Blood on the ground: What’s happening in Sudan

When American author Anne Applebaum travelled to the frontlines of the Sudanese civil war this year, she gave herself a stern remit. Bare witness to, and report on, a lawless world that - since the United States has pulled most of its aid - is now run by warring militias, clans and families. Crucia…

John Polson on bringing ‘Tropfest’ back from the dead, with a little help from Margot Robbie

In this episode, we talk to John Polson. You might know him from films such as The Sum of Us and, more recently, The Dry – or for the shows he’s directed including Elementary and The Walking Dead. But you might not know the remarkable story behind Tropfest – long described as the world’s biggest sh…

$100k flights, uncomfortable truth about PM's wedding, and the social media ban fight

This week the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was on his honeymoon after his low-key Lodge wedding last weekend, while Senate estimates rolled on in Canberra, uncovering some interesting secrets. Notable was the head-scratching amount that Communications Minister Anika Wells spent on flights to Ne…

$100k flights, uncomfortable truth about PM's wedding, and the fight over social media

This week the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was on his honeymoon after his low-key Lodge wedding last weekend, while Senate estimates rolled on in Canberra, uncovering some interesting secrets. Notable was the head-scratching amount that Communications Minister Anika Wells spent on flights to Ne…

Kate McClymont on the fake accountant, the solicitor, and the stolen millions

When Mark Leishman and his wife Kathy first sought out the help of George Dimitriou, they were suffering with cash-flow problems at Mark’s business.  By the time their working relationship with Dimitriou finished - and after they discovered he was only pretending to be an accountant - their Newcas…

Will ‘gentle density’ help fix our housing stupidity?

New figures out on Monday show that the median house values in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane have become, well, kind of insane. They’re the kind of figures that make people who’ve been desperately saving to break into the housing market tear at their hair by the roots. But new research shows that …

Why shark attacks in Australia are increasing

It really was the stuff of nightmares. A Swiss tourist, who was swimming with dolphins off the NSW coast, was suddenly mauled by a three-metre bull shark.  The 25-year-old died from her injuries, despite her heroic boyfriend, an exchange student also from Switzerland, fighting off the shark and ca…

How real is the rise of One Nation?

When Pauline Hanson marched into the Senate last week wearing a burqa, it felt, for a moment, like we were back in the 1990s.  Those were the sorts of stunts – and anti-immigration rhetoric – that the former fish and chip shop owner from Ipswich used to pull when she first swept into power.  But,…

Barnaby defects, Hanson offends and Sussan Ley comes on the podcast

Well, Barnaby Joyce finally announced his resignation from the Nationals this week, paving his way to join One Nation, in a week where Pauline Hanson recycled a burqa stunt from 2017. And it’s amid this turmoil that we have a special guest with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and Jacquel…

Barnaby defects, Hanson offends and Sussan Ley comes on the podcast

Well, Barnaby Joyce finally announced his resignation from the Nationals this week, paving his way to join One Nation, in a week where Pauline Hanson recycled a burqa stunt from 2017. And it’s amid this turmoil that we have a special guest with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and Jacquel…