Michael is joined by Gigi Foster, Professor with the School of Economics at the University of New South Wales & co-author of ‘The Great Covid Panic: What Happened, Why, and What To Do Next’, about Australia’s economy following the measures put in place throughout the pandemic.

Professor Foster says, ‘In the Great Panic of early 2020, nearly every government in the world restricted the movement of its population, disrupted the education of its children, suspended normal individual liberties, hijacked its healthcare system, and in other ways increased its direct control of people’s lives.’

‘Attempts to control the new coronavirus in most countries made the number of deaths from both the virus and other health problems rise. Some countries and regions snapped out of the madness in early 2021 or even before. Yet other governments, still in 2021, were ever more fanatically obsessed with control.’

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Michael’s weekly political chat with Terry Barnes – Spectator Columnist, former Howard government adviser & policy consultant.

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Judith Sloan, Contributing Economics Editor with ‘The Australian’, joins Michael to take a look at the latest inflation figures and their effect on the election campaign.

Mr Sloan writes, ‘The release of the latest inflation figures has put a cat among the pigeons when it comes to the election campaign.’

‘An annual consumer price index increase of more than 5 per cent translates to an inevitable rise in interest rates; the issues are timing and magnitude.’

‘The figures also showed the prices of non-discretionary items – food, housing, healthcare, utility bills – had risen faster than discretionary ones.  Voters didn’t need to wait for the government’s statistical agency to tell them prices were rising uncomfortably fast. Trips to the supermarket and petrol station have been telling them this for some time.’

‘The prospect of rising interest rates no doubt is prompting anxiety among many households, particularly those with large mortgages and those who recently purchased (potentially overpriced) homes.’

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Michael is joined by Rachel Franks, historian at the Mitchell State Library, who has authored a book on the life of NSW hangman Robert “Nosey Bob” Howard.

Executioners were once a critical component of the justice system in New South Wales. In an era when judges handed down death sentences as easily as they toasted the good health of the monarch, someone had to do the dirty work of the authorities.

Robert ‘Nosey Bob’ Howard used to be a household name.  Today, the noseless hangman who sparked fear and fascination everywhere he went is largely forgotten, yet Howard is vital to understanding attitudes towards capital punishment in Australia.

Howard’s story is a critical chapter in the history of how generally enthusiastic spectators at early executions were overtaken by campaigners for the abolition of the death penalty.

This dramatic tale of life, death and radical social change is told through the sixty-one men and one woman who met Nosey Bob, under the worst possible circumstances, when he served as a New South Wales executioner between 1876 and 1904.

*An Uncommon Hangman: The life and deaths of Robert 'Nosey Bob' Howard by Rachel Franks available now.

*Items and documents relating to ‘Nosey Bob’ go on display at the Amaze Gallery at the State Library of NSW on June 11.

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Professor David Flint chats to Michael on the week’s important issues & political news.

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Michael is joined by Sarah Boorer, Communications professional & CWA award-winning cook, to look at the world of baked goods, delicious treats and & easy recipes.

This week Sarah looks at mushroom pasta.

 

Recipe courtesy recipetineats.com

Choose pasta

200g / 7 oz short pasta like orecchiette, penne, macaroni

160g/6 oz long pasta - spaghetti, fettucine

 

GARLIC BUTTER MUSHROOMS FOR PASTA

400g / 14 oz mushrooms , sliced 1/2 cm / 1/5" thick

50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter , separated

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves , finely minced

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or 1/4 cup store bought grated)

TO SERVE

Parsley, finely chopped

Parmesan cheese , grated

PASTA

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta into the pot when you start cooking the mushrooms.

Cook pasta per packet instructions minus 1 minute. RESERVE 1 mugful of pasta cooking liquid, then drain pasta.

MUSHROOMS

Melt half butter and all oil in a large skillet over heat.

Add mushrooms and cook until water has leeched then evaporated, and the mushrooms start to turn golden around edges - around 5 minutes.

Halfway through cooking, add salt & pepper.

Add garlic and remaining butter, cook for 2 minutes until mushrooms and garlic are golden.

Add pasta, about 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water and parmesan. Toss gently or until water reduces and thickens into a saucy glaze that coats the pasta. If the pasta dries out, add more pasta water.

Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Remove from stove and serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

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Listen to the full show podcast with Michael McLaren.

  

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Michael speaks with Nick Cater, Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre/Columnist with the Australian & Author of 'The Lucky Culture', to discuss the issues that seem to be avoided by both political currently on the campaign trail.

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Michael chats with Russell Setright, Australia’s best known Naturopath & author of ‘Get Well in the Golden Years, to get the latest in health and well-being news.

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