Jade Byers Pointer Podcasts

Is Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe pushing Australia into a recession? That has now become the biggest question in the Australian economy – as household budgets are squeezed even further by an interest rate rise that almost no-one wanted to see. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on Phillip Lowe, the treasurer and the fight o…

It’s the department that’s supposed to watch over the support system for Australians with a disability – and ensure the care they’re receiving is good. But the very people doing this job, at the Quality and Safeguards Commission of the NDIS, could be in an unsafe workplace. And the strangest part of all: the leadership of the commission has alleged…

The Australian Tax Office suspected that PwC used confidential information to help their big corporate clients get richer – seven whole years ago. But they did shockingly little about it. They didn’t even share that information with government ministers. The reason, they say, is that their hands were tied – that bureaucratic rules kept them from ex…

A new green energy agreement with the US, signed by President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, will allow the Pentagon to fund mining projects in Australia. It’s part of a race to control the energy sources of the future, and associated technologies – everything from computer chips to electric vehicles to advanced weaponry. So what does this deal…

Ben Roberts-Smith dined with prime ministers, attended the Queen’s funeral as a hero and was held up as an icon of the Australian Defense Force. In fact, a huge portrait of him still hangs in the Australian War Memorial today. But now, a court has found that allegations Ben Roberts-Smith is a murderer, a war criminal and a bully who disgraced his c…

To mark the 200th edition of The Monthly, the editor of the magazine, Michael Williams, joins us – to read a piece by the late-Mungo Maccallum from the debut issue nearly 20 years ago. Mungo was a totally unique character of Australian journalism – once described by Gough Whitlam a "tall, bearded descendant of lunatic aristocrats" – he could deftly…

Anthony Albanese says politicians are running around Canberra claiming the sky is falling. “Chicken littles”, he’s calling them, doomsayers trying to whip up unfounded fears about the Voice. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has reacted as if the reference to the old folk tale is a deeply insulting slur, but it’s hardly the most charged language that’…

Anthony Albanese’s government faces significant challenges – looming climate disaster, a widening wealth gap and international security concerns. But a year after the election, it’s hard to judge how it will respond to these circumstances. Albanese promises a bold reformist agenda, but the government often appears cautious and slow in its delivery.…

When Australia’s most high-profile Indigenous journalist was forced to step away from his role because of racist abuse – it made headlines around the world. But here in Australia, most of the media and our political leaders have struggled to comprehend the meaning of the moment – and appear to be trapped in a cycle of well-wishes, apologies and out…

The police officer who allegedly Tasered 95-year-old great-grandmother Clare Nowland reportedly said three words before firing: “No, bugger it”. He will now face court, where we will learn more about what led up to the incident and what contributed to Nowland’s death. But the biggest question is how the police ended up confronting an elderly person…

Everyone knows we have a housing crisis – rents are spiralling, homelessness is growing and more and more of our income is going towards keeping a roof over our heads. But did you know that on any given night more than a million homes in Australia sit empty? That’s more than 10 per cent of Australia’s housing stock. The shortage is not in homes, bu…

This week, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton stood to address parliament on the bill that will allow a referendum on the Voice to parliament. What he said in that speech has alarmed many, and at least one spokesperson for the Voice said Dutton’s words have been echoed in the abuse he’s received from racist opponents online. Today, columnist for The Sa…

The very people who were meant to be closing loopholes in the Australian tax system have been using that information to advise their big corporate clients. The scandal engulfing PwC is one of the biggest to ever hit the cosy relationship between the government and private consultancy firms. And it goes beyond a few bad actors – pointing to a broken…

There’s been a delay in the release of what could be the most explosive findings from a royal commission in decades. The commissioner of the robo-debt investigation quietly wrote to the attorney general to request a delay in the publication of its final report. But this is no mere bureaucratic hold-up, there are other reasons behind it. And one of …

After more than half of voters at the 2022 federal election said climate change was a top concern, helping Labor take power, it became known as the ‘climate election’. But a year on, how much has really changed? A 43 per cent carbon emission reduction target has been legislated, and the government promises we’ll reach net zero – but fossil fuel pro…

The global cocaine business is controlled by cartels worth tens of billions of dollars – and in that world, Australia is drawing more and more attention as a particularly lucrative market. That’s because a gram of cocaine sells in Australia for as much as $400. But the public rarely gets an insight into this enormous sector of criminal enterprise. …

Today on the show, Sasha Gattermayr, with her piece on the fascination with carnivorous plants from The Monthly magazine. Sasha takes us inside a band of collectors whose obsession with plants such as the venus fly trap turned into a lifelong devotion to plants that devour their prey. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: W…

It’s almost a year since Anthony Albanese did what no Labor leader had done in 15 years: win an election from opposition. It was a momentous time for him personally, and one that shifted the political landscape after a decade of conservative government. Just how much has he accomplished? Is Albanese living up to the promises he made on election nig…

What happens when a state begins to rely on a private company to fight wars? We’ve seen it before, but not like this – the power that Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted private military company the Wagner group is unprecedented. And Putin may be discovering its drawbacks the hard way – as the public face of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin feuds…

Australia can claim a significant world first: a special government adviser on Women’s Affairs. Fifty years ago, Elizabeth Reid stepped into the newly created role in Gough Whitlam’s government. Abortion access, workplace rights, contraception and education – it was a time of huge change in gender parity and access. But the reaction to Reid and the…

The trial of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins never reached a verdict – and Lehrmann still strenuously maintains his innocence. When the most high profile sexual assault trial in Australia was called off, and any hope of a retrial abandoned, there was one question: how did it come to this? The actions of one juror might have …

There comes a time when politicians say ‘enough is enough’ and they leave parliament. Often they depart the stage without anyone really noticing, other times it’s worth pausing and marking their storied parliamentary careers. That’s the case for Stuart Robert, who has called time on politics after 16 years – during which time he presided over the r…

Since the budget dropped on Tuesday night, the Coalition and some parts of the media have begun to pick a very strange fight. It’s over whether some of the most vulnerable in the community should really get more help than middle-class Australian households with two incomes. It pits the two against each other and ignores a much bigger cost coming do…

There’s one relationship the Liberal Party has always prized: its relationship with business. Other support bases for the party have ebbed and flowed, but the party has always drawn from the ranks of corporate Australia, and advocated for their interests. Now, strangely as the party finds itself in electoral crisis, its federal leader, Peter Dutton…

Treasurer Jim Chalmers promised a responsible budget, and one that helped Australians as costs soar. There was some relief, but it wasn’t as generous as some advocates hoped. So, has this Labor government threaded the needle, or did it avoid the most difficult challenges we face? Today, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Mid…

Tonight’s budget promises relief for Australia’s single parents, who will receive extra income support until their youngest child turns 14. It’s a reversal of a controversial decision made by the Gillard government. So does this signal a broader attempt to address the standard of living for the most vulnerable Australians? Or, is it a rare bit of r…

If, over the weekend, you watched the coronation of King Charles, stood up in your living room and read out a pledge of allegiance – you were probably in the minority of Australians. But that was the invitation from the palace in the lead-up to Saturday evening’s coronation ceremony. So, how relevant is King Charles III? Is a republic now possible?…

Today, writer Quentin Sprague, with his piece from The Monthly. He examines the recent revelations of “white hands on black art” – reports of White gallery figures instructing and even working on the canvases of Indigenous artists – and examines how white Australia applies the idea of ‘authenticity’ onto the work of Indigenous artists. Quentin will…

The economic news got worse this week, with the RBA unexpectedly raising interest rates and some dire economic forecasts. So far, it looks like the economic assistance the government will offer in the upcoming budget will be targeted. It probably won’t raise JobSeeker — except for over 55s — and it’s unlikely to pause rising HECS debt. So, after a …

Missiles that can precisely target enemy forces 500 kilometres away are the future of the Australian defence forces, according to the recent defence strategic review. What we are defending ourselves with today is woefully inadequate for our strategic circumstances, the review found. But other big questions are emerging: how will we pay for the chan…

If you went to university, there’s an increasing likelihood you could be carrying HECS debt for several decades. There are now more than 300,000 people carrying HECS into their 50s — six times more people than just over 15 years ago. And, this June, HECS debts are set to rise again at a historic pace. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper R…

Imagine being arrested, put into custody – and in desperate need of medical care. Who is responsible for helping you? Who are you meant to turn to for healthcare? For Veronica Nelson, who died in custody in 2020, a private company was responsible – Correct Care. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Denham Sadler takes us inside how a contract t…

‘We don’t have enough money.’ That’s what governments always say this time of year. But the case is being made for the poorest and most disadvantaged among us to get more support in the upcoming budget. But is it true? And if it is, are there ways to repair the budget that would leave enough money to help raise people out of poverty? Today, economi…

This week, the way the government chooses to spend its money was put into sharp focus. On Monday, it announced a bold new plan for military spending, but soon after, it found itself besieged by calls to raise the rate of JobSeeker – for Australians struggling with poverty. So, why can we afford to spend money on one, but not the other? And is it a …

Criticism of the Voice to Parliament from the conservative side of politics has ratcheted up ever since Peter Dutton’s decision to oppose it. The main accusations are: the proposal for the Voice is coming from elites and not ‘regular’ Indigenous Australians, and it won’t achieve practical change. Today, union organiser and member of the referendum …

From settling the biggest payout in US libel history, to the abandoned defamation claim against Australian website Crikey – It’s been a tumultuous week in the courts for the Murdochs. By avoiding open court, they have tried to draw a line under the furore around Fox News presenters’ claims the 2020 US election was stolen. But will the Murdoch empir…

Something going on far above us, in orbit, might be doing more to shape the future of humanity than any events here on earth. Up there is one of the most powerful tools humans have ever had to hunt for the origins of our universe – and for alien life. The James Webb Space Telescope has the ability to look so far and with such clarity that we can ge…

He published secret documents that gave us damning insight into the West’s military conduct inIraq and Afghanistan, and for that Julian Assange will likely be extradited to the US to face charges that could add up to 175 years in prison. In the last couple of weeks, Assange has received his first visit from an Australian high commissioner in London…

Today on the show, writer Richard King, with his piece ‘Machine Learning’ about the AI chatbot ChatGPT. He begins his story with discourse sweeping a university campus as AI reaches the hands of ordinary students and teachers. How will this technology – still only a few months old – change not only teaching and marking, but the very nature of the t…

It’s independent of government, has enormous power over our lives and hasn’t been reformed in 25 years. But yesterday, the Reserve Bank bowed to a scathing review and even Governor Philip Lowe conceded parts of the RBA had been out of step with modern expectations. But will a new board of experts improve the way interest rates are set? Can workers …

After a week that forced a reshuffle on the Coalition front bench, Peter Dutton had to announce a new spokesperson for Indigenous Australians – he needed someone who would enthusiastically support his ‘No’ position on the Voice to Parliament. His choice was Jacinta Nampijinpa Price – a first-term senator. So who is Dutton’s new pick? How did she ri…

Australia has a body that’s supposed to look after all of our mental health, and make recommendations to the government on how to make the situation better. It’s called the National Mental Health Commission. But inside the commission, some of the staff that are supposed to be coming up with solutions have faced layoffs, stress, anxiety, and worse. …

Kate Jenkins has wrapped up a distinguished term as Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner. In her seven years in the job, we’ve seen the global Me Too movement, along with the reckoning in Canberra sparked by allegations from former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins. So how have these cultural moments impacted the push for gender equality in t…

It was meant to transform the way we deal with waste. Australians were told to sort through their bins, and take plastic bags and packaging to drop-offs at the country’s biggest supermarkets to have them recycled. But instead of being recycled, tonnes and tonnes of this plastic was shoved into storage. Now, authorities are still trying to track it …

If the Liberal Party’s announcement that it would oppose the Voice to Parliament was meant to take attention away from fractures in the Liberal Party – the result has been very different. This week, the party’s spokesperson on Indigenous Australians resigned his post, and the party’s most high-profile Indigenous figure tore up his party membership.…

Cost of living pressures and interest rate rises mean that millions of Australians are struggling. But what often isn’t acknowledged by the Reserve Bank, its governor, or many of our political leaders, is that some people are doing just fine in these economic conditions – in fact, they can benefit from them. Those people are the wealthiest Australi…

Australia isn’t the first country to ban TikTok from government devices. In fact, all of our closest allies have already taken steps to keep the app away from government secrets. So how justified are these fears? Is the next step a forced sale? Or even a total ban? Today, associate editor of The Saturday Paper Marty McKenzie-Murray, on how the comp…

Penny Wong has assumed the Foreign Affairs portfolio at a crucial time in Australian history. For years China has been on the rise, but now it’s challenging the United States’ dominance in the Pacific. World leaders and military planners are openly weighing the risk the two superpowers could stumble into war. How does Australia navigate a path to p…

In recent weeks, we’ve covered an appearance by neo-Nazis at a rally in Melbourne, as well as ASIO’s decision to steer away from labels like ‘right’ and ‘left’ when talking about radicalisation in Australia. The issue of far-right extremism has often been covered in Australia as a political issue, but what about as an issue of safety and security? …

Today on the show, author of ‘Sundressed’ and fashion editor for The Saturday Paper Lucianne Tonti reads her piece on confronting the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothing condemned to landfill every year. The Australian fashion industry is a major cause of the 227,000 tonnes of waste clothing generated each year — much of it never worn befor…