immediate action is needed to prevent famine.  This episode examines the human...

Voluntary assisted dying is legal across Australia, much of Europe, Canada, and several US states, with dramatically varying implementations.  Some countries permit advance directives for dementia cases, and AI is being developed to replace psychiatrist in the assisted dying process. While some jurisdictions focus on terminal illness with strict safeguards, others expand access to mental illness. ...

There’s a growing issue of religious intolerance in society. Not just in Australia, but around the world. Religious communities are coming under attack for doing nothing other than – seemingly – existing. In this episode of The Discussion host Bill Crews examines what’s driving the rise of religious intolerance and what the solutions might be, with Simon Smart from the Centre for Public Christiani...

Society worships wealth like never before, but at the same time the gap between the rich and everyone else has widened. Indeed, vast numbers of people have been left behind. Even the middle class struggle to make ends meet. It’s breeding a sense of envy and resentment - the effects of which are already on display in the USA and Europe. So how has wealth inequality changed society and how is it lik...

Across Australia, and indeed the western world, people are demanding tougher action on youth crime. Residents in certain communities don’t feel safe. It’s led to rising rates of youth detention. In some places, governments have even adopted so-called ‘adult crime, adult time’ policies.  Will it work, or does locking up young offenders only create bigger social problems? My guest on this episode of...

Health authorities report the death toll in Gaza has reached 40 thousand. Meanwhile a deal to bring home the remaining Israeli hostages remains elusive. Peace talks continue in hopes of securing a ceasefire and averting an escalation of the crisis in the wake of the assassination of Hamas’s political leader.  So what is the outlook for the Middle East? This week on The Discussion I talk with forme...

Blood products designed to save lives in the 1970s and 80s did the very opposite. They were contaminated with HIV and hepatitis.  It left over 30,000 people infected.  An enquiry in the U.K. has recommended a large-scale compensation scheme, but will it deliver justice to victims? And what lessons can be learned to ensure it never happens again? In this episode of The Discussion I talk with Mark W...

Children are suffering in conflicts across the globe. Globally, over 43 million children have been forced to flee their homes. Wars in places like Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and Haiti - just to name a few - are having a devastating impact on young lives. So how safe is the world for children? What’s being done to help those in need? And is there a political will to prevent the suffering? In this episode...

More than a decade of abuse scandals have rocked the Catholic Church, and shifting social values have alienated its flock. In the west, Catholicism is in decline. Just 17.5-percent of Americans identify as Catholic. In Australia young people are abandoning the church. So why are people seemingly losing faith? Is it all bad news, or does the church have a future? And might a reforming Pope Francis...

The Holy Land is at war this Christmas. Israel and Hamas are engaged in a bitter battle.  As is so often the case, civilians are caught in the cross-fire. So is peace possible in the Middle East? Might the road to peace run through Belfast. In this edition of The Discussion I talk with Eddie Jackson ,  a policy maker who was part of the peace process that ended the bloody feud between Protestants...

Global hunger has reached unprecedented levels. A combination of war and climate change is having a devastating impact on the food security of over 22-million children across the globe. Can hunger and famine be beaten? World Vision is the World Food Programme’s largest food distribution partner. In this episode on The Discussion I talk with the Australian CEO, Daniel Wordsworth .

In the last 50 years, China has lifted more people out of poverty than anywhere else in human history. Chinese society has been transformed, and so too has the economy. Indeed, it’s now second only to the United States with a GDP of almost 18-trillion US-dollars. The sleeping dragon has awoken, but how will that shape the future? I speak with international affairs analyst, Dr. Keith Suter .

The end of the cold war promised a golden-age of peace and human rights, but the reality has been quite different. From the brutal war in Ukraine, to authoritarian governments cracking down on citizens.  I ask international jurist Michael Kirby if human rights are under threat. 

Is social media compatible with democracy? Across the western world democracies are riddled with division, much of it blamed on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Signing off from his late-night talk show, James Corden lamented : “I've watched divisions grow, and I've seen and felt a sense of negativity grow, and at points boil over.” So what’s caused this negativity, why...

The Voice is a proposal to give Australian first nations people a constitutionally enshrined right to be heard by government. It's provoked heated debate : Is the Voice needed? Will it undermine democracy? Will it  improve life for Aboriginal Australians. Journalist and producer Jason Kerr speaks to Rev. Bill Crews, a long-time advocate for Aboriginal Australians. 

Can the World's economy keep growing, regardless of the impact on natural resources and the environment? Is long-term economic growth sustainable? Do the wealthy  benefit most from it? Can capitalism survive the 21st century without reform? In this podcast I speak with international economist and former Australian politician, Prof. John Hewson .

Last year the Worldwide aid budget topped 179-billion US-dollars. It was an all time high, but is it delivering for the World’s poor? Most of the poorest people on the planet live in subsaharan Africa, yet poverty remains entrenched. Indeed, over a trillion dollars in aid has been provided to Africa over the last 60 years, and critics say it hasn't worked. In this podcast I ask international...