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Solstice Media
An independent daily news show. We feature the country’s best reporters, covering the news as it affects Australia. This is news with narrative, every weekday.
Episodes
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Mar 8, 2023 • 17min
How the family court is failing traumatised women
The family court is a place of last resort for spouses and parents, to settle the legal, financial and parenting disputes that can sometimes arise. But lawyers and mothers have been warning that when abuse or violence is part of the equation, the court is failing. Today, author and contributor to The Saturday Paper Jane Caro on the women who feel silenced by the family court, and the changes the Federal government now wants to make. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Author and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Jane Caro.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 7, 2023 • 18min
It's all about money: Rupert Murdoch's Fox News deposition
Author Paddy Manning discusses the culture at Fox News where profits surpassed truth. Rupert Murdoch and top hosts knowingly spread lies. Insights into Murdoch's media empire reveal a focus on spreading misinformation for profit.

Mar 6, 2023 • 17min
‘Disaster capitalism’: What’s happening after climate catastrophe
Whether it’s floods or bushfires, climate-related disaster is something Australia will have to contend with more and more.But so far, Australia isn’t recovering from disaster. It’s one year since the Lismore floods, but the scheme to get people back into homes, and to move those homes away from the floodplain, is taking far too long.And in the absence of real recovery, what’s happening in Lismore is being described as “disaster capitalism” – houses on the floodplain are being sold to investors looking for a bargain.Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Royce Kurmelovs on what happens when the government doesn’t step up, and the market steps in.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Royce KurmelovsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 5, 2023 • 18min
ASIO is worried you’re helping foreign spies
Our intelligence community used to believe terrorism was the greatest threat to Australians.But today, Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, says the biggest threat we’re facing is actually from foreign spies.According to the agency, it’s not just politicians and military officers who are being targeted – it’s everyday people, who might not know they’re giving away information that could cost lives or threaten national security.Today, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton, on why ASIO is worried about Australians getting caught up in dangerous spy games.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen MiddletonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 2, 2023 • 16min
What convinced Albanese to tackle superannuation
A week ago, superannuation reform was just an idea, a national conversation — the prime minister certainly wasn’t proposing anything.But the conversation was brief, and a decision was swift.Australia’s wealthiest people will not get tax breaks on wealth being stored in their super accounts.So what convinced Anthony Albanese that his government had to act? And why was it worth the risk of being accused of breaking a promise?Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on how Albanese made his decision, and why we could be talking about it for years to come.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 1, 2023 • 14min
Abortion is legal in Australia, but is it accessible?
It's being called the most important case for reproductive rights in the United States since Roe vs Wade was overturned.A judgement in a court case in Texas that could ban access to a non-surgical abortion medication is due any day now.Closer to home, the exact same medication could become more widely available. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is currently considering appeals to widen its accessibility, with a decision expected in the next few weeks.Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Esther Linder, on the barriers to early non-surgical abortions in Australia, and whether it's time for a change. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Esther Linder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 28, 2023 • 16min
How corporate profits are making inflation worse
Australia has seen a series of record corporate profits posted in the last few weeks.They come as millions of average Australians are being squeezed. Mortgage repayments, rent, and the cost of almost everything is going up – but wages aren’t keeping up.So, how are corporations posting record profits right now? What’s the impact of profits on the prices we’re paying? And why is it that the only answer to inflation is interest rate hikes?Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on how corporate profits are driving the cost-of-living crisis.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 27, 2023 • 21min
Exposing robo-debt: Why Rhys Cauzzo’s mother never gave up
Rhys Cauzzo was one of hundreds of thousands of Australians who received unlawful and false debt notices under robodebt.The 28 year old died by suicide in January of 2017, as debt collectors pursued him for $17,000 dollars.After his death, his mother Jenny began to unravel just how many debt notices Rhys had received, and she decided to go public – speaking to The Saturday Paper about what happened to her son.Now, she’s given evidence to the royal commission into robo-debt – and the hearings have exposed more details about how senior government figures reacted to reports of her son’s death.Today, Jenny Miller, on her son Rhys and her search for the truth. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Mother of Rhys Cauzzo and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Jenny Miller.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 26, 2023 • 20min
‘My existence is not temporary’: The refugees who are finally allowed to stay
Zaki Haidari is one of 19,000 people who Australia has kept in limbo, but will now get the certainty of a permanent place in Australia.Temporary protection visas allowed people who arrived by boat to come to Australia, but denied them the rights of other visa holders, and hanging over them was the threat that they could be sent back to where they came from.The Labor party promised to put an end to the visas, and now, nine months after the election they’ve finally delivered. For many, it’s a life changing relief – but the change is uneven and over a thousand remain trapped in temporary status.Today, former refugee and advocate Zaki Haidari, on his journey to Australia, life as a temporarily protected person and why the fight continues for refugees in Australia.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Former refugee and advocate, Zaki HaidariSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 25, 2023 • 12min
Weekend Read: Erin O’Dwyer on how to design housing for happiness
As housing becomes less affordable and the search for adequate accommodation more desperate, Erin O’Dwyer investigates how we can escape from the urban sprawl.Erin looks at how the best intentions can go awry, as we try to build better homes.She makes the case that designing our homes doesn’t have to be a luxury and that as we build more and more of them to address the housing shortage, happiness for the people living in them shouldn’t be an afterthought.Listen to Erin read her piece, ‘Tree Change’, from The Saturday Paper.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Journalist and writer, Erin O’DwyerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


