Behind the people you see running the country, there is a powerful, faceless army of staffers, advisers and political analysts. They can win and lose an election. They can be responsible for the most excellent policies, and they can be responsible for the dirtiest of dirty tricks. For 14 years, Kos Samaras was one of those 'faceless' people, working as the deputy campaign director for Labor in Victoria. He's behind one of the most successful Labor elections in Australia - sweeping Dan Andrews into power in landslide election wins. In this episode, Kos Samaras talks about the personal toll of politics, the power behind the policy and what the Australian public really cares about. Kos Samaras is now Director Strategy and Analytics at social research company RedBridge Group. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This a view of the world you don't normally get. It's a view of the world out there, most of us don't know about, from the front line of Policing. In this episode, I speak to two men: Senior Constable Tom Wilson, and his father, Constable Andrew Wilson, who followed his son into The Job.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jade Benham is a survivor of harrowing domestic violence at the hands of her former partner. She's also a Politician; And she's choosing now to share her very personal story with the world. In this episode, I'm also joined by Stephen Wilson, the founder and CEO of Protective Group, a support service providing safety and security solutions to vulnerable people. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please contact 1800RESPECT for support. Call: 1800 737 732 Visit Website: 1800RESPECT 1800RESPECT is available for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support people impacted by domestic, family or sexual violence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There's no denying AI will shape the future of human life: How we work, live and communicate. In this episode, I speak to Australia's leading expert on Artificial Intelligence, Professor Toby Walsh, the Chief Scientist at the UNSW AI Institute. He's written a number of books on the subject, and been a vocal supporter of AI intelligence - but he has his concerns too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We're four months into the year, so i'm roping in friends and colleagues Tony Jones and Heidi Murphy, 'The Jock and the Beast', to re-cap this years events so far, debate and discuss the big issues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I dive into the unexpected, unassuming world of fungi - and what I've found is astounding. I speak to Mycologist Dr.Teresa Lebel and discover fungi has the potential to change, save and shape the world like you wouldn't believe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who controls space will control the Earth. What happens up there impacts every aspect of modern life: Satellites, GPS, power grids. And there are some weird things going on. What's happing in space today could help save the world - but it could also help destroy it. In this episode I speak to Rebecca Shrimpton, director of Defence and National Security at ASPI, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. She has a warning of what we stand to gain, and what stands to be lostSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After ten years as the Victorian Ombudsman, Deborah Glass is now free to explain how the systems designed to keep the bastards honest are working, when they are failing, and WHY they are so important. In one of her last interviews as Ombudsman, Deborah Glass opens up on the personal side of a life spent battling bureaucracy, and standing up for the little guy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
They say it's inevitable. But what sort of world are we heading into with legalised cannabis? In this episode, former head of the AFP, barrister and advocate for cannabis reform Mick Palmer, and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, discuss the PROS and CONS of an Australia where cannabis is legal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For more than 20 years, David Koch had one of the most recognisable faces in Australian show biz. But very little is known about Kochie since he stepped down from his role as host of Sunrise in 2023, and what he’s planning for the future. In this episode, David Koch tells Neil Mitchell WHY finding fame was an accident, and why the future of small business is so important to him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you were terminally ill, what would you pay to survive? It's an ugly question, but life is always above money. In this episode, multiple myeloma patient Geoff Nyssen and Professor Miles Prince, explain how Geoff's CART T cell treatment in the US saved his life, after he was told he'd only have 10 years to live. Neil finds out WHY Australian lives are being lost, because they can't access this treatment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Andrew Rule and John 'Sly' Silvester are the odd couple of crime. One can write, the other can talk. They've built their careers writing, and talking, about the most unpleasant things in life. Murder. Armed robbery. Gang wars. They revolutionised the way journalists wrote about crime, and they're responsible for bringing one of Australia's most notorious, and now infamous criminals, into public consciousness: Chopper Read. In this episode, Andrew Rule and Sly explain why they write, and why some cases still haunt them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Immigration is one of the greatest policy failures of the past 20 years. It's also one of the least understood. In this episode, Victorian Chamber of Commerce boss Paul Guerra and former Deputy Secretary for the Department of Immigration, Abul Rizvi, explain how it works, how it's failing, and what it all means for Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Professor Richard Scolyer is the world's leading melanoma pathologist, and along with his colleague Professor Georgina Long, has been named co-Australian of the year. Thanks to them, Australia's national cancer, melanoma, has become a curable disease. Now Richard is on a journey to beat another cancer. His own. In this episode, professor Richard Scolyer tells Neil why he's become a human guinea pig.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Harry Garside surged into the public consciousness at the Tokyo Olympics. He won a lightweight bronze boxing medal, Australia's first for 33 years, and now he's chasing gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But he's not your average jock. In this episode, Harry Garside and his mum Kate, tell Neil Mitchell why: Fame is a blessing and a curse He loves to wear dresses and pain his nail Harry got into mischief as a kid Kate's cancer diagnosis brought their family closer together Withdrawn domestic violence charges drove Harry to an incredibly dark place Writing poetry helps Harry make sense of it all This episode discusses sensitive issues around suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, please seek help from a mental health professional, or contact the Lifeline helpline: 13 11 14See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From making headlines with Eddie McGuire, debating protestors on the streets of Melbourne, to his last interview with former Premier Daniel Andrews, this episode is a compilation of some of the most memorable clashes of Neil Mitchell's radio career.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Over his career, Neil has had his fair share of the weird, the whacky and the wonderful interviews. Perspectives from a different point of view, different ways of life and ways of thinking. From international superstar Jordan Peterson, to closer to home with Fiona Patten and Sam Newman, this episode is a compilation of some of the more unusual conversations, that stuck with Neil over the years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Neil Mitchell has quit his day job. In this special episode, Neil sits down with two friends and colleagues, Heidi Murphy and Tony Jones, to look back at his radio career; The highs and lows, the behind the scenes chaos, the on air (and off-air) spats, the deadlines, the regrets and the editorial decisions that made Mornings with Neil Mitchell so successful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Luke McLeod has put himself through a gruelling reality TV series, not once, but twice. Now, the former Bachelorette star turned meditation guide, opens up on the challenges of life in the public eye, finding enlightenment and fatherhood. In this episode, Luke McLeod tells Neil Mitchell Why: A recent medical scare turned his life upside down Saying sorry is so hard for a parent He desperately wants to be a father Reality TV changed him Social media is one of the biggest threats to happiness He feared his life was on the line See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Georgie Purcell and Joe McCracken are no ordinary politicians. Joe is a Liberal MP who came out as gay in his maiden speech to parliament. Animal Justice MP Georgie is a lawyer, a former stripper and covered head to toe in tattoos. They're both in their early 30s, opinionated and passionate. In this episode, Georgie Purcell and Joe McCracken tell Neil Why: The writing is on the wall for the Melbourne Cup Shame is shaping public debate They don't agree on 'that' Jacinta Allan cartoon Politician's work "bloody hard" They both suffer from anxiety People don't care about politicians Also in this episode, Georgie and Joe switch places and ask Neil a couple of questions of their own...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.