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The trial of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins – an accusation he strenuously denies – will not see a court room again, and a verdict will never be reached.

It leaves both parties in limbo, and already there is rampant speculation that civil lawsuits could be filed.

But the end of the prosecution raises concerning questions about our justice system, the media and who is put at risk when an allegation of sexual assault reaches the inside of a courtroom.

Today, contributing editor of The Monthly Rachel Withers on an unacceptable risk to those seeking justice.

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Guest: Contributing editor of The Monthly, Rachel Withers.

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Australia has a new, stronger emissions reduction target.

But we are also one of the world’s biggest exporters of fossil fuels, and there’s no plan from the government to reduce that.

That’s because Australian coal and gas exports that are burned overseas aren't counted in our emissions.

But could that change? And will Environment minister Tanya Plibersek begin to consider those emissions and the damage they cause to our climate when new projects are approved?

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Tom Morton on whether Australia is ready to take responsibility for the coal and gas we sell.

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Guest: Contributor The Saturday Paper, Tom Morton.

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The Liberal Party is trying to resurrect its popularity after a devastating loss this year, under the leadership of Scott Morrison.

But can changing the personalities at the top of the party make a difference? Or is there something deeper behind the decline in its fortunes? 

A study published yesterday indicates that only one in four voters under the age of 40 voted for the Coalition – and that seems unlikely to change.

Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on how this generation of younger voters is changing the assumptions we’ve had about the electorate and why all the major parties need to adapt.

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Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe

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In 1992, the UN General Assembly agreed that 3 December every year would be International Day of People with Disability.

It marked an early attempt to treat disability as a human rights and access issue – something that was becoming a movement across the world at the time. Here in Australia, It was the same year that Australia passed the Disability Discrimination Act.

But thirty years later, how much progress has been made? And has society really stopped viewing disability through the lenses of medicine or charity?

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper, writer and critic Olivia Muscat on what the day means to her, and how it could be done better.

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Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper writer and critic Olivia Muscat.

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A prime minister will never again be able to secretly appoint themselves to act in multiple ministries.

The practice will be made unlawful, with new rules to make appointments public – even Scott Morrison agrees with that.

He said as much, when he rose in front of the parliament to explain his actions. But the speech he delivered was hardly an admission of guilt.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on what Scott Morrison did when faced with the chance to explain himself.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.

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There are people inside government departments who want to use insights into human behaviour to influence us.

At its best, it can help design systems to get the best outcomes for people. But at its worst, it can ‘nudge’ people into accepting bad outcomes; from not appealing decisions to not getting the services they’re entitled to.

Today, senior reporter at The Saturday Paper Rick Morton, on the job ad for someone to look into human behaviour and its strange links to the origins of the Robo-debt disaster.

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Guest: Senior reporter at The Saturday Paper Rick Morton

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This week, streets across China filled with angry protestors.

Some held blank pieces of paper instead of signs, to protest censorship, others chanted ‘Down with Xi Jinping’.

They’re the most significant protests China has seen for 30 years, according to analysts. But how have they happened under the surveillance regime of the state?

 And what do they mean for the future of the Chinese Communist Party and for Xi Jinping and the China he’s trying to shape?

Today, Senior Lecturer in Journalism at the University of Melbourne, Louisa Lim on the protests igniting across China, despite the shadow of Tiananmen. 

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Guest: Journalist Louisa Lim.

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If you don’t believe in God, then heaven help you in the ADF.

Those are the words of Senator David Shoebridge, who has argued that our military is putting too much faith in religious chaplains to provide support for service members.

The military employs 158 full-time chaplains, 150 of whom are ordained Christian ministers.

But as the military becomes more diverse and more secular, who are these chaplains serving?

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Amy Fallon on the role of religion in the ADF and what happens when it’s challenged.  

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Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Amy Fallon.

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The wages and workplaces of Australians could be about to change.

The government’s new industrial relations packages promises to make pay more transparent and strengthen the hand of workers in negotiations.

But whether this passes, comes down to the decision of one man: David Pocock. His vote has become the most valuable commodity in Canberra.

Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, takes us inside how David Pocock made his decision to back Industrial Relations reform.

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Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe

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The first major election since a wave of green and teal changed the federal map is set for this Saturday.

The Victorian election is about a lot of things, including being a referendum on Dan Andrews and his premiership.

But the election could also tell us more about how the electoral forces in Australia are shifting, and how alternatives to the major parties are rising.

Today, election analyst and host of The Tally Room podcast Ben Raue on tomorrow’s election, the fate of Dan Andrews and the redrawing of the electoral map.

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Guest: Host of The Tally Room podcast, Ben Raue.

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