The Conversation Hour

Yesterday on The Conversation Hour we heard a first-hand account from a former police officer about the mental and emotional toll of serving in the force — and today and today Victoria's Acting Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent has confirmed to Raf on Mornings that he will not apply for the top job reflecting on the demands of a 24/7 job. So what does it take to attract and retain new officers and how would you feel about your kids joining the force.Also in this edition of The Conversation Hour we talk what matters to young people in the upcoming election and ask just how effective are cat curfews.

Wayne Gatt, CEO of the Police Association told Breakfast this morning that policing has become such a violent and confrontational career path that there needs to be better supports in place to allow officers to retire healthy, wealthy and with dignity. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at what needs to happen to better support police officers in their retirement. Also, from today cigarettes (not just the packages) will have health warnings on them — so far will this go in preventing people from smoking. And speaking of prevention WA has recently introduced a preventative health minister — do we need one in Victoria too?

In this edition of The Conversation Hour we learn about the development of a training program that aims to train doctors on how to have conversations with their patients about death and dying.  We also talk how to combat the current rates of school violence, get a behind the scenes glimpse at what happens behind the scenes on the campaign trail and pay tribute to former Collingwood and Richmond player who died suddenly on the weekend. 

Are the days of being a rusted on voter becoming a thing of the past? In this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at how much our voting habits changed over the decades. Plus,  as another small music venue closes its doors,  what needs to happen to save live music in Victoria. And we reflect on what it means to be called a difficult woman. 

Tom Cochrane to become first AFL player with Tourette syndrome, in this edition of The Conversation Hour we discuss what this means for people living with the condition.We also look at the role of social media influencers on the campaign trail, what underpins the increase in measles outbreaks and ask whether the climate has taken a bit of a back seat in this years budget.

In this edition of The Conversation we look at the role of the Urgent Care Clinic in the health system. The Government says if re-elected it will fund 50 UCCs across Australia, with 12 new clinics in Victoria. While this might feel like a positive move for consumers, GPs, particularly in regional and rural areas have resourcing concerns.We also discuss what last nights budget means for a struggling hospitality industry, talk why there has been an Inquiry into the harmful impacts of pornography plus the rise and rise of athletics in Australia.

The dangers of online gaming platform Roblox has steadily been gaining coverage in the media over the last year, and one new study from Sydney University has looked specifically at how it is essentially encouraging young people to gamble The researchers have spoken with young people using the platform to hear their first-hand accounts — and a worrying picture has emergedAlso in this edition of The Conversation we look at how to tackle racism in schools and discuss if there is a market in Australia for the Cybertruck.

Monkeys are being used for medical research at Monash University in the Latrobe Valley, in this edition of The Conversation Hour, we discuss the ethical consideration around animal testing particularly when it can result in the development of life saving medications.Also, is nine hundred dollars too much to send your child to school camp? School camp operators say they've noticed a decline in the number of school camps and that they are becoming less "immersive." So, just how important are school camps to a child's development and what needs to happen to keep them going?Plus, what is the future of the cemetery? From shallower graves to what we can put on them — we look at the changing face of cemeteries.

Local community groups are calling for large tourist buses to be banned in certain pockets of the Great Ocean Road in an effort to protect local wildlife, in this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at just how serious the issue is becoming and discuss the broader issue of the impact of over-tourism on the environment.We also debrief on the ACCC report into supermarkets, discover how video games are helping neurodivergent children and discuss why men need to cry.

What it does it means to see men being vulnerable? Hugh van Cuylenburg, co-host of The Imperfects cried as he read an open letter he wrote to parents of neurodivergent children .Bear Grylls has also recently spoken about why he wants to see more men cry, so what role can public displays of vulnerability go towards combatting so called' toxic masculinity' and the dangers of the 'Manosphere'