Burning the flag + Luke Bateman opens up

The meaning of the Australian flag has changed in its 124 years of use, and debate around it is kicking off after its prominence at controversial anti-immigration rallies.  So has the Australian flag become a weapon of division in this country?  And we chat with Luke Bateman about his #BookTok fame, why he doesn't reflect fondly on his time in the NRL, and how he overcame gambling addiction. Listen now: 01:05 - Should burning the flag be a crime? 04:45 - The history of the Australian flag 10:30 - Sitting down with Luke Bateman Guests:  Dr Benjamin Jones, historian, CQU Luke Bateman, former NRL player and BookTok influencer Get the whole story from Hack: Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

An episode of the Hack podcast, hosted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, titled "Burning the flag + Luke Bateman opens up" was published on September 4, 2025 and runs 30 minutes.

September 4, 2025 ·30m · Hack

Summary

The meaning of the Australian flag has changed in its 124 years of use, and debate around it is kicking off after its prominence at controversial anti-immigration rallies.  So has the Australian flag become a weapon of division in this country?  And we chat with Luke Bateman about his #BookTok fame, why he doesn't reflect fondly on his time in the NRL, and how he overcame gambling addiction. Listen now: 01:05 - Should burning the flag be a crime? 04:45 - The history of the Australian flag 10:30 - Sitting down with Luke Bateman Guests:  Dr Benjamin Jones, historian, CQU Luke Bateman, former NRL player and BookTok influencer Get the whole story from Hack: Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Episode Description