Pauline Hanson and Mehreen Faruqi’s long-running feud has turned into a legal showdown, with Hanson's tweet telling Faruqi to ‘pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan’ at the centre of the battle.  

The two senators' politics sit at complete opposite ends of the spectrum, Faruqi a senator for the Greens and Hanson the leader of One Nation.  

In this episode of The Beefing, Helen Smith unpacks how these senators ended up in politics and why Hanson is refusing to accept the court’s ruling in Faruqi’s favour - launching an appeal that’s pushed the feud back into the headlines. 

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The Coalition implosion continues... while the focus has been on the Federal infighting... now the state parties in both NSW and Victoria are falling apart. Victoria has a new Opposition leader, the NSW Nationals boss has resigned, and now speculation is rife that the NSW Liberal leader will also go.

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Liberal Party strategist turned pollster Tony Barry to unpack the fallout and why he is warning the party is dead unless it returns to its core values. 

Headlines: The family of Hannah McGuire has broken down in tears after her killer was sentenced to 28 years' jail for the young woman’s murder, the federal government has welcomed the UN Security Council passing Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, and the finalists for the Macquarie Dictionary’s word of the year have been released. 

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Tuesday Headlines: Visa revoked for Neo-nazi who attended Sydney rally, Sussan Ley says she will lead the Coalition to the next election, jail time for Aussie man who ambushed Ariana Grande on red carpet, more schools to close over asbestos contamination and Joey takes you inside another undercover investigation in the new episode of Secrets We Keep: Uncovered.  

Deep Dive: The Church of Scientology has long been shrouded in controversy and secrecy, with allegations of mental, emotional, financial, sexual and physical abuse. 

It was even banned in Australia following an inquiry in the 1960s, before being recognised as a religion by the High Court in 1983. 

Now in 2025, Scientology Melbourne has started posting on TikTok in a bid to lure younger members, as an inquiry in Victoria examines the harms caused by high-control religious groups, including Scientology. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with investigative journalist Bryan Seymour about the church’s attempts to recruit on social media and why we should be worried about it. 

Further listening from headlines: 
Vote #1 neo-Nazis is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts 
BONUS: Inside the Wicked press tour insanity on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Sussan Ley is under siege. Faced with selling the Coalition’s new energy policy, the Opposition Leader is fighting for survival with renewed leadership speculation and the party again recording plummeting polling numbers. 

In this special edition of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Sussan Ley for a revealing conversation about net zero, values over votes and her late mother’s timely advice. 

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Monday Headlines: Coalition releases energy plan with immigration up next, almost 70 schools closed due to asbestos fears, ‘traitor’ congresswoman hits out at Trump ahead of Epstein file vote, phone use linked to skyrocketing rates of dementia in young people, and a Labubu movie is on the way!  

Deep Dive: The first generation raised with AI woven into daily life and instant communication as the default is officially entering the workforce. 

Gen Alpha’s arrival brings a fifth generation into Australian workplaces, and in this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by psychologist and HR specialist Natalie Petruzziello to unpack what they’ll be like as your co-workers and what their arrival means for the future of work. 

Further listening from headlines: 
Wtf is a Labubu? 

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Wicked: For Good is hitting screens this week, and whether you’re a fan or not, you can’t deny the absolute juggernaut that has been the Wicked movie press tour. 

Headlined by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the press tour last year copped some flak for being cringey and over the top, amid viral videos of reporters crying in interviews to ridiculous platitudes about “holding space” for the lyrics of the movie’s title track Defying Gravity. 

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we revisit Sacha Barbour Gatt's chat with LiSTNR Entertainment's Justin Hill where they broke down the insanity of the Wicked press tour at the time and why it got people so riled up. 

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Zoe Terakes made history as Marvel’s first trans actor and you might also know them from Wentworth or the Netflix hit Nine Perfect Strangers, starring alongside Nicole Kidman.

The trans masculine actor and newly minted author’s new book, Eros: Queer Myths for Lovers, explores reclaiming voice, desire and autonomy.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Zoe shares for the first time how they were groomed as a young actor and what sets American performers apart from Australians.

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• TO EAT: Pesto lasagne
• TO TRY: Lush Glen Coco facemask
• TO LISTEN: Viva Betty the podcast
• TO WATCH: Fleabag on Prime Video

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As AC/DC and Oasis take over Australia... a whole new generation is falling in love with old school music. So, what’s behind this resurgence of rock gods from the 1980’s and 90’s? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Aussie rock legend James Reyne, who’s about to head out of a new tour. He shares his love of live performance and why he couldn’t be happier about seeing a whole new generation of fans in the audience. 

Headlines: The ex-boyfriend of 28-year-old Molly Ticehurst has pleaded guilty to her murder, Retail groups in Victoria have welcomed a new government crackdown on offenders who assault retail workers, and the former president of Spain’s National Football Federation, who made headlines in Sydney in 2023, has been egged during the launch of his new book. 

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Friday Headlines: Sussan Ley survives net zero week, people working with kids to be tracked on national register, Oasis and Jelly Roll concerts hit by measles cases, Kyle Sandilands is threatening to quit radio, and Apple has released an iPhone sock to widespread amusement. 

Deep Dive: Ryan Murphy's new legal drama All’s Fair starring Kim Kardashian, has been hit with brutal reviews, including a rare zero-star rating, with some calling it the ultimate “second-screen show.”  
 
As streamers churn out more content designed to be watched while scrolling, the debate is growing over whether this style of TV is diluting quality or simply reflecting how we actually watch.  
 
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with LiSTNR Entertainment’s Amy Kimball about the rise of second-screen viewing and whether All’s Fair really deserves the no-stars treatment. 

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When Prince Harry met Meghan Markle in 2016, it looked like a modern royal fairytale. Instead, it became one of the most explosive feuds in the crowns history. 

This bitter clash between tradition and independence, has accusations of racism and tabloid wars from Kate-Meghan tensions, to claims Charles cut Harry off. It even spawned a Wikipedia page dedicated to 'Megxit' - a play on Brexit.

In this episode of The Beefing, Alexandria Funnell unpacks how this feud led to Harry and Meghan leaving the UK, moving to the US, sitting down with Oprah, a Netflix docuseries and Harry’s memoir Spare - that fractured the monarchy. 

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