Sally Warhaft, Peter Cronau and Scott Ludlam in conversation on stage at Bendigo Writers Festival. Why is WikiLeaks so important? What is there to be learned from the documents released? According to the writers in A Secret Australia, the leaking of hidden government documents yielded knowledge that is essential for journalists and institutions to …

Sally Warhaft and George Megalogenis Remember March 2020? When Australian borders closed, when we saw the first round of social restrictions? When the disturbing and surreal realities of COVID-19 finally hit home across Australia? March! We were so young. Back then, Sally Warhaft caught up with George Megalogenis for a Fifth Estate conversation abo…

What might the economic and social upheavals of 2020 mean for climate policy in Australia? For this Fifth Estate conversation, host Sally Warhaft brings together Judith Brett and Marian Wilkinson – two writers who have undertaken in-depth research into the resource economy and Australian climate scepticism. Brett's recent Quarterly Essay, 'The Coal…

Sally Warhaft and Kevin Rudd, live via video-link What are the origins of COVID-19? How could the pandemic’s spread have been better contained? These are fraught and complex questions – and finding the right forum to ask them is a diplomatic minefield. How will Australia's call for a World Health Assembly investigation affect our relationship with …

Sally Warhaft speaks with Tom Porteous, who joined us live from Paris Tom Porteous is a former journalist for the Guardian and the BBC, and an expert on global conflict management and resolution. Now deputy program director at Human Rights Watch, he joined Sally Warhaft live from Paris to discuss human rights and COVID-19. The pair talk through the…

Sally Warhaft, left, and Joshua Wong Joshua Wong was still a teenager when he rose to international prominence as a leader in Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement, protesting increased Chinese Communist Party intervention in the city’s electoral system. ‘That’s the transformation of Hong Kongers … Before last summer, nobody could imagine more than 2 …

Sally Warhaft interviews Malcolm Turnbull – in his home – from the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne In 2015, when Malcolm Turnbull returned to the Liberal Party leadership and assumed the Australian Prime Ministership, he brought with him a passion for free enterprise, a touch of style and a vision for an ‘agile Australia’. But Turnbull's view of the Li…

Sally Warhaft, left, and George Megalogenis There is little doubt now that the COVID-19 coronavirus will drastically alter our lives, communities and societies for some time to come. Amid confusing, contradictory or misleading information about how we should respond – and how we should protect ourselves and each other – the pandemic has already tes…

Bob Brown The bushfires that raged across the country this summer have caused environmental and economic damage that will be felt for years to come. In Canberra, they have ignited a frenzy of finger-pointing in every direction. In this Fifth Estate discussion, Sally Warhaft talks with environmentalist and former Greens leader Bob Brown about the ec…

For the final Fifth Estate of 2019, George Megalogenis returns to reflect with host Sally Warhaft on the year in Australian politics. Sally Warhaft and George Megalogenis They discuss the early manoeuvres of Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese, and the 46th federal parliament. They talk, too, about the stories that made domestic headlines – as well…

How does a person navigate the change from activist outsider to influential insider? How do you balance idealism and pragmatism under pressure? Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Samantha Power has had to navigate these questions first-hand. From a troubled childhood in Dublin to a career as a war correspondent then academic, she landed at the heart of …

For this Fifth Estate discussion, we're joined by two prominent historians for a conversation about their careers, and how they have each navigated the changing tropes and traditions of Australian history writing. What role do contemporary historians play in shaping the way all Australians remember – and reckon with – the past? From left to right: …

American-born journalist Megan K. Stack is an acclaimed author and war correspondent. She was Moscow bureau chief for the L.A. Times when she made the decision to work from home and look after her newborn child. As her growing family followed her husband’s work through China and India, Stack’s new life forced her to understand the economy of women’…

Mia Love Mia Love was once a rising star of the Republican Party. She was the first black female Republican elected to congress, running and winning in Utah's 97% white 4th District in 2015. During her time in office, Love was appointed to the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the Treasury and the Federal Reserve. But Love chose no…

Sally Warhaft and Tim Costello For decades, Tim Costello has been among Australia’s most outspoken voices on issues of social justice and global inequality. Through his work as a minister, as a lawyer and as the mayor of St Kilda council, he’s tackled pressing social issues – from gambling and homelessness to gun control. He’s perhaps best known to…

Sally Warhaft and Jess Hill The recent book by Jess Hill, See What You Made Me Do, calls for a drastic and urgent rethink in the way we conceive of family violence in Australia. Rigorously researched, and packed with interviews and case studies, it's a once-in-a-generation book that asks us to look beyond received wisdom to confront the complexitie…

Sally Warhaft and Michael Fullilove What is Australia’s place in the world? How are we getting along with our neighbours? And how is our international outlook changing? For this conversation, Sally Warhaft is joined by executive director of the Lowy Institute, Michael Fullilove. The pair discuss the foreign policy challenges Australia is facing now…

Sally Warhaft and Niki Savva When Julia Gillard overthrew Kevin Rudd in 2010 it was as if the Canberra sky fell in. In the years since, we’ve seen Rudd the Second punished by the electorate and Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull each dispatched by their own party. This year, something changed. Scott Morrison and the Coalition government were re-elect…

Sally Warhaft, Ranjana Srivastava and Gustav Nossal There's much to celebrate in the history of Australian medicine and medical care – from the famous breakthrough in penicillin to the development of the Gardasil vaccine. Our Medicare model is the envy of many countries. But have we become complacent? What are the pre-existing and emerging gaps in …

Sally Warhaft and Paul Kelly A month on from the federal election, once the dust has settled, we take an in-depth look at the events of 18 May and discuss what we might expect from the new Morrison government. With a mandate, and likely a revamped front bench, can Scott Morrison unite a fractured country and leave a lasting legacy? What are the pol…

Sally Warhaft and Frédéric Martel The Catholic Church, writes Frédéric Martel, is ‘a system built ... on the homosexual double life and on the most dizzying homophobia … Without this key for understanding, the recent history of the Vatican and the Roman Church remains opaque.' How is Martel qualified to make such statements? He is an acclaimed acad…

Andrew introduces us to the term ‘weightless exports’ – think digital services and games rather than wood or food. Inspired Leanne and Anna sat down with Paris Buttfield-Addison, cofounder of Hobart based Secret Lab – Secret Lab builds video games and mobile apps, and teaches game and app development through books and online training. See omnystudi…

Prof. Frank Cuypers is a marketing and tourism academic brought to the island by Tourism Tasmania to share his thoughts on the future of tourism. He talks about the strength of our clean and green Tasmanian brand and the global hunger for authentic experienced based Tourism. Also in the episode an interview with Charles Munn, an American conservati…

Louise’s insects are on the standing menu at MONA Faros restaurant, as featured on many fine menus across Tasmania. Her Protein Plus Nut Butter blends stocked at East Coast Village Providore (St Helens) and newly opened Derby Providore. In this episode Anna & Leanne discover organic insect farming from inside a shipping container on a beautiful hil…

Rosie Martin – speech pathologist, criminologist and Tasmanian of The Year 2017, starred in our first series of WTF2050 where shared her big idea – no prison (as we know them in 2050), to emphasize rehabilitation not punishment. To expand on the theme we spent a morning at Risdon Prison with inmates taking part in an attachment workshop – learning …

As a close political watcher and mother of twins Sally has spent a lot of time thinking about how far #metoo has gotten us and she shares her bold idea for 2050, one that could transform the lives of little girls everywhere. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Australia Institute

Renewables, podcast voices and the pitfalls of being a super hero. Star of ABC TV’s Rosehaven and Utopia, Luke, has become one of Australia’s most sought after comedians. Leanne and Anna caught up with Luke in his second home, Melbourne. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Australia Institute

Sally Warhaft and Jill Abramson on stage at the Athenaeum Theatre — Photo: Scott Limbrick How should the media survive the current age? It’s a question that haunts the bones of many in the industry, and a through-line of Merchants of Truth, a bracing new account of American journalism’s moral crisis written by Jill Abramson. A former executive edit…

Sally Warhaft, Kim Rubenstein and Judith Brett In a democracy, should voting be a citizen’s right or a citizen’s duty? Australia is one of a small number of countries – including Argentina and Egypt – with mandatory voting. Australia is rare, within this small group of nations, in imposing penalties on citizens who fail to turn up to vote. Compulso…

When, and how, does hate flourish in a society? How is hate spreading in our society? When do speech acts qualify as acts of hate? Who is encouraging the spread of hate, and what do they have to gain? In this conversation, we’ll discuss the disturbing rise of nationalist populism in Australia today, expressed through such events as the United Patri…

After yet another year of chaos in the Australian Parliament, a federal election looms. For an in-depth discussion of the context – and possible outcome – of the vote, Sally Warhaft will be joined by two veterans of Australian political circles: journalist Michelle Grattan and former Liberal leader John Hewson. Warhaft, Hewson and Grattan — Photo: …

Sally Warhaft and Kassem Eid on stage at the Wheeler Centre In 2013, Kassem Eid narrowly escaped death when Bashar al-Assad’s government unleashed a now-infamous sarin gas attack on Ghouta, Syria. It wasn’t just sarin: the area was also bombarded by mortar fire. At least 1500 people died. Eid didn’t, but the devastating assault irreversibly injured…

For the final Fifth Estate of 2018 – and in the wake of the Victorian election and its recriminations – we look back at the year in Australian politics with series host Sally Warhaft and seasoned political observers George Megalogenis and Gabrielle Chan. Our panellists unpack and reflect on the issues that have monopolised domestic headlines – from…

Sally Warhaft and Kerry O'Brien — Photo: Jon Tjhia Kerry O'Brien at the Wheeler Centre — Photo: Jon Tjhia ‘We absolutely cannot make any assumptions about the future of democracy in this country.’ Kerry O'Brien, in conversation with Sally Warhaft He’s interviewed Nelson Mandela, David Bowie, Margaret Thatcher, Herbie Hancock and Mikhail Gorbachev. …

Sally Warhaft, Bob Carr and Dennis Altman The 2018 midterm elections in the United States will be held on Tuesday 6 November. In the heated, highly partisan atmosphere in Washington – and indeed across the whole of the United States – the stakes feel higher than ever. Two years into Donald Trump’s presidency, the midterms are a test of his often co…

Sally Warhaft and Stephen Smith — Photo: Scott Limbrick As we hurtle towards the end of 2018, it’s clear we’ve entered a period of increased volatility and uncertainty in global relations. The world's two major powers are locked in a trade war, the European Union is looking decidedly shaky and much of the Middle East is still mired in conflict, par…

Sally Warhaft and Greg Sheridan In 1966, 88% of Australians identified as Christian in the census. By the 2016 census, the proportion had dipped to 52%. The number of Christians who attend church regularly is even lower. How has Christianity gone from being at the centre of Australian cultural and social life to something that's important to a dwin…

How is journalism changing when it comes to reporting on crimes against women? Why do some crimes, and some victims, get more press than others? And how does media coverage affect police investigations and the pursuit of justice in specific criminal cases? For this Fifth Estate conversation, Sally Warhaft is joined by former Victoria Police chief c…

Sally Warhaft and Katharine Murphy at The Fifth Estate ‘Conflict is not a new commodity in news,’ Katharine Murphy has written. ‘ … But media disruption has intensified the conflict cycle, compressing it into smaller, louder, intraday bursts, and those constant interruptions have a material impact on political decision-making, both here and around …

Sally Warhaft and David Neiwert — Photo: Sophie Quick At Melbourne Writers Festival, journalist, author and acknowledged expert in American right-wing extremism David Neiwert speaks with Sally Warhaft about journalism, media and politics in the context of the alt-right in Trump’s America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Masha Gessen is an award-winning author and a staff writer at The New Yorker. She speaks to Sally Warhaft about The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia, her non-fiction 2017 National Book Award-winning work that charts the coming-of-age of four Russians born in the early 1980s. Masha Gessen and Sally Warhaft, live at Deakin Edge…

Glyphosate is the most widely used weed-killer in the world. It’s the active ingredient in Roundup, the flagship agricultural herbicide sold by Monsanto, and it’s used in more than 130 countries including Australia. Glyphosate is in our parks, gardens, golf-courses and playgrounds. And it’s in our food and water. Veteran investigative journalist Ca…

With Sally Warhaft, Les Hinton – Rupert Murdoch's right-hand man for more than 50 years – talks about the past, present and future of the mainstream press … as well as life alongside the man he calls ‘an authentic colossus’. Sally Warhaft and Les Hinton — Photo: Jon Tjhia Hinton has enjoyed both a close-up and a long view of the radical changes tha…

For this episode, Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft welcomes Tracey Spicer to the Wheeler Centre for a conversation about her accomplished, diverse and fearless life and career in Australian journalism – and the challenges and opportunities arising from the popular movements seeking to correct entrenched sexist behaviour in the media and beyond. Sall…

Sally Warhaft, Richard Di Natale and Fiona Patten in discussion at the Wheeler Centre — Photo: Jon Tjhia In the 1980s, Australia was an early adopter of free needle syringe distribution programmes. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, this controversial harm-reduction strategy played a crucial role in mitigating the spread of HIV among Australian in…

Sally Warhaft and Katy Tur — Photo: Jon Tjhia Katy Tur, sometimes known as ‘Little Katy, third-rate reporter’, is an award-winning NBC News correspondent. She covered Donald Trump’s campaign from day one and quickly made an enemy of the future president. Tur travelled to 40 states during the campaign and made more than 3,800 live TV reports. Trump …

Sally Warhaft and Derryn Hinch — Photo: Jon Tjhia Derryn Hinch is among the Australian media’s most controversial and unpredictable characters. He’s the former editor of the Sun and the former New York bureau chief for Fairfax. He’s been sacked from high-rating shows on Channel Seven and 3AW and he’s received on-air death threats from gangsters. He…

Left to right: Sally Warhaft, George McEncroe and Kate McClymont — Photo: Emily Harms How do headline-grabbing stories about powerful figures in the media affect the broader Australian culture? The #MeToo movement began in the US – with the Harvey Weinstein revelations in October 2017 – and it quickly spread around the globe. In this discussion, we…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Australia Institute

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Australia Institute