7am

Penny Wong is the intellectual leader of the Labor Party. Her politics is shaped by her experiences of difference and her belief in compassion. Her biographer, Margaret Simons, on what drives the most guarded woman in politics.

Guest: Associate professor of journalism at Monash University and author of Penny Wong: Passion and Principle Margaret Simons.

Background reading: 

Penny Wong: Passion and Principle by Margaret Simons, published by Black Inc.

The Saturday Paper

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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The Murray–Darling Basin is being ruined by cronyism and incompetence. Entire towns are running out of water. But a new crop is exploiting the system even further: almonds. Mike Seccombe on how a tree nut boom is drinking the river dry.

Guest: The Saturday Paper’s national correspondent, Mike Seccombe.

Background reading: 

NSW farmers’ class action on water in The Saturday Paper 

The Saturday Paper

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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The judge who sentenced Jaymes Todd for the rape and murder of Eurydice Dixon was asked to consider mitigating factors that included Todd’s age, his autism diagnosis and his early guilty plea. Sarah Krasnostein on the legal argument that preceded that decision. A warning: this episode contains discussion of sexual assault and pornography.

Guest: Writer and sentencing law expert Sarah Krasnostein.

Background reading:

A man who hates women in The Monthly

The Saturday Paper

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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One of the terrible facts about the day Jaymes Todd killed Eurydice Dixon is that for him it was almost all very ordinary. Sarah Krasnostein on a crime that made the country pause and ask how these things can happen. A warning, this episode contains a detailed description of sexual assault and pornography.

Guest: Writer and sentencing law expert Sarah Krasnostein.

Background reading:

A man who hates women in The Monthly. 

The Saturday Paper

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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When former Anglican dean Graeme Lawrence was found guilty of child sexual abuse, his victim, Ben Giggins, made the unusual decision to request that the court name him publicly. Anne Manne on the case that convicted a key figure in the Newcastle clergy. A warning, this episode contains detailed descriptions of sexual assault.

Guest: Writer and author Anne Manne.

Background reading: 

The Newcastle trial of Graeme Lawrence in The Monthly. 

The Saturday Paper 

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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As a royal commission into disability care begins, it emerges that key emails relating to the NDIS are held on a private bank server and cannot be accessed. Rick Morton on governance, transparency and a failing system. 

Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton.

Background reading: 

Exclusive: Key NDIS emails held on private bank server in The Saturday Paper.

The Saturday Paper 

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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The death of Graham Freudenberg comes at a time when politics has all but abandoned speech making. Don Watson on how the loss of big narratives denies us the possibility of bold policy.

Guest: Author and speechwriter Don Watson. 

Background reading:

Graham Freudenberg’s time in The Monthly

The Saturday Paper

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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Tanya Day was a 55-year-old Yorta Yorta woman. She died after being arrested on a train for public drunkenness. Madeline Hayman-Reber on how a coroner is now asking whether systemic racism contributed to her death.

Guest: NITV journalist Madeline Hayman-Reber.

Background reading: 

Waiting for justice in The Saturday Paper.

The Saturday Paper

The Monthly

For more information on today's episode, visit https://7ampodcast.com.au.

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Tomorrow, Scott Morrison will be received in Washington on a state visit. The trip highlights the special relationship he has with Donald Trump. At the same time, it underscores the difficulty he has with Beijing. Paul Bongiorno on the prime minister’s diplomatic wedge.

Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno.

Background reading:

The Saturday Paper

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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Philip Lowe is the governor of the Reserve Bank. By all accounts, he is a conventional person who’s been pushed by the economy to make unconventional choices. Mike Seccombe on how rate cuts no longer stimulate growth, and how Lowe’s office became political.

Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe.

Background reading:

Philip Lowe and Australia’s economy in The Saturday Paper.

The Saturday Paper

The Monthly

For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.