7am

During Covid-19, the government has been increasingly using legislative powers to bypass the parliament. So-called ‘Henry VIII’ clauses mean some of these laws cannot be amended or overturned.  Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton.Background reading:Morrison ruling by ‘Henry VIII’ clauses in The Saturday PaperThe Saturday PaperThe MonthlyFor more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five days ago, the Andrews government used police to lock down nine public housing towers. Residents are afraid and have limited access to food and other necessities. We spoke to one resident, Hulya, about what is happening inside. Guest: Hulya, a resident in one of the Flemington towers.For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are thousands of young people in aged-care homes across Australia, because they don’t have their own facilities. The NDIS was meant to solve this, but seven years on only a few hundred young people have got out. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton.Background reading:Young people with disabilities still living in aged care in The Saturday PaperThe Saturday PaperThe MonthlyFor more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the renewed focus on colonial monuments, a group of academics and artists is petitioning the City of Sydney to remove Thomas Woolner’s Cook statue from Hyde Park, and place it in a public museum.Guest: Indigenous writer and cultural critic Tristen Harwood.For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As both sides of parliament brace for tomorrow’s by-election in Eden-Monaro, it’s been suggested that the timing of Scott Morrison’s $270 billion defence announcement was as much about votes in the seat as it was about the country’s strategic future. Paul Bongiorno on the all-in race. Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno.For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s economy is at a crossroads; but the current dependence on coal is really a continuation of issues we have always faced. Historian Judith Brett traces it as far back as our reliance on sheep and wool. Guest: Author of Quarterly Essay 78: The Coal Curse Judith Brett.Background reading:Quarterly Essay – The Coal CurseThe Saturday PaperThe MonthlyFor more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the ABC absorbs hundreds of job cuts, the government has commissioned another report into its operations – closely mirroring the concerns of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The review is due in time for the next federal budget. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton.Background reading:Exclusive: New govt report targets ABC in The Saturday PaperThe Saturday PaperThe MonthlyFor more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As allegations mount against former High Court justice Dyson Heydon, Bri Lee has written about the way misogyny and harassment are embedded in the legal profession. She says that may be changing.  Guest: Writer for The Saturday Paper Bri Lee.Background reading:Sexual harassment in the legal profession in The Saturday PaperThe Saturday PaperThe MonthlyFor more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Donald Trump comes to the end of his first term, it is clear he has benefitted hugely from America’s divisions - in fact, he is the perfect expression of them. Whatever happens next, those divisions will remain.  Guest: Writer for The Monthly Don Watson.For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The harassment allegations against Dyson Heydon have reminded some in Canberra of the royal commission that traded on his “stainless reputation”. A key target of that inquiry is now pushing for one into Robodebt.  Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno.For more information on today’s episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.