Good Weekend Talks

In this episode, we talk to Tim Rogers. Best known as the frontman for rock band You Am I, Rogers was born in Kalgoorlie, WA, but lived all over the country growing up, spending time in Adelaide, Sydney and Canberra, and now, rural Victoria. The 55-year-old has lived a big life so far as a songwriter, raconteur, talking head and author. He's had his struggles and his joys but has remained, as always, sartorially splendid. He speaks with Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall about addiction, mental health, footy, cycling, gardening, and his current tour with the band, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of its seminal sophomore album, Hi Fi Way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melinda French Gates, philanthropist and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, discusses her journey after her divorce and her commitment to women's empowerment. She shares insights on overcoming perfectionism in parenting, embracing authenticity, and the joy of grandparenting. Melinda also highlights the systemic barriers to women's equality and her initiatives for improving women's health. With a focus on philanthropy's role in societal change, she emphasizes the hope and resilience found in community efforts and the increasing presence of women in leadership.

In this episode we speak with Ellie Cole. Cole, of course, is a childhood cancer survivor whose right leg was amputated when she was 3. Within weeks of that operation, she was swimming as a form of rehab, before ultimately going on to become the most decorated Aussie female Paralympian of all time, with 17 medals over four games. In recent years she’s become a rising star in Australian sports media, as a trusted and charismatic broadcaster, not to mention staunch disability advocate, and now children’s book author. Cole recently became a mum to her little boy Felix, and her new book – “Felix and his Fantastic Friends” – is inspired by his adventures in early childhood, and her own in motherhood. Hosting this conversation – about everything Cole’s relationship with her twin sister to the complicated challenge of Paralympic classification – is a man who covered Cole’s final games in Tokyo in 2021 – Sydney Morning Herald sports journalist, Tom Decent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Jane Flemming, who made her name in the late '80s and early '90s as a golden girl in track and field, a two-time Olympian – and Commonwealth Games gold medallist – specialising in the heptathlon and long jump. Flemming retired before the Sydney 2000 Olympics and transitioned into a career in media, marketing and management, but 18 months ago she took on a different role altogether, as president of Australian Athletics.It’s an exciting time to be in the role, too, with a host of local mid-career champions like Nina Kennedy, Jessica Hull and Matt Denny, not to mention junior stars on the rise like Torrie Lewis and Claudia Hollingsworth, Cameron Myers and, of course, Gout Gout. Flemming talks to Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall about everything from her early years as an athlete to the DNA tests being used to "protect women's sport", and the runway to Brisbane 2032.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Matt Kean. The former NSW state politician was once deputy Liberal leader, treasurer, and minister for energy and environment – but he’s now chair of the national Climate Change Authority. That means Kean helps set the Australian agenda in the fight against global warming, shaping federal policies on every hot-button green issue imaginable. Taking on the job was seen in some quarters – by conservative commentators, mostly – as a traitorous move by a “climate communist” now known to some as “Green Kean”. Our new climate change tsar is the subject of a feature profile this week – “Force of Nature” – and hosting this conversation about the powerful enemies Kean now faces, and the fight to save our natural world, is the acting editor of Good Weekend, Greg Callaghan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Curtis Stone. The Melbourne-born, LA-based chef has run two celebrated restaurants in that city, earning several Michelin stars and praise from critics – yet in Australia he’s better known as the face of Coles, for whom he’s been an ambassador for 15 years. He’s back in town right now, about to cook for 1700 people at Melbourne Food and Wine Festival’s flagship event, the World’s Longest Lunch, in Kings Domain on March 21. Hosting this conversation, which covers everything from run-ins with restaurant critics to how Aussie meat pies are being received in LA, is Good Food’s eating out and restaurant editor in Melbourne, Emma Breheny.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with Senator Katy Gallagher. The busy politician is close to both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers, and manages an almighty workload. With four big portfolios in finance, women, the public service and government services, she’s also firmly in the crosshairs of the opposition, which has promised to slash jobs, and cut back on diversity hires and working from home. Gallagher talks to us today about all of the above, but also her own life and times – including her unusual family upbringing, and the immense tragedy she suffered with the loss of her fiancé, Brett Seaman, when she was 26 and pregnant with their first child. Gallagher is the subject of our cover story this week – “From that worst place, I found a way out” – and hosting this conversation is the writer of that in-depth profile, freelance correspondent Deborah Snow.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kara Swisher, a seasoned journalist and tech expert, dives deep into the intertwining worlds of technology and politics. She discusses the influence of figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, emphasizing the risks of authoritarianism and the need for active citizen engagement. Swisher highlights the evolving landscape of tech leadership and accountability while addressing AI investments and regulatory gaps. Ultimately, she expresses hope for a more equitable democracy amidst the growing power of tech moguls.

In this episode we speak with Callum Linnane, a principal dancer with The Australian Ballet. Linnane, 29, has been dancing since he enrolled in tap classes as a seven year old in regional Victoria. Now he’s a star of the show - the kind of person who does magazine spreads and launches spring fashion campaigns. (His social media followers have described him as everything from Australia’s  answer to Rudolf Nureyev, to a young David Bowie.)  Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall talks to this son of a bricklayer about growing up in Ballarat, surviving (and thriving) on the grandest stage, and his upcoming titular role in Nijinsky, the latest offering from The Australian Ballet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we speak with journalist Peter Greste and actor Richard Roxburgh. Greste is a former foreign correspondent, arrested with two other Al Jazeera journalists in Cairo in 2013, ultimately serving 400 days in an Egyptian prison before his release. Roxburgh, meanwhile, is known for various acting roles in film (Moulin Rouge) and television (Rake). More recently, he has turned his dramatic talent to portraying Greste in a new film, The Correspondent. The pair speak with freelance writer David Leser.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.