Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

In 1998 wharfies across the country were locked out by men in balaclavas with savage dogs. What followed was the most dramatic industrial confrontation of the age between the Maritime Union of Australia and Patrick Stevedores, led by CEO Chris Corrigan.  The Howard government said they knew nothing about plans to sack the 1400 workers and train a new, non-union workforce in Dubai. But now ABC Radio National’s Rewind has uncovered new evidence that casts doubt on their claims. GUEST: Dr Geraldine Fela –Research Fellow in the School of Humanities at Macquarie University, and producer and series historian of Conspiracy - war on the waterfrontPRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Aristotle claimed that all humans want to know. But at the same time, we battle a competing desire to not know. Through history, humanity has been repeatedly compelled to ignore realities, seduced by irrational rumours, magical thinking and preposterous prophets. Are we living in a time of particular ignorance? 

In his new book Uprising, Stephen Gapps reveals the story of frontier resistance, along a huge area of the Murray-Darling river system - a concerted defence of River Country.

Australia’s rabbit plague was the fastest colonisation rate for an introduced mammal ever recorded anywhere on Earth. Which is why reports of an emerging plague of rabbits in the Adelaide Hills have locals and scientists worried. GUEST: Mike Letnic, Professor of Conservation biology and Ecosystem restoration, University of New South WalesPRODUCER: Helen Pitt

Peter Dutton has made gas policy a central plank of his election pitch, unveiling a plan to reserve domestic gas supply and reduce energy prices.  But he’s yet to release the modelling to back up his claims. Mark Ogge says reserving gas for domestic use is important – but he says new gas projects don’t add to Australian supply, they just enable the export of more gas. And that’s a big problem for the climate. GUEST: Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor, The Australia InstitutePRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Questions remain as to why London police arrested six activists in a Quaker meeting house who were planning a protest.  Meanwhile, the conviction of far-right French leader Marine Le Pen for graft in a Paris courtroom has sent shock waves through European politics. Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with i news, co-host of Origin Story podcast

As the election campaign gets underway, Laura Tingle looks at the messaging, who is being effective and what role US President Donald Trump plays in it all. GUEST: Laura Tingle, 7.30 Political EditorPRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Amid ongoing campus protests, and in the wake of a federal inquiry, 39 Australian universities have agreed to a definition of antisemitism to be adopted on campuses nationwide. The definition declares that criticism of Israel can, under some circumstances, be seen as antisemitic. But what are those circumstances? That is being debated on campuses around the world, where definitions like this are seen on one hand as necessary to protect Jewish students, and on the other as a way silencing criticism of Israel.

There are calls for law reform after the recent High Court ruling that the Catholic Church is not vicariously liable for the actions of a priest who allegedly sexually abused a child in the 1970s. The court ruled that a priest is not an employee of a church, and therefore the institution is not liable to compensate their victims. Lawyers and advocates say they will take up the issue with all states and territories.Guest: Judy Courtin, lawyer and advocateFull statement in response to the High Court judgement from Bishop Bird (December 2024)

Omar El Akkad, a US-based writer and journalist known for his powerful essays, dives deep into the complexities of Western perceptions of justice and accountability influenced by his Middle Eastern childhood. He discusses the troubling parallels between the narratives surrounding Gaza and historical conquests in North America. El Akkad also sheds light on the ethical dilemmas journalists face amidst misinformation in conflict reporting. His reflections on grassroots movements and the emotional burden of addressing violence provide a compelling commentary on political and moral challenges.