Australia Overnight with Clinton Maynard

Mike Jeffreys is joined by Brendan O’Neill, journalist & Editor of Spiked / Host of the Spiked podcast & author of ‘After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation’, to dissect the stories making headlines in the U.K. & the world over the past week. You can keep up to date with Brendan’s most recent work by visiting the ‘Spiked’ website www.spiked-online.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the full show podcast - Friday - 20th DecemberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, Love Actually, It’s a Wonderful Life -who doesn’t love a Christmas movie? Some are tear-jerkers, some are love stories, and some are a little bit corny… butwe love them all the same. By design, Christmas movies have strong themes that tell the audience everything isgoing to be just fine. They often share a ‘hero’s journey’ and show that despite the hardship the maincharacter goes through, everything will be okay in the end. In addition, the messages of caring, love, hope, community, and forgiveness arealways intertwined into the stories, all of which are central to good mental health inour own personal realities. Mike is joined by Dr Marny Lishman, Health & Community Psychologist & Author of ‘Burnout to Brilliant’ who shares her thoughts on why you should enjoy yourfestive favourites guilt free and often.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being single at Christmas can be tough. Sometimes it’s nice to share all that festive magic with someone special. Thankfully, Christmas is also a time for new beginnings and therefore the perfecttime to meet someone new. Mike is joined by Dating Coach, Karina Chapman, who reveals her tips to help seeking singles find love these holidays:  “There are so many events at Christmas. Attend all those parties, they’re great opportunities to meet new people. Strike up a conversation and make a connection. Consider volunteering, it’s a wonderful way to meet people who share your values. Take advantage of online dating. And take care of yourself - confidence is attractive, and it can help you find the right person. But remember, being single at Christmas is just a temporary phase, with these tips,next year could look very different.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the full show podcast - Friday - 20th DecemberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Jeffreys has a weekly chat with Sue Dodd from the Sydney Markets about what bargains are on offer at the markets this week.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Jeffreys chats with Dale Sinden for the story behind today’s National Days for 20th December  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Jeffreys is joined by Sarah Boorer, Communications professional & CWA award-winning cook, to look at the world of baked goods, delicious treats and & easy recipes. This week Sarah whips up Classic Pavlova recipe (recipe courtesy of Australian Women’s Weekly) Ingredients6 egg whites1 1/2 cup (330g) caster sugar1 tablespoon cornflour1/2 teaspoon white vinegar300 millilitre thickened cream1 tablespoon icing sugar mixture1 teaspoon vanilla essence 250 gram strawberries, halved125g blueberries 3 passionfruit Method1. Preheat oven to 120°C (100°C fan-forced). Mark a 20cm circle on baking paper;cover oven tray with paper.2. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add castersugar, beating until dissolved after each addition (this should take 6 or 7 minutes).Gently fold in cornflour and vinegar.3. Spread meringue inside circle on prepared tray. Using palette knife or spatula,shape sides of meringue and level the top.4. Bake for about 1½ hours or until dry. Turn oven off and leave pavlova to cool inoven with door ajar.5. An hour before serving, beat cream, sugar and essence in a small bowl with anelectric mixer until soft peaks form. Fill pavlova with cream mixture and decoratewith fruit.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As 2024 draws to a close, Mike is joined by Nicole Senior, radio host & commentator, to reflect on the year's biggest highs and lows and explore what lies ahead for the New Year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the full show podcast - Thursday - 19th DecemberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike is joined by Tim Blair, columnist for the Daily Telegraph, to discuss his recent article on climate activists' fears that incoming President Donald Trump could spell the end of the "climate change cash cow"—and why that might be a good thing. Though Trump is still a month away from his inauguration, he's already building on what must be a record-breaking streak of victories. Former and future President Trump secured the Electoral College with a decisive 312 to 226 margin. He won the popular vote by more than 2.2 million and swept every key swing state. Numbers aside, this election was nothing short of a crushing defeat for Kamala Harris and her party of woke politics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Jeffreys' weekly talk with Leith Van Onselen, Chief Economist at the MB Fund &  Co-founder of Macrobusiness, to dissect the politics behind Australia’s economy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are more and more 'hangover tablets' available over the counter, supplements that are marketed as preventing you getting a hangover if you take them before and after hitting the booze. But do they really work? Mike speaks with Grey Area Drinking Coach, Sarah Rusbatch, who advises not to fall into the trap of relying on hangover tablets. “If you want to avoid having a terrible hangover, the best option is to drink more mindfully this festive season. Alcohol is a toxin and there's nothing that can limit the negative impact of your morning-after hangover,” Sarah says. “I’ve got many clients who tell me that not only do hangover tablets not make a difference, but the day after is markedly worse because they end up drinking more thinking they wouldn’t have a hangover.” Sarah says that the rise in the number of hangover tablets available is indicative ofsociety’s problematic levels of drinking.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Jeffreys chats with Dale Sinden for the story behind today’s National Days for 19th December.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the full show podcast - Thursday - 19th DecemberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Jeffreys' weekly chat with U.K. correspondent Enda Brady, host of Round Table On TRT World, about what's making news in the United Kingdom.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Jeffreys' weekly political chat with Terry Barnes – Columnist, political and policy consultant & former Howard government adviser.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the full show podcast - Wednesday - 18th DecemberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike talks to Peter Strachan, National President of Sustainable Population Australia (SPA), about the impact of Australia’s rapid population growth. Australia’s population grew by 552,000 in the year to June 2024, driven mostly by net overseas migration (445,600), according to new ABS figures. At an annual growth rate of 2.1%, Mr. Strachan warns this is putting immense pressure on housing, infrastructure, and the environment. “Australia cannot sustain annual growth of over half a million people—nearly the size of Tasmania’s population,” says Mr. Strachan. “It drives up infrastructure costs, worsens housing availability, and puts power supplies under stress. In Sydney, adding 100,000 more people during a heatwave would likely cause power outages.” The environmental impact is also significant. Reports link population growth to biodiversity loss, and Australia’s emissions reduction targets—43% by 2030 and net zero by 2050—become harder to meet. “At this rate, Australia’s population could double in just 33 years,” he adds. While growth has slowed slightly from 2.5% to 2.1%, it remains comparable to nations like Madagascar and Ghana, which are struggling economically and environmentally. Mr. Strachan also points to a rise in natural increase (106,400 births, up 3.4%), despite a record-low fertility rate of 1.5 children per woman. “To slow population growth, immigration must be the focus, as natural increases remain significant and are not declining as expected,” he concludes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike speaks with Amanda Lambros, relationship counselor and bestselling author, about psychology becoming the top career choice for female school leavers. With Australia facing a severe shortage of mental health services, a new generation of students is turning to psychology to help fill the gap they’ve experienced throughout their lives. Recent data from Year13, an organisation that helps students explore career paths, reveals that psychology was the most popular profession among high school students in 2024. In a survey of over 45,000 students, psychology topped the list for females, while architect and mechanical engineer followed as overall career preferences.  Among male students, psychology ranked 17th.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.