The Briefing

It's been a big week of debate over the 2026 census and a handful of questions that might – or might not – be added to it.

This episode, we speak to one of the Labor MPs who rebelled against the Government’s decision to exclude questions about LGBTIQA+ Australians from the Census – and get his take on a partial backflip from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this morning.  

Labor's Federal Member for the Melbourne seat of Macnamara, Josh Burns, joins Bension Siebert for this episode of The Briefing.

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The AFLW 2024 season kicks off today – but not everyone’s happy with the fixtures. 

As the AFL works to manage the men’s finals being played alongside the start of the women’s game, fans and key stakeholders are asking why logistical confusion remains as the competition heads into its ninth season.

Georgia Rajic is a sports commentator and reporter – on this bonus episode of The Briefing, she joins Helen Smith to unpack the complex start to the AFLW this year, where the competition is at almost a decade into running, and who looks set to top the ladder in 2024.  

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Spring brings with it some pretty wonderful things; blooming flowers, warmer weather and longer days. But it also means another thing that can strike fear into the heart of nearly every Australian – magpie swooping season. 

From August to October, the black and white birds are nesting, which means they’re feeling extra protective and have been known to fly at humans as they pass by their babies. 

Today on The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt, self-confessed magpie lady, is joined by Sean Dooley, conservationist and birdwatcher with Birdlife Australia, to break down the facts and myths around these fabulous birds, and encourage you to think differently about them this swooping season.

Headlines:

All the action from day one of The Paralympics 

Israeli forces have carried out raids in the West bank for a second day in a row

Labor party under fire for census  

ABS Data shows more women than men in Australia

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The Paralympics are on!

In the very early hours of this morning Australia time, a spectacular opening ceremony kicked off the 2024 summer games in Paris, with more than 4,000 athletes from around the world preparing to compete over two massive weeks. How different is their experience from that of able-bodies athletes, and how do they feel about the competition starting so long after the first round of the Olympics has wrapped up?

Carol Cooke is a Paralympic champion, competing on the world stage winning medals for Australia in London, Rio and Tokyo. She joins Bension Siebert on this episode of The Briefing to reflect on what it’s like to compete at the most elite level in Paralympic sport, and how it compares to the experience of able-bodied Olympians.  

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Leonardo da Vinci + a Saudi Prince + one very old painting = a world of controversy.

Salvator Mundi is the most expensive painting sold at auction. Dubbed the male Mona Lisa, Salvator Mundi is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci – but not all art experts agree that the work is by the famous artist.

The painting sold for $450 million to Saudi Arabian Prince Mohamed bin Salman in 2017. After several years hidden away in storage, the Prince reportedly has plans to make the painting the centerpiece of what some of called the ‘Saudi Louvre’, and in turn creating a tourist attraction for the West. Is this art washing live in action?

Professor Anne Dunlop is the Herald Chair in Fine Arts from the University of Melbourne. She joins Helen Smith on this episode of The Briefing to explain the backstory of the artwork, and what it might mean if it comes out of hiding and onto display. 

Headlines:

Paralympics opening ceremony 

Israel West Bank attack

Trump blames Biden and Harris for assassination attempt 

New study shows dogs can communicate with humans

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A new study has found astrologers are no better at prediction than random guessing. Does that matter?

Many of those obsessed with their astrological chart when pressed might still admit it’s probably a little bit bullshit – but they like it, it’s fun, and it doesn’t do any harm. But for those who use astrology to help them make significant decisions in their life, it sort of does matter whether this stuff is true.

Enter Spencer Greenberg, the founder of ClearerThinking.org, a social enterprise in the US. He and his colleagues were so interested in the topic that they designed and conducted a study to hopefully settle the argument once and for all – on this episode of The Briefing, he joins Bension Siebert to help explain what they found. 

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Noel and Liam Gallagher, the two brothers behind the seminal British band Oasis, have announced they’re about to head out on a massive tour - the first time they’ve appeared together since 2009.

Noel quit the band just before they were due to take the stage in Paris after a massive backstage fight, and the brothers have waged war against each other ever since. But in a twist, they're now reportedly saying it’s now or never.

Once the biggest band in the world, this tour is expected to make in the vicinity of $1 billion.

Music feature writer Cameron Adams joins Bension Siebert to explain what might have led to the change of heart, and why the two 'Don’t look back in anger'.

Headlines:

Hostage freed from Gaza

Greens propose “Robin Hood” tax reform

Zuckerberg says White House censored Meta during COVID-19 

Trump agrees to debate Harris  

 

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Planning a wedding can be incredibly stressful - especially with the average wedding in Australia costing nearly $35,000. That’s a price tag that can cover everything from venue hire, catering, hair, make-up, photography and now a professional bridesmaid.

It’s like paying for a best friend (who's not actually your best friend) to support you every step of the way. Is this a logical development meeting the needs of busy lives, or commercialisation and a wedding industry gone insane? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Kerstyn Walsh, the director of Hire a Bridesmaid, to breakdown why more and more Aussies are turning to their services.

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Should the 2026 Census ask you if you’re gay?

That’s one of the questions advocacy groups for queer Australians have been grappling with as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) prepares its next census. 

LGBTIQA+ advocacy groups have argued that the government does not collect enough fine-grain data on queer Australians to improve physical and mental health outcomes in the community that are poorer than the general population. On the other hand – could questions about people’s sexuality and gender identity risk the safety of people who aren’t out to their families? 

Seemingly out of nowhere, in recent days advocates have learned that the government will not allow the ABS to include questions about questions about sexuality, sex and gender, which the groups have been arguing for. 

On this episode of the Briefing, LGBTIQ+ Health CEO Nicky Bath chats to Bension Siebert about what should and should not be on the Census.

Headlines:

Ceasefire talks progress as Aussies have their say on Gazans getting visas

Italian authorities confirm investigation into captain of Bayesian for manslaughter

Winter temperature records smashed

Trump and Harris argue over muted mics

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Telegram is ranked as one of the world's major social media platforms, after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Wechat.

Just like Apple’s iMessage, Facebook messenger, Discord and WhatsApp, it lets you send end-to-end encrypted messages, meaning most of the time nobody – governments, law enforcement, private companies – can access those messages.

In the early hours of Sunday morning Australia time French police officers reportedly arrested boss and founder of the app Pavel Durov, over claims the platform enables criminal activity. In a post on the network, Telegram News says Durov has nothing to hide, and it’s “absurd” to hold an online platform or its owner responsible for abuse that might happen on it.

Is that right?

On this episode of The Briefing Bension Siebert is joined by James Hennessy, ideas and features editor for Capital Brief and cohost of LiSTNR's Down Round to reflect on what the arrest might mean for free speech online.

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