Saturday Magazine

Macca and Zoe are joined live in the studio by Kent Burgess, Interim CEO – Thorne Harbour Health; Update from Thorne Harbour Health, as they discuss 2025 from THH; Monkey Pox, Funding and so much more. The post Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Kent Burgess, Interim CEO – Thorne Harbour Health; Update from Thorne Harbour Health appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Zoe and Macca are joined live on air by, Rex Patrick, “Transparency Warrior” & Former Federal Senator as they discuss the high court fight on political donations Former Senator Rex Patrick was known as the ‘Transparency Warrior’ during his time in the Federal Parliament. In addition to the normal tools used by senators to enforce transparency of Government (e.g. questions at question time, written questions on notice, Senate Estimates questioning, Inquiries and Senate orders for the production of documents) Rex also made extensive use of Freedom of Information request in the Federal domain and subsequent reviews by the Information Commissioner and the Administrative Appeals Tribunals (AAT). Rex also made numerous requests under South Australian FOI laws and sought Ombudsman reviews and South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Reviews. Rex believes that transparency is a critical element of a representative democracy. Without transparency citizens cannot properly participate in democracy – and the likelihood of corruption or maladministration occurring increases. The post Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Rex Patrick, “Transparency Warrior” & Former Federal Senator, High Court Fight on Political Donations appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Zoe and Macca talk to Christopher McDermott, Deputy Chair, Mental Health Victoria. Christopher is a member of the Victorian Bar and has a broad civil law practice. He specialises in employment and industrial law, anti-discrimination law, human rights and administrative law. Christopher is the Secretary of the Victorian Bar’s Indigenous Justice Committee, a member of the Industrial Bar Association Committee, the Australian Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the Victorian Bar’s LGBTIQ Working Group (which he helped to establish). The post Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Christopher McDermott, Deputy Chair, Mental Health Victoria appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Professor Dr. Jason Ong is a distinguished academic and sexual health physician dedicated to advancing research and improving health outcomes for marginalized populations. With a rare combination of expertise as a clinician, health economist, and epidemiologist, he leverages his diverse skill set to address complex public health challenges. His research focuses on amplifying the voices of underserved communities and tackling taboo topics to promote informed decision-making and policy development. Since 2019, Professor Ong has served as an advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing to global efforts to eliminate HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as public health threats. In addition, he holds leadership roles as Vice-President of the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) and as a Board Director of Health Equity Matters, reflecting his unwavering commitment to equity in healthcare. The post Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Prof. Dr Jason Ong, Dir. Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Veteran Australian Journalist and Broadcaster, Neil Mitchell, best known for his dominant 34-year career at Melbourne talkback station 3AW, joins Macca, Zoe and Misha as they discuss the year that was in politics, news and more. The post Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Neil Mitchell, Veteran Australian Journalist and Broadcaster, Musings on 2025 appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Zoe and Macca are joined live in the studio by Misha Ketchell, Editor-in-Chief, The Conversation, as they discuss the year that was in politics and current affairs The post Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Misha Ketchell, Editor-in-Chief, The Conversation: The Year That Was In Politics appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Former ABC Journalist and Independent MP for Goldstein is this week’s co-host. She joins Macca as they discuss life post federal politics, Zoe’s history, and what’s coming up on this week’s show. Zoe is a respected journalist and author, and is the former independent federal MP for Goldstein, after making history in 2022 as the seat’s first female representative. In Parliament, she championed reforms in women’s safety, economic equality, student debt, healthcare, climate legislation, and digital safety, and mental health, particularly support for eating disorder services. The post Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Weekly Wrap Up with Macca and Zoe Daniel: Life Post Politics appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Nevena talk to Ged Kearney, MP Cooper, Asst Min for Prevention of Family Violence & Asst Min Social Services; about the year that was, new legislation on family, domestic & sexual violence in LGBTQIA+ relationships protections. Macca and Nevena are also joined in the studio, well rather ambushed by Josh Burns, Georgie Purcell and Peter Khalil to announce the delivery of $250,000 from the Federal Australian Government to fund Joy Media. Special delivery of the cheque is from 6:57 minute mark. The post Sat, 13th, Dec, 2025: Ged Kearney, MP Cooper; Josh Burns MP, McNamara; Peter Khalil MP, Wills: Special Announcement appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

  Nevena and Macca are joined live on the phone by Peter Kurti, Director of the Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society program and is also Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Law and Business at the University of Notre Dame Australia. He has written extensively about issues of religion, liberty, culture and civil society in Australia, and appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio. In addition to having written many newspaper articles, he is also the author or editor of a number of books, including The Tyranny of Tolerance: Threats to Religious Liberty in Australia; Euthanasia: Seven Questions about Voluntary Assisted Dying; Sacred & Profane: Faith and Belief in a Secular Society; and Beyond Belief: Rethinking the Voice to Parliament. Peter is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an ordained minister in the Anglican Church of Australia. In his most recent paper, Kurti, argues that, “that Australia’s democratic institutions must learn to manage, rather than resolve, deep moral disagreement. Building on the pluralist tradition of Isaiah Berlin, John Gray and Bernard Williams, this report contends that conflict between legitimate but incompatible values is a permanent feature of free societies. It warns against the illusion that political consensus can be achieved through neutrality, proceduralism or abstract ideals alone”. “Liberal democracies must instead draw defensible lines — imperfect, contested, but necessary — that allow diverse groups to live together under common rules”. https://www.cis.org.au/publication/drawing-the-line-moral-conflict-and-the-fragility-of-liberal-tolerance/     The post Sat, 13th, Dec, 2025: Peter Kurti, Centre for Ind. Studies; Drawing The Line; Australia’s Democratic Institutions Must Manage, Not Resolve, Moral Disagreement appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca are Nevena are joined live in the studio by  Ruchit Kulkarni, University of Melb; Climate Expert, as they discuss; what exactly is driving the heatwave across Australia ?Are these kinds of heatwaves becoming more common, and why? Is Australia heading toward a bad bushfire season this summer? How does La Niña this year is going to play the role in shaping Australia summer and bushfire season? Ruchit Kulkarni graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master’s degree in Atmospheric Science. His expertise lies in analysing the causes of extreme rainfall on a daily timescale across western New South Wales. Using historical records and modern datasets, he works to understand how our climate is changing and what that means for future risks. Ruchit is passionate about science communication and regularly engages with students and community audiences to discuss weather, climate, and natural hazards The post Sat, 13th, Dec, 2025: Ruchit Kulkarni, University of Melb, Climate Expert, What’s Driving Australia’s Heatwave? appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and Macca spoke to Dr. Joel Scanlan, Snr Lecturer Uni of Tas. Cyber Security Expert; Will the Social Media Ban Actually Protect Aussie Kids? Dr Scanlan is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania. He specialises in cybersecurity and privacy, having undertaken a PhD in the area, and has been teaching and consulting with the industry for over 15 years. He is also an adjunct Associate Professor in Maritime Cybersecurity at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Joel is an active researcher on projects relating to child exploitation prevention, maritime cyber security, and machine learning. Joel Scanlan is the academic co-lead of the CSAM Deterrence Centre, which is a partnership between the University of Tasmania and Jesuit Social Services, who operate Stop It Now (Australia), a therapeutic service providing support to people who are concerned with their own, or someone else’s, feelings towards children. Dr Scanlan has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Institute of Criminology, the eSafety Commissioner, Lucy Faithfull Foundation and the Internet Watch Foundation. “With the federal government’s ban on social media accounts for under-16s taking effect this week, as well as age assurance for logged-in search engine users on December 27 and adult content on March 9 2026, we have reached a landmark moment – but we must be clear about what this regulation achieves and what it ignores”, writes Dr Scanlan, in his latest article for the conversation. “The ban may keep some children out (if they don’t circumvent it), but it does nothing to fix the harmful architecture awaiting them upon return. Nor does it take steps to modify the harmful behaviour of some adult users. We need meaningful change toward a digital duty of care, where platforms are legally required to anticipate and mitigate harm” https://theconversation.com/banning-kids-from-social-media-doesnt-make-online-platforms-safer-heres-what-will-do-that-271103 The post Sat, 13th, Dec, 2025: Dr Joel Scanlan, Snr Lecturer Uni of Tas. Cyber Security Expert; Will the Social Media Ban Actually Protect Aussie Kids? appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and Macca are joined live in the studio by Rachel Westaway, State Member for Prahran, and Glyn Lewis, Local Author Spotlight. At the 2025 Prahran state by-election, Rachel Westaway was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly with a 13.4% two-party swing in her favour. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Greens MP Sam Hibbins following revelations of an extramarital affair with a staffer] and allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward an intern. Westaway’s campaign was based on addressing “law-and-order” issues, including around the Chapel Street precinct. At the time of her election, Westaway became the first Liberal candidate for a lower house seat across Australia to recover a seat from the Greens, after Prahran became the first lower house seat the Liberal Party had lost to the Greens, in 2014. In October 2025, Westaway was appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Small Business and Shadow Assistant Minister for Hospitality. Following the change of leadership of the Victorian Liberal Party in November 2025 and subsequent Shadow Cabinet Shadow reshuffle, Westaway was appointed Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition (Metropolitan), Shadow Assistant Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, and Shadow Assistant Minister for Melbourne. Glyn Lewis, Melbourne based author, was born in the UK, he immigrated to Australia, with his family in 1966, when he was 9. After a long rewarding career in Hospitality Management he tired at the age of 60, when he was inspired to write his fist children’s book after watching a mother read to her child in a local library. He started his literary journey at 62 years of age. Now 67 years old, he is passionate about early learning in young children and thought he could contribute and create early learning in a fun and positive way. He now has twenty-nine children’s books published of which he is very proud of. His literary journey has taken a different direction as he is now writing Suspense Psychological Thrillers. One is successfully published titled The Bride of Fire- The Armageddon Awakens. Another novel that he is working on is currently in production. https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B0CWGKWS6T/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=09f29923-e45f-4d0d-8b58-a290155fef1f   The post Sat, 13th, Dec, 2025: Rachel Westaway, State Member for Prahran, and Glyn Lewis, Local Author Spotlight. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and Macca talk to Leo Puglisi, from Youth News Site, 6 News, as they discuss the year that was. 6 News is a streaming news channel run by a team of young journalists, bringing you independent and impartial reporting every single day. They  have news bulletins every hour keeping you informed with the latest headlines here at home and around the world. Their  full line-up includes programs on politics, sport, and law and government.  They also focus on breaking news, with rolling coverage and live press conferences to give you the full story. 6 News was founded by Leo Puglisi (then-aged 11) in 2019 and has since grown to be a reliable source of news for thousands of people every single day. https://www.6newsau.com/?wix-vod-video-id=1t2NPkiVgK4&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-m2ubn10o The post Sat, 13th, Dec, 2025: Leo Puglisi, 6 News, The Year That Was In Politics and News appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Nevena are back in the hosting seats this week as they discuss what’s coming up on this week’s show and the week in news, views, revies and comments.   The post Sat, 13th, Dec, 2025: Weekly Wrap Up with Nevena and Macca appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Kenny and Sally talk to Myles Russell-Cook, Artistic Director and CEO, ACCA; Highlights of his First Year. Myles discusses his first year in the hot seat at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Arts and what’s coming up Myles commenced in the role of Artistic Director & CEO of ACCA in 2024 and was formerly Senior Curator of Australian and First Nations Art at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Myles has a long-standing interest in cultural, gender and sexual diversity within both Australian and International contemporary practice and has worked across a broad range of exhibitions and projects. For over eight years Myles was one of a team of curators who oversaw major contemporary art exhibitions at the National Gallery of Victoria, including NGV Triennial, and Melbourne Now. Myles is the curator of the upcoming touring show, The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art, presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. This exhibition is the largest exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever presented internationally.   The post Saturday, 6th, Dec, 2025: Myles Russell-Cook, Artistic Director and CEO, ACCA; Highlights of his First Year appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Sally and Kenny are joined live in the studio by Dr Varun Kommidi, GP, Prahran Market Clinic. The TGA has just issued a concerning warning for Ozempic style drugs, after links to suicidal thoughts. Varun completed his medical degree from the University of Melbourne in 2014 and worked as a junior doctor at Monash Health in internal medicine before transitioning to General Practice. Since completing General Practice training in 2020 he has also commenced further training in HIV medicine, and Sexual Health for all individuals. Clinical interests include: General preventive medicine, Chronic disease management, Sexual Health, and Mental health. For listeners triggered by this segment please visit Joy’s support page: https://joy.org.au/support/ KODAK Digital Still Camera The post Saturday, 6th, Dec, 2025: Dr Varun Kommidi GP, Prahran Market Clinic, TGA Announces Some Concerns over Ozempic. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Sally and Kenny were joined live in the studio by Switchboard CEO, Jenna Tuke, as they discuss her highs & lows for 2025, what’s been achieved and what’s her focus for the year ahead. How you can support Switchboard? Jenna Tuke is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Switchboard Victoria, taking on the role in early 2025 after extensive experience in health, human services, and LGBTIQA+ advocacy, particularly in sexual assault, family violence, and mental health, bringing expertise in crisis management, clinical leadership, and community support to guide the organisation’s growth in supporting Victoria’s LGBTIQA+ communities. If you need support please visit the below links: https://www.switchboard.org.au/qlife https://www.switchboard.org.au/rainbow-door https://www.switchboard.org.au/app-violence-support https://www.switchboard.org.au/rainbow-families https://www.switchboard.org.au/family-violence https://www.switchboard.org.au/qtibpoc-program https://www.switchboard.org.au/people-of-faith The post Saturday, 6th, Dec, 2025: Jenna Tuke, CEO Switchboard Victoria, 2025 Retrospective. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Sally and Kenny are joined live on air by Wayne Gatt, secretary of The Police Association Victoria @PoliceAssocVic, as they discuss tackling crime in Melbourne, protests and and his focus for helping the LGBTIQA+ community, Wayne also discusses the new Designated Area policy. = The post Saturday, 6th, Dec, 2025: Wayne Gatt, CEO – Police Association Victoria, Tackling Crime in the City and What is a Designated Area? appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Sally and Kenny are joined live in the studio by Glenn Charlie Dunks, an award-winning film critic from Melbourne, Australia. He is the founder and writer behind the reDocumented website, launched in May 2025. As they discuss the year that was in film 2025. For ten years, Glenn has been an active part of the Australian film scene as a critic and journalist. Getting his start with the Geelong/Surf Coast-based street press Forte Magazine, he progressed to writing regularly for Trespass and Onya Magazine as well as his personal blog. In 2010, Glenn began writing film reviews and features for Australian print institution The Big Issue. In the following decade, he has contributed to world-renowned publications such as The Guardian, Vanity Fair and The Film Experience where he covers documentary film on a weekly basis. In Australia, his work has been published across outlets including Metro Magazine, ScreenHub, Flicks Australia, Junkee, SBS Film, SBS Sexuality, Broadsheet, Quickflix, Concrete Playground and the online edition of Overland Journal. He is also the regular film critic for Air Nuigini’s Paradise Magazine. His work has been republished by IndieWire’s Women and Hollywood blog and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance union’s quarterly print publication The Equity Magazine. He has also been spotlighted by The Age. The post Saturday, 6th, Dec, 2025: Glenn Charlie Dunks, an Award-Winning Film Critic, the year that was in film. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Sally and Kenny talk to Konrad Benjamin, Podcaster, Punter’s Politics, the 58th Commonwealth Parliament; the year that was in federal politics; political fundraising, and more. Konrad launched Punter’s Politics about one year ago, starting with satirical skits uploaded to social media and YouTube that cited reputable resources. His first reel, “How dumb are Aussies?” skewered the decisions of successive governments that he said allowed corporations to “rip off” Australia over its natural resources. The post Saturday, 6th, Dec, 2025: Konrad Benjamin, Podcaster, Punter’s Politics, the 58th Commonwealth Parliament; The Year That Was in Federal Politics appeared first on Saturday Magazine.