The Morning Edition

As a police officer who investigated sex crimes, Graeme Simpfendorfer was accustomed to helping victims on what might be the worst day of their life. He found meaning in tracking down the criminals who’d hurt them. But then came the day when he realised that he, too, was an alleged victim. The former detective sergeant – who appeared on the reality television show Hunted – talks about what happened when he decided to report his alleged abuse to police. And what it was like to experience the justice system from the other side. Today’s episode is hosted by Samantha Selinger-Morris. And a warning, this episode contains descriptions of alleged sexual abuse. Anyone needing support can contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 and Lifeline 13 11 14.

We’re officially in our budget backlash era, with claims of death taxes, of aspirations killed, and the outraged cries of crypto bros across the nation. Not to mention, of course, the genuine anxiety from regular small business owners and shareholders who are unsure of how all of these changes will affect them. Our guest this week is former Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten, who is now the vice chancellor of the University of Canberra. Shorten knows a thing or two about such backlash, having taken changes to negative gearing and the  capital gains tax to not one, but two elections — 2016 and 2019. Hosting today’s conversation is Jacqueline Maley, alongside chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed in China to meet Xi Jinping, days after the Chinese leader hosted US President Donald Trump. Will Putin gush over Xi, as Trump was accused of doing? Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher discusses the historic concessions Trump has made to China, and what Putin is hoping to achieve from his meeting.

It’s like clockwork. Every March, countless parents, children and teachers across Australia grip their foreheads, wondering about how their NAPLAN scores measure up. But now, a new study of our country’s national standardised scholastic test has revealed an unsettling trend. Today, education reporter Nicole Precel on the educational segregation that is thriving in Australia– and what it will take to fix it.

With the Liberal Party in a political death spiral, it was perhaps inevitable that when Opposition Leader Angus Taylor gave his budget reply speech last week, he’d swing for the fences. But could his much-awaited immigration policy help fix Australia's housing crisis? Today, chief political commentator James Massola on what Angus Taylor means when he says his policy proposal “puts Australians first”.

Melbourne’s nightlife industry has been beset by violent crimes for much of this year. Under the cover of night, well-known venues - including an iconic French restaurant - have been targeted. What makes this series of connected crimes interesting is the motive remains a mystery. Some club owners have received an ominous message before an attack, but with no demand attached. Also notable is the sheer number of teenagers, some as young as 13 years old, recruited over an encrypted messaging app to carry out the crimes. Our episode today, with crime journalists Chris Vedelago and Carla Jaegar, is guest-hosted by Benjamin Preiss.

The federal budget was pitched as a big moment for a progressive government that wants to equalise wealth and home ownership. And one of the main attacks from the opposition is that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has had to break a promise in order to get there. So will the broken promise line resonate if the changes are broadly supported by the public? Also today, Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal talk about Coalition leader Angus Taylor’s plan to centre immigration in his budget reply speech, including that non-citizens should be blocked from welfare payments. We also check in on One Nation’s Farrer by-election win and how significant a threat the party now poses to Labor.   Background reading: Budget fallout: Next tax war will be over rival income tax cuts Confused by the federal budget? We answer your questions

When US President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping this week, it will be a geopolitical heavyweight match-up with enormous stakes, according to Joe Biden’s former deputy secretary of state, Kurt Campbell. On the table is everything from global trade to security. And, at a time when Trump is arguably at his weakest, and Xi at his most paranoid. Today international and political editor Peter Hartcher on whether Trump may inadvertently lead the United States into unilateral concessions and unintentional appeasement, and what this might mean for the rest of us.    Background reading: Peter Hartcher - The empire of pain and paranoia that awaits Trump inside Xi’s China Michael Koziol - The ‘big danger’ for Australia as Trump meets Xi 

The federal government has delivered one of the most anticipated budgets in recent history, with the focus on shifting wealth from Boomers and opening more of the housing market to younger wage earners. In order to get there, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have enacted an overhaul of negative gearing, capital gains tax and trusts. Today, we bring you an early episode of The Morning Edition from Parliament House in Canberra, with senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.   Peter Hartcher – ‘This budget will be attacked as a nightmare. That’s exactly what the PM wants.’ Paul Sakkal – ‘Albanese gambles on support from younger Australians as he dramatically shifts wealth.’

We’re only hours away from the federal treasurer handing down the government’s much-anticipated budget. All eyes have been on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s anticipated - and controversial - changes to taxes that benefit the wealthier members of our society. But there’s an entirely different factor that is likely to sway the government’s thinking. Today, political columnist Sean Kelly on what One Nation’s historic win on Saturday could mean for the changes to our society that the government implements, or not.

The electorate of Farrer is holding a by-election this weekend and we’re expecting the contest will be a good one. The NSW seat, which hugs the border with Victoria, belonged to former opposition leader Sussan Ley for 25 years. Now, it’s a microcosm of the pressures the Coalition is under from independent candidates and One Nation. And as Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley puts it, Labor has grabbed the popcorn and is sitting this one out. Also this week, RBA boss Michele Bullock made some unusually pointed remarks about inflation and government spending when she raised the cash rate again. Plus, we’ve been reporting on tax relief that’s expected to be announced in next week’s budget. Joining Maley today is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal. Background reading: '‘F’ the lot of youse: Inside the deep political bitterness of the Farrer byelection.' ‘That’s assault’: One Nation volunteer grabs Liberal senator’s phone in clash outside polling booth

US President Donald Trump never fails to miss an opportunity to punish his allies. This week, it was Germany after Trump announced he’d be pulling 5000 troops from the country after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the US had been humiliated by Iran. But away from the front-page news, Germany and Japan – another former enemy of the US – have been on the rise. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on the stunning turnabout from the two countries that have threatened world peace the most in the past – and how all this will affect us.

For millions of people, David Attenborough was the man who introduced us to the wonders of the natural world. But, with Attenborough turning 100 years old on Friday, some are rethinking his legacy, and realising that his biggest achievement might have been missed entirely. Today environment editor Nick O’Malley and former BBC arts director Jonty Claypole talk about how the world’s most famous naturalist changed our culture.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert was imprisoned in Iran for more than years, accused of being a spy. Five years after her release, the research fellow in security studies at Macquarie University is calling on the Australian government to change its strategy towards hostages. Today, Moore-Gilbert speaks about how the era of "quiet diplomacy" is – in some hostage cases –over.

On the evening of Anzac Day, a man is alleged to have set in motion a series of events that sparked a national outcry, broke hearts, and ignited rage in Alice Springs. Today's episode comes after the news that 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis was charged on Sunday with the murder of a five-year-old girl in a tiny Alice Springs community. We cross to the Northern Territory to journalist Hannah Murphy, from WA Today, on the case of Kumanjayi Little Baby. Background reading: Jefferson Lewis charged with murder over death of Kumanjayi Little Baby. A week on, Alice Springs is a town forever changed.

Travis Reyes, a 21-year-old US marine, remembers feeling smug as he sat with his feet dangling out the door of a military aircraft, soaring high above a gulf in the Northern Territory. Yes, dozens of military personnel had died in these hybrid aeroplane/helicopters over the years. But the take-off from Darwin had been smooth. Today, senior reporter Grant McArthur on the 23 marines who crashed in the bush, shocking the globe. And the world-first medical experiments by quick-thinking Australian doctors aimed at helping Travis Reyes survive against all odds. Background reading Grant McArthur's full story: 'A fiery air crash, a face-eating fungus and minutes from death in the Top End: How The Alfred’s doctors saved this US marine.'

Inflation figures were out this week, and it wasn’t good news. Next week’s interest rates figures from the Reserve Bank aren't looking crash hot either. So how do these results impact Jim Chalmers’ impending budget and what are the chances the treasurer will press ahead with changes to taxes and housing? We also chat about the government’s new favourite buzzwords from ‘intergenerational equity’ to ‘resilience’ and what they really mean. And finally, we discuss whether Angus Taylor’s argument that Welcome to Country greetings were overused was a dog whistle from the opposition leader, or reflects a broad sentiment in the community. Joining host Jacqueline Maley this week are chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

When the National Disability Insurance Scheme was created in 2013, it was proof that a rich society could find the money to help people living with a disability. This was social democracy at work. Twelve years on, it has turned into a $62 billion behemoth, on track to cost more than the age pension. The Albanese government last week admitted the scheme was at risk of collapse. It announced a root-and-branch overhaul to remove 300,000 Australians from the scheme in the space of a few years. The man leading the contentious reform agenda is Health Minister Mark Butler. The 55-year-old South Australian has emerged as one of Labor’s most energetic ministers, taking on big tasks in aged care, tobacco control and disability support. He’s also been asked if he might be the next Labor leader after Anthony Albanese. He joins this bonus episode of Inside Politics with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.   Background reading Natassia Chrysanthos and Paul Sakkal – New NDIS eligibility tool will be ‘relatively blind’ to diagnoses. Natassia Chrysanthos – ‘Am I disabled enough?’ The question autistic participants are asking after NDIS overhaul.  

Regular listeners will know Peter Hartcher – he’s our international and political editor and a weekly voice on The Morning Edition, helping us dissect and process the extraordinary times that we’re living in. Every week we get a lot of comments from our listeners, so we put a call out for the burning questions you’ve wanted to ask Hartcher. Today we've collated a selection of them for this special episode.   Background reading Peter Hartcher's latest column – Trump says he’s won the war. No one has told the Iranians.

It's shaping up to be a story of profound betrayal – if the allegations are proven in court. On the one hand is one of Australia's most influential and richest philanthropists, a woman who doesn't use email or indeed a computer.  On the other is her personal secretary, whom she entrusted with access to her intimate personal and financial details. Today, chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont on the case of Judith Neilson, Annalouise Spence and the alleged $1.6 million sequin-studded fraud. Background reading Kate McClymont's story – 'Profound betrayal’: The billionaire and her secretary’s $1.5m sequin-studded fraud. And ‘Overwhelming case’: Billionaire’s ex-secretary refused bail over alleged $1.6m fraud.

Within hours of the shooting, right outside where US President Donald Trump was dining at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, the American president was venting his anger. Not, notably, about the gunman firing shots in the lobby of the hotel. But at a journalist who read out what the suspected shooter allegedly thinks about Trump.  Today Bruce Wolpe, a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre, on why this shooting differs - in such a crucial and dangerous way - from the two attempts on Trump's life during the 2024 election campaign, and the reckoning that is now spreading throughout Washington as a result.   Further reading: Inside the pandemonium at the Washington Hilton ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’: Alleged shooter’s manifesto says he was targeting Trump officials   And just a note, after recording this episode, Cole Tomas Allen, was charged - on Tuesday, Australian time - with an attempted assassination of Donald Trump. According to a note Allan reportedly sent family members minutes before the attack, he believed that it was his duty to target Trump administration officials. Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, has said that additional charges would be brought against him.

Prohibition-era gangs, mafia dons, the notorious Melbourne’s gangland wars and the rise of flashy outlaw motorcycle gangs. Crime in Australia has had a few iterations, and has mirrored crime occurring in the rest of the world. But now we’re in a new era. Today investigative reporter Marta Pascual Juanola on how organised crime has changed and the uniquely Australian trend that has emerged. Read Marta's story on organised crime here. 

Today, we are talking about one of the federal budget’s trickiest customers - the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Labor was once like a proud parent of the NDIS, but now even the minister in charge, Mark Butler, is describing the scheme as a honeypot for organised crime. Also this week, an inquiry about taxing offshore gas exports went kind of viral due to a David Pocock question about beer and an appearance from a podcaster called Punters Politics. Joining host Jacqueline Maley is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos. Background reading Natassia Chrysanthos’ latest story on the NDIS All of The Age and Sydney Morning Herald’s political news and analysis.

Since the Cold War ended more than 35 years ago, many of us have likely not given much thought to Bloc warfare. Those nuclear threats that the Western and Eastern Blocs hurled at each other? A thing of the past. But lately, the beginnings of a return to Bloc warfare have revealed themselves. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on the group of countries that are assisting each other to fight wars. And why few have heard of their grouping. Next Thursday, we'll be airing a special episode with Peter, in which he will be answering your questions. So if you have any questions about the state of our world that you've been dying to ask Peter, or a topic you'd love him to discuss, emails us at podcasts@nine.com.au and we may feature it on air next week.  Background reading Peter Hartcher's article:  Trump’s madcap folly emboldening this ‘axis of upheaval’ Peter Hartcher's columns and stories.  

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is slated to make a big change to the tax system, with the centrepiece of the May budget a change totaxing capital gains on property. Will the likely tweaks reduce skyrocketing house prices, or address intergenerational inequality? Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright talks about who this change will cost, who it will benefit, and by how much. Background reading: Shane Wright's story, 'CGT like it's 1999.' The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's up-to-date political coverage.

There’s been something of a revolt in women’s basketball in the United States, and two Australians – Alanna Smith and Ezi Magbegor – are among the biggest winners. Today, sports reporter Frances Howe on the multimillion-dollar deals netted by these Australian stars, as a result of a very simple demand, and what it means for women in sport.   Background reading The Age and Sydney Morning Herald's series on Australia's richest athletes. Frances Howes' story on the WNBA.

Just picture it: under the cover of night, police detectives raid a clandestine drug lab in Melbourne belonging to an organised crime gang. But instead of picking through just the usual: beakers, wads of cash and perhaps the unmistakable acetone odour of ICE, they stumble on something else. Boxes upon boxes – upon BOXES – of Lego. Today, senior reporter Chris Vedelago on why your kids’ favourite toy has become the underworld’s new favourite currency, and why it’s so good for laundering dirty money.

A fire at a Geelong oil refinery - one of two refineries left in Australia - has heightened anxiety around fuel supply. Energy Minister Chris Bowen joins the Inside Politics podcast today to address the impact of this fire and the scramble for petrol and diesel imports as the nation grapples with one of the most severe oil shocks in history. The pugilistic minister, a lighting rod in the debate about Australia's renewable energy transition, joins chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and energy correspondent Mike Foley to discuss the rocky path to a green economy, and Australia's position to deal with the war and subsequent energy crisis. You can read Sakkal and Foley's story on our websites here, and all our federal political coverage here.

Seven weeks into the US-Israel war with Iran, the narrative that Donald Trump was pushed into the war by Benjamin Netanyahu, and that the US president is an agent of Israel, still permeates the internet. How much truth is there to these claims? Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher talks about who really is driving the war, and why it matters. Read Hartcher's column here.

As our journalist James Massola put it, his niece Mattea is like most three-year-olds: boisterous and bursting with energy. Mattea is also not like most three-year-olds: from the moment she was born, her parents have had to grapple with a complex set of problems that make life very different. I’m Samantha Selinger-Morris, and you’re listening to The Morning Edition, from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. Today, chief political commentator James Massola on Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme and what next month’s expected cuts to the scheme really mean.

For years, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have been tanking in popularity polls. Meghan is now the second-most disliked royal, beaten only by the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. So why is this faux-royal tour occurring down under when the British monarchy is arguably on the nose? Today, senior writer Bevan Shields comments on recent bullying accusations against Prince Harry, what they're doing here this week - and how much they're charging us for the pleasure.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been slammed – over the course of years – for failing to crack down on the more than 1 million gambling ads broadcast every year on Australia's free-to-air TV and radio, not to mention the rest of our gambling industry, which has driven some families to financial ruin. Then, finally, just over a week ago, came the prime minister’s announcement of a gambling overhaul. Today, business reporter Kishor Napier-Raman on just how much so-called “filthy money” our government is taking away from stakeholders, and if there’s any chance these reforms might break the link between children and sports wagering.

The new leader of the Nationals, Matt Canavan, is a former Marxist from the suburbs who was once a Productivity Commission economist and then, a firebrand right-wing senator. Canavan joins Inside Politics today with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal at a time when the Nationals are battling for survival against an ascendant One Nation. The pair discuss Australia's over-reliance on the US, Canavan's dislike of identity politics, his surprising love of electric vehicles and, to cap it off, religion.

US President Donald Trump has backed down, at the eleventh hour, from his horrifying threat to - as Trump put it himself - unleash destruction on Iran’s entire civilisation.  Both sides have now said they have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, which includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how to make sense of the events of the last 24 hours. And whether in two weeks, the world is likely to be, yet again, on the brink of carnage.

The Australian Federal Police today arrested war hero Ben Roberts-Smith over the war-crimes murders of five unarmed Afghan civilians and prisoners during the Afghan War. The arrest comes after a quiet, five-year-long investigation into Roberts-Smith, which reportedly involved tapped phones, listening devices, and raids by secretive Office of the Special Investigator detectives. Today, investigative reporters Nick McKenzie and Michael Bachelard reveal how this arrest unfolded, and what happens next.

There was a significant judgment in a Victorian court last week, one that is causing a great deal of controversy in the medical community. The case centres on what happened when a woman presented to a regional hospital to give birth. The woman, Larissa Gawthrop, was in labour – but the hospital refused to admit her until she’d undergone a vaginal examination. For the hospital, this test is routine, but Gawthrop had been really clear in her birth plan – she’d only consent to an examination if there was an urgent medical reason. What happened next, according to the court decision, was tantamount to assault, and the judge awarded Gawthrop $275,000 in damages. Today, senior writer Wendy Tuohy discusses the landmark case and its implications for the medical community.

Many of us probably have a hunch that vaping is bad for our health. Questions about just how bad have been around for years. So why, then, has there been a backlash by health researchers against a new study, that has now declared that the evidence is in, and e-cigarettes are likely to cause oral and lung cancer? Today, science reporter Angus Dalton on the main warnings contained in this Australian study.

This week we debate the merits of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s national address before getting stuck into what’s happening with the budget. With the world in a bit of a shambles, we found it interesting that the PM hasn’t totally killed off the idea of reforms in the budget to things such as capital gains tax and negative gearing. But, as our guest and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright says, this is the most difficult budget to piece together since the response to the global financial crisis in 2008. Finally, host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal talk about a fascinating interview Andrew Hastie gave recently.

US President Donald Trump says he’s nearly done with the war in Iran, declaring: "We will be leaving very soon." His secretary of state also said on Wednesday that he can "see the finish line". This would be significant, but only if the Americans were in control of the war. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher argues the United States has leached power in this war, while the Iranian regime is in its element.

Investigative reporter Nick McKenzie logged on to a Zoom call to meet the man who said he was Aaron Pierson. McKenzie was also hiding his real identity, posing as a recruiter for an Australian tech company. The whole thing was a set-up, a trap for someone McKenzie suspected to be a spy for North Korea. Today, McKenzie talks about the new way spies are targeting Australian businesses, and what happened in that Zoom call.

In a sudden conclusion to one of Australia’s most intensive manhunts, self-described sovereign citizen Dezi Freeman was shot dead by police on Monday morning. For more than 200 days, Freeman evaded police after killing two police officers at a rural property in Porepunkah, in Victoria’s High Country, on August 26 last year. In a bonus episode today, crime reporter Melissa Cunningham on how the deadly saga of Dezi Freeman came to an end. For all the latest on this story, visit theage.com.au or smh.com.au.

The government has finally announced its national fuel security plan to help us cope with one of the worst global oil crisis the world has seen. After meeting with the heads of all states and territories in a special meeting of the national cabinet, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was acting now to be “overprepared" for any worsening of the crisis that has resulted from the war in the Middle East - now in its fifth week, and showing no signs of stopping. Today, hear federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos on what relief Australians will get out of this plan, and whether the government’s measures will boost inflation.

When the murky and fast-flowing water surged into their house in northern Victoria, Brian and Glenys Mulcahey were determined. They would save their home of more than 50 years. In the end, they couldn’t. But what they didn’t know then, during that devastating flood in 2022, was that the worst was still to come. For Brian Mulcahey was never the same again; the previously active man slid into a state of listlessness, and was later sent to a mental health facility. Today, regional editor Benjamin Preiss on the link between dementia and natural disasters.

This week, while we were all freaking out about the oil crisis – and rightly so – European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen visited to finalise a trade deal between Australia and the EU. Negotiations for this have been on and off for eight years, so it was not a moment too soon that we signed it. But, as Jacqueline Maley and Paul Sakkal discuss, this wasn't just about delicious foodstuffs from Europe, and indeed, Europeans getting access to our delicious foodstuffs; it was also about shoring up our strategic security in a very uncertain time. And, we also talk about One Nation's election unexpected result in South Australia.

How can we make heads or tails of where the Iran war is headed, and when it might end, when Donald Trump changes his strategy with whiplash speed? One minute, the US President says he’ll drop more bombs on Iran, “just for fun”. The next he decides to lift sanctions on Iranian oil and says that he’s having “productive” negotiations with his enemy. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on whether this war will lead us all into a recession, and what Trump said that reveals how much political trouble he’s now in.

As much as welove to hate Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O, who for so long ruled Australia's most expensive radio program, the implosion of their show is consequential. And not just in a business sense – although if Sandilands is successful in the lawsuit he launched against his former employer this week, it could take the entire radio network down. Today, media writer Calum Jaspan on whether Sandilands might take his brand to another platform, and turn it into a political force, with an even greater focus on the grotesque and vulgar – and what’s happened to Jackie O.

You’ve noticed the hike in prices at the petrol pump, but how high might prices go? And are we at risk of running out of petrol? Today, energy reporter Nick Toscano on what plans our government and the fuel companies have to manage this crisis.

"Looksmaxxing" is a trend on social media where, as the name suggests, men aim to "maximise" their appearance in sometimes extreme ways. There are tales of breaking legs in order to be taller, and talk of "bone smashing" – where young men claim they are hammering their faces to heighten their cheekbones. Today, Becca Rothfeld, a writer with The New Yorker magazine, talks about where this movement came from and why so many of its stars are Australian.

This week we’re talking about the enormous global volatility the government is dealing with, courtesy of the US-Israel war on Iran, and whether we need to be worried about things like our fuel supplies. Also, with this global instability and an interest rate rise this week, will Treasurer Jim Chalmers water down his budget ambitions, or press on with major changes to intergenerational equity and tax? The Inside Politics team of Jacqueline Maley and Paul Sakkal also find time to touch on the electorate of Farrer, which is shaping up to hold one of the more interesting byelections.

For someone who has said he’s already won the war in Iran, US President Donald Trump sure is angry. On Tuesday night, he lashed out at allies, including Australia, that have declined to send ships to the Middle East to help put a stop to the oil crisis caused by the war. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher speaks on the attacks Trump is now facing from within his own party over the war, and who’s really winning in this conflict.