Hack

From sandwich press steaks and the burka stunt to last-minute laws, we unpack the serious and silly moments of the last week of Parliament for 2025. 

And has flight etiquette gone out the window? A US transport official who is asking flyers to "dress with respect" seems to think so. 

Also, 'tis the season... for taking things too far — we hear your Christmas party horror stories. 

Host Dave Marchese is joined by editor-in-chief of The Daily Aus, Billi FitzSimons and actor Remy Hii. 

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Labor has done a last-minute deal with the Greens to overhaul the nation's "broken" environmental laws, on the last sitting day of Parliament for 2025. So what changes?

And the findings of an inquest into the murder of 21-year-old Sydney woman Lilie James were handed down today. We get into what the coroner's recommending.

Plus, what would you do if you inherited $50 million? Hear why one woman's choice is to give it all away. 

Listen now: 

The findings of an inquest into the murder of 21-year-old Sydney woman Lilie James were handed down today. We get into what the coroner's recommending.

And Labor has done a last-minute deal with the Greens to overhaul the nation's "broken" environmental laws, on the last sitting day of Parliament for 2025. So what changes?

Plus, what would you do if you inherited $50 million? Hear why one woman's choice is to give it all away. 

Listen now: 

01:14 - What needs to change after Lilie James' murder

06:05 - Explaining the new environmental laws

10:54 - Giving away your fortune

Guests: 

• Isobel Roe, journalist, ABC News
• Marlene Engelhorn, Austrian heiress and wealth equality advocate

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When Marlene Engelhorn inherited tens of millions of dollars from her grandma, she felt she had two choices: do something about it, or confirm she was "full of shit". 

Marlene lives in Austria and inherited some of the Boehringer Mannheim fortune, but she's also a campaigner against wealth inequality, calling for higher taxes on wealthy people like herself. 

Now, she's giving it away, redistributing her $50M inheritance in a bid to take herself "out of the 1%" she was born into. 

But can you actually leave the 1%, or is Marlene just cos-playing as a poor person?

Does having so much money inevitably make you a bad person? 

And what can the rest of us learn from one woman's decision to stand against the power of her own wealth?

Marlene Engelhorn answers all these questions and more in this extended interview with Dave. 

Guest:

• Marlene Engelhorn, Austrian heiress and wealth equality advocate

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A historic deal could transform Australia's gig economy, with UberEats and DoorDash agreeing to minimum pay rates. So what's a day in the life like doing deliveries? 

And oysters are known as the kidneys of the ocean. Could they help address the major ecological disaster off South Australia?

Plus, young men struggling with body image are increasingly turning to a radical option: limb-lengthening surgery. 

Listen now: 

01:11 - The big breakthrough for delivery riders

13:46 - Visiting oyster reefs 

18:24 - Getting taller by breaking legs

Guests: 

• Alex Veen, employment relations researcher, University of Sydney
• Dr Ben Buchanan, clinical psychologist 

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Pauline Hanson got suspended from the Senate today, and she's being condemned by all sides. But Muslim Australians say the damage from yesterday's burka stunt has already been done.

And anti-gambling advocates want the government to completely ban betting ads. Now, one Labor MP says there's a way to do it: give MPs a conscience vote. 

Plus, calls for help to 1800RESPECT have risen by 3,000%. Why?

Also cinemas used to be the community hub in a lot of small towns. Are they still relevant?

Listen now: 

01:09 - Muslim Australians react to the burka stunt

07:28 - How a gambling ad ban could pass parliament

13:58 - Demand for 1800RESPECT soars

18:03 - The future of regional cinemas

Guests: 

• Yasmeen Shadid, member of the Islamophobia Register's Youth Committee
• Mike Freelander, Labor MP for Macarthur
• Dr Ruari Elkington, Chief Investigator, QUT Digital Media Research Centre

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Ukraine might have to reduce its armed forces and hand over territory under a US plan. Is Russia about to get what it wanted? 

Also, are you driving around with Russian oil in your tank? There are reports that Australia may be indirectly supporting the war by importing 'blood oil' through third countries. 

And Darwin is cleaning up after Cyclone Fina hit on the weekend — and it's heading towards WA's Kimberley coast next. 

Plus: why hasn't Matildas fever translated into support for women's professional football? 

Listen now:

01:03 - Trump's peace plan for Ukraine 

05:41 - 'Blood oil' in Aussie petrol tanks 

16:35 - The clean-up in Darwin after Cyclone Fina 

21:40 - Why is women's soccer struggling? 

Guests:

• Kateryna Argyrou, chair, Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations
• Conor Cartwright, producer, ABC Radio Darwin Breakfast
• Tracey Holmes, host, The Sports Ambassador podcast

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Do you know a Kiwi in Australia? 

Chances are good that you do, because young Kiwis are coming here in record numbers.

It's being called a "brain drain", and with the median age of people leaving 29 experts are worried about what it means for New Zealand's future.

So why do so many young Kiwis leave?

And are they planning on staying away for good?

In the hack deep dive this week, we speak to young Kiwis who've made the jump across the ditch and ask an expert whether New Zealand needs to worry about so many people jumping on one-way flights.Guests:

• Asha Sundaram, Associate Professor,  University of Auckland

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From changing his mind on the release of the Epstein files, to lashing out at reporters, there's been a bit on for Donald Trump. 

And the Sky Sports TikTok channel for female sports fans has collapsed after massive backlash for being patronising and misogynistic. 

Plus, we hear your solo adventure stories after a UK bar banned drinkers drinking alone.

Host Dave Marchese is joined by political reporters Jessica Wang from The Daily Telegraph and Dominic Giannini from AAP.

04:00 - Quiet, piggy

14:35  - The Sky Sports TikTok fail

21:50 - Going out with... yourself

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When it comes to contraceptives, we aren't opting for methods like the IUD or implant in Australia anywhere near as much as people in other countries are. 

The federal government's made IUD insertion cheaper and added the NuvaRing to the PBS — but what stops people from using alternatives to the pill? 

Plus: after 12 years of addiction, Dylan is exposing the strategies betting companies used to keep him addicted to gambling.

He chats to Dave about how much he lost, and what is helping him to go more than 150 days without a bet. 

Listen now: 

01:10 - Australia's low rate of long-acting reversible contraceptives

14:40 - Overcoming a gambling addiction

Guests:

• Dr Jacqueline Coombe, Sexual Health Unit, University of Melbourne
• Dylan, anti-gambling advocate

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Dylan's gambling started at school, and it just got worse from there.

To fuel his bets, he reckons he started borrowing money from friends, but as the addiction spiralled out of control he resorted to stealing.

Gambling cost Dylan a lot, in terms of both money and opportunities.

Now, he's trying to quit, and he's documenting the journey on TikTok and Instagram.

In this longer interview cut for the hack podcast, Dylan talks with Dave about the road that got him here.

He describes the clarifying moment when he placed his last bet, the daily battle to keep going in a world where gambling ads are everywhere, and what it's like to do it all so publicly.

Guests:

• Dylan, anti-gambling advocate

Get the whole story from hack:

• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm