Australia's small and medium businesses are closing at record pace. 

The ABS recorded around 370,500 exits in 2024 / 25. 

The butcher who knows your kids' names. The florist who saved your anniversary. The café that still remembers your coffee order. 

Each one is someone's life's work, someone's job, and a piece of what makes a suburb feel like home instead of just a postcode. 

SME (Small & Medium-sized Enterprise)  Expert, Gabe Enslin, tells Mike Australians are sleepwalking into a country where the high street is a Kmart and a Temu parcel, and we’re doing it on autopilot. 

He's got a clear view on what’s actually killing these businesses, what ordinary Australians can do about it, and where governments keep getting it wrong for the SME operators who employ most of us.   

Australia's small and medium businesses are closing at record pace.&nbsp;
The ABS recorded around 370,500 exits in 2024 / 25.&nbsp;
The butcher who knows your kids' names. The florist who saved your anniversary. The caf&eacute; that still remembers your coffee order.&nbsp;
Each one is someone's life's work, someone's job, and a piece of what makes a suburb feel like home instead of just a postcode.&nbsp;
SME (Small &amp; Medium-sized Enterprise) &nbsp;Expert, Gabe Enslin, tells Mike Australians are sleepwalking into a country where the high street is a Kmart and a Temu parcel, and we&rsquo;re doing it on autopilot.&nbsp;
He's got a clear view on what&rsquo;s actually killing these businesses, what ordinary Australians can do about it, and where governments keep getting it wrong for the SME operators who employ most of us. &nbsp;&nbsp;

When much of the city sleeps, Mike Jeffreys is keeping you company.

Mike provides laughs and companionship, the news & stories of the day from midnight on Mondays. 

When much of the city sleeps, Mike Jeffreys is keeping you company.
Mike&nbsp;provides&nbsp;laughs and companionship, the&nbsp;news &amp;&nbsp;stories of the day from midnight on Mondays.&nbsp;

Overnights with Mike Jeffreys - Highlights

Overnights with Mike Jeffreys

Imagine your suburb without its corner shop

Overnights with Mike Jeffreys - Monday August 10th

Mike speaks with Professor Rocky Scopelliti, Futurologist and bestselling author of Perceptive Machines and Synthetic Souls, about why Australia must avoid becoming the world’s “digital dumping ground.”

Australia is experiencing a massive boom in AI data centres, with billions being invested in infrastructure that consumes enormous amounts of land, electricity and water. Scopelliti argues that while this presents a huge economic opportunity,

Australia risks repeating its history of supplying the raw materials while others capture the real value. If foreign companies own the technology, intellectual property and profits while Australia provides the power, land and infrastructure, we could simply be powering someone else’s future. He believes Australia must ensure every new AI facility delivers lasting national benefits - including sovereign computing capacity,

Australian research, local jobs, tax revenue and home-grown innovation. The question, he says, isn’t whether Australia should build data centres, but whether they will make Australia more prosperous, sovereign and intelligent—or simply become infrastructure for someone else’s AI future.

Mike speaks with Professor Rocky Scopelliti, Futurologist and bestselling author of Perceptive Machines and Synthetic Souls, about why Australia must avoid becoming the world&rsquo;s &ldquo;digital dumping ground.&rdquo;
Australia is experiencing a massive boom in AI data centres, with billions being invested in infrastructure that consumes enormous amounts of land, electricity and water. Scopelliti argues that while this presents a huge economic opportunity,
Australia risks repeating its history of supplying the raw materials while others capture the real value. If foreign companies own the technology, intellectual property and profits while Australia provides the power, land and infrastructure, we could simply be powering someone else&rsquo;s future. He believes Australia must ensure every new AI facility delivers lasting national benefits - including sovereign computing capacity,
Australian research, local jobs, tax revenue and home-grown innovation. The question, he says, isn&rsquo;t whether Australia should build data centres, but whether they will make Australia more prosperous, sovereign and intelligent&mdash;or simply become infrastructure for someone else&rsquo;s AI future.

Australia must refuse to become the World’s digital dumping ground

Mike is joined by Sarah Blake, Conflict Strategist, Mediator and Social Commentator, to discuss how humour is increasingly being used as a weapon of power.

As public figures compete for influence, humour is sometimes used to belittle others, with the defence: “It’s just a joke.” Take Karl Stefanovic, who recently told an all-boys school dinner that he’d “love to see those mad witches with a spitfire up their arse” - referring to people who had called for him to be cancelled. The comment was met with laughter and applause.

Humour is important, but when a cutting remark is disguised as a joke, it can normalise personal attacks. And anyone who objects risks being dismissed as too sensitive or politically correct.

So where is the line between playful humour and humour designed to harm? If the real intention is to belittle someone, perhaps it isn’t a joke at all - and it should be called out.

Mike is joined by Sarah Blake, Conflict Strategist, Mediator and Social Commentator, to discuss how humour is increasingly being used as a weapon of power.
As public figures compete for influence, humour is sometimes used to belittle others, with the defence: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a joke.&rdquo; Take Karl Stefanovic, who recently told an all-boys school dinner that he&rsquo;d &ldquo;love to see those mad witches with a spitfire up their arse&rdquo; - referring to people who had called for him to be cancelled. The comment was met with laughter and applause.
Humour is important, but when a cutting remark is disguised as a joke, it can normalise personal attacks. And anyone who objects risks being dismissed as too sensitive or politically correct.
So where is the line between playful humour and humour designed to harm? If the real intention is to belittle someone, perhaps it isn&rsquo;t a joke at all - and it should be called out.

Imagine your suburb without its corner shop

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