7am

Last week Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines, sprouting links to autism – which have been definitively disproved by scientists and health organisations around the world. During Trump’s second term, the misinformation from the president and his health secretary, RFK Jr, has been relentless – undermining public trust in vaccines, as outbreaks of previously eliminated diseases flare up again. Today, Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney’s Infectious Diseases Institute Julie Leask on the politicisation of antivax sentiment, and the implications for Australia   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Professor of Public Health Julie Leask Photo: Bonnie Cash/EPASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For most of Australia’s recent history, preparing for war has meant preparing the military.  Now, the government is turning its attention on the rest of us.  A new parliamentary inquiry will examine Australia's civilian preparedness and whether we could keep fuel flowing, supply chains moving and essential services running through a major conflict.  It comes as the government warns Australia is facing the most threatening strategic circumstances since the Second World War.  Today, Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program, on what major conflict would actually mean for Australians, and whether we’re preparing for the right threats.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Director of Lowy Institute’s International Security Program, Sam Roggeveen Photo: PR HANDOUTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whistleblower David McBride has been released from prison on parole, after serving 27 months for leaking classified Defence documents to journalists. Those documents helped expose allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. Years on, he’s still the only person to have been sent to prison over the Afghan Files. Today, as McBride is released, we’re returning to an interview Ashlynne McGhee recorded with him just before he was jailed – on why he leaked those documents, whether he had any regrets, and how Australia keeps its secrets. This episode was first published in May 2024.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Whistleblower and former military lawyer, David McBride Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After years of pressure to tackle gambling harm, the Albanese government is trying to get its long-awaited reforms through parliament, looking to cut a deal with the Opposition, sparking a debate over just how far the government is prepared to go to get its reforms through.  Meanwhile, immigration is becoming one of the defining battles in federal politics, as One Nation’s growing support and hardline approach force both major parties to confront how they respond to its agenda.  And amidst it all, Barnaby Joyce declared One Nation “one of the gayest parties in Australia”, after a former One Nation candidate called homosexuality a mental illness.  Today, SBS Chief Political Correspondent, Anna Henderson, on a hectic week in parliament; the fight over immigration, gambling reform and a warm conversation between the PM and President Trump.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: SBS Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire has helped shape politics and public debate, and in doing so, has often left lasting consequences for some of the people caught in its sights, from politicians, to public figures to everyday people. The consequences can be devastating.  Journalists Matthew Ricketson and Andrew Dodd have a name for what happens when that attention becomes a campaign, they call it ‘getting Murdoched’. Today, co-author of their new book Getting Murdoched, Matthew Ricketson on the people who’ve found themselves on the receiving end, and the media culture that could outlast Rupert Murdoch himself.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Co-author of Getting Murdoched Matthew Ricketson Photo: AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool, FileSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when you thought world politics couldn’t get any more ridiculous: tonight, far-right British politician Nigel Farage is set to face a by-election of his own making. His main opponent? A joke candidate by the name of Count Binface, who says he’s an alien space warrior, and wears a superhero costume featuring a bin for a head. The contest has turned into a circus, but the five-million-pound donation scandal which prompted it, is deadly serious. Today, European correspondent for the Australian Financial Review, Andrew Tillett, on the contest, the scandal behind it, and the parallels between Farage and Australia’s far-right offering, One Nation.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: European correspondent for the Australian Financial Review, Andrew Tillett Photo: PA/AlamySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank of Australia yesterday left interest rates on hold at 4.35 per cent: a relief for those with a mortgage.  But as the bank weighs up future interest rate hikes to try and combat inflation, some economists say there’s a fairer way to keep spending under wraps and spread the pain around.  And the alternative could leave us all with bigger retirement nest eggs. Today, independent economist Saul Eslake on whether superannuation could be used to manage inflation, and what it all means for the future of housing.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Independent economist Saul Eslake Photo: AAP Image/Dean LewinsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As One Nation’s political clout rises, so too does its bank balance, courtesy of the very elites Pauline Hanson often rails against. Now an investigation by the Brisbane Times and SMH has detailed some of the places One Nation’s cash is coming from: from exclusive parties hosted at Gina Rinehart’s mansion, to movies, to merch. But perhaps even more pertinent are the contributions hidden from public view. Today, SMH Investigative Reporter Patrick Begley on the sources of One Nation’s wealth.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: SMH Investigative Reporter Patrick Begley Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early hours of July 5 last year, a group of masked people allegedly broke into a defence manufacturer in Melbourne’s north-east.  Three cars were set alight. The building was vandalised, and later, a video message appeared online with a masked man claiming responsibility; warning workers involved in the weapons supply chain that they were being watched.  Waleed Aly has a PhD in global terrorism and says the message left behind is crucial to understanding what happened and what might happen next.  Today, Waleed Aly on what makes political violence terrorism, and whether this attack is a sign of something much bigger taking hold.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Monash University terrorism expert Waleed Aly Photo: Supplied: AFPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Alan Jones went on trial in Sydney, more than 20 months after his arrest. The once-powerful broadcaster is now facing 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching involving six complainants. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies any wrongdoing. When we recorded this episode, Jones had just been charged with 24 offences involving eight complainants. Since then the case has narrowed, with a number of charges withdrawn or replaced before the trial began. Today, we revisit our conversation with investigative reporter and author of Jonestown: The Power and Myth of Alan Jones, Chris Masters, on the fall of one of Australia’s most powerful men, and what it tells us about the nature of power itself in this country. This episode was first published in November 2024.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Investigative reporter Chris Masters Photo: AAP Image/Damian ShawSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australian politics, access can be bought, factions can operate beyond public view, and conduct can be deeply troubling without ever meeting the definition of corruption. None of it is especially new, and maybe that’s the problem. Meanwhile, people are becoming more disconnected from the institutions that shape their lives, and less convinced that those institutions are working in their interests. Today, columnist for The Age and SMH Sean Kelly, on the money, secrecy and private power shaping our politics, and what happens when voters stop trusting the system itself.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Columnist for The Age and SMH Sean Kelly Photo: AAP Image/Jane DempsterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost 30 years ago the Howard government shut down Australia’s public employment service and privatised the system that helps unemployed people find work. Since then, repeated inquiries have found the system is failing the people who need it, while the companies paid to run it rake in huge profits. Now, the Albanese government has admitted the system isn’t working and promised its biggest overhaul in decades. But Labor says these private providers will still remain part of the system, even as a new report has followed the billions of dollars flowing through the industry Today, ABC business and economics reporter Gareth Hutchens, on how helping unemployed Australians became a massive money spinner, and whether Labor can fix the system while leaving private companies at its centre.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: ABC business and economics reporter Gareth Hutchens Photo: AAP Image/Dan PeledSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Jones is used to attracting attention. But not like this. At 85, the once-powerful shock jock who for decades acted as judge, jury and executioner in the court of public opinion, is now the one on trial. Jones is accused of historical offences involving the indecent assault and sexual touching of teenagers and young men – claims he’s always denied. Now, a judge will decide, with the trial slated to run over the next four months. Today, National Affairs Editor at Ten News, Hugh Riminton on how the first few days of the Alan Jones trial played out in court, and what comes next.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: National Affairs Editor at Ten News Hugh Riminton Photo: AAP Image/Bianca De MarchiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades it’s shone a light on corruption of the highest order, even toppling premiers: Now NSW ICAC, the state’s corruption watchdog, has set its sights on a secretive right-wing Christian faction of the Liberal Party, “the Reformers”, and its cashed-up group of backers. Already the public inquiry, codenamed Operation Rosny, has heard of shit sheets, sham payments, phone taps, and dodgy deals with fugitive developers – with the reformers' connections reaching all the way to the top of the Liberal party. Today, The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont unpacks the tangled web of players at the centre of what she’s calling ICAC’s Game of Thrones.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: SMH chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont Photo: PR Handout/Supplied by NSW PoliceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do Jacqui Lambie, Pauline Hanson, Lidia Thorpe and David Pocock all have in common? Usually not much. But they're part of an unlikely group of politicians backing former senator Rex Patrick in a legal fight with the Albanese government over information the government does not want released. At the centre of that fight are documents about potential sites for nuclear waste storage from AUKUS submarines, a bill that could see Patrick forced to pay $150,000, and a warning about what happens when ordinary Australians push too hard for answers.  Today, transparency campaigner Rex Patrick on the case that has united some of parliament's most unlikely allies.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Transparency campaigner Rex Patrick Photo: AAP Image/Jono SearleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the largest institutional emitter in the world. A bigger polluter than 140 countries. And yet its emissions are hidden from sight. Now a new documentary ‘Earth’s greatest enemy’ is exposing the impact of the US military empire on the planet: the waste, the billion dollar budgets, and the political maneuvering that’s kept it all out of the public eye.Today, Journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin, on what the world’s biggest war machine is doing to our Earth. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin Photo: US Central CommandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In America, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has turned anger over rent, groceries and childcare into a powerful movement on the left. One with real momentum.  In Australia, that same anger is increasingly being captured by Pauline Hanson and the populist right, while Labor retreats towards the centre.  So attention is turning to who in Australia could make a Mamdani-style case for economic change, and to whether the Australian left has the organisation, discipline and ambition to build a movement around them. Today, freelance writer, political commentator and host of RRR's Spin Cycle Rachel Withers, on the political figure the left is searching for, and whether the conditions exist to produce an Australian Mamdani.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Writer and political commentator Rachel Withers Photo: AP Photo/Heather KhalifaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria’s new premier Ben Carroll has announced a royal commission into the state’s building industry. It follows years of reporting exposing alleged corruption, organised crime links and misconduct within the sector, and years of resistance from the government and former premier Jacinta Allan. The commission now has the potential to examine what happened and who knew about it, forcing powerful figures in politics, unions and the underworld to answer questions under oath and in public. Today, The Age investigative reporter Nick McKenzie, on what the royal commission must uncover and the big names who could be called to testify.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: The Age investigative reporter Nick McKenzie Photo: AAP Image/James RossSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next election the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will have a new contender for his Sydney seat, with commentator and Cheek Media founder Hannah Ferguson announcing she’s taking a tilt. She says she’s started canvassing locals to find out what they want from their representative, and that she’s already been warned that attempts to build a dirt file on her have begun.  Today, we speak with Hannah Ferguson, and political journalist Karen Middleton, about what it takes to actually oust a PM, and what else could be in store.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Candidate for Grayndler Hannah Ferguson and press gallery journalist Karen Middleton Photo: AAP Image/ Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a chaotic 24 hours of backroom plotting and mounting pressure, the Victorian premier resigned. Jacinta Allan’s replacement, and former deputy leader Ben Carroll, now has just four months to turn Labor’s fortunes around in what’s shaping up to be the most unpredictable election the state has ever seen. Polls show an unprecedented three-party contest – with voters split, almost equally, between the unpopular Labor government, an Opposition ridden by scandal, and a rising One Nation. Today, ABC Melbourne Mornings host Raf Epstein on what Labor’s change of leader means for an already chaotic election race and whether Australia’s most progressive state could turn orange.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: ABC Radio Melbourne host Raf Epstein Photo: AAP Image/James RossSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cory Doctorow is the author and tech critic who brought us the term ‘enshittification’ – which refers to the gradual decline in the quality of digital platforms and services over time. Now he’s warning that what we’ve been led to believe is the inevitable march of AI towards world domination isn’t that inevitable after all, and actually what we’re marching towards could be the end of the AI bubble. Because every time you ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini a question, companies like OpenAI are losing money. The more we use, the more they lose. And while those AI giants burn through billions of dollars a year, gambling that eventually they’ll figure out how to turn it into a profitable business, the world’s economy is hanging in the balance. Today, Cory Doctorow, on why the AI boom is being pushed into every part of our lives and what happens when the bubble bursts.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Cory Doctorow is in Australia this August for appearances at Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas, and in Melbourne at The Capitol, presented by The Wheeler Centre and Now or Never. His new book, The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI, is out via Verso    Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author Cory Doctorow Photo: AAP Image/James RossSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Joyce was once one of Australia’s most admired business leaders. By the time he left Qantas, he had become one of the country’s most hated men. His final years at the airline were marked by unlawful sackings, cancelled flights, withheld refunds and a collapse in public trust. But in a new memoir, Riding the Jet Stream, Joyce defends many of the decisions that made him a symbol of corporate arrogance and public distrust. Today, former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, on what he believes Australians got wrong about him – and whether he accepts responsibility for the damage done to the Qantas brand on his watch.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce Photo: AAP Image/Joel CarrettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Robert F Kennedy Jr was sworn in as Health and Human Services Secretary, his confirmation came off the back of a fiery questioning from Democrats and Republicans alike about RFK Jr’s record on vaccines. And under oath, RFK Jr denied he was against them. But now, Reuters reports he considered scrapping the entire childhood immunisation schedule, removing polio and MMR vaccines, and spending five billion dollars investigating the disproven link between vaccines and autism. Kennedy has spent two decades campaigning against vaccines, using his famous name to become one of the movement’s most prominent figures. Today, we return to our conversation with investigative journalist Brian Deer, on Kennedy’s anti-vaccine campaign – and the deadly consequences of vaccine misinformation in Samoa. This episode was originally published in February 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Investigative journalist Brian Deer Photo: AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of liquefied natural gas. Over the past 25 years, the value of those exports has increased more than twentyfold. Yet revenue from the tax designed to capture the extraordinary profits made from petroleum resources has gone backwards. This week, at its national conference, the Labor Party formally acknowledged that Australians deserve a "fairer return" from the resources beneath their land and seas. But the party stopped short of backing the policy that forced the issue onto the agenda: a 25 per cent tax on gas exports that supporters say could raise up to $17 billion a year. Today, Australia Institute co-chief executive Richard Denniss, on the unlikely alliance pushing Labor to take on the gas industry – and whether the party’s carefully chosen words will ever become an actual tax.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Co-Chief Executive Officer at The Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss Photo: AAP Image/Joe CastroSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the East Room of the White House, Donald Trump made an extraordinary accusation of election interference: Beijing had illegally obtained the voter files of 220 million Americans. He also accused US intelligence agencies of hiding the extent of China’s activity.  Later, Trump claimed a Homeland Security review had found around 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote. Trump’s motivation, critics say, is to sow doubt ahead of the upcoming midterm elections – which he’s already made several attempts to reshape: from redrawing maps, to restricting voting, to firing the entire electoral commission. Today, staff writer at The Atlantic David A. Graham, on Trump’s campaign to tilt the midterms and what he could still do before, during and after election day.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Staff writer at The Atlantic David A. Graham Photo: Saul LOEB / POOL / AFPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A blonde woman stands among smiling children holding lollipops. A foundation banner hangs behind them. She announces that a new orphanage has opened in Africa. But evidence collected during an ABC investigation suggests that the woman in the video isn’t real. Neither are the children or the banner behind them. The scene appears to have been generated using artificial intelligence. Millions of people have watched an Australian influencer promise food, shelter and hope to children in some of the world's most critical crisis zones.  Now, her foundation is facing questions about its humanitarian claims, the money it solicited, and the damage AI-generated appeals could do to public trust in charities. Today, ABC News Verify journalist, Matt Martino on the Lily Jay Foundation, and the tangled web behind its humanitarian work.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: ABC News Verify senior journalist Matt Martino Photo: @lilyjayofficial via XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than a week, Donald Trump has unleashed strikes against Iran, in a worsening cycle of attacks, including on civilian infrastructure. Trump has defended the strikes as honouring the deaths of up to three American service members in an Iranian attack. But the real goal is to get the Strait of Hormuz open again – something that looks increasingly unlikely.  So, with the region once again on a knife’s edge, the US appears locked back into an escalating war, unless the interim ceasefire deal can be salvaged.  Today, diplomatic correspondent at NOTUS Akbar Shahid Ahmed on the threat of all-out war, and who is really in charge of what happens next.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Diplomatic correspondent at NOTUS and author of Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War in Gaza, Akbar Shahid Ahmed Photo: US Central Command/ReutersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the other racism inquiry running at the same time as the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion – the inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But while the royal commission has attracted rolling media coverage and government attention, the Aboriginal racism inquiry has been largely ignored. The inquiry was triggered by the alleged bombing of an Invasion Day rally – witnesses shining a light on the repeated inaction before, during and after the event as they testified about the fear still hanging over the Indigenous community. Today, National Indigenous Affairs Editor for NITV & SBS John Paul Janke, on how Australia treats different kinds of racism differently.  If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: National Indigenous Affairs Editor for NITV & SBS John Paul Janke Photo: AAP Image/Bianca De MarchiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After more than two decades at Nine, Karl Stefanovic has left the building. For years, he was the face of the Today show – surviving ratings slumps, public scandals, internal criticism and a revolving door of female co-hosts. But after launching his own podcast, and then interviewing far-right British figure Tommy Robinson, Nine finally cut him loose. Now, people who worked with Stefanovic are speaking out. Crikey contributor and Fourth Estate host Tina Quinn has spoken to current and former Nine insiders about what he was really like behind the scenes and why the network backed him for so long. Today, Tina Quinn, on Karl Stefanovic’s rise, his fall from Nine, and whether he can survive without the network that built him.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest:  Host of Fourth Estate on 2SER and Crikey contributor, Tina Quinn Photo: AAP Image/Tracey NearmySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, in the space of just three days, four women and girls in Australia were allegedly killed by men and boys known to them. Two months ago, the Prime Minister resisted calls for a royal commission into domestic violence. But women and girls continue to be killed – sometimes within hours of one another. Today, we’re bringing you an episode from 2024, where Ruby Jones speaks to Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Anna Cody, about why our domestic violence crisis is getting worse – and why years of plans, campaigns and promises have failed to stop it. This episode was originally published in July 2024.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Anna Cody Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Liberal Party has begun asking what it needs to do to modernise. Its answer, so far, appears to be Tony Abbott. As Angus Taylor tries to put some distance between the Coalition and One Nation, Pauline Hanson’s party has had a week that looks less like a political revolution and more like a holiday gone wrong. Away from the political theatre, do the Coalition’s proposed migration cuts stack up economically – at a time when one of the country’s most important systems is still failing the people it is meant to care for? Today, federal political correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald Natassia Chrysanthos, on the Liberal Party’s identity crisis, One Nation’s fortunes and an aged-care system still not fit for purpose.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Federal political correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Natassia Chrysanthos Photo: AAP Image/Dan HimbrechtsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Great Barrier Reef has avoided being placed on UNESCO’s “in danger” list – for now. But the warning hasn’t gone away. UNESCO says Australia still needs to do more to protect it, including on water quality. And one of those problems starts far inland: when bushland is cleared, soil can wash into rivers that flow out to the coral. The Australian Conservation Foundation says bulldozing for beef production is a major driver of that runoff. And now, Australia’s new national environment watchdog – the National Environmental Protection Agency – has opened its doors with more than 100 potentially unlawful land-clearing cases already on its books. Labor says its new nature laws will protect the environment and speed up approvals for housing, renewables and infrastructure. But will they actually stop the clearing – or just speed up a broken system? Today, CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation Adam Bandt, on the first test of Labor’s new nature laws – and whether they can make an impact before it’s too late.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Adam Bandt Photo: WWF AustraliaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister has announced a plan for how Australia approaches AI, with a new office to be created, and new standards expected to be legislated early next year. As part of the plan new data centres can be fast tracked, but will have to supply their own power.  And while Anthony Albanese said that artists should be able to control the use of their work, there are still fears about what will happen when potential investment meets copyright law.  Today, Chair of Digital Rights Watch Lizzie O’Shea on whether the government can walk the tightrope of the AI boom, while protecting and benefiting all Australians.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Chair of Digital Rights Watch Lizzie O’Shea Photo: AAP Image/Dan HimbrechtsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Pauline Hanson was at the previous peak of her political popularity, in the late 90s, one journalist was there chronicling it.  Margo Kingston followed Hanson on the 98 campaign trail, and has followed her career ever since – pulled back in, even when she wanted to walk away.  So what do Pauline Hanson’s beginnings tell us about her future? And what are the parallels between 1996 and 2026?  Today, Margo Kingston, on what Pauline Hanson has come to represent, and how she’s using her past to fashion her present.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Journalist and author of Off the Rails: The Pauline Hanson trip, Margo Kingston Photo: AAP Image/Tony PhillipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the media’s reporting on Israel’s attacks on Gaza fuelling antisemitism? That’s the question facing the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion – which has been examining the role of the public broadcasters – the ABC and SBS. Appearing before the commission was Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal – who came out swinging at the broadcasters’ Middle East coverage, reccomending it be overseen by an independent committee. But do Segal’s claims stack up? Today, former Media Watch host and ABC Alumni board member Jonathan Holmes, on the submission ABC Alumni put to the commission, and the role of the public broadcaster in reporting on war.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Former media watch host Jonathan Holmes Photo: AAP Image/Dominic GianniniSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Times journalist Jonathan Swan is famous for his trainwreck interview with Donald Trump at the height of covid. Now, he’s exposing the US president again with a forensic look at what he says was the most consequential year of an American presidency in our lifetime. Donald Trump’s first presidency was defined by chaos – but also by the people around him trying to contain it. Swan says the second term is different. Trump has returned to the White House with a tighter circle of loyalists, and far fewer people willing to say no. In a new book Regime Change co-authored with Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan goes inside the first 14 months of Trump’s return to power, documenting a presidency using the machinery of government to punish enemies, pressure institutions and test what one president can get away with. Today, Jonathan Swan, on Trump’s second term – and how he’s changed America forever.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Co-author of Regime Change Jonathan Swan Photo: AP Photo/Francisco SecoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another major telco outage has raised the question: what happens when you call triple-zero and can’t get through? This week, Telstra blamed a software defect for a national outage that disrupted phones, payments and transport – and left more than 300 triple-zero calls failing to connect. The communications watchdog is now investigating. It comes after last year’s catastrophic Optus failure, when a 13-hour outage blocked hundreds of emergency calls across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and was linked to deaths. ACMA opened an investigation into Optus, but still hasn’t published final findings. Today, journalist and Crikey contributor Michael Sainsbury – on what went wrong at Optus and how the government’s choices led us here. This episode was originally published in September 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Journalist and Crikey contributor, Michael Sainsbury Photo: AAP Image/George ChanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese has, with growing confidence, spent years trying to convince voters he's relatable But this week that confidence carried him somewhere the office of Prime Minister probably shouldn’t go – a game of “shag, marry, date” on a comedy podcast. The apology came quickly. Then, as the Prime minister turned to rugby league diplomacy in the Pacific, China tested a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.  It was a week that moved swiftly from political embarrassment to regional unease, and left Labor managing the Prime Minister’s image at home and Australia’s influence abroad. Today, press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno on a turbulent week for Anthony Albaense, marked with missteps, a communication breakdown and a focus on Pacific diplomacy in tumultuous geo-political waters.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno Photo: @nikkiosborneofficial via YoutubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call came through with a warning: political operatives were digging for dirt.  For Amy Remeikis, it wasn’t the first time. But this time, she was told, it was more vicious than usual.  In Canberra, that kind of warning is part of the machinery: a whisper campaign, a rumour, a file passed around – backgrounding against opponents or perceived threats to vested interests. Enough to make a journalist think twice about who they speak to, where they go and what stories they pursue.  Too often for women in public life, the tactics are familiar and designed to cut deep.  Today, contributing editor at The New Daily, Amy Remeikis, on the forces trying to intimidate journalists and why she decided to call it out.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Contributing editor for The New Daily Amy Remeikis Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Survivors say it’s like being stabbed in the back; some were just days away from finally having their day in court against the Christian Brothers when their cases were suddenly put on hold. The Catholic religious order is crying poor, saying it doesn’t have enough money to pay child sexual abuse victims the compensation they’re owed. But it’s been revealed that assets worth billions of dollars – that could have been used in the payouts – were instead transferred just out of reach of survivors. Today, Managing partner at Marque Lawyers, Michael Bradley, on the multimillion-dollar properties sold off for just a dollar, and the crushing court decision that’s left victims in the cold.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Managing partner at Marque Lawyers, Michael Bradley Photo: AAP Image/Eoin BlackwellSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the ceasefire was announced late last year, Gaza has faded from the headlines. But the horror of life there has not stopped. More than 1,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire was announced in October, and thousands more have been wounded, as people continue to face a daily struggle for survival. Independent journalist Antony Loewenstein, author of The Palestine Laboratory, has recently travelled through the Middle East, including the West Bank, and has been speaking to people in Gaza. Today, Antony Loewenstein tells us what he saw in the West Bank, what he’s hearing from Gaza, and what it means for the future of Palestine 1,000 days on from the start of Israel’s war.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Independent journalist and author of The Palestine Laboratory, Antony Loewenstein Photo: Ramez Habboub/ABACAPRESS.COMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year, Tracy Hall was sent a dating profile that sent chills down her spine. The name on the profile was different, but the image was that of notorious conman Hamish McLaren. He had been jailed for scamming 15 Australians out of $7.6 million – including Tracy, his girlfriend and final victim, whose life savings he stole after meeting her under a fake identity. Now, as McLaren prepares for release on parole this week, Tracy says the systems that allowed him into her life still haven’t been fixed. Today, Tracy Hall on the conman who stole her life savings, the growing romance scam industry costing Australians tens of millions of dollars a year, and whether dating apps are doing enough to protect the people using them.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Romance scam advocate and survivor Tracy Hall Photo: SuppliedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For generations of Australians, Powderfinger songs are tied to first loves, long drives, share houses, break-ups and summers that still feel close enough to touch.  They were written by people, played by a band, and carried by listeners into their own lives.  Now, that music has been found inside the machinery of artificial intelligence, harvested into vast datasets without permission and without payment.  At the same time, the federal government is fending off whistleblower claims of a “dirty deal” with tech giants that would give AI access to Australian music and art in exchange for billion dollar investments Today, Bernard Fanning on what happens when machines are trained on our songs, and who gets to tell Australian stories, us or AI.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Bernard Fanning Photo: bernardfanning.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been one year since Kumanjayi Walker’s family gathered in the Central Australian community of Yuendumu, to hear the findings of a coronial inquest into his death. Kumanjayi Walker, a 19 year old Warlpiri-Luritja man, when he was shot and killed by former constable Zachary Rolfe in 2019. In 2022, Zachary Rolfe was found not guilty of Kumanjayi Walker’s murder, but his family has always maintained that Rolfe’s racism played a role in Walker’s death – something the coroner said couldn’t be ruled out.Today, we’re bringing you an episode recorded just after the inquest, with investigative journalist Kate Wild – whose book, The Red House, examines Kumanjayi Walker’s death and how the racist culture of the Northern Territory Police enabled Zachary Rolfe to act with impunity. This episode was originally published in July 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Investigative journalist and author of The Red House, Kate Wild Photo: AAP Image/Aaron BunchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pauline Hanson went to the National Press Club with a party polling like a threat to the old order. Then she had to explain what that party was actually for. Since her appearance, One Nation’s federal support has slipped. The speech, with its talk of monoculture and its familiar targets – migration, the ABC and renewables – gave voters a clearer look at the movement behind the momentum.  But the story doesn’t end there.  In Victoria, where the state election is now months away, One Nation is polling better than the Labor government. And now, Hanson’s message is being carried by a loud cast of celebrity sympathisers.  Today, founder and CEO of Cheek Media Hannah Ferguson on what happens when One Nation is no longer just a protest vote, and how the Liberals and the Greens have struggled to take advantage of an electorate clearly in the mood for change.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Cheek Media founder Hannah Ferguson Photo: Instagram @karlstefanovic_See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump returned to the White House promising to make America the crypto capital of the world, despite having once dismissed Bitcoin as “not money” and warned it was “based on thin air” in a 2019 tweet. In his first year back in office, Trump has set that scepticism aside as it has become clear crypto presents an extraordinary business opportunity. A new financial disclosure hints at just how lucrative those ventures have become, with Trump disclosing more than $1.4 billion USD in income from family crypto ventures last year, raising questions about how far a president can go in turning public office into a money-making machine. Today, journalist and research director for Public Citizen’s Trump Accountability Project, Zach Everson, on Donald Trump’s crypto empire and the new frontier of political corruption in America.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest:  Journalist and research director for Public Citizen’s Trump Accountability Project, Zach Everson Photo: AP Photo/Mark HumphreySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The temperatures were so high that roads melted and tram tracks buckled. Some locals even resorted to sleeping in parks and caves to escape the heat. And at the epicentre of the European heatwave? Paris – which recorded its hottest day in history.  It’s where Australian author and climate activist Sarah Wilson has called home for the past few years. Today, Sarah speaks with 7am from Paris, on the heatwave that’s ravaged Europe and what it tells us about how humanity will need to adapt to the extreme conditions to come.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author and journalist Sarah Wilson Photo: EPA/ANTONIO BATSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They were some of the biggest stage productions in the country, starring some of the biggest names in the biz. But in the space of just two weeks, Beetlejuice and Waitress: The Musical have had their tours cut short, leaving the cast and crew devastated.  Now, stars like Nat Bass are sounding the alarm as the industry struggles to stay afloat amid rising costs and slumping ticket sales. Today, arts executive John Glenn on the crisis threatening the future of theatre and live shows, and what can be done to save the industry.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: CEO of AANT Centre, John Glenn Photo: waitressthemusical.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the Dollarmites program turned schoolchildren into customers.  The controversial scheme, now axed, gave Australia’s biggest bank access to kids, classrooms and their cash under the guise of teaching financial literacy. Now it’s happening again.  A new report has found the country’s biggest fossil fuel companies are using the same strategy – with multimillion-dollar programs and sponsorships targeting millions of Australian children. Today, Comms Declare founder Belinda Noble on how the tentacles of big coal, oil, and gas are reaching into Australian classrooms and manipulating students.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Comms Declare founder, Belinda Noble Photo: Comms DeclareSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KPMG is one of the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful consulting firms in the country – auditing and advising everything from major companies to governments. It is trusted with some of the most sensitive information in Australia. Now that trust is at the centre of a major scandal.  A whistleblower raised concerns that confidential client information was being used to chase new work. What followed has forced out senior leaders, exposed the treatment of the person who spoke up, and raised bigger questions about the firms governments have come to rely on to do the work once done inside the public service.Today, ABC business reporter Daniel Ziffer on KPMG, the scandal inside one of the Big Four consulting firms, and why the fallout reaches far beyond one company. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: ABC business reporter Daniel Ziffer Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.