Life Matters - Full program podcast

Housing crises, floods, wars, earthquakes... the news is a bit depressing lately. So how do you find the balance between staying informed about important events and ideas...and staying sane?

We all have those sliding door moments where we wonder what might have been, if things had turned out differently with an ex. How tight is the hold of past experiences and relationships on our lives today? Also, should you give your friends advice on how to raise their kids when you think they're not doing a good job?

How does ocean conservation square with recreational activities like fishing and boating? We find out if we can have it both ways. Plus Kristina Olsson revisits the tragic kidnapping of her lost brother in the new edition of her memoir Boy, Lost.

Aged care is shifting to accommodate the needs of LGBTQI+ Australians, so what more needs to be done? Plus Dr Gabor Mate says some autoimmune diseases are caused by stress and trauma, we ask an immunologist. And how idling your car could be making others unwell.

Superannuation has become a political football of late. Now, the Federal Government wants to enshrine its core purpose in law. What will this mean for your super savings? Plus, why aren’t more female scientists household names in Australia? And the final instalment of our queer spaces series, how the internet became the new gay bar.

Teal independent MP Monique Ryan is in mediation over an unfair dismissal dispute with her chief of staff Sally Rugg who was sacked after refusing to work what Rugg calls 'unreasonable hours'. What do 'unreasonable' hours look like to you? And, would you speak up if you were being overworked?

We all have a sexual identity -- we're human! But that doesn't mean we're automatically equipped to talk to the young people in our lives about sex and sexuality. On this episode of Life Matters, we're creating an opportunity to learn how to do that better and to hear your stories and questions. And in the Too Hard Basket, what to do when your child is stuck with a teacher who's just pretty lousy.

Becoming a mother is one of those transformative experiences, for better or worse. We look at how the gritty reality of those changes are being embraced in new literature. Plus, learn about the history of gay saunas and how solar power can help you save on your electricity bills.

Single parents and retirees are sharing spaces during this housing crunch. What are the benefits and pitfalls? Plus, up close with the rockstars of food, and guidance for parents of children with autism.

In her latest book, anthropologist Eve Vincent tracks the history of Australia’s welfare system and asks why it has become so punitive in its provision of ‘care’. Former Miss World contestant, Maria Thattil, tells how she wanted to shake things up at the world’s biggest beauty pageant. And as Sydney World Pride gets underway, we ask, where have all the lesbian bars gone?