Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just returned from two international summits, but Australia’s diplomatic standing is worse than ever.

His handling of a $100 billion submarine contract has created tension with both France and the United States, two traditional allies, and he’s also been accused by his predecessor of being a serial liar.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on Scott Morrison’s damaged international standing, and the impact it has on Australia.

Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.

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The Prime Minister, the President and the leaked texts

A daily news show from the publisher of The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. Hear from the country’s best reporters, covering the news as it affects Australia. This is news with narrative, every weekday.

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When Australia’s eSafety commissioner issued takedown orders to some of the world’s biggest tech companies at the beginning of this week, the commissioner probably didn’t realise it would put us on the frontline of a global battle over the internet.
The orders were aimed at removing the kind of footage social media companies have agreed to remove in the past – but today things are very different, in large part because of Elon Musk.
Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on why Elon Musk and his fans turned on Australia and how one Senator in particular, ended up in the firing line.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.

Australia v Elon Musk: Can our politicians really take on the tech billionaire?

The wait for elective surgery in our public hospitals is longer than ever, but it seems there’s a way to jump the queue.
If you can afford to pay for private care in a public hospital, you might find yourself being offered more perks than just a free bathrobe and some slippers.
Today, lawyer and contributor to The Monthly Russell Marks, on whether our public health system is truly fair and what happens when your own child’s health is on the line.

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Guest: Lawyer and contributor to The Monthly, Russell Marks

'Outrageous and probably illegal': Offers to skip the queue at public hospitals

An attack at a Western Sydney church last week was inextricably linked to social media.
The bishop who was stabbed is a social media celebrity, the attack itself was live-streamed, and both the attack and the reaction may have been inflamed by online extremism.
The Australian government is so concerned it has picked a fight with the global social media giants X and Meta, ordering them to pull down content about the attack.
Today, counter-terrorism expert and Lowy Institute fellow Lydia Khalill, on the attack, whether it was an act of terrorism and how we can do more to prevent extremism.

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Guest: Project director of the Lowy Institute’s Digital Threats to Democracy Project and expert on counter-terrorism, Lydia Khalil

The stabbing of a TikTok bishop

Grace Tame knows how to advocate. Her campaigning for survivors of sexual assault and abuse helped to create real change and pushed powerful institutions to be better.
Now, Tame is turning her focus onto something she has lived with her whole life and which is now on the agenda in Canberra, – autism and neurodivergence.
Today, former Australian of the Year and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Grace Tame, on Australia’s first attempt at a national autism strategy – and why we must get it right.


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Guest: former Australian of the year and Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Grace Tame

Grace Tame is not a cat, she’s autistic

It’s now been a week since the Federal Court of Australia’s Justice Michael Lee ruled it was substantially true that Bruce Lehrmann raped Brittney Higgins in a minister’s office at Parliament House back in 2019.
In other cases, that may have been the end of the matter. But this case has drawn in dozens of characters, with careers ended, others on the rocks and Channel Seven appearing as if it could implode.
Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton, on who emerges from the wreckage of one of the most dramatic defamation cases we’ve seen in years.

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Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton

The Prime Minister, the President and the leaked texts

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