They are the heroes who might be called to winch you to safety, if you fall into a crevasse, get stuck in a bushfire, or find yourself circled by sharks at sea. 

But behind the daring rescues by members of the Westpac Rescue service in NSW, multiple staff members have made allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and lack of safety compliance at the organisation. 

Today, investigative reporter Eryk Bagshaw, on the months-long investigation he led, along with 60 Minutes, into the rescue service where staff members treated like “god amongst men” are alleged to have engaged in behaviour that might have endangered patients’ safety.

Warning: Listeners might find some content in this podcast distressing. 

They are the heroes who might be called to winch you to safety, if you fall into a crevasse, get stuck in a bushfire, or find yourself circled by sharks at sea.&nbsp;
But behind the daring rescues by members of the Westpac Rescue service in NSW, multiple staff members have made allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and lack of safety compliance at the organisation.&nbsp;
Today, investigative reporter Eryk Bagshaw, on the months-long investigation he led, along with 60 Minutes, into the rescue service where staff members treated like &ldquo;god amongst men&rdquo; are alleged to have engaged in behaviour that might have endangered patients&rsquo; safety.
Warning: Listeners might find some content in this podcast distressing.&nbsp;

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series. 

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series.&nbsp;

New episodes

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

They might rescue you from danger. But is Westpac Rescue safe?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/12b14214-b014-4321-910c-b37c00663abd/transcript

This week it feels wrong to talk about politics in the wake of the horrific antisemitic massacre at Bondi Beach on Sunday. Australians and Sydneysiders in particular are still trying to make sense of the senseless. 

But the fact is that the response to the massacre has been deeply political, and things got divisive very quickly. 

So this week on Inside Politics we are going to discuss the political response to the incident and how it might affect our national life in the months and years to come.

Jacqueline Maley is joined by political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos.

This week it feels wrong to talk about politics in the wake of the horrific antisemitic massacre at Bondi Beach on Sunday. Australians and Sydneysiders in particular are still trying to make sense of the senseless.&nbsp;
But the fact is that the response to the massacre has been deeply political, and things got divisive very quickly.&nbsp;
So this week on Inside Politics we are going to discuss the political response to the incident and how it might affect our national life in the months and years to come.
Jacqueline Maley is joined by political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos.

Anger in the aftermath: Albanese and the Bondi attack

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/417043bf-9f15-4340-9cf5-b3b700765191/transcript

On the evening of the shooting at Bondi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese  said: “An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian” – that was indeed proven when the entire community sprung into action, those who ran towards the disaster, not away from it. 

There are tales of heroism, like the couple who first tried to stop the gunmen and paid with their lives, the man who single-handedly wrestled the rifle out of the shooter’s hands and those who shielded their loved ones and strangers from bullets. 

Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker, on the acts of bravery and kindness at Bondi. 

On the evening of the shooting at Bondi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese&nbsp; said: &ldquo;An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian&rdquo; &ndash; that was indeed proven when the entire community sprung into action, those who ran towards the disaster, not away from it.&nbsp;
There are tales of heroism, like the couple who first tried to stop the gunmen and paid with their lives, the man who single-handedly wrestled the rifle out of the shooter&rsquo;s hands and those who shielded their loved ones and strangers from bullets.&nbsp;
Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker, on the acts of bravery and kindness at Bondi.&nbsp;

Courage and kindness in the face of the Bondi attack

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/7fa68938-cc85-4748-ab2c-b3b600687b6c/transcript

When Michael Visontay heard of the shootings at Bondi Beach on Sunday, his first instinct was to call his son, who often swam there. Then came the sickening feeling of dread, when his son didn’t answer his phone.

Something that thickened this dread even further, was a family history that taught him to always be alert to possible threats. His father and grandfather survived the Holocaust after living in concentration camps. His maternal grandmother was killed in Auschwitz.

Visontay is far from alone. Australia has a higher proportion of Holocaust survivors than any country in the world, besides Israel.

Today, Michael Visontay, author of the book Noble Fragments, and a former senior editor at The Sydney Morning Herald, on how this unique makeup of Australian Jewry impacts their response to the Bondi terror attack.

When Michael Visontay heard of the shootings at Bondi Beach on Sunday, his first instinct was to call his son, who often swam there. Then came the sickening feeling of dread, when his son didn&rsquo;t answer his phone.
Something that thickened this dread even further, was a family history that taught him to always be alert to possible threats. His father and grandfather survived the Holocaust after living in concentration camps. His maternal grandmother was killed in Auschwitz.
Visontay is far from alone. Australia has a higher proportion of Holocaust survivors than any country in the world, besides Israel.
Today, Michael Visontay, author of the book Noble Fragments,&nbsp;and a former senior editor at The Sydney Morning Herald, on how this unique makeup of Australian Jewry impacts their response to the Bondi terror attack.

Holocaust survivors chose Sydney after the war. Then came the Bondi attack

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/f657c001-9e39-4b83-b2e9-b3b50062905c/transcript

They might rescue you from danger. But is Westpac Rescue safe?

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