Podcasts about australia news

With just months to go before New Zealand voters head to the polls, the prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has survived his second leadership spill in just four months. As flagging poll numbers, a sluggish economy and high-profile gaffes build pressure on Luxon, can the embattled leader retain his grip on power through November? The Guardian's New Zealand correspondent Eva Corlett joins Reged Ahmad to look inside NZ politics and whether the PM can make it to election day

From immigration to inflation, housing sits at the heart of most political debates. But political parties are struggling to come up with a coherent message – and no one has a clear plan to fix the crisis. The Liberal senator and shadow housing minister, Andrew Bragg, last week said his plan to cut immigration is the solution – but so far he's fuzzy on the details. And the government wants house prices to fall but doesn't seem to want to take credit for it when they do. Reged Ahmad speaks to economist Saul Eslake on what really works and why politicians can't seem to fix one of the biggest problems facing us all

Federal parliament has returned from winter break with a frenetic start to the second half of the political year. There were days of commentary and squirming over ‘melon-gate' and, with Labor planning to make a deal with the Coalition to pass gambling reforms, there are still doubts about the government's ambition in its second term. In an ‘ask me anything' edition of the Australian Politics podcast, Tom McIlroy, Krishani Dhanji, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales from Guardian Australia's Canberra bureau answer questions from listeners and readers

Federal parliament has returned from winter break with a frenetic start to the second half of the political year. There were days of commentary and squirming over ‘melon-gate' and, with Labor planning to make a deal with the Coalition to pass gambling reforms, there are still doubts about the government's ambition in its second term. Tom McIlroy, Krishani Dhanji, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales, from Guardian Australia's Canberra bureau, answer questions from listeners and readers

Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry look at Liberal senator Andrew Bragg's speech this week in which he outlined his plan to solve the housing crisis – a plan that doesn't have the support of his own party. The Barries also discuss the ‘melon-gate' controversy, with Tony asking if a conservative politician would be subjected to more or less outrage if they had done the same thing. Also in this episode, the deal on gambling between Labor and the Coalition

As week two of the criminal trial against Alan Jones draws to a close, intense cross-examination of the first complainant, known as J, comes to an end. After testimony from J's witnesses, inconsistencies in timelines about the alleged offending 20 years ago threatened to delay proceedings. Guardian Australia media correspondent Amanda Meade joins Nour Haydar to unpack the latest evidence and courtroom roadblocks

For the past three years, we've known him only as a ‘high-profile businessman', accused and then convicted of raping a woman in his home. Until last week, when the court order suppressing his name was lifted and he was revealed to be Ralph Carr, one of Australian music's heavyweights, a man who helped bring us the biggest pop stars of the 90s. Names like Kate Ceberano, Vanessa Amorosi and Tina Arena – his ex-wife. Guardian Australia can reveal that dozens of other women who worked for Ralph Carr Management accused him of verbally abusive and intimidating behaviour dating back to the 1990s. Some accuse him of sexual harassment. He denies the claims and maintains his innocence regarding his rape conviction. Reged Ahmad speaks to culture editor Steph Harmon about her exclusive report

The criminal trial of veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has begun, almost two years after he was arrested over multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual touching — charges he strongly denies. What did week one reveal about the prosecution's case, and the way Jones treated his alleged teenage victim? Nour Haydar speaks to Guardian Australia's media correspondent Amanda Meade to unpack opening statements and key evidence from the trial's first week

The criminal trial of veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has begun almost two years after he was arrested over multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual touching – charges he strongly denies. What did week one reveal about the prosecution's case, and the way Jones treated his alleged teenage victim? Nour Haydar speaks to Guardian Australia's media correspondent, Amanda Meade, to unpack opening statements and key evidence from the first week of the trial

Barrie Cassidy is back, and kicks off the episode by analysing the conflict in the Labor party over migration that led to the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, pulling out of his scheduled press club speech this week. Tony Barry delves into new Redbridge polling suggesting small gains for One Nation and the Coalition at a federal level. And as the conversation turns to Victorian politics, he surprises everyone – including himself – by defending a trade union leader. They also answer some listener questions, and Tony has his say on Jetstar's new cabin luggage charges.

Despite most Australians supporting clean technology, the campaign against wind and solar infrastructure has proven to be effective, striking a chord with many of those living in remote and rural areas. So how do we bring everyone along on the transition to a renewable energy-focused future? And who's putting up roadblocks? The Guardian's environment and climate correspondent Graham Readfearn joins Reged Ahmad to unpack Australia's relationship with renewables

Alan Jones will today front court on 22 indecent and sexual assault charges, spanning a nearly two-decade period. He denies all charges. But how did we get here? Once a media giant who enjoyed the height of influence and power, he is now the centre of one of Australia's highest-profile criminal cases. The Guardian's media correspondent, Amanda Meade, joins Nour Haydar to get us up to speed on the trial

Two years into her role representing King Charles, Australia's head of state, the governor general, Sam Mostyn, says she has observed a “woeful lack of understanding” among the adult population about the civic underpinnings of Australia's democracy – beginning with the constitution. Mostyn speaks to Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, at Admiralty House in Sydney about her decision to focus on a wide-ranging civics education for modern Australia, to address the “growing catastrophe” that undermines democratic participation

Two years into her role representing King Charles, Australia's head of state, governor general Sam Mostyn says she has observed a ‘woeful lack of understanding' among the adult population about the civic underpinnings of Australia's democracy – beginning with the constitution. Mostyn speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy at Admiralty House in Sydney about her decision to focus on a wide-ranging civics education for modern Australia, to address the ‘growing catastrophe' that undermines democratic participation

Tony Barry and Jon Faine (sitting in for Barrie Cassidy this week) examine the ousting of Jacinta Allan and the anointing of Ben Carroll as the new premier of Victoria. They discuss what it could all mean for the upcoming election and while they say anything can happen, Tony's tummy compass points to a win for Jess Wilson. And, weeks into the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, Faine gives his take on the hearings so far

This month's Guardian Essential poll shows signs that One Nation's primary vote continues to plateau. But Labor can't breathe a big sigh of relief just yet. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks with Guardian columnist and executive director of Essential, Peter Lewis, about the health of the government at the halfway point of Anthony Albanese's second term as prime minister

Twenty-five years ago, on a desolate stretch of Australian highway, Bradley John Murdoch flagged down British backpackers Joanne Lees and Peter Falconio. Falconio was never seen again. Now, as police continue to try to bring closure for his family, one former British government expert says he knows the ‘most likely' place where Falconio's body was hidden Queensland correspondent Ben Smee joins Reged Ahmad as police try to finally close the case on the murder of Peter Falconio

Victoria has a new premier after the education minister, Ben Carroll, was voted in by the Labor party during a chaotic caucus meeting on Tuesday morning. His predecessor, Jacinta Allan, stood down after a tumultuous few months at the helm of a government diving in the polls and struggling to fend off a rising One Nation ahead of November's state election. Victorian state correspondent Benita Kolovos tells Reged Ahmad how the day unfolded and whether a change in leadership can improve Labor's chances at the ballot box later this year

Taking place once every three years, the Labor party conference can be a chance to have open debates on vexed policy issues – but this one was different. Reged Ahmad speaks to the political editor, Tom McIlroy, about whether the prime minister is insisting on too much control and what his tight hold means for his party's chances of taking on One Nation

This year the FBI issued urgent warnings to parents about 764, a global online community where children are manipulated into acts of violence. With hundreds of investigations under way worldwide, including in Australia, 764 and groups like it are accused of using coercion to turn vulnerable minors into victims and, in some cases, predators. Nour Haydar speaks to investigations reporter Ariel Bogle about the dangers to children these networks pose

Speaking with political editor Tom McIlroy and chief political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy at the 50th Labor conference in Adelaide, Peter Malinauskas talks about his own state contest with One Nation and why progressives should not speak down to Pauline Hanson's supporters. And despite the US admitting this week that the production rate of Virginia-class submarines has not increased, the SA premier argues that abandoning Aukus would pose an even greater risk than the controversial agreement's potential problems

Tony Barry and George Megalogenis (filling in for Barrie Cassidy) give their view on One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce's viral moment this week and why they think it played well to his party's base. George takes us back to past elections that produced favourable results for One Nation to remind us that we have been here before and that political predictions often don't come true. And they sign off with a listener email asking if the rise in polling is damaging democracy

There has been no end to the negative headlines generated in response to comments made by Pauline Hanson on her trip overseas – and it has forced members of One Nation, including Barnaby Joyce, to defend and explain her actions back home. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks to Reged Ahmad about how the trip's many controversies could play with One Nation supporters in Australia

Guardian Australia political editor Tom McIlroy talks to Paul Kelly about his new book on the turbulent era of the Liberal party under prime ministers Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. In The Twilight of Exceptionalism, Kelly writes about how the Liberal leadership changed hands from a conservative to a progressive and then a transactional centrist. The Australian newpaper's editor-at-large argues that this period demonstrated the party was fractured over its values and confused about its identity in a changing world

This week Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry examine the One Nation leader's podcast interview with far-right British activist Tommy Robinson and ask: will this interview cause fractures within the party and weaken her leadership? They also look at the rightwing party's position on international affairs and new polling in the lead-up to the Victorian election

Paul Kelly speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy about his new book on the turbulent era of the Liberal party under prime ministers Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. In The Twilight of Exceptionalism, Kelly writes about how the Liberal leadership changed hands from a conservative, to a progressive and then a transactional centrist. The Australian's editor at large argues that this period demonstrated the party was fractured over its values and confused about its identity in a changing world

Australia's aged care regulator is investigating dozens of complaints that aged care providers are charging fees for services that older Australians can't use or even understand. Meanwhile, a class action against one of Australia's largest for-profit providers has also alleged it charged residents additional fees for basic services it is legally obliged to provide. Nour Haydar speaks to Guardian Australia medical editor, Melissa Davey, on the alleged illegal fees being charged to vulnerable Australians

In the year since the federal election, Pauline Hanson with her brand of rightwing populism has successfully tapped into discontent, surging in the polls at the expense of the Coalition and Labor. Meanwhile, support for the other antiestablishment party – the Greens – has flatlined, if recent polling is anything to go by. So why is the progressive party failing to cut through to voters? And what strategies can the Greens employ to improve their chances at the next election? Nour Haydar speaks to political reporter Sarah Basford-Canales about why voters tired of the major parties are moving to the right rather than the left

Darcy Byrne is the Labor mayor of Sydney's Inner West Council and he's helping lead a grassroots movement on curbing gambling harm in the community – including pushing for a reduction in the number of poker machines in licensed clubs in New South Wales. This momentum comes while the federal Labor party continues to face criticism about the scale of its commitment to online gambling reform. The rising Labor star speaks to Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, about why he compares the poker machine lobby to the US National Rifle Association, and his successful motion at this month's NSW Labor conference on gambling policy at the next state election

Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry examine a long list of stumbles and missteps made by politicians this week. They also discuss the prime minister's Pacific push as China tested a long-range missile – and Nigel Farage's resignation from politics only to stand at an upcoming byelection

Today, Telstra's chief financial officer Michael Ackland fronted up to the nation's media to apologise – and answer questions about a massive outage that plunged the country into chaos. It stopped trains, turned off traffic lights and forced shops to close after Eftpos systems failed. And some calls to triple zero didn't go through. Technology reporter Josh Taylor speaks to Reged Ahmad about what happened, who will take the blame and what can be done to make sure crucial connectivity is not lost again

Anthony Albanese offered an unequivocal apology this week after making an off-colour comment about Kylie Minogue while playing a ‘shag, marry, date' game on a podcast. Josephine Tovey speaks with Patrick Keneally, Gabrielle Jackson and Josh Butler about what the prime minister's latest podcast appearance says about an increasingly fractured media landscape

This week social media giants have faced questioning at the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion as it asks: what more needs to be done to combat online hate? Reged Ahmad speaks to senior reporter Tory Shepherd on what the platforms have to say about accusations they have fuelled antisemitic content online

In a busy week for the prime minister, Anthony Albanese will meet with the leaders of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and India. On Monday he signed a new defence alliance with Fiji, advancing the government's strategy to limit China's influence in the Pacific. Later this week Albanese will also host the leaders of PNG and Tonga at the State of Origin in Brisbane. Meanwhile, back home, Albanese's team are dealing with criticism of the PM for comments he made about Kylie Minogue on a popular podcast. Nour Haydar speaks to the political editor, Tom McIlroy, about the PM's strategy to bolster Australia's ties in the region, what he hopes to achieve with rugby diplomacy and whether comments made on a podcast could overshadow international relations

The 2026 political year has already been surprising. Labor passed changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, which they had previously ruled out. The Liberals changed leaders again, and One Nation has seen a surge of support in multiple polls. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to press gallery colleagues Michelle Grattan, the chief political correspondent at The Conversation, and Melissa Clarke, political correspondent with ABC Radio National. They discuss their report card on the year so far, and the political contests to watch in the second half of the year

It's the first Guardian Essential poll following Pauline Hanson's provocative speech at the National Press Club – where she attacked multiculturalism, climate action, the United Nations, and the ABC and SBS. Her polling numbers have since stalled, and even One Nation supporters are expressing concerns about her policy offerings. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler and the executive director of Essential Media, Peter Lewis, discuss the results of Hanson's pitch to voters, and ideas on how to respond to the anger that's driving interest in her party

An Australian man, Simon Peter Carman, 45, was charged over the weekend with the alleged murder of Thunchanok Donhomla. Her body was found in a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya, on Thailand's eastern Gulf coast, in the early hours of Saturday. Carman has denied the charges. Guardian reporter Natasha May speaks to Matilda Boseley from Pattaya about the arrest and the questions it raises about Thailand's sex tourism industry

In September 2025, Melbourne wellness influencer Stacey Warnecke decided to give birth at home, free of all medical help. No one else was present when she went into labour except her husband and a woman named Emily Lal. Warnecke later died in hospital. Lal, who describes herself as a ‘birth keeper', had no formal medical training and had taken an online course offered by the Free Birth Society – a multimillion-dollar business that trains unregulated birth support workers. Warnecke is one of a growing number of women choosing medically unassisted births, known as ‘freebirths', and non-medically trained supporters for their pregnancies. Unpacking why is a key question being considered by a coroner, Therese McCarthy. Reged Ahmad speaks to the medical editor, Melissa Davey, and investigations correspondent Sirin Kale on the inquest so far and what we know about the Free Birth Society

Tony Barry and Barrie Cassidy examine a big week in politics. Will Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender prove successful with their new centrist political party? Is Angus Taylor in trouble after a week of stumbles responding to One Nation policies? And what lessons should Anthony Albanese learn from Keir Starmer's downfall?

Earlier this year, Karl Stefanovic launched his own independent podcast, which has hosted a range of guests from the Anthony Albanese to Pauline Hanson. In one of his latest episodes, Stefanovic was in the UK to interview the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, a man with numerous criminal convictions who promotes Islamophobic conspiracy theories and is accused of inciting violent race riots. The episode was online for several hours before being taken down. Nour Haydar speaks to media correspondent Amanda Meade and senior correspondent Ben Doherty about why Stefanovic is embracing the far right and whether his future at Nine is in doubt

Having wiped out millions of birds worldwide and devastated wildlife populations around the globe, Australia has watched as the H5N1 strain of bird flu crept ever closer. And now it's here, on the last continent to be hit. Birds have been discovered on beaches in Western Australia and tested positive for the virus. Reged Ahmad speaks to Graham Readfearn about how governments and wildlife experts alike are anxiously waiting to see if this is just the beginning

Socceroo Nestory Irankunda is part of a new generation of players who have renewed hopes for Australia's chances in the Fifa World Cup. Multimedia journalist Bertin Huynh says as One Nation surges in the polls, those who represent us deserve celebration

For the first time in her 30-year political career, Pauline Hanson fronted the National Press Club this week. It was a blistering address, and a combative question-and-answer round with journalists – with Hanson attacking multiculturalism, the climate crisis, transgender rights, Indigenous policy, paid parental leave and the two public broadcasters. Longtime journalist Margo Kingston knows Hanson better than most – having covered the One Nation leader since her first rise to prominence in 1996, and also written a book about her 1998 election campaign. Kingston speaks to Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, about why she thinks Hanson's incendiary speech is the beginning of her federal campaign

Pauline Hanson's ascendancy in Australian politics was underscored this week by her first address to the National Press Club. In a lengthy speech, the leader of the rightwing party railed against multiculturalism and Islam in particular, pledged to slash public broadcasting and asserted the so-called ‘hoax' of global warming was the driving factor behind poverty in Australia. Josephine Tovey speaks with Mike Ticher and political editor Tom Mcllroy about Hanson's ‘ugly' vision for Australia

Mason Jet Lee died at 22 months old after his stepfather punched him so hard his bowel ruptured. An exclusive Guardian Australia investigation has found that repeated warnings about his killer were ignored. Could an unpublished submission to the inquest of his death hold evidence of police failings? Nour Haydar and Queensland correspondent Ben Smee discuss what the violent death of Mason Jet Lee reveals about a broken system

The Australian music industry is in crisis, but it wasn't always that way. In the 1990s and early 2000s, a healthy number of Aussie artists were making it to the charts. Now, local musicians are struggling to get air time and to earn a living making music. Nour Haydar speaks to culture editor Steph Harmon and data journalist Josh Nicholas about why Australian music is disappearing from the charts and what needs to be done to revive the industry

A truck-mounted billboard featuring AI-generated images of Victoria's premier, Jacinta Allan, which has been travelling around Melbourne for several weeks now, has attracted a lot of scrutiny. It shows Allan wearing a black pointed hat alongside the phrase ‘ditch the witch'. Victorian upper house MP for the Animal Justice party Georgie Purcell, who faces sexist abuse every day as a female MP, argues misogyny isn't a legitimate expression of political dissatisfaction

Australia is set to experience its first El Niño weather event since spring 2023, according to the Bureau of Meteorology and other agencies. The phenomenon historically signals the arrival of hotter, drier conditions for the east coast and can have devastating impacts on the environment as well as the farming of crops and livestock. Nour Haydar speaks to climate and environment correspondent Graham Readfearn about how our weather is about to change and what it means for Australians

Australia is facing the largest outbreak of diphtheria, dubbed a ‘disease of poverty', in living memory. For decades, the highly contagious and life-threatening bacterial disease was almost eradicated, but now it is spreading in remote Indigenous communities around the country. Nour Haydar speaks with Indigenous affairs correspondent Sarah Collard and Indigenous affairs reporter Douglas Smith on what is being done to stop the spread of the disease

The Albanese government's announcement that Australia will now receive three used US Virginia-class submarines, rather than two used and one new, has put the spotlight back on the Aukus commitment. One of the strongest advocates for the $368bn agreement is defence industry minister Pat Conroy and he hits back at its critics – including the Labor MP Ed Husic. Speaking with political editor Tom McIlroy, the minister for Pacific Island affairs also discusses this week's visit by new Solomon Islands prime minister Matthew Wale and responds to speculation that Tony Abbott could run as the Liberal candidate in Conroy's seat of Shortland at the next election