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Sometimes the contest for a single seat can be about more than who wins.Hunter is just that; it’s a seat that spans some of Australia’s oldest coal mines, and the questions in Hunter have huge consequences for us all. How seriously we are taking the climate crisis, how quickly we can transition to renewable energy and whether workers in these industries will be looked after.Today, investigative journalist Marian Wilkinson on the race for Hunter, what the parties are promising people there and what that means for all of us.Guest: Investigative journalist, Marian Wilkinson.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we close in on election day, housing affordability has become a central issue of this campaign.First, Labor announced its solution, the Help to Buy scheme and then just a few days later, the Reserve Bank increased the cash rate from its historic low of 0.1% to 0.35%.People’s mortgages are going up and it could put upward pressure on rents.So, how are cost of living pressures factoring into the decision voters will make in just two weeks time?Today, to analyse all the latest events, we’re joined by:Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton,Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno, andElection analyst from The Tally Room, Ben Raue.Guest: Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno, and election analyst from The Tally Room, Ben Raue.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Bandt sits down for a one-on-one interview with Ruby Jones.This election, issues the Greens have championed for years, like an integrity commission and reducing emissions, are now finding a lot of popular support.But the party finds itself at a crossroads. It’s been unable to increase the number of lower house MPs and senators it has at the federal level for over a decade.Adam Bandt, the party’s leader, has ambitions to change this.So, in his first federal election as leader, how has he shaped the party, is this a different kind of Greens campaign and would he really be able to work with a Labor party that views the Greens as toxic electorally?Guest: Leader of the Australian Greens and federal MP for Melbourne, Adam Bandt.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in Ukraine has led to soul searching about how Russian oligarchs have built cosy relationships with institutions around the world.Lawyers and bankers in London have been warned by the British prime minister not to defend the wealth and reputations of Russian oligarchs who have ties to Vladimir Putin’s government.And one of those oligarchs actually has a connection to Australia as well. Last year Roman Abramovich launched legal action in NSW.Today, journalist for The Saturday Paper Kieran Pender on why a Russian oligarch launched a lawsuit in an Australian court. Guest: Lawyer and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Kieran Pender.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labor Party officially launched their campaign on Sunday, unveiling new policies and making their most comprehensive pitch to voters so far.But the policy offering remains slimmer than it was three years ago, which is part of what has been described as the party’s small target strategy.So what is Labor actually offering? And who are they targeting with these election promises?Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe on the Labor Party’s policy platform and the demographic data that shaped it.Guest: National Correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we enter the final weeks of the election campaign there’s one group of people more stressed, more disillusioned than most. Teenagers, desperate to see change but unable to vote to get their voice heard. Today, 7am producer Kara Jensen-Mackinnon on a day in the life of a teenager trying to make change happen before it’s too late.Guest: Producer for 7am, Kara Jensen-Mackinnon.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Anthony Albanese is set to end his isolation and return to the campaign trail after he tested positive for Covid-19 last week. As he returns to campaigning in-person, the cost of living has become an even more pressing election issue.New inflation figures show prices are 5.1 per cent higher today than they were this time last year – which could mean interest rates are raised in the middle of an election campaign.And in the midst of this China has signed a deal with the Solomon islands, which could see a Chinese base built in the South-Pacific.Today, to analyse all the latest events, we’re joined by:Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton,Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno,Election analyst from The Tally Room, Ben RaueGuests: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno and election analyst from The Tally Room, Ben Raue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This election, one person is having more of a say than anyone else when it comes to the political advertising Australians are seeing everyday.That person is Clive Palmer.And he’s not only outspending the major political parties by a significant margin, he’s also got a huge personal say in the ads he’s putting onto billboards and TV screens.That’s because he writes them all himself. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton on the rise of Clive Palmer and what he is trying to get out of his election advertising blitz. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Northern Territory, there’s a youth detention centre that has been subject to multiple reports, complaints, and a Royal Commission. That commission recommended it be shut down, but children as young as 10 years old are still being held there, with reports of minors having been locked inside their cells for 23 hours a day.Today, journalist for The Saturday Paper, Esther Linder on the grandmother who is fighting for the closure of the Don Dale detention centre. Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Esther Linder.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the election tightens, there is a very real possibility that neither major party wins the 76-seat majority they need to govern in their own right.If this happens, they will have to convince independents and minor party representatives in the lower house to join them and form a minority government.For independents in this scenario, it’s an enormous choice – who do they support, what do they ask for, and who do they make prime minister?Today, we speak to someone who has made that choice, former Independent Tony Windsor, on how to navigate a hung parliament and how Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese would act in those negotiations.Guest: Former independent MP, Tony Windsor.Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.