Jade Byers Pointer Podcasts

In Australia, where a person went to school increasingly tells a story about their privilege, class and academic opportunity. While the majority of Australians go through the public school system, pending research reveals that the majority of our politicians did not. So, which politicians went to private schools, and is their lack of lived experien…

In searching for the truth, the defamation trial between Bruce Lehrmann and Network Ten has been defined by the discovery of lies. In the witness box, Lehrmann admitted to lying multiple times over the course of the saga. Lehrmann says the lies don’t change his biggest claim – that he did not sexually assault Brittany Higgins – but the evidence has…

A 14th century monastery in Bhutan might be the least likely place to find a hive of busy Wikipedia editors, but for Bunty Avieson, it was the perfect setting for a project in improving media literacy among local nuns, and preserving an under-documented culture online. The rigours of editing Wikipedia offered a new path of enlightenment for both th…

Around the turn of the century, Rupert’s empire hits a peak. But he’s about to face two of the biggest crises of his career - the phone hacking scandal and the downfall of Roger Ailes. To survive them he'll use his two most loyal assets - his sons, Lachlan and James. Paddy investigates the fraught relationship between Rupert and his two potential h…

Over the past few years, Australia’s immigration detention policy, which was once the feature of political debates and elections, has stopped making front page news. That’s until a recent high court decision deemed Australia’s indefinite detention policy unlawful, leading to the release of over 140 people who had been in indefinite immigration dete…

Australia has one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, with values soaring much faster than wages. This has altered Australian society, increased inequality and profoundly changed the relationship between generations. So, where did things go so wrong, and can we ever go back to normal? Today, finance journalist and author of the late…

Critics say Australia may be the world’s most secretive democracy, with a patchwork of laws and obstacles standing in the way of transparency and press freedom. The Albanese government has recognised this, releasing a review to clean up Australia’s secrecy laws. So, will it fix them, or is it just a band-aid solution? Today, chief political corresp…

The first brief ceasefire has taken effect in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. As the shooting stops, families are being reunited, as hostages are freed and civilian prisoners are released from behind bars. But meanwhile, decisions are being made about when and how the fighting will resume. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper and Midd…

At the shareholders meetings for News Corp and Fox Corporation this month, for the first time, Rupert Murdoch wasn’t the star of the show. The meetings signified that the transition of power from the 92-year old mogul to his eldest son, Lachlan, is complete. So, how has Lachlan used his first moments of power? And what were Rupert Murdoch’s parting…

By the 1990s, Rupert is cemented as one of the world’s most powerful and divisive men, but his unrelenting drive is beginning to take a toll. As Rupert makes his home in America, Paddy takes a closer look at two of his most consequential relationships. There is his alliance with the man behind Fox News, Roger Ailes. Then there is his 30-year marria…

As climate change threatens to sink small and vulnerable countries, large and powerful ones are seeing an opportunity. The climate crisis is giving them the chance to increase their influence, access to valuable resources and military reach. As Australia enters a new agreement with one of our pacific neighbours facing climate disaster – are we real…

Israel’s government has agreed to a four-day ceasefire with Hamas in exchange for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza – but promises to push ahead with military operations after the pause ends. The agreement falls short of the total ceasefire that protesters have been calling for. In Australia, the government has found itself delicately balanci…

David McBride is the first Australian who could face jail in relation to alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. But McBride isn’t who committed these crimes, he’s just the person who leaked documents containing allegations to journalists. Last week, after a dramatic attempt to keep his legal defence alive, McBride ultimately decided to plead…

The royal commission into the robo-debt scheme delivered 57 recommendations to the government in July. Four months later, the Albanese government has given its response, insisting it is acting to ensure that nothing like the "shameful" robo-debt scandal ever happens again. The government says it has accepted, in full or in principle, “all 56” of th…

In the spring of 2012, an unarmed Afghan villager, Ali Jan, was allegedly kicked off a cliff by Ben Roberts-Smith, who then purportedly directed another soldier to execute him. That allegation was central to the landmark defamation action brought by Roberts-Smith, where the court found it to be “substantially true”. Roberts-Smith has appealed that …

Today on the show, Author and founder of AIME (the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) Jack Manning Bancroft. Published on the day of the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, Jack’s piece is a statement on the continuing power of Indigenous knowledge systems, despite the long shadow of a failed referendum outcome. Jack will rea…

Off-the-record lunches, handwritten notes and a bouquet of red roses mark Rupert’s secret friendship with Britain’s most controversial PM, Margaret Thatcher. She helps drive Rupert to become the most powerful media mogul in the commonwealth. Together they will stoke wars against enemies both foreign and within. With Thatcher’s support, Rupert will …

Social harmony in Australia is under threat. The war in Gaza is prompting concerns about rising anti-Semitism and Islamophobia locally, and these deeply felt and wounding subjects are being hotly debated in our parliament. This week, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton clashed in one of the most fiery parliamentary confrontations since they assumed t…

If it wasn’t for the images of devastation emerging from Gaza in the Israel-Hamas war, this conflict would have the world on edge. It is happening just a few hundred kilometres to the north of Gaza, on the border between Lebanon and Israel – Hezbollah, the most powerful non-state military force in the world, is getting involved. Today, world editor…

The murder of a young woman at an elite private school – and the reaction from a former principal – has led to nationwide outrage. It’s also highlighted a broader culture of privilege in which young boys are protected from consequence or culpability. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on the murder of Lilie James, and what it…

The parole system exists to help people in prison who are no longer deemed a risk to the community begin to re-enter society. But the death in custody of an Indigenous woman who had been eligible for release for a year has raised questions about whether the laws are too strict. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Denham Sadler on the consequen…

Australia is not out of the woods on the cost-of-living crisis – prices are still rising too fast. Last week, the RBA were so concerned that they hiked interest rates again, saying it’s the only way to slow down the spending that’s pushing prices higher. But who is doing the spending? And how do they have money to throw around? Today, national corr…

Rupert wields enormous influence over Australia’s political landscape, but it wasn’t always this way. In the 1960s and ’70s, Rupert's struggle to step out of his father’s shadow drives him to launch the first national broadsheet. His gamble pays off when the paper helps elect our most ambitious and progressive leader, Gough Whitlam. But as Rupert g…

Humanitarians say the crisis in Gaza is like nothing they’ve ever seen before. There are especially grave concerns about the lives of children, after the deaths of at least 4000 children in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began. It’s why 18 international aid agencies – including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children – have now called for a …

It’s been a long time coming, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally met Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. The friendly meeting is in stark contrast to our diplomatic relationship in recent years, when China wasn’t picking up the phone to Australia. So how did it go? Why are both leaders so keen to restore ties? And can the relationship …

Renters across Australia are facing a worsening housing crisis. With hikes in rents and growing complaints about the quality of living in rental homes, many are at breaking point. But now, as national cabinet considers options for strengthening the hand of those who rent, a High Court judgement has redrawn the relationship between tenants and landl…

Over the years, countless efforts have been made to release Julian Assange. As of now, he’s still likely to be extradited to the United States to face charges that amount to over 100 years in jail. The latest attempt to free him has united an unlikely band of politicians: members of the Greens, Labor, the Coalition and Independents recently travell…

While they’re far from a household name, almost all Australians have now heard the political messages they craft. Advance, a right-wing campaigning group, has gained enormous ground in the past few years, and played a crucial role in defeating the Voice referendum. So who are they? And what are they after next? Today, national correspondent for The…

Today, journalist Nicole Hasham, with her piece from a recent edition of The Monthly. On top of a hill in a remote Aboriginal community, hours from Alice Springs, is an unmissable sight: a 20 metre high, steel Christian cross. It’s a monument that was a decade in the making, cost 2 million dollars to build, and has attracted the interest of Hollywo…

After his father’s death, a young Rupert inherits a small newspaper in 1950s Adelaide. There, he teams up with the paper’s editor to save a man sentenced to hang. When the paper is threatened, a ruthless streak emerges in the boy publisher. He brings down the man he saw as a father figure. In the present day, Paddy finds an unpublished manuscript t…

As images of the Gaza ground invasion continue to dominate the news, many Australians are distressed and grieving. Divides in the community are also reflected among our politicians – with splits emerging not just between the major parties, but within them. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno, on how bipartisanship has been lost …

Ian Parmeter was Australia’s ambassador to Lebanon when Hezbollah was fighting Israel in the late 1990s. And although there are parallels between what he saw then and what is happening today in Gaza, the situation is very different. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and prevent it from ever launching another atta…

As Anthony Albanese and Joe Biden toasted each other last week, one of the most significant deals in Australian history hung in the background. The AUKUS submarine deal isn’t just one of the biggest spends our government has ever made, it also promises to transform Australia’s military relationship with the United States. Today, spokesperson on Def…

Over the weekend, Israel said it was entering the ‘second stage of war’ with Hamas. Israel destroyed phone and internet capabilities in Gaza, while a large number of Israeli troops crossed the border. The civilian death toll is mounting daily. Meanwhile, a majority of countries at the UN General Assembly voted in support of a humanitarian truce. So…

For three years, China and Australia had virtually frozen their diplomatic ties – our largest trading partner and regional superpower was not picking up the phone. But there’s been a rapid turnaround in the relationship. Ahead of a visit this week by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, we’ve seen the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei and the …

Rupert Murdoch is the media’s most powerful man. His newspapers and TV networks can topple leaders, change policies and throw into doubt the outcome of entire elections. In this six-part series from Schwartz Media, investigative journalist Paddy Manning charts Rupert Murdoch’s rise from a small newspaper in Adelaide to his reign as the last global …

This week, Anthony Albanese was given the highest honour a guest of the US president can receive, a state dinner – attended by powerbrokers from Washington and Hollywood. But while the PM was riding high in the US, back home his government is polling at its lowest levels since their election. So, is it all downhill from here? Today, columnist for T…

Calls are growing louder for a ceasefire, or at least a “humanitarian truce”, in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israeli troops are still on standby at the border, and the Netanyahu government seems committed to pushing into Gaza. But though several hostages have been freed, hundreds are still held by Hamas – can Israel invade without puttin…

Independent MP Zali Steggall has used her time in parliament to advocate for stronger climate targets, and criticised both Labor and Coalition governments for not acting fast enough. Now she’s calling for an urgent change to our climate targets in Australia, to raise them and to include every sector in the economy. Today, Member for Warringah Zali …

In Australia, if you’re on welfare your payment can be suspended by a for-profit, private company – even if you’ve done nothing wrong. With tens of thousands of jobseekerspeople being affected by suspensions every week, anti-poverty experts are urging the government to act, warning thatit’s putting already vulnerable people are already at risk and …

Thomas Mayo, one of the most prominent “Yes” campaigners for the referendum, is still reeling from its defeat. But after observing a week of silence, along with other Indigenous leaders, he’s had time to reflect on the campaign’s loss and on his own regrets. So, does he think Australia is better or worse off for having had the vote? And does he wan…

For many Australians, facing the reality of this country is a task that has proved enduringly difficult, both at a public and a political level. For investigative journalist David Marr, finding the right way to tell the stories that allow us to see the truth of our history is a personal quest and one that has led to his latest book. This week, Mich…

After the Voice to Parliament was rejected, attention turned to Canberra this week to ask what’s next. But for those who held out any hope our politicians had a plan prepared to address Indigenous disadvantage, they were sorely mistaken. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper, Daniel James, on whether there’s a path to treaty and what the debate w…

Australia’s record on climate action places us well behind other countries. But, at a global summit in New York last month, you’d be forgiven for thinking Australia was a climate leader, after being praised for partnering with a small pacific nation facing the worst consequences of climate change. So, how do our climate representatives manage to se…

The US Supreme Court has become extraordinarily politicised. Judge appointments are watched like a spectator sport and decisions like the overturning of Roe v Wade blur the lines between the judicial and the political. There’s a growing concern that a movement against the High Court of Australia is borrowing tactics from the United States. Today, l…

The international community could soon bear witness to the ground invasion of Gaza, one of the most densely populated residential areas in the world. That is how Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Israel appears to have decided to retaliate after the recent attack by Hamas. It marked the greatest loss of life in a single day in Israel’s history. Si…

The “No” campaign’s victory was anything but assured 12 months ago. It’s victory came from the elevation of key spokespeople and talking points, cooked up by a group most Australians have never heard of: the CIS. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on the secretive groups that crafted negative messaging and elevated …

Australians have resoundingly voted against the Voice to Parliament referendum in every state. First Nations Australians won’t be recognised in the constitution, and they won’t have a Voice. It means the Uluru Statement from the Heart has been rejected and the path of Voice, Treaty, Truth is over. Today, contributor to The Monthly and The Saturday …

Tomorrow, Australia will vote on the future of reconciliation. It’s a binary question, but we’re being asked to consider the country’s relationship with the First Australians and how we want to conduct political discourse. The final episode in this series looks at the two different Australias we are choosing between, with someone who has spent her …

There was a time when conservatives could have supported the Voice, by backing a proposal brought by Indigenous Australians at the request of then prime minister Tony Abbott. Instead, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, after months of equivocation, decided to reject the Voice with all the gusto we’ve come to expect from the man who walked out on the n…