Saturday Magazine

Nevena and Macca talk to Liberal State Member for Prahan, Rachel Westaway about Machete Bins and so much more.

Rachel Westaway is an Australian politician serving as the member for Prahran in the Victorian Legislative Assembly since winning the 2025 Prahran state by-election. She is a member of the Victorian Liberal Party.

With a background in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and as former Assistant Freedom of Information Commissioner for Victoria, she brings extensive experience in public service. Rachel has lived in South Yarra for 20 years and is actively involved in the community, including serving as President of the Thai Australian Chamber.

The post Saturday, 6th, September, 2025: Rachel Westaway-Lib. Member for Prahran-Machete Bins and More appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Josh Burns talks to Nevena and Macca about extremism, Sovereign Citizens and last week’s immigration protests.

The post Saturday, 6th, September, 2025: Josh Burns, Federal ALP Member, McNamara, Federal Politics Update appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and Macca are joined live on air by Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, Update on Local Politics.

Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece is the portfolio head for Infrastructure and portfolio deputy for Finance, Governance and Risk and Aboriginal Melbourne.

He is Council’s representative on the following committees and external bodies:

He previously held a number of roles in politics, including as secretary and campaign director of the Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch)  and as the director of strategy to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Reece’s early career included time working as a lawyer at Maurice Blackburn and as a journalist at The Australian Financial Review.

The post Saturday, 6th, September, 2025: Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, Update on Local Politics appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and Macca are joined live on air by Bruce Wolpe-Snr Fellow US Study Centre. as they discuss insights from Bruce’s recent trip to the US + state of Trump’s health and AUS/US relationship.

Wolpe’s most recent article looks at ‘The United States has changed. Australia hasn’t. It’s time to talk about where the relationship goes from here’;

“Seven months after Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term as US president, we are facing the most important moment in Australia’s foreign policy since the Iraq war. Australia needs to have a national conversation on the future of its alliance with the United States.

The alliance was on the line with Trump’s tariff decisions on 1 August. The consensus was Australia dodged a bullet, and life goes on.

But this was no flesh wound. By dictating and unilaterally imposing the terms of trade between the US and Australia – affirming the “reciprocal tariffs” of 10% imposed on Australia, plus the tariffs of 50% on both steel and aluminium – Trump has trashed the historic US-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

Trump has not provided a good answer to the question of what he is doing to one of the US’s strongest and most consistent allies. And there is more to come. The president will also place a tariff on US imports of Australian pharmaceuticals.

There is also far more to come on the future of the US–Australia alliance.

Media have been full of opinions on what the relationship between the two countries ought to look like. These interventions have assayed the crucial importance of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meeting personally with Trump; whether Washington was rattled by Albanese’s visit to China, whether Australia should “fortify northern Australia into an allied military stronghold for the region”; and whether the relationship is being mismanaged”

https://www.ussc.edu.au/the-united-states-has-changed-australia-hasn-t-it-s-time-to-talk-about-where-the-relationship-goes-from-here

Bruce Wolpe is a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the United States Studies Centre. Bruce is a regular contributor on US politics across media platforms in Australia. In recent years, Bruce has worked with the Democrats in Congress during President Barack Obama’s first term, and on the staff of Prime Minister Julia Gillard. He has also served as the former PM’s chief of staff.

Bruce is author of Trump’s Australia, an examination of Donald Trump’s possible return to the presidency and the issues presented to Australia (Allen & Unwin, 2023), The Committee, a study of President Obama’s legislative agenda in Congress (University of Michigan Press, 2018, 2d Edition September 2021) and Lobbying Congress: How The System Works (Congressional Quarterly Books, 1990, 1996).

The post Saturday, 6th, September, 2025: Bruce Wolpe-Snr Fellow US Study Centre; Update on USA Politics and Trump and the Dept. of War. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

This week Macca and Nevena are back together in the hosting seats as they discuss the news, views and reviews of the week that was and what’s coming up on this week’s programme.

The post Saturday, 6th, September, 2025: Weekly Wrap Up with Nevena and Macca appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and John are joined live on air by Dr Monique Ryan MP. Member for Kooyong; as they discuss lowering the voting age to 16.

Dr. Ryan an Australian politician and former paediatric neurologist. Monique is currently the  Independent for the Division of Kooyong, Victoria, having won the seat at the 2022 federal election, retaining it in the 2025 Federal Election.

“Independent MP for Kooyong Monique Ryan has pledged to introduce a bill to parliament aimed at lowering the minimum voting age in Australia”.

“Advocates say young Australians deserve to have a say about policy, after the United Kingdom joined countries including Germany, Brazil and Scotland (for local elections) in lowering the voting age to 16”.

“In the UK, the move would see an additional 1.6 million young people allowed to cast their ballots in the next election, in the biggest electoral reform in more than half a century”.

–https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-18/push-for-australia-to-lower-voting-age-to-16/105545700

“A $2 billion deal with American pharmaceutical giant Moderna — to set up manufacturing facilities in Australia — was hailed as a breakthrough by the Morrison government.

The agreement exempted Moderna’s mRNA vaccines from assessment by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and committed the government to buying locally produced Moderna vaccines for at least a decade”.

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/calls-for-transparency-on-moderna-deal/105696126

The post Saturday, 30th August, 2025: Dr Monique Ryan, Independent MP for Kooyong; Lowering the Voting Age to 16 and Transparency over Moderna. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Madeleine are joined live on air by Rachel Payne, MP, South-Eastern Metro, Legalise Cannabis as they discuss policy, updates; some of the issues covered were medicinal cannabis usage, legalize trading, policy and why big tobacco companies are trying to takeover the legal cannabis trade.

Prior to entering Parliament, Rachel was the executive of EROS Association and held leadership, project management, policy and research roles with the Family Court of Australia and Centrelink. Rachel holds postgraduate qualifications in public policy and an undergraduate degree in sociology and politics. She is also an acclaimed performer, travelling internationally to perform as Freckles Blue in Paris and London. Rachel has extensive experience in advocacy and campaigning, including successfully campaigning to end financial discrimination against small business, gaining the support of the Ombudsman.

Rachel put her hand up to run for Parliament for Legalise Cannabis Victoria as she believes it is time for law reform in this space. She is keen to initiate the conversation more broadly around the role of cannabis as the future for environmental ingenuity and creation.

Rachel has a keen interest in political processes and practices, is an advocate for women’s rights and equality, inclusivity, and progressive social and community development. She is also passionate about solutions to homelessness, particularly in regard to young people, and has lived experience after instability in home-life meant Rachel was independent from 16 years of age. She is a fierce advocate for cannabis law reform and is actively involved in the LGBTIQ community.

The post Saturday, 30th August, 2025: Rachel Payne, Legalise Cannabis MP, South-Eastern Metropolitan Region; Politics Update. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

John and Nevena talk to Leo Puglisi about the Upcoming Under 16s Social Media ban

Puglisi began his media career in 2019, founding what was then initially known as HMV Local News but rebranded in 2020 as 6 News. Puglisi first came to attention in 2020 when he covered the secretive demolition of a bell tower at Hawthorn West Primary School in Hawthorn, Victoria

He has been the subject of a number of conspiracy theories, including that he was a “front” for the Morrison Government and that he was being funded by Rupert Murdoch. In 2025, Puglisi was nominated Victoria Young Australian of the Year.

https://www.6newsau.com/

@leo_puglisi6

The post Saturday, 30th August, 2025: Leo Puglisi, Founder, 6 News Australia; Founding 6 News Australia and Under 16’s Social Media Ban. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Trigger warning: this segment may be disturbing to some listeners as it discusses the shooting of Victoria Police members at Porepunkah and the suspected gunman Dezi Freeman (Philby)

Nevena and John talk to  Mahmood Fazal,  a Walkley Award–winning journalist focusing on crime, violence, imprisonment and terrorism, about his most recent Four Corners about; Sovereign Citizen’s Law Court

He is currently working at Four Corners and was previously as an investigative reporter for ABC RN’s Background Briefing.

Before joining the ABC, he worked for VICE as a senior staff writer and host of the series, Violent Times.

Mahmood is the writer of the Audible Original podcast No Gangsters In Paradise. His reporting has appeared in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Sydney Morning Herald, The Monthly and The Saturday Paper.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-27/sovereign-citizen-movement-potential-violence-risk-four-corners/105701810

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-18/sovereign-citizen-movement-law-court-four-corners/105655100

The post Saturday, 30th August, 2025: Mahmood Fazal, Walkley Award–Winning Journalist Focus on Crime, Violence, Imprisonment, Terrorism; Sovereign Citizen’s Law Court appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and John are joined in on air by Georgie Purcell, Animal Justice Party MP-Vic. Hotline for Grindr Bashings, Support for Treaty, Pet Burial Law Changes, Tasmania banning Greyhound Racing.

Georgie Purcell is a Member of the Victorian Legislative Council, representing the Northern Victoria Region for the Animal Justice Party, elected in 2022 at just 30 y/o.

She has shared her experiences of online abuse, slut-shaming and misogyny, using her platform to advocate for safer political spaces, particularly for women and queer-identifying people.

Georgie is also a bi+ woman and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, frequently championing issues of visibility and intersectionality.

https://www.victimsofcrime.vic.gov.au/supporting-lgbtiqa-people

The post Saturday, 30th August, 2025: Georgie Purcell, Animal Justice Party MP-Vic. Hotline for Grindr Bashings, Support for Treaty, Pet Burial Law Changes. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.