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Deep in Australia’s oldest forests there are criminal gangs operating: illegally chopping down trees to sell the wood. The authorities know it’s happening, but the problem is catching the perpetrators in the act.The old growth forests are sprawling and these gangs know how to evade rangers and police.Today, author and contributor to The Monthly, Sophie Cunningham on the crime against our oldest and most precious old growth forests.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Author and contributor to The Monthly, Sophie CunninghamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lachlan Murdoch is the presumptive heir to the global Murdoch media fortune – and with his father, Rupert, now aged 91, Lachlan’s time could be imminent.But Lachlan’s rise to the top has not been smooth. After a bright start, the first-born son fell out of grace with his father and was exiled to Australia, only to return to favour when the family was in crisis.   Now it seems that Lachlan could be the successor to the empire after all. So what does Lachlan Murdoch stand for?Journalist Paddy Manning has long chronicled the Murdoch family and their businesses., His latest book – The Successor – is the first biography of Lachlan.Today, Paddy Manning on what drives Lachlan Murdoch.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Author of The Successor, Paddy ManningSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next year, Australians will get to vote in a referendum and we will be asked whether Australia should amend its constitution to create an Indigenous Voice to parliament.In this episode from August, we spoke to the first person to read the road map to that referendum outloud after the Uluru Statement from the heart was agreed to.Today we revisit this episode with someone who has spent years working towards constitutional recognition: chair in constitutional law at the University of NSW, Megan Davis.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Chair in constitutional law at the University of NSW, Megan Davis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you become prime minister, a lot changes – but there’s only a few people who know exactly what that's like.One of them is Kevin Rudd,and this year the former prime minister joined the show to share his experience of the way the Murdoch media changes its approach when you enter Government.Today in this episode from June, former prime minister Kevin Rudd on the way News Corp brings new governments to heel.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Former prime minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, the case that established the legal protection for people in the United States to choose to have an abortion has been overturned.Since this episode aired in June, 13 states have banned or restricted the access to abortion and the fight for access rights continues in courtrooms across the country.So how did a small minority of religious conservatives overturn the rights of millions to choose? Today we are revisiting this episode from the moment the US Supreme Court made a ruling that affected people who can become pregnant across the US with the author of Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity is Taking Over the World Elle Hardy.**Guest**: Author of Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity is Taking Over the World, Elle Hardy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most consequential political shifts of 2022 was the election of several ‘teal’ independent candidates to the federal parliament.The teals were mostly professional women who ran in traditionally Liberal-held seats, and campaigned on climate, integrity, and equality. Their election en masse was a shock to the Liberal party, and could herald a more permanent shift away from the major parties.Apart from their policy priorities, the other thing the teal candidates had in common was funding from Climate 200. The lobby group is led by Simon Holmes á Court, the son of Australia’s first billionaire.In this interview from May, Holmes á Court gave us staggering insights into how the campaign for independent candidates was run.**Guest**: Founder of Climate 200, Simon Holmes à Court.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades we’ve been reassured that everything at Australian casinos is above board. They’re supposed to be heavily regulated, closely monitored, and operated by reputable, publicly-traded corporations.But this year, much of what we’ve been told unravelled. Since this episode, from September this year eleven former and current executives at the Star Entertainment Group were slapped with fines by ASIC, the corporate watchdog.Today, we take a look back at this episode with senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton, on exactly what has been happening behind the scenes at The Star Casino. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick MortonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven months ago, Anthony Albanese’s Labor broke almost ten years of Coalition rule. Labor’s celebration were large and loud – and 7am was there to record the moment.We spent the night in Marrickville, home soil for the new prime minister, at Labor’s election night party.Over the course of the night we spoke with our reporter Karen Middleton, incoming minister Tony Burke, and, at the end of the night, we got one quick question with the newly-elected prime minister.Today, we return to Labor’s election night victory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in May, our producer Elle Marsh was given unprecedented access to Dr Monique Ryan and her campaign, as they attempted to unseat one of Australia’s top politicians.At the time, we had no idea whether the so-called teal candidates would be successful in their campaigns against Liberal party members, often in safe seats. Kooyong, the seat that Dr Ryan was running for, had been held by the Liberal party for almost its entire existence and was occupied by the Treasurer of Australia, Josh Frydenberg.As we made this episode, the tide began to turn and eventually Dr Ryan swept to victory.Today, we revisit the moment the climate began to shift.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, the only head of state that most Australians have ever known died.It led to an outpouring of grief and mourning, particularly in the UK, but that wasn’t the only side of the story.There were also protests, marches and an attempt from some to reckon with the monarchy’s colonial past.Today we’re featuring this episode from September with the United Kingdom’s first Professor of Black Studies and author of The New Age of Empire, Kehinde Andrews, on what the monarchy represents today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.