The Issue

How secure is Australia’s food supply? The podcast examines that critical Issue this week. We talk to Xavier Martin, a broadacre farmer from the Liverpool Plains and the President of the NSW Farmers Association. He says high fuel prices, shortages of fertiliser and uncertain weather patterns are forcing farmers to make decisions to cut back how much food they’re producing. The show&rsq...

Bristling with high-tech weapons, Beijing is inseparable from the case for Australia spending tens of billions more on our defence in the years ahead. How dangerous is China's surge in military capability? How does their military strength compare to Australia or the US? RAND security expert Mark Cozad discusses all in this week's episode of The Issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

The nuclear-powered submarine club, AUKUS, promises security. But besides from the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars - what is the real cost behind the sub club? In this week's episode of The Issue, Greens NSW Senator David Shoebridge had much to say on Australia's 'sovereign' decision-making. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh was called a liar by Aussie soldier and MP Phil Thompson two weeks ago on 7NEWS' The Issue podcast. This week, Keogh speaks on the veterans' compensation reform set to kick in on July 1, Australia's "national tragedy" of veteran suicides, and his response to Thompson's criticism. WARNING: This podcast contains themes that may be distressing. If you or someone...

In just a year, the rocketship from the right - One Nation - has flew past the old guard, climbing five times the vote it had at last year's polls. In this week's episode of The Issue, 'Poll Bludger' William Bowe discusses how Pauline Hanson's revolution is going to change Australian politics, and what this means ahead of the 2028 federal election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

This Aussie stared death in the face and lived to tell the tale. This is the new battle he fights as a Member of Parliament. He refused to back down from calling the Prime Minister a 'liar'.  Now Phil Thompson has revealed why. The Coalition says it will get rid of a $5,000 funding cap on veterans' allied health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For months Donald Trump has promised peace with Iran is close. Energy experts say the crisis is far from over. From the Strait of Hormuz to fears of a global energy shock, Dr Jessie Moritz joins The Issue to unpack how this war could reshape the Middle East and the global economy for years to come. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the FIFA World Cup looms, the high-stakes battles Australian football faces both on the pitch and in the boardroom only becomes clearer. Australia is officially locked into Group D for the World Cup in North America. In this week's episode of The Issue, we unpack the schedule - from the kickoff against Turkey in Vancouver, to a highly anticipated Seattle showdown against the USA that doubles as...

Australia’s housing crisis has hit breaking point — but the Albanese Government's recent bombshell at this week's Federal Budget hopes to fix it. Sitting down with 7NEWS' The Issue, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil defends Labor’s dramatic housing overhaul, including changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax, foreign buyers, and first-home buyer support. But there’s...

Sally Tindall discusses the impact of rising interest rates on Australian households, mortgage strategies, savings, and the broader economic outlook amid surging inflation and questionable government policies. The Director of Data Insights at Canstar joins Political Reporter Josh Martin to navigate the tough times the nation is facing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week The Issue Podcast explores the complex political dynamics at play in the Farrer byelection, including the rise of One Nation and Independents, the decline of the major parties, and regional issues (such as health and water) impacting voter behaviour. Join 7News Political Reporter, Josh Martin, and R...

Australia’s housing market is at a tipping point. With the federal budget looming, major changes to housing policy, including negative gearing and capital gains tax, are being debated in Canberra. But could these decisions make the crisis even worse? In this episode of The Issue, property investor Sam Gordon, who owns more than 150 properties, shares a stark warning. Government intervention...

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How does the Australian War Memorial tell the messy truth about war? It’s a shrine, a world-class museum and an archive in Canberra that’s undergoing a $550 million upgrade. The Issue looks at what’s next for the Memorial, how it honours veterans, and how it handles a painful history including the Frontier Wars. Plus, 7News uncovers the plans it has in place to handle the war cri...

David Pocock is considered one of the greatest ever Wallabies, now he’s giving the major parties grief as a Senator for the ACT in Federal Parliament. This week’s episode looks at the short- and long-term lessons from the Iran War and oil crisis. The 37-year-old independent politician weighs in on tax, gas, fuel, the budget, public servants, the future of contact sports and why he want...

If you ask Scott Phillips how effective our governments have been at getting a high price from the companies that export our energy resources - expect an earful. This week's episode of The Issue features the Motley Fool's Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips, who discusses hard truths with 7NEWS' political reporter, Tim Lester.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angus Taylor hails from the bush and has proven his country credentials to 7News, at the Camden Show near Sydney, by riding a bull, shearing a sheep and cracking a whip. But can the new Liberal Party leader become prime minister of Australia? In this episode, The Issue asks the fresh Coalition leader key questions on immigration, the One Nation challenge, Anthony Albanese, the economy and the war...

How bad could the fuel blockage become? What does the war tell us about Australia's weak spots? This week's episode of The Issue features author and Deputy Chief of the RAAF, John Blackburn, who discusses all with 7NEWS' Tim Lester. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week The Issue looks at the power of social media in the political world. Brisbane based activist Drew Pavlou got  President Donald Trump interested in the plight of Iranian footballers. It resulted in the President calling Anthony Albanese about the issue at 2 in the morning. But for Pavlou social media is giving him more than influence and power, it is putting food table...

In this episode of The Issue, the former federal cabinet minister Ed Husic gives a blunt assessment of where Australia is heading and where he believes things are going wrong. After being dropped from the Albanese government’s frontbench, Husic reflects on the political realities inside Labor, the growing threat of anti-Muslim hatred in Australia, and why he believes the country risks fallin...

Dozens of phone models including Samsung and iPhone need software updates to connect to 000 in Australia. Some handsets can't be updated and need to be thrown in the bin. In this episode, the Issue investigates whether users should be entitled to a discount or refund. Last year's Optus triple-zero outage is blamed for the deaths of two Australians, but it has exposed a crisis that telcos, phone ma...

Queensland Senator and One Nation founder Pauline Hanson sits down with Tim Lester for a wide-ranging interview covering the surge in One Nation's polling, her views on Trump's America, immigration policy, the prospect of Barnaby Joyce joining the party, and candid reflections on her age and political future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the world enters a period of sharper geopolitical contest, how much secrecy is too much? In this episode of The Issue , Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks with Tim Lester about transparency, capability challenges, and the future of Australia’s security partnerships. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May's federal budget could pit property investors and first home buyers against each other. The Albanese Government isn't ruling out major changes to the capital gains tax discount. Greens Senators would have the deciding vote and tell 7News podcast The Issue they're willing to negotiate. New modelling from the Parliamentary Budget Office shows the tax concession will cost taxpayers $247 billion o...

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott sits down with National Security correspondent Tim Lester for an in-depth interview covering Australia's most pressing political issues. They discuss the current state of the Liberal Party, the coalition split, whether he supports Sussan Ley's leadership, and Abbott's views on the Trump administration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnys...