Life Matters - Full program podcast

Higher education is in crisis, and the Albanese government wants to reform it with a Universities Accord. We look at what needs to change at Australian universities. Plus, meet the retirees taking up opal mining in Lightning Ridge, and we look at whether chivalry in dating is actually a kind of sexism.

As updates of the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard defamation trial hit our news feeds daily, what effects are they having on us and what we believe? Also, two years into the pandemic, six per cent of Australians remain un-vaxxed, so what's behind their decisions? And, is there such thing as the science of skin care?

All Australian states have voluntary assisted dying legislation, leaving the ACT and Northern Territory as the only places without access. So how is it working in practice?

What’s driving the growth in cosmetic dentistry in Australia? Where do you draw the line between dentistry for cosmetic purposes and health purposes? And in the Too Hard Basket, what do you do when your child is given a birthday gift that’s completely over the top, costing way more than the average present?

How far have we progressed towards healing for Indigenous families impacted by forcible removal? Plus what we can learn from singletons about how to live alone well, and how to stop being a people-pleaser.

Labor campaigned strongly on aged care reform in the lead up to the election. We take the magnifying glass to the new government's policies and whether they go far enough to futureproof a struggling sector. Plus, Emily Stewart explains how to negotiate your wages. And as grey nomads return to the roads, we look at how to stay safe driving RVs.

Covid and other infectious diseases are running rife in schools right now. Are the measures in place to prevent spread going far enough and what are the risks for students and teachers? Also, with more of our lives being lived online, some innovators are thinking about how technology can also aid preparation for death. And, are there ways to approach moving house that take into account the emotional strain as well as the logistics?

Election night saw a victory for teal independents, who campaigned on greater climate change action and a federal integrity commission, and minor parties. What will their presence mean for passing legislation in the lower house? And how effective is a hung parliament?

Dating apps and online dating sites have totally transformed the way we search for love and relationships. Author Jennifer Pinkerton spent six years researching how this shift had changed Australia’s dating culture, for better or worse. And in the Too Hard Basket, what do you do when you lend your expensive drill to a good friend, only to have a different, and inferior quality, one returned to you?

Why do people with disability still experience discrimination in their every day lives when there are already policies and programs in place to prevent it? Plus how to slow down and take care of yourself to improve your mental and physical health. And students at Western Sydney University get involved in a citizen jury process to have their voices heard.