7am

The discovery of an abandoned caravan full of explosives on the outskirts of Sydney earlier this year triggered widespread panic and fear. 

There were reports of a list of Jewish targets – and right away, NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it terrorism.

In the months that followed, discourse concerning the caravan became increasingly politicised, with Peter Dutton blaming the prime minister for putting Australians at risk.

But all the while, police were warning the whole thing could be a hoax.

Today, special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis, on how a criminal con job became a political football – and the implications for our national security.

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Guest: Special correspondent for The Saturday Paper Jason Koutsoukis

Photo: Lukas Coch / AAP Image

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Donald Trump’s full-throated support of Elon Musk continues, despite more and more people questioning why an unelected billionaire is exerting enormous power over the future of the American government.

While Musk claims to be bringing his business expertise to cutting government waste, his true motives are becoming clearer.

WIRED reporter Vittoria Elliott has discovered Musk’s actions come straight from an ideological playbook designed to unshackle businesses from government oversight.

In part two of our interview with Elliott, we find out what Musk wants – and how far  he will go to get the job done.

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Guest: Reporter for WIRED covering platforms and power, Vittoria Elliot

Photo credit: Joshua Sukoff/Medill News Service

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Acolytes of Elon Musk, working in the Department of Government Efficiency, are currently gutting the US government, with Musk claiming he’ll find savings of up to US$2 trillion.

Department by department, DOGE staff – mostly young men from the tech world – are sacking federal employees and gaining access to some of the government’s most sensitive information.

Vittoria Elliott, a reporter for WIRED covering platforms and power, has been tracking the Silicon Valley figures reshaping the US government – and finding out what it means for the future of her country. 

(This is part one of a two-part interview.)

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Guest: Reporter for WIRED covering platforms and power, Vittoria Elliot

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Novelist Sonia Orchard was in her 40s when a revelation during a therapy session turned her life upside down. Could the relationship she’d had in her teens with a man more than a decade older in fact be abuse? In her new memoir, Groomed, Sonia investigates her own story, sharing her gruelling journey through the justice system, and shines a light on the failures – social, structural, legal – that entrench and prolong the trauma for victim survivors. This week, she speaks with Michael about the power of writing and reclaiming her story.

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Australia’s Chinese community proved to be a powerful voting bloc in the last election. 

And as the time draws near to vote again, a growing number of politicians have realised that appealing to the country’s 1.5 million Chinese Australians is key to electoral success. 

But as journalist Wing Kuang has found, the major parties’ attempts to court Chinese voters are proving to be rocky. 

The Chinese-owned app, RedNote, is a new frontier in efforts to reach Chinese voters. But with speech on RedNote filtered by an authoritarian regime, it raises questions about how political debate in Australia is being shaped by foreign rules.

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper, Wing Kuang, on how the Chinese community might shape the outcome of the election – and what they really think of Albanese and Dutton.

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Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper Wing Kuang

Photo: EPA

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Donald Trump’s trade war is escalating, as his wide-ranging tariffs take effect. 

Australia had hoped to avoid a 25 per cent tariff on our steel and aluminium – but we now know there’ll be no exemptions.

As Canada and the EU retaliate with counter-tariffs, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is focused on stemming the damage, by arguing other large industries – that would impact the Australian economy much more – should be immune.

But as Trump’s foreign policies become increasingly aggressive, his decisions on trade could spill into every aspect of our alliance.

Today, managing editor of The Saturday Paper, Emily Barrett, on what the tariffs mean for the Australian economy and what the government can do about it.

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Guest: Managing editor of The Saturday Paper Emily Barrett

Photo: AAP Image / Dean Lewin

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When Launceston nurse and midwife Amanda Duncan appeared at a Tasmanian parliamentary inquiry into ambulance ramping last year, her testimony was macabre and shocking. 

Duncan claimed hospital management at Launceston General Hospital had altered death certificates – meaning deaths that should have been investigated were quietly recertified.

Those revelations triggered a public inquiry, yet questions have been raised about its scope and accountability as new cases continue to emerge that extend far beyond the initial inquiry.

Today, writer and former editor of The Monthly, Nick Feik, on his investigation into falsified death certificates and revelations of a broken health system.

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Guest: Writer and former editor of The Monthly, Nick Feik

Photo: AAP Image/Ethan James

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As Trump’s radical reshaping of the US pulls into focus, so too has the list of those who have gained entry to his inner circle. 

That list includes not only Australia’s richest person – but also Australia’s largest private arms supplier. 

Robert Nioa isn’t yet a household name, but the weapons mogul is a close confidante to Peter Dutton, married to a Katter, as well as a fishing and hunting pal to Donald Trump Jr. 

Today, special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis, on Robert Nioa’s arms empire and the impact he’ll have on Australian defence policy. 

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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Guest: Special correspondent for The Saturday Paper Jason Koutsoukis 

Photo:

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Most Australians have been targeted by a scam attempt, from spam text messages to intricate love fraud. The scams have cost us billions.

But behind these attacks is a highly organised and secretive industry – fuelled by human trafficking. 

It’s believed hundreds of thousands of people are being held against their will in so-called “scam factories” across South East Asia, including in Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines. Many of these factories are run by Chinese-linked gangs operating in border regions.

Ben Yeo has seen first-hand how these compounds operate. In early 2024, he was kidnapped and trapped in a Cambodian scam factory. 

Today, Ben Yeo on how he escaped the scam compounds, and why so many others struggle to get out. 

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Guest: Ben Yeo, ambassador for the newly formed Australian International Counter Slavery Alliance (AICSA)

Background reading: Scam Factories

Photo: Valeria Mongelli/Getty Images

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Julie Bishop built her career as a politician representing Australia on the world stage. 

Now, she’s taken on a new lobbying role, working for a China-linked resources company who are attempting to mine uranium in Greenland. 

Bishop’s gig comes at a time when China and the US are ramping up their fight for domination in the Arctic – and if she’s successful, the benefits will flow to China.

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper, Ben Abbatangelo, on the mine that could ruin Greenland – and what it means for Australia’s national interest.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Ben Abbatangelo

Photo: Richard Milnes / Alamy

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