Women over 55 are currently the fastest-growing demographic experiencing homelessness in Australia, with many finding themselves facing housing crises due to rising living costs, illness, or relationship breakdowns.

Brisbane charity The Forgotten Women is working to change that—and Jade Fitzgerald has been supporting The Forgotten Women project for four years, raising funds by participating in its Live Like Her Challenge which sees participants spend a night sleeping in their cars—and throwing some fabulous drag bingo fundraisers along the way!

Jade joins us today, with her brother Vern and on the other line we have Brisbane’s own iconic entertainer Abril LaTrene! Welcome to Joy 94.9, Jade, and Abril!

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Four years ago, Jade wanted to support a charity where she could make a tangible impact. As a buyer’s agent who helps people secure property, learning that over 40,000 women over 55 in Queensland face housing insecurity hit home. She realised how quickly life can unravel through illness, relationship breakdown, family violence, or rent hikes.

The Two-Pronged Solution (Micro-Grants + Brick & Mortar):

Immediate Relief / Micro-Grants: Small intervention amounts can prevent homelessness entirely—such as a $50/week rental top-up to bridge housing costs or a fuel voucher so a woman can travel to work and keep her income.

Long-Term Housing: Building purpose-built housing developments in Redland City, which is located between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

The Live Like Her Challenge: Jade is in her 4th consecutive year sleeping in her car for the challenge, joined by Vern (2nd year). While a single night in a car cannot replicate chronic homelessness, it offers a sobering window into the vulnerability of having no safe door to lock.

The Fundraiser (Glitter Balls & Bingo Calls): Abril LaTrene is adding drag flair and entertainment to lower entry barriers and bring the community together for fundraising.

The post Sat, 22nd August, 2026: ‘Live Like Her Challenge;’ Jade Fitzgerald – Founder of The Ideal Buyer’s Agency; Abril LaTrene– Drag Artist & Host of Glitter Balls & Bingo Calls appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Finding the right job is about much more than just a paycheck or a flashy title—it’s about whether you can turn up as your full, authentic self without fear. But when you’re looking at a new employer, how do you know if their commitment to diversity is genuine, or just a rainbow logo printed on a flyer?” They say.

CB Bonnar has spent much of their career navigating workplace culture and spotting green and red flags in recruitment. Today a Senior Relationship Manager at Pride in Diversity, CB will help queer jobseekers get a look at how to navigate workplace culture. CB joins us now – CB welcome to Joy 94.9!

Guest Context: CB Bonnar is a strategic leader in LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion with a background in corporate engagement and community impact (previously at Officeworks). As a neurodivergent advocate, CB focuses on systemic change, policy development, organisational culture, and the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI)—Australia’s national benchmark for LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion.

About Pride in Diversity: A program of ACON, Pride in Diversity is Australia’s national employer support program specialising in LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion. They advise major employers across corporate, public, and non-profit sectors on transforming policies into lived workplace culture.

The post Sat, 22nd August, 2026: CB Bonnar, Senior Relationship Manager, Pride in Diversity appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

If you’ve ever found yourself in the local dog park using a voice three octaves higher than your normal speaking tone to ask a Golden Retriever who’s a ‘good boy,’ don’t worry—science says you’re completely normal.

Research shows that the way we speak to our pets shares a deep evolutionary link with how we talk to human babies. But do our dogs, cats, and birds actually care, or are we just making silly noises? Joining us today to unpack the science of pet-talk, baby-talk, and why our voices go squeaky around fuzzy creatures is Antonia Goetz, Research Fellow in Infant Studies at Western Sydney University. Welcome to Joy 94.9, Antonia!

The Core Science: Humans instinctively alter pitch, melody, and rhythm when speaking to subjects with limited language comprehension – whether they are pets or even human infants. High-pitched, sing-songy speech acts as a vocal “wave of the hand” to grab attention and establish psychological safety.

The key difference is, when people speak to babies, they hyper-articulate their words,

(exaggerating vowels like “eee” in “sheep”) to teach vocabulary. We don’t do this with most pets as it’s pure emotional bonding, not language instruction. Where it does differ is Parrots – which people articulate for a little – possibly in order to teach it to speak.

Puppies and adult dogs pay attention longer, move closer, and follow human gestures (like pointing to food) far more effectively when spoken to in high-pitched “pet-talk.” Humans also feel better when they hear their vets talk to their pets in a similar way.

A 2024 study showed women with only a pet speak to them with the same vocal warmth as mothers speak to babies. However, parents with both a baby and a pet soften their vocal warmth toward the pet when attention is split.

The post Sat, 22nd August, 2026: “Baby Talking to your Pets”; Antonia Goetz, Research Fellow in Infant Studies, West Syd Uni appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

When major news breaks, the headlines we read and the press conferences we watch are rarely unvarnished truth—they are carefully crafted narratives designed to manage outrage, protect commercial interests, or pass tricky legislation.

This week provided a masterclass in public communications on two massive fronts. In Canberra, the Federal Government struck a dramatic ‘backroom deal’ with the Coalition to pass watered-down gambling reforms and sweeping NDIS cuts. Meanwhile in Melbourne, the Sydney Swans entered full crisis-management mode, suspending five star players for the rest of the season following a high-profile hotel incident now under police investigation.

Joining us today to look beneath the spin and dissect how these stories are being sold to the Australian public is writer, creative director and co-host of 3RRR’s Spin Cycle, Jess Lilley.

Jess Lilley brings a sharp dual lens as a commercial creative director/copywriter (specializing in behaviour change campaigns) and co-host of 3RRR’s Spin Cycle. She is an expert at dissecting how governments, corporate lobbies, and sporting institutions construct narratives to manage public perception and shift focus away from uncomfortable truths.

The post Sat, 22nd August, 2026: Jess Lilley Writer, Broadcaster, Creative Director, Co-Host of 3RRR’s Spin Cycle appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nev and Paul are joined live on air by Daniel Casey Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at (ACU).

For around an hour every sitting day, federal parliament descends into what often looks like an all-in verbal brawl. Question Time was meant to be the ultimate test of ministerial accountability, but 35 years after cameras were first allowed into the chamber, critics argue it’s turned into theatrical point-scoring.

A new study analysing over 21,000 parliamentary questions over four decades reveals Prime Ministers facing twice as many direct attacks as they used to, while Opposition Leaders are stepping back from the microphone.

Joining us to unpack those results is study co-author Daniel Casey, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Australian Catholic University. Welcome to Joy 94.9, Daniel!

https://theconversation.com/question-time-has-been-televised-for-35-years-we-tracked-how-it-has-changed-and-what-it-means-for-australian-democracy-289975

Dr Daniel Casey is a lecturer of Politics and International Relations at the Australian Catholic University.

He researches the responsiveness of political elites to public opinion. His PhD research focused on letters from members of the public to Prime Minister Howard. His other research interests include government transparency and accountability; public administration; and the training and mentoring of PhD candidates.

Prior to academia, he had an extensive career in the Australian Public Service, working across central and social policy agencies. He has also worked for Members of Parliament and peak NGOs.

The post Sat, 22nd August, 2026: Daniel Casey Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at (ACU) appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and Paul are back in the hosting seats this week, as they discuss the news, views, reviews of the week that was; as they also highlight the guests for this week.

The post Sat, 22nd August, 2026: Weekly Wrap Up with Nevena and Paul appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and John discuss the mass student walk-out during the week, in an anti-racism, anti-Pauline Hanson protest.

Students around the country walked out of school to join protests in capital cities and some regions against One Nation and its leader Pauline Hanson.

The rallies have been condemned by Ms Hanson, who wrote a message to students on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Whether you know it or not, One Nation and I are fighting for you.”

In Melbourne, hundreds of students gathered outside the State Library in the CBD carrying anti-One Nation signs, banners and a pinata designed to look like Ms Hanson which was broken apart to reveal lollies.

Organised by the National Union of Students, the rally saw speeches from both high school students and political leaders, including former Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam.

Ms Ratnam said she was impressed by the turnout.

“It gives me hope that we can stop the rise of One Nation,” she said.

“Everything is on the line right now.”

Courtesy of ABC.

The post Sat, 15th, August, 2026: The Anti-Pauline Hanson Student Protests! appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and John discuss the plight of David McBride.

Former Australian Army military lawyer David McBride  was released from a Canberra prison on parole after serving a 27-month non-parole period, having been sentenced in May 2024 to five years and eight months for leaking classified defense documents that exposed alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

McBride was sentenced to a maximum five years and eight months in jail in May 2024, but is being released on parole after serving his full non-parole period of 27 months.

McBride pleased guilty to three charges in November after the ACT supreme court upheld a commonwealth intervention to withhold key evidence the government argued had the potential to jeopardise “the security and defence of Australia”. The charges included stealing commonwealth information and passing that on to journalists at the ABC.

The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, approved McBride’s release on Thursday. A spokesperson for Rowland confirmed his release to Guardian Australia.  “Mr McBride’s parole was considered and granted,” the spokesperson said.

“The government does not provide specific commentary or details about individual parole matters.”

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/13/david-mcbride-released-jail-prison-parole

The post Sat, 15th, August, 2026: The Plight David McBride; Whistleblower! appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

We are officially at the halfway mark of the 74th Melbourne International Film Festival! Over 300 films, retrospectives, and red-carpet galas have been taking over Melbourne’s cinemas. But beyond the popcorn and packed theatres, what does the festival tell us about the state of cinema today—and where local Australian stories fit on the world stage? Joining us is MIFF Artistic Director, Al Cossar.

The 74th edition features over 300 films, shorts, and XR experiences. Due to record audience demand, MIFF expanded into Southbank (Village Cinemas Crown) alongside staple venues like ACMI, The Capitol, Kino, and The Forum.

There’s a strong presence of Australian feature premieres (including The Fox and Sweet Milk Lake in the $140,000 Bright Horizons competition), plus queer cinema highlights like John Cameron Mitchell’s live 25th-anniversary event for Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

The post Sat, 15th, August, 2026: Al Cossar Artistic Director, Melbourne International Film Festival appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and John are joined live on air by James Noble, Creative director and founder of Reigner Clothing.

James Noble is an Australian fashion designer, film producer, and the founder and creative director of Reigner Clothing, an eclectic Melbourne-based label famous for its vibrant, rhinestone-encrusted, and heavily embroidered western-style suiting

Noble originally worked in film production and hated traditional, corporate clothing. When planning his wedding to prominent Melbourne jeweller Millie Savage, he refused to wear a “boring old suit.” He decided to craft a Nudie Cohn-inspired rhinestone suit himself, sparking the official launch of Reigner Clothing in early 2020.

Noble draws visual inspiration from retro Vegas casinos, California deserts, native Australian wildlife, and legendary country music tailors. His bespoke garments frequently feature playful, hyper-customised elements ranging from bedazzled eagles to pearl-encrusted prawns.

The post Sat, 15th August, 2026: James Noble, Creative director and founder of Reigner Clothing; State of Fashion in Melbourne appeared first on Saturday Magazine.