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When Bob Brown spoke out against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, at the height of the war on terror, he was widely derided. He was mocked in the press, and even abused by a young Queensland MP, Peter Dutton.

But looking back, he says it’s one of his proudest moments.

Now, at 80 years old, Bob argues that speaking up in public and in private is crucial to pushing back against the strongman leaders of today – with their assaults on democracy and on the planet.

Today, lifelong activist and former Greens leader Bob Brown, on how to take a stand, and why he’s still optimistic about the future.

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Guest: Former leader of the Australian Greens Bob Brown

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In 2017, Rachel Khong released her debut novel Goodbye, Vitamin to critical acclaim. In 2024, she followed it with her second novel, a sweeping family saga spanning five decades. Real Americans is a fascinating exploration of what makes us who we are and challenges some of the corrosive myths that underpin America. In this episode of Read This, Michael chats with Rachel about her new book and she shares her thoughts on luck, science, and the ultimate unknowability of each other and sometimes, even ourselves.

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The Brereton inquiry uncovered shocking allegations of war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

But there was one failing of Australian soldiers that wasn’t investigated.

According to documents and interviews, some Australian soldiers in Afghanistan used foreign rules of engagement in combat which they weren’t trained in, or permitted to use.

The use of these rules may have resulted in the killing of a large number of unarmed Afghans who would not otherwise have been killed.

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Ben Mckelvey, on how and when Australian special forces are allowed to kill.

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Guest: Journalist Ben Mckelvey

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This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament it must face up to the fact only five of the 19 Closing the Gap targets are on track, as he handed down the government's annual implementation plan.

Pledging an $842.6m investment in the Northern Territory over the next six years, the prime minister said closing the gap is about acknowledging what’s working and what isn’t.

The federal, state and territory governments, along with peak bodies, have committed to improving the lives of Indigenous peoples across 19 key areas including health, education, employment and justice – but more Aboriginal children are being taken from their families, more are ending up in prison, and suicide rates are devastangily high. 

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe believes the widening gap is by design – and argues Closing the Gap targets should be scrapped altogether.

Today, Senator Thorpe on why she believes the Closing the Gap strategy is a distraction and what real change would look like.

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Guest: Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe.

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Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has thrown American science and medical research into disarray.

Through a flurry of executive orders, he withdrew the US from the World Health Organization, imposed a communications blackout on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ordered the removal of publications, guidelines and databases “that inculcate or promote gender ideology”.

Thousands of government webpages were taken offline, erasing references to gender, race and sexual orientation.

The impact is spreading to Australian medical researchers, whose concerns range from losing their access to funding, the censorship of their findings and the disruption of global health alert systems.

Today, science journalist and contributor to The Saturday Paper Bianca Nogrady, on America’s ideological war on science and the implications for Australia.

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Guest: Science journalist and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Bianca Nogrady.

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Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher has reported on Elon Musk for decades. In that time, they’ve talked publicly and privately on many occasions. 

But not anymore.

Elon Musk is in the process of dismantling US government spending as the head of the new “Department of Government Efficiency”, better known as DOGE. 

And Kara Swisher says the techno-dictatorship he’s building with Trump’s blessing is just the beginning. 

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Guest: Tech journalist Kara Swisher.

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Australia is a small player in global trade, compared with giants like the US and China. And when the world’s two biggest economies embark on a trade war, we feel the impact.

Donald Trump’s new tariffs on China could reverberate through the Australian economy – affecting everything from iron ore exports to the cost of everyday goods. 

Australia is making the case that tariffs don’t make economic sense. But with Trump, the usual rules don’t apply. 

Today, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow, on how Australia is navigating a trade war it can’t control, and what happens if Trump doesn’t listen. 

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Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow

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Two-time Miles Franklin Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser has never been afraid of formal experimentation. Her seventh and latest book supports that idea. It is bold and, once again, a heady mix of serious intellectual inquiry with beautifully observed characterisation and formal play. On this episode of Read This, Michael sits down with Michelle for a conversation about Theory & Practice and she reveals why writing it felt so different to all of her other books.

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Peter Dutton is making a bold move – aligning himself with Donald Trump.

Dutton’s colleagues have been quick to draw the comparison, pitching him as strong and decisive. But it’s a political strategy not without its risks. Trump’s return to the White House is already causing global instability, from a new trade war with China to extraordinary announcements on Gaza. 

With the federal election looming, Dutton is hoping a strongman approach will resonate with the electorate during a time when cost of living is the priority. 

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno on how the chaos in the US encroached on the first sitting week of the year – and how both leaders are coping.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.

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In a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump said the United States would “take over the Gaza strip”, “level it out” and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

He made the comments during Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, the first foreign leader to visit since the inauguration.

Trump also said that Palestinians should be permanently settled somewhere outside of Gaza – an idea Arab nations including Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as Palestinian leaders, have rejected.

Today, Middle East correspondent for The Economist Gregg Carlstrom on what Trump’s plan for Gaza means for the next phase of the ceasefire.

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Guest: Middle East correspondent for The Economist, Gregg Carlstrom.

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