7am

In Canberra, accountability is often promised in moments of crisis. Much harder is what comes after. Matt Canavan has taken over the Nationals leadership, sharpening his party’s ability to confront One Nation. Former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson has walked away from the government’s antisemitism royal commission, raising fresh questions about a process already under pressure. And years after Robodebt devastated thousands of lives, a final report has landed with a reminder of just how hard real accountability can be to find. Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton, on what Canavan’s rise means for the Coalition, why Richardson’s resignation matters to Anthony Albanese, and what the Robodebt findings tell us about whether the system is capable of holding anyone to account. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Karen Middleton, press gallery journalist Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Bolton has spent years arguing that bombing Iran isn’t just justified but necessary. For decades he has argued that American military force can solve the problem of hostile regimes in the Middle East. He backed the Invasion of Iraq, championed some of the most disastrous American interventions of the modern era, and despite that, he is still arguing more force, more intervention and more regime change will bring stability to the Middle East. Now, as the US escalates again, Bolton’s worldview is back at the centre of the debate. A worldview, that when it comes to Iran, our government shares. Today, former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, on the strikes on Iran, and on why a man who backed the invasion of Iraq still sees bombing as the answer. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Ambassador John Bolton, Former Trump National Security Advisor Photo: PA/Alamy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Iran announced a new Supreme Leader. Mojtaba Khamenei is the son of the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But who’s really running the country now? We look into the heavily armed elite forces pulling the strings – the Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. Today, Iranian journalist and author Arash Azizi on what direction Iran’s elite armed forces could take the country. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Iranian journalist and author, Arash Azizi Photo: EPA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Sunday night, after Iran’s final game of the Women’s Asian Cup on the Gold Coast, protesters surrounded the team bus, banging on the windows and shouting “let them go”. Later, five members of the Iranian squad broke away from their minders. By Tuesday, the federal government had confirmed they had been granted humanitarian visas. The move followed days of concern about what the players might face if they returned to Iran, after several were denounced on Iranian state television for refusing to sing the national anthem at the start of the tournament. The government says the same option remains open to the rest of the team, but for now they look set to return to a war zone. Today, former Socceroo and human rights advocate Craig Foster on what this moment says about football’s failure to protect women players when they needed them most. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Former Socceroos captain and human rights advocate, Craig Foster Photo: AAP Image/Dave Hunt See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Independent MP Monique Ryan can remember a time in Australian politics when small breaches could cost a career. Now she says we’ve been gradually conditioned to tolerate corruption and the loss of transparency in parliament. Over recent years, there has been a marked increase in the number of lobbyists with access to Parliament House. Literally thousands move through the building, meeting politicians and staffers; often leaving little public trace of who they’ve spoken to and why. Today, Independent MP, Monique Ryan on the thousands of lobbyists roaming the halls of Parliament House and the system she says allows them to influence, behind closed doors, the decisions that affect us all. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Dr Monique Ryan, Independent MP Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who should hold the power to decide how AI is used on our battlefields? That’s the question being debated after a face-off between the Pentagon and one of the world’s biggest AI companies. Anthropic ultimately lost its contract with the US military after refusing to let its Claude program be used for mass surveillance of American citizens, or for fully automated weapons capable of killing with no human oversight. But now that its rival, OpenAI, has stepped into the ring and cut its own deal with the government, what does that mean for how AI is used in our current wars – and the wars of the future? Today, David Wroe from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on tech titans, robodogs and whether AI should be used to kill. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: David Wroe, Australian Strategic Policy Institute Photo: Xinhua/Sipa USA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been revealed this week that Monash IVF has paid millions of dollars in secret settlements, after two nightmare mixups saw women implanted with the wrong embryos – one of them giving birth to a stranger’s baby. At least three families have now received compensation for the bungle, which was caused by human error. But these mistakes – at one of the oldest and most reputable clinics in the country – have had devastating consequences that reach far beyond the affected families, damaging the confidence of anyone relying on fertility treatment in Australia. In this episode, which first aired in June 2025, Ruby Jones speaks with writer and public health campaigner Hannah Bambra on why the IVF industry is so vulnerable to human error. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Hannah Bambra, writer and public health campaigner Photo: AAP Image/Dean Lewins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the United States launched strikes on Iran, Australia was quick to back the move. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it’s about defending global security. But critics say that argument sounds familiar. More than two decades ago, another Australian prime minister used almost identical arguments to justify joining America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Back then, Albanese himself warned those decisions would redefine Australia as a willing backer of US militarism no matter whether it is in the national interest. Today, political editor at Crikey, Bernard Keane, on why he believes the Prime Minister has undergone a remarkable transformation, and what it means for Australia as the conflict grows. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor at Crikey Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An effort by Congress to rein in President Trump’s war in Iran has failed. Democrats and a few Republicans tried to use the War Powers Resolution to force Trump to get approval from Congress to keep fighting – but it didn’t pass. Now the war is dragging in more countries, fueling a global crisis and dividing nations. Today Jasmine El-Gamal, former White House adviser and founder of Averos Strategies, on Trump’s war – is it ego, blind ambition or part of a plan to reshape the world? If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Jasmine El-Gamal, founder of Averos Strategies Photo: Abbas Hassan/TASS/Sipa USA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the High Court handed down its Mabo decision, it cracked open the legal fiction at the heart of the nation. Terra Nullius was gone. For John Howard, then in opposition, it provided an opportunity. He framed the moment not as correction, but as a threat. A story was spun to suburban and regional Australia: your backyard, your lease, your livelihood were suddenly, all under threat. For John Howard, the real battle was over the nation’s conscience. He dismissed what he called the “black armband” view of history and described the violence and dispossession of the past as mere “blemishes” on an otherwise proud national story. He refused to apologise to the Stolen Generations, rejecting the idea that the nation owed a moral debt. In its place, he chose pride over reckoning — and ideology over truth. Author and political commentator Amy Remeikis has spent months tracing the threads of Howard’s legacy, not just the policies, but the narratives that made them possible. This is the Howard Effect, a three part series from 7am marking 30 years since John Howard's ascent to power. Episode Three - Who Belongs If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author of Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard, Amy Remeikis See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s just over two years into his first term and John Howard is taking the country to another election. In that short time he has seized the mantle of economic credibility away from Labor and rewritten the argument about who could be trusted to manage the economy. The memory of Labor's reforms while in government were suddenly distant, and the constant reminder of the devastating recession of the 90s were kept fresh in the mind of voters by Howard and his treasurer Peter Costello. Economic Management became the major selling point for Howard in every election from there on in. This is The Howard Effect, a three-part series marking 30 years since John Howard’s emphatic election victory. Today, author Amy Remeikis on the economic revolution that defined his government — the tax reforms, the housing settings, and the policy choices that helped create the Australia we are all still living in. This is episode 2 - In the Shadows of the Australian Dream. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author of Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard, Amy Remeikis See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was the second of March 1996. After 13 years of Labor in power, Paul Keating’s government had been defeated in a landslide, closing the door on the Hawke-Keating era and opening another on a new political age. John Howard’s victory marked the beginning of a prime ministership that would run for eleven years – redefining the Liberal Party, reshaping the economy, hardening the culture wars and changing the way power is exercised in Canberra. In this three-part series, Amy Remeikis – contributing editor at The New Daily takes us back to Howard’s years in power. Amy has just released a new book on Howard, Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard. In this series she traces his improbable rise to the prime ministership, the way he consolidated power, and how he reshaped the nation in his own image. This is Part 1 of a three-part series. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author of Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard, Amy Remeikis See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States has entered a new war in the Middle East – alongside Israel – launching strikes inside Iran. Iranian authorities say civilians have been targeted, including in a strike on a girls’ primary school in Minab – killing more than a hundred children. Israel says it’s targeting the regime’s military and nuclear infrastructure. And across the region, Iran has already fired missiles and drones at Israel and at Arab states hosting American forces. Then came the most consequential announcement of all: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead. Khamenei was the centre of Iran’s power for decades – and his death leaves the country’s leadership in flux, at the exact moment the conflict is spreading. Today, Dr Bader Mousa Al-Saif – a Gulf politics expert, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University and non-resident fellow at The Arab Gulf States institute – on the goal of regime change in Iran and whether Gulf states will pick a side. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Gulf politics expert and assistant professor of history at Kuwait University, Dr Bader Mousa Al-Saif Photo: EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immigration is back at the centre of federal politics – again. The Coalition’s new leadership is arguing Australia needs lower numbers, tougher rules, and a clearer cap on how many people we bring in each year. It’s a familiar conversation. In the lead up to the 2024 election, Peter Dutton tried to put a hard number on it – promising to cut migration by 100,000 a year, saying it would help free up housing for Australians. But critics say a large cut would hit the workforce Australia relies on, including the people needed to build more homes. Abul Rizvi was a senior official in the Department of Immigration from the early 90s to 2007, when he left as deputy secretary. He says the argument we keep having – election after election – skips the bigger question: Australia’s need for a long-term population plan, and what we want it to achieve. Today, Abul Rizvi on the politics of population growth. This episode was first published in April, 2025. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Former deputy secretary of the department of immigration, Abul Rizvi. Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Canberra, a fight both major parties have tried to avoid is back. The Senate is examining the capital gains tax discount – the Howard-era change that slashed tax on asset profits and helped turn housing into a national obsession. It’s long been considered untouchable, especially after Labor’s bruising 2019 election defeat. But with house prices entrenched, inequality rising and the budget under strain, pressure is building on the government to do something. Today, economist and Executive Director of the Australia Institute Richard Denniss, on why the concession exists, the vested interests resisting change, and whether the politics around it are finally shifting. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Executive Director of the Australia Institute, Richard Denniss Photo: EPA/LUONG THAI LINH See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whistleblowers have exposed some of Australia’s biggest scandals – from Robodebt and misconduct in the banking sector, to alleged war crimes in Afghanistan – stories that often only come to light because someone inside decides to speak up. But for the people who do, the personal cost can be devastating: retaliation at work, legal threats, even prosecution. And that fear keeps others silent, leaving wrongdoing to fester. The Albanese government came to office in 2022 promising a stronger integrity agenda, including “immediate improvements” to whistleblower laws and broader reform to follow. But years on, what’s actually changed for whistleblowers, and why do so many still feel unprotected? Today, lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project, Kieran Pender, on creating Australia’s first specialist legal service for whistleblowers, and what’s wrong with our laws. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project, Kieran Pender Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full of hubris and bravado, the State of the Union Address was classic Trump – the showman who knows how to work a crowd. In the chamber there was plenty of love, but on the streets of America the President’s popularity has been falling. Today, US journalist Steve Clemons, editor at large of The National Interest- on the speech and the spectacle – how did Trump’s state of the union go down, and what does it all mean for the midterms. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Steve Clemons, Editor at Large of The National Interest Photo: Kenny Holston/Pool/Sipa USA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Russia struck Ukraine four years ago it kicked off the first full scale war in Europe since World War II. Now, as Russia knocks out Ukraine’s power grid, and people freeze at temperatures of below minus 20 – is it time for President Zelensky to cut a deal? Today, Kateryna Argyrou Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations on travelling through a war torn country and whether it is time for Ukraine to cut a deal. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Kateryna Argyrou, Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/Sipa USA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By the time a wide-eyed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was slumped in the back of a Range Rover on his way to the police station last week, the reality had hit home. The man who was once a prince, watching his life crumble before his eyes. Now, as the world reels from Andrew’s arrest, and the royals scramble to protect themselves from one of the biggest crises the palace has ever faced – a warning from a royal biographer: that Charles could go down too. Today, royal historian Andrew Lownie, who literally wrote the book on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on what’s next for the former prince – and whether the King could be forced to abdicate the throne. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Andrew Lownie, historian and royal biographer Photo: Richard Pohle/The Times Pool via AP See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk and his SpaceX team want to launch up to one million satellites as part of a proposal to power massive data centres in space. They pitch it as a clean, green alternative to regular data centres. But as Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded, what will Elon’s mega constellation do to our night sky? And could a crash between satellites set off a catastrophic chain reaction? Today, Associate Professor of Astronomy Sam Lawler on the potential for disaster, the need for new space laws, and the time a huge piece of space junk landed in her home town! If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Associate Professor of Astronomy, Samantha Lawler Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters Images Europe/Pool/dpa See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.