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Today on the show, author Sophie Cunningham on why we’re still logging native forests.

She begins her story with the last sheafs of white office paper to ever be produced in Australia – the final sheet rolled off the mill in January of this year before it closed for good.

What follows is her reporting on how and why native forests are still being cut down, despite our knowledge that this is not the best or most efficient way for us to source timber in this country.

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Guest: Author Sophie Cunningham

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Australia’s AUKUS deal was meant to have unanimous support, but it has thrown up unexpected challenges for the Labor government — with senior party figures breaking ranks to criticise its scope, price and impact on our relationships. 

Will there be a showdown over the $368 billion dollar plan? And if so, how will the Prime Minister handle it? 

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno, on the increasing political cost of the AUKUS deal.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno

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This Saturday, the longest-reigning Coalition government in the country heads to the polls.

Dominic Perrottet hasn’t been premier of NSW for long, but he’s hoping to extend the Coalition to a historic 16-year term in office – despite a torrent of scandals and resignations dogging his government.

Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on every scandal and resignation we could fit into a single episode.

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Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe.

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Last year, Deanna ‘Violet’ CoCo was standing on top of a truck on Sydney Harbour Bridge with a flare in her hand.

She was prepared to be arrested; prepared to face harsh anti-protest laws – but she wasn’t prepared to be the target of national angst and passion about climate protest.

She was given a 15-month prison sentence for her actions — with the magistrate calling her ‘childish' and ‘emotional’ during the sentencing. 

Today, fresh from beating that prison sentence on appeal, Violet CoCo on protest, justice, and the future of the climate movement. 

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Guest: Climate protestor Deanna ‘Violet’ CoCo.

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A few weeks ago, Independent MP Andrew Wilkie stood up in parliament and dropped a bombshell on the Australian megachurch Hillsong.

He tabled a cache of documents that alleged staggering misconduct and outrageous spending at Hillsong, including details of extravagant personal purchases made by some of its leaders, including former global senior pastor Brian Houston, using church money.

Now, several days after the speech, we have access to these documents and the potential damage to the church is becoming clearer.

Could Hillsong have broken charity regulations? What does the new leadership at the church have to say? And what does it all mean for the future of Hillsong?

Today, associate editor of The Saturday Paper Martin McKenzie-Murray on how Hillsong spent its money, and why a whistleblower came forward.

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Guest: Associate editor of The Saturday Paper, Martin McKenzie-Murray

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Bob Brown, the founding leader of The Greens, is ready to make a plea to Tanya Plibersek: stand up in cabinet and be a voice against coal and gas.

While the party Brown used to lead is locked in a tense battle with the Labor party over the safeguard mechanism, he believes Tanya Plibersek could become the best environment minister Australia has ever had – she just needs the support of the prime minister.

Today, former leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown, on the promise of Tanya Plibersek and why the government’s environmental credentials are at stake.

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Guest: Former leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown

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The AUKUS agreement has brought a rare political sight this week: the government and the opposition are agreeing with each other.

Both major parties support the deal and if anything they’re competing to show who can support it more strongly.

But how will we pay for it? Will we cut spending on other services? Or try to increase tax revenue?

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on how $368 billion dollars in spending is inevitably getting political.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno

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The single biggest defence spend in Australian history was announced this week, with the government committing up to $368 billion over the next 30 years to acquire nuclear submarines.

Former prime minister Paul Keating has called it “the worst decision by a Labor government in a century”.

And big questions remain about whether these subs will ever be delivered at all. So, what could a misstep in the rollout mean for our security as tensions rise between China and the United States?

Today, emeritus professor of strategic studies at ANU, Hugh White, on why the AUKUS submarines might never be delivered.

You can read his article on the deal on The Saturday Paper website, published in conjunction with Australian Foreign Affairs.

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Guest: Emeritus professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University, Hugh White

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John Hughes was once hailed as a young literary genius, and won a scholarship to Cambridge.

Yet he found himself back in Australia working as a librarian and a teacher before his writing found acclaim.

Hughes was shortlisted for some of the greatest honours in Australian writing. But under the scrutiny of greater acclaim, a strange web of inconsistencies and copying struck one reader: Anna Verney.

Today, writer, reporter and lawyer Anna Verney and contributing editor to The Monthly Richard Cooke, on how they first discovered the borrowings of John Hughes and the revelations that followed.

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Guest: Writer Anna Verney and contributing editor to The Monthly Richard Cooke

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The royal commission hearings into robo-debt are over.

With over 100 witnesses and nine weeks of hearings, the commission into one of the greatest failures in the history of the Australian government has already given us unforgettable insight into the thinking of our public servants and leading politicians.

But there are still questions to be answered: like how could so many — find themselves in lock-step behind a policy that was unlawful?

Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton on what we learned from inside the commission’s hearings.

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Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton

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