Breaking Politics Podcast

AI Group analysis shows $10-billion is being drained from the federal budget from illegal cigarettes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Minister Bob Carr.

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 grievances. We speak with an expert from New South Wales about how the issue is being tackled.

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.

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 work. We hear from the federal education minister and his opposition counterpart about the changes they'd like to see.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The United States has announced a review into the $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal. So what does it mean for Australia? We hear from former Trump advisor John Bolton and the ANU National Security College's Jennifer Parker to find out.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been named a Companion of the Order of Australia, in part for his work leading the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear from Mr Morrison and some of the other winners on this episode of Breaking Politics.

The Federal Government has come up with a unique way of trying to convince the US President to grant Australia an exemption from tariffs. But the beef industry is skeptical - hear from the Red Meat Advisory Council's John McKillop about his concerns.

US President Donald Trump has granted the UK a reprieve from his 50% steel and aluminium tariff, so could Australia be next? Hear what the Opposition's Trade Spokesman Kevin Hogan has to say. Plus, an update on Australia-EU free trade negotiations.

The PM has headed to WA for the first time since the election, to announce Greens senator Dorinda Cox's defection to Labor. While he was there, he had a wide-ranging conversation with 6PR's Oliver Peterson, covering his planned super tax, Senator Cox's decision and... bareknuckle boxing? Take a listen for all the details.

The Liberals and Nationals are hopeful of reuniting before Parliament returns in July after their acrimonious breakup. The leaders of the parties have held crisis talks and Liberal MPs will now meet to consider the Nationals' demands.  Hear from former Prime Minister Tony Abbott about what he makes of the Coalition chaos.

The Liberals and Nationals have split as they reel from their election defeat. But the two political parties are hopeful of reuniting, if they can resolve their policy differences. So what does the Coalition's future look like? We hear from former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard to find out.

The boss of the European Commission is pushing for a military pact with Australia, in a bid to improve defence ties as strategic tensions grow across the world. What does this mean for a country which has long seen the United States as its main ally? We speak to Robert Potter from the Australian National University's Centre for European Studies to find out.

Andrew Bragg has been one of the fiercest critics of Labor's plan to change the tax treatment of some super accounts. Hear what he has to say about the policy, along with the future of the Liberal party.

Labor celebrates election victory, Liberal blame game starts, Australia's plans to change car import tax, and the Government's social media age ban.

Exclusive revelations about Papua New Guinea NRL deal, campaigns pause to remember Pope Francis, leaders clash in fiery debate, declining maths proficiency and Clive Palmer's candidate troubles.

Political leaders hold duelling campaign launches, Indonesia rejects Russia base report, how the major parties stack up on the environment, and fears about deepfake election ads.

US tariffs rock election campaign, Coalition support slides, controversial candidate dumped, the push for broad economic reform and Labor's promise of cheaper home batteries.

Election 2025 starts - Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton on the campaign trial, the US has imposed tariffs on Australian goods and services, The Reserve Bank keeps interest rates on hold and Former Vic Premier Jeff Kennet on immigration.

The Treasurer delivers his pre-election budget, the Opposition promises more gas and cheaper power bills, politicians urged to reject Qantas Chairman's Lounge membership, and unions attack Liberal nuclear promise.

Labor prepares pre-election budget, more damning CFMEU revelations, the independent running in one of the Liberal party's safest seats, Malcolm Turnbull's AUKUS spray, and the push for better mental health support.

Liberal MP and Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan is facing a fierce challenge from Independent Alex Dyson, in his Victorian seat of Wannon. What are the two candidates' priorities if they win the election? And how are they going to try and win the seat? Listen to find out.

The fight over US tariffs, green shoots for Labor ahead of election, the battle for a key Victorian seat, and how insurers could respond more quickly to natural disasters.

Good economic news as election looms, Ukraine aid paused, gas policy in the spotlight, public servants in Coalition's firing line, and why international flights could soon be cheaper.

Medicare announcement dominates pre-election campaign, inflation holds steady, marking three years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China navy drills cause concern, and universities unveil their election wishlist.

Interest rates cut, how to fix the housing crisis, ASIO boss delivers threat assessment, Chinese ships spotted off Australia's coast, and the fallout from Victoria's byelection weekend.

Fowler is one of the most diverse electorates in the country, currently held by independent MP, Dai Le. How does Labor plan to win the seat back at the upcoming election? And how important will issues like the war in the Middle East be? Listen to find out.

Tariff threat dominates parliamentary sitting, the battle for Fowler heats up, more investment in women's health, and retired renters feeling the pinch.

Hate speech laws pass Parliament, businesses outline election agenda, Chinese AI app banned, tackling the ADF's recruitment crisis, and the push for banks to leave a UN climate deal.

2024 marks two decades since the Indian Ocean tsunami, a massive natural disaster which left well over 200,000 people dead. The wave was so large it altered the rotation of the earth. In the aftermath, Australia donated more than $1b in aid to help Indonesia and other countries recover. Breaking Politics spoke with Plan International's Syifa Andina, who was in the car with her mum and brother when the tsunami hit.

Interest rates remain on hold, Australia strikes treaty with Nauru, PNG gets NRL team, debate rages over Antisemitism, and poll neck-and-neck ahead of the election.

Government prepares for mid-year budget update, response to Veteran Suicide Royal Commission handed down, Greens' student debt plan criticised, tradies added to visa scheme, and Syria's civil war reignites.

Parliament wraps up for the year, monthly inflation remains steady, concern over pharmacist title change, calls for more investment in our outer suburbs, and why smart technology could be a security threat.

Prime Minister returns home from G20 summit, government flags cash mandate, fight over foreign student caps, Bunnings pinged for privacy breach, and why Australian businesses are offshoring parts of their operation.

Vietnam war hero wins Victoria Cross medal, jobless rate remains steady, Donald Trump begins assembling his new US administration, how Australia is handling population growth, and the government ramps up its efforts to tackle youth vaping.

Donald Trump wins US election, interest rates on hold, the PM promises lower study debts, airline perks under scrutiny, and the push to break up big supermarkets.

Americans are heading the polls, to choose between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. The election will have lasting ramifications for the US, on issues from foreign policy to abortion. But what does the vote mean for Australia? Zac de Silva spoke with United States Studies Centre Director of Research Jared Mondschein to find out.

David Crisafulli on becoming the new Queensland premier, Pollster Kos Samaras on what the LNP's win means at a federal level, Joe Aston on his new book on Qantas, Former PM Tony Abbott on Covid inquiry and Economist Warren Hogan on inflation

Federal Government push to end debit card surcharges, Independent schools worried they may loose federal funding, AUKUS defence work in Western Australia and the nation's economy adds 64,000 jobs.