Catherine Liddle is the CEO of SNAICC, the national body that represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. Every year, Catherine and her team document how First Nations children are faring, and how they’re treated. And yet again, the picture is devastating. Catherine’s report shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are more likely to be reported to authorities, they’re more likely to be taken away from their families and they spend more time institutionalised. For every dollar the government spends on this, only 16 cents goes to helping families – the rest is on taking children away, causing enormous harm. Today, SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle on the damage the child protection system is doing to First Nations children – and what needs to be done to break the cycle. 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: SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, devastating figures were released that show the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care. It’s damning evidence that not enough has changed since the Stolen Generations. Last year, we published a story about the long shadow cast by a policy of child removal, centred on the notorious Kinchela Boys Home in NSW. It’s a place that holds painful memories for the many survivors of the Stolen Generations who went through its doors. Hundreds of of Indigenous boys were sent there, and subjected to torture, abuse and reprogramming, in order to assimilate them into white society. Now, the survivors and their families want to take ownership of the site, to make it a place of healing for future generations. Today, Gunaikurnai and Wotjobaluk writer and contributor to The Saturday Paper Ben Abbatangelo, on the enduring legacy of the Kinchela Boys Home. This episode was originally published in October 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 Twitter and Instagram Guest: Gunaikurnai and Wotjobaluk writer and contributor to The Saturday Paper Ben Abbatangelo Photo: Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal CorporationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, Labor rolled out its flagship social media ban for under-16s. The reform was expected to be one last win for the government after a year of political victories. But while the spotlight was on the minister leading the charge, it was for all the wrong reasons. Instead of having runway to promote the ban, Anika Wells spent the week defending her use of taxpayer-funded expense entitlements. Today, former political advisor to two prime ministers, Sean Kelly, on how even a tightly planned policy launch can be knocked off course, and the unquenchable thirst to apply the pub test to some and not others. 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 political advisor to two prime ministers Sean Kelly Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Condoms and other contraceptives are set to become more expensive in China, as the Communist Party tries to boost population growth. With the economy slowing, birth rates declining and the population ageing, the government is now trying all kinds of ways to make women have more babies – from taxing contraception, to new laws on marriages, to cash bonuses and propaganda campaigns. Reproduction is now seen as a national security issue, and the success or failure of the new policies will have far-reaching consequences – for China’s economic and military strength, and for countries like Australia, who rely on China continuing to grow. Today, senior analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, Daria Impiombato – on the threat to women’s autonomy in China’s new phase of population control. 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: Senior analyst at The Mercator Institute for China Studies, Daria Impiombato Photo: CFOTO/Sipa USASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Over the past week, Labor Minister Anika Wells has become the face of a new debate over politicians' perks. Revelations about a near-$100,000 trip to New York to talk up Australia’s teen social media ban at the UN, followed by reports of taxpayer-funded family travel to grand finals, ski fields and overseas sporting events, have seen her refer three-and-a-half years of expenses to the parliamentary watchdog. The prime minister insists her claims are “within the rules”, but the backlash – and even more questions over the spending of MPs from all parties – has opened up a bigger argument about whether the rules are fair, and whether they match public expectations in a cost-of-living crisis. Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton, on parliamentary entitlements – and whether this scandal will force 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: Press gallery journalist Karen Middleton Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
AUKUS is moving full steam ahead. That was the promise made in Washington, as Richard Marles and Penny Wong stood beside their US counterparts, stating the alliance is stronger than ever. But behind those assurances is a Pentagon review of AUKUS that the public isn't allowed to read – and in Canberra, a hand-picked AUKUS committee that will mostly meet in secret, raising questions about what our government is trading away to stay friends with our most powerful ally. Today, former Director of War Studies for the Australian Army and adjunct professor at UNSW, Dr Albert Palazzo, on the US military’s plans for expansion on Australian soil – and what the secrecy around AUKUS is really hiding. 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 Director of War Studies for the Australian Army and adjunct professor at UNSW, Dr Albert Palazzo Photo: EPA/LUKE JOHNSONSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Australia’s neo-Nazis are forming secret mothers’ groups – and have plans for a network of homeschools for their children. And when a government minister expressed concern, she was threatened – the latest in a string of threats against female politicians by neo-Nazis. Now, the federal police have raised the alarm, raising questions about the risk of further political violence – and why neo-Nazis have been allowed to build their movement. Today, crime reporter at The Age, Sherryn Groch, on the National Socialist Network’s threats and whether authorities are doing enough to stop 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: Crime reporter at The Age, Sherryn Groch Photo: AAP Image/Joel CarrettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the waters off the Caribbean, the United States military has been blowing small boats out of the water – boats they say are carrying drugs. Now, the Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, is facing questions about whether his strike orders are illegal, and US President Donald Trump is doubling down, threatening strikes on Venezuelan soil. It’s the latest escalation in Donald Trump’s self-declared war on fentanyl – a campaign that casts foreign traffickers as the villains behind America’s overdose crisis. But the origin of America’s fentanyl problem lies much closer to home, inside the country’s own pharmaceutical industry. Today, drug historian at The University of Buffalo, Professor David Herzberg, on how the fentanyl crisis really started and why the war to stop it could make everything worse. 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: Drug historian at The University of Buffalo, Professor David Herzberg Photo: picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos/Sipa USASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Adele Ferguson is an investigative journalist at the ABC. She’s spent more than a year reporting on the crisis unfolding in Australia’s childcare system. Last week, alongside her colleague Chris Gillett, she won the top honour in journalism – the Gold Walkley. Her work has inspired us at 7am and so today, we’re bringing you an episode we made back in July, where we spoke to Adele about the dangers in an industry driven by profit. 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 at Four Corners Adele Ferguson and National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds. Photo: AAP Image/Joel CarrettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Labor came to power, it promised to clean up politics – to end the “jobs for mates” culture once and for all. But this week, the government quietly released the report it’s been sitting on for more than two years – and it’s not a great look. The ‘No Favourites’ review found an appointments system riddled with nepotism, where friends are given jobs as rewards for loyalty. And when it finally saw the light of day, it landed with all the energy of a Yes Minister episode — open government, in name only. Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton, on the government’s integrity problem, and why transparency always seems to be the last priority. 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 journalist Karen Middleton Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Australian Energy Market Operator says the electricity grid is unprepared to manage the planned closure of the Eraring power station in New South Wales – and eastern parts of Australia could be set for widespread blackouts. The Coalition and parts of the media have seized on the report saying it’s proof that the government has an “obsession” with renewables, over reliability and cost. So what needs to change to keep the lights on? Today, energy and climate change program director at The Grattan Institute, Alison Reeve, on what will happen as coal comes offline – and why our power bills are really going up. 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: Energy and climate change program director at The Grattan Institute, Alison ReeveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine almost four years ago, Australian leaders have repeatedly stated that Australia “stands with Ukraine”. But as the invasion has intensified – with nightly missile and drone attacks, rolling blackouts and water cuts across Ukrainian cities – Australia's support has slowed. The federal government hasn’t announced a fresh package of aid since December last year, making us one of the least generous donors to Kyiv. At the same time, Australia has become one of the biggest buyers of fuel made from Russian oil, refined in third countries and imported through loopholes in sanctions. Ukrainian community groups call it “blood oil”, warning that billions of Australian dollars are flowing back to the Kremlin - more than Australia has given Ukraine in aid. Today, chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, Kateryna Argyrou, on how Australia's 'blood oil' imports are helping to prolong the 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: Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, Kateryna Argyrou Photo: Stefan Sauer/dpaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Right now, Tiktok is awash with videos of how to get around the social media ban for under 16s, which is due to come into effect in a week. At the same time, fringe apps like Yope are rocketing up the Apple charts, as teenagers plan where they’ll go when the major platforms boot them off. There’s also a court case underway, challenging the government on whether the ban is even legal. Today, associate editor at Crikey, Cam Wilson, on who is behind the lawsuit, whether they’ll win, and how this ban could change the country. 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: Associate editor at Crikey, Cam Wilson Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Limb lengthening surgery – where bones in your leg are broken, a rod inserted and extended – can be high risk, and is especially controversial when it's done for cosmetic reasons. The procedure is a speciality of the Florida based Paley Institute, which now plans on opening an Australian arm. The centre is no stranger to controversy – and neither is the man they’re partnering up with – the once celebrated surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis, who recently lost a defamation case against the Nine newspapers. Today, investigative reporter at The Age, Charlotte Grieve, on how she exposed Dr Munjed Al Muderis – and what she’s learned about his plans for the Paley Institute. 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 at The Age, Charlotte Grieve Photo: AAP Image/Bianca De MarchiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At its height, in 2014, there were over a thousand people being held on Nauru, as part of Australia’s offshore detention system. But in the decade since, that figure has shrunk to less than 100. Yet the Department of Home Affairs continues to pay outsized and exorbitant fees on contracts no longer fit for purpose – all in the name of keeping Manus Island and Nauru off the front page and out of the minds of most Australians. Now, one of the men responsible for administering these deals, worth billions, has spoken out about the alleged corruption at the heart of our system – and the bipartisan silence that allows it to continue. Today, independent journalist Nick Feik, on the whistleblower and the waste in the Department of Home Affairs. 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 Nick Feik Photo: Aziz Abdul via APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Australia’s plan to ban teenagers from social media has been called “world‑leading”. The law, which comes into effect December 10, threatens platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook with fines of up to $50 million if they let under-16s open or keep accounts. But as implementation draws closer, questions remain about how the ban will be enforced, what it means for online privacy, and whether it will reshape the way everyone uses the internet. Today, digital‑rights advocate Samantha Floreani on the risks of the ban amid a global regulatory arms race. This episode was originally published in July. 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: Digital‑rights advocate, Samantha Floreani.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Environmental law reform has been sitting in the too-hard basket for years — under successive governments, the system stayed broken. Now, just days before the end of the parliamentary year, Labor has passed the first major changes in a generation. The government chose to work with the Greens, agreeing to scrap logging exemptions, close coal and gas loopholes, and hand real enforcement powers to a new EPA. Meanwhile, the Coalition fractured over the details — dealing themselves out of negotiations and out of relevance. Today, press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno, on how Labor landed a landmark deal, and what it means for the future of environmental policy. 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 journalist, Paul Bongiorno Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When we heard news that Barnaby Joyce was quitting The Nationals – we knew we’d cover it with our friend in Canberra, Amy Remeikis – but the more we talked about it, there was someone else we needed to hear from too. Barnaby’s old sparring partner and the former member for New England, Tony Windsor, was loading cattle when we called. And he said the expected move to One Nation makes perfect sense. Joyce’s decision to quit The Nationals comes after months of speculation – and very public declarations of admiration from Pauline Hanson in the media – all culminating in a wagyu steak dinner cooked on a sandwich press in Hanson’s parliament house office earlier this week. So, is Joyce trading another shot at power for a dose of publicity? Or, if he joins One Nation, will he be part of a new conservative force that will reshape the country? Today, contributing editor for The New Daily Amy Remeikis on the ramifications of Barnaby bailing on The Nationals. 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 and Former member for New England Tony Windsor Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Companies are betting big on AI – and burning through cash to do it. They’re pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into building data centres and developing new models – such as ChatGPT. And so far, these projects are yet to see a financial return. There is one clear winner: Nvidia – the company that makes the chips that power this tech. But how long can its customers keep spending before they have to either turn a profit or scale back? Today, Reuters journalist Stephen Nellis on how long this AI boom can last – and what a crash might look like. 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: Reuters journalist Stephen Nellis Photo: AP Photo/Eric RisbergSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The year is 1934, and the setting is Scotland. Startling photos have emerged, appearing to capture the Loch Ness monster. Fast-forward 90 years to 2024, to an election campaign in Australia, and a video is released of a prime minister promising to ban gambling ads. Both are fake – designed specifically to deceive. And while humans have always had a tendency to mislead each other, what’s new is the technology. It’s now easier than ever to create highly realistic fake content. And we’re only just starting to see how wide-ranging and insidious the impact will be. Today, independent senator David Pocock – on his new bill to crack down on deepfakes – and why he thinks the government has dropped the ball on regulating 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: Independent senator David Pocock Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Alex K.
AUKUS is insane and at some point (after Australia has paid billions). Australia does not need nuclear subs in Order to protect the homeland. Nuclear subs are for staying at sea for very long times, which means for deployment a long long way from home. AUKUS will draw Australia into a was between the US and China. Imagine all of our cities bombed by China, you think it's fanciful? It is not. Read "The Echidna Strategy: Australia's Search for Power and Peace" by Sam Roggeveen, a sensible policy.
Liliana Mawer
this is a very important issue. the Queensland cabinet have no expertise in this area and cannot be getting away with making these sorts of decisions with no medical consultations and without due process. if this is allowed to go through iTrumps horrifying decisions have allowed the Queensland government to do this. t paves the way for other conservative governments to follow suit. Please put this episode up on your instagram site for further discussion
Alex K.
David has very little to be proud of.
william tayor
I'm homless and currently on the wait list for housing. I was offered a bed sit that was little more than abedroom with a tiny bathroom and kitchenet. it was a death sentence for me, so I knocked it back. the housing I was offered was not a home but rather a prison. What the Victorian government is doing is privatising public housing and emptying the inner city of its marginalised communities. pure neo liberal pollicy its disgusting and smacks of a system that's dehumanised and profit driven.
Maz
🥱