Radio National Breakfast

The decision to expel two of New Zealand's Te Pāti Maori MPs has left the party in disarray.

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris were dismissed this week in a unanimous vote from the party's national council.

The decision was announced by party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Both expelled MPs have issued public statements calling their removal 'unconstitutional', and have vowed to appeal the vote.

• Guest: Anna Whyte, Senior Political Journalist at news outlet The Post, and Chair of the NZ Parliamentary Press Gallery
• Producer: Brooke Young 

Ahmed Al-Sharaa has become the first Syrian leader ever welcomed to the White House, where he's held landmark talks with US President Donald Trump on rebuilding ties with the US, and cooperating in the fight against the Islamic State group.

The former rebel-turned-ruler, who was once branded an international terrorist by the US government, now faces a far greater test of rebuilding his war-ravaged nation.

• Guest: Caroline Rose, director of the Crime-Conflict Nexus and Military Withdrawals portfolios at the New Lines Institute, a non-partisan think-tank in Washington. 
• Producer: Anne Barker

Coverage and analysis of national and international events.

Much of what we know about Gough Whitlam's dismissal is due to the tenacious work of historian Jennifer Hocking.

Countless authors, journalists and academics over the decades have all had a crack at the retelling of the dismissal.

And with each year that goes by, more information has emerged about the key events leading up to November 11th and who knew what and when.

But what are the lessons to be learned from these revelations?

November 11, 1975 was an unprecedented day in federal politics.

On the day of the dismissal, John Howard was a junior shadow minister, under opposition leader Malcolm Fraser.

It was a turbulent introduction to politics for the young member for Bennelong.

Mr Howard was part of the shadow ministry that endorsed the decision to block supply.

• Guest: John Howard, Australia's 25th Prime Minister 
• Producer: Lexie Jeuniewic 

Before Gough Whitlam won the 1972 election, ending a record 23 years of continuous Coalition government, there was a campaign song that dominated the airwaves and television screens.

It's been 50 years since Governor General Sir John Kerr dismissed Gough Whitlam... the country's 21st prime minister. 

We're speaking to Anthony Albanese-- Australia's 31st Prime Minister-- about the lessons he takes from history and the ambitions of his government.

• Guest: Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister
• Producer: Isadora Bogle

On the 11th of November, 1975, Chris Stephens was a 30-year-old Army Captain.  His job was Aide-de-Camp to the Governor General, Sir John Kerr.

Three other Army Captains had arrived at Government House, to be interviewed to become the next ADC, as Chris's posting had almost finished.

This is the first time that Chris Stephens has done a broadcast interview, to talk about what he saw and heard at Government House, on that day, 50 years ago.