Two major bills passed parliament this week, with Labor and the Coalition coming together to get the job done on gambling advertising reforms and the NDIS overhaul.

Crikey’s politics writer Rachel Withers joins readers’ editor Crystal Andrews and media reporter Daanyal Saeed to bring you up to speed on which MPs crossed the floor to vote against their party, the important details buried within both sets of legislation, and whether the optics of a Labor and Liberal duopoly will turn voters off. 

Plus, the anti-abortion bill — and accompanying stunt by the Australian Christian Lobby — you might have missed. 

This episode covers:

• What’s in the final gambling ad ban
• Coalition MPs crossing the floor
• NDIS cuts pass in the Senate
• What does the Coalition get out of this?
• Do voters like major party deal-making?
• Australian Christian Lobby’s “Born Alive” anti-abortion bill
• Tip: More One Nation Victoria candidates
• Tip: Is Clive Palmer returning to politics again?

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When it comes to what some call Australia's "epidemic" of men's violence against women, the media plays a significant role – as evidenced by the reporting on the trial of convicted rapist, Melbourne talent manager Ralph Carr. After a decade of media reform advocacy, Jane Gilmore says news headlines are still littered with rape myths, the villainisation of victims and favourable descriptions of perpetrators.

She joins the podcast to discuss what drives sensationalist media coverage of men’s violence and why AI is about to make matters even worse.

This episode covers:

• Media reporting on the rape trial of Ralph Carr
• Why headlines continue to demonise victims and downplay the acts of perpetrators
• The end of the “good guy” narrative for male perpetrators of violence
• The role of social media in driving the gender divide
• Gilmore’s “Groundhog Day” experience in advocacy and policy spaces
• Labelling female journalists “activists”
• Tip: The media and court suppression orders

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If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

For counselling, advice and support for men in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania who have anger, relationship or parenting issues, call the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491. Men in WA can contact the Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline on 1800 000 599.

Read more:

• $1.3 million was spent to improve media reporting on male violence. Twelve years later, I fear little has changed
• Rape myths in the media reporting of the High-Profile Melbourne Man’s rape trial
• Pledge to change suppression order law is small progress that smacks of lip service – The Age editorial

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Immigration is one of the most dominant and heated political topics of the moment, with the media extensively covering an apparent surge in anti-immigration sentiment among Australian voters. Everything from housing shortages to unemployment is blamed on overseas arrivals, while the care economy is more reliant than ever on foreign workers.

Bernard Keane joins the podcast to discuss the role of immigration in today’s Australia – which now has more to do with economics than it does with culture – and explain what good migration policy should look like in the years to come.

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Read more:

• Seize the Moment by Bernard Keane
• Chapter excerpt: Immigration is a huge opportunity for Australia, but there are obstacles to overcome
• Australian Bureau of Statistics, Overseas Migration 2024-2025

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Internal emails exposing the National Anti-Corruption Commission trying to evade one journalist’s questions, Tony Abbott making a very strange mistake in his political commentary, and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas enjoying an intimate dinner with a top News Corp journalist.

Daanyal Saeed and Crystal Andrews recap these stories, and many more compelling, illuminating and absurd items from The Snoop, our daily roundup of tips, treasures and titbits from news and politics in Australia and around the world.

In today’s episode we catch listeners up on:

• NACC emails from Paul Brereton, Kylie Kilgour revealed
• Built to fail? NACC: the integrity body undermined from the start on The Point
• NACC inspector drops investigation into Brereton
• Peter Malinauskas’ meetings with News Corp journalist Peter Starick
• Back-Scratching. Premier Malinauskus’ love-in with Newscorp exposed on Michael West Media
• Mamamia’s Luca Lavigne is not the only Australian media nepo baby
• AEC changes Tasmania federal electorates
• Tony Abbott’s confusion about “Truganini”
• Labor MP Josh Wilson “striking” ban from over-45s soccer

Want to ask us a question? Send an email to [email protected] or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/ 

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Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.

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Australia’s most prestigious universities have been plagued by governance and corruption scandals over the past few years, all the while public debate continues on what role universities should play in modern Australian society. 

Julie Hare, one of the country’s most experienced higher education journalists, joins Cut Through to unpack the ICAC investigation into the University of Wollongong, explain how executive greed and policy changes created a perfect storm for the sector, and puts her ideas for how to restore Australian universities to their former glory – and public good.

Want to ask us a question? Send an email to [email protected] or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/ 

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Read more:

• Leaders at Australian universities have lost their moral compass
• ANU and other universities using ‘custom-made’ accounting systems that can obscure financial health
• More Australian universities than ANU face a governance crisis. But why now precisely?
• ‘Broken and unfair’: Morrison-era policy slogging students with hundreds of millions in extra debt  
• John Dewar’s very public humiliation

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Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.

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Politics editor Bernard Keane returns to the podcast to answer subscriber questions in a dedicated Q&A episode. What does he think of critics who say there is “nothing to see here” on union corruption in Victoria’s Big Build? Is there any substance to rumours that Anthony Albanese would leave politics before the next election? Will the global campaign to introduce a wealth tax – advocated by the likes of Gary Stevenson and Gabriel Zucman – make headway in Australia?

Keane and Cut Through host Crystal Andrews tackle the following questions:

• What kind of Labor leader is Anthony Albanese?
• Where will the government land in its approach to AI policy?
• Should people question the Watson report into CFMEU corruption?
• Will Snowy Hydro 2.0 be “worth it” in the end?
• Is an Australian wealth tax on the horizon?
• How is Australia’s ageing population contributing to socioeconomic issues?

Want to ask us a question? Send an email to [email protected] or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/ 

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Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.

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How did Karl Stefanovic rise to the pinnacle of TV stardom, and what does his move to even smaller screens say about the current state of Australian media? Tina Quinn joins the podcast to go behind-the-scenes of her latest article for Crikey, which saw her speak to a long list of sources who worked alongside Stefanovic — from junior producers all the way up to senior management — about how he really got to the top. 

Quinn and host Crystal Andrews discuss what made Stefanovic “special”, the one industry development that changed Australian TV for the worse, and why we might never see a TV personality like Karl again.

Have a tip for us or want to ask a question? Send an email to [email protected] or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/ 

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Read more:

• Insiders reveal the real story behind Karl Stefanovic, a monster of Nine’s own making
• Job cuts, takeovers and mergers can’t fix the mess that is Australian TV
• The Stefanovic saga and Hanson’s haymaker: it’s all part of Australia’s surging right-wing moment
• Gina Rinehart joins Australia’s billionaire media moguls. You’re welcome, One Nation
• The Free Speech and Free Fall of Karl Stefanovic on Fourth Estate podcast

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Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.

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There was a flurry of activity in parliament as politicians tried to make the last sitting fortnight before the winter break really count. So it’s the perfect time to bring Cut Through back from our mid-year break – re-energised and ready to call it as we see it! 

Crikey’s politics writer Rachel Withers joins readers’ editor Crystal Andrews and reporter-at-large Charlie Lewis to discuss the highs and the lows, from the announcement of Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender’s new party “Community Strong Australia”, to the Greens’ role as policy gatekeepers, and why Barnaby Joyce is clearly not helping One Nation MP David Farley learn the ropes. 

Plus, where does Nuclear for Australia get its cash from… and is Bridget McKenzie up to something?

Have a tip for us or want to ask a question? Send an email to [email protected] or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/ 

Read more:

• Does Steggall and Spender’s new party go against the independent movement — or strengthen it? by Tina Quinn
• What Liberal-types like Jason Falinski get wrong about the ‘teals’
• Labor is playing a dangerous game on gambling reform
• Tax reform has winners and losers. Business makes an ugly loser
• One Nation now has to hold itself together — and grow by Leonardo Puglisi
• Tip on Nuclear for Australia’s merch sales
• What is Bridget McKenzie up to?

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The 2026 federal budget was one of the more “memorable” in recent history. Despite the vast majority of measures having already been aired in the media weeks prior, Jim Chalmers kept one major reveal for budget night: a three-part tax reform, winding back the favourable settings of capital gains tax, negative gearing and private trusts.

The mainstream media has been bleating about “broken promises”, but do voters actually care if the government changes its mind in pursuit of better policy? Politics editor Bernard Keane and readers’ editor Crystal Andrews discuss what they liked in the budget, what was disappointing and the missed opportunity of the gas export tax. 

Plus, does Angus Taylor have any hope of improving the Coalition’s fortunes with his budget reply speech?

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There are just three days until the Farrer by-election and – for the first time ever – it looks like voters won’t be electing a National or Liberal MP to represent them in Sussan Ley’s old seat.. Instead, the frustration with establishment politics has seen independent Michelle Milthorpe and One Nation’s David Farly emerge as the frontrunners in a fierce and unpredictable campaign

To help you follow the final days of the by-election campaign, Crikey politics reporter Anton Nilsson and Region Riverina editor Oliver Jacques join this special early episode of the podcast. We discuss the water policy problems that all candidates agree is a top priority for the region, the collapse of the Coalition’s reputation in regional Australia, and how public scrutiny over big donations from the likes of Gina Rinehart has impacted the campaign.

Plus, Nilsson and Jacques give their prediction for who will claim Farrer on Saturday.

Read more:

• How One Nation is riding a wave of anger over water towards a federal breakthrough
• ‘You can only sell so many stubby holders’: We asked the Farrer frontrunners about the role of big money in politics
• Just how ‘teal’ is independent Farrer candidate Michelle Milthorpe?
• In the seat of Farrer, candidates are united by their concern for water, and disdain for Labor
• The Coalition’s pitch to Farrer voters: only we can topple a Labor government. But can they?
• Richard Hendrie wants to stop the ‘right-wing slogfest’ in Farrer
• Farrer could start the duopoly’s downfall — and blare a klaxon horn for the Liberals

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Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.

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