The top tax expert at Price Waterhouse Coopers, one of the big four consulting firms, helped the Australian government create a pioneering tax law that would finally crack down on multinational companies that were avoiding paying tax here. At the very same time, that expert shared that confidential information to help the firm’s clients avoid paying that very same tax. This betrayal, which one senator has likened to a “major cancer”, was revealed in January this year. But since then, we’ve heard bombshell finding after bombshell finding. Today, economics correspondent Rachel Clun, on what you need to know about this bad deal of the century. And whether the worst is yet to come. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A week ago, Clare Nowland, a 95-year-old great grandmother, died after being tasered. She weighed 43 kilograms, and suffered from dementia. The case has shone a spotlight on NSW Police, which is now battling to regain control. Today, state political reporter Michael McGowan, on who should police the police. And why calls for greater oversight have a history of being ignored. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For millennia, Wreck Bay, a tiny Indigenous village on the south coast of NSW, was paradise. But in the last few decades, a remarkable number of residents have died or become sick. They’ve suffered from heart attacks, kidney disease and cancer after cancer. Today, investigative reporter Carrie Fellner on the toxic chemicals that locals argue have poisoned Wreck Bay, and why the Australian government hasn’t banned these dangerous chemicals. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warning: This story contains graphic content. We finally know what happened in the missing persons investigation that captured a nation. Melissa Caddick, the fraudster who stole $23 million from her closest family and friends, is dead. So said the deputy state coroner, who handed down her report last week. But how did she come to this finding? Until now, all we knew was that Caddick’s right foot had washed up on the shores of a remote beach. This was shortly after she went missing, nearly two and a half years ago. Today, investigative reporter Kate McClymont, on what we now know - and what we’ll never know - about what happened to Melissa Caddick. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The week in parliament has been dominated by debate over the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. The legislation enabling the Voice referendum was introduced to the House of Representatives, and more than 80 MPs spoke during the debate on the bill’s second reading. Opposition leader Peter Dutton kicked off the debate with a no-holds-barred attack on the proposal, saying it would “re-racialise” Australia, and would have an Orwellian effect, making some Australians more equal than others. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his speech to denounce the remarks made by Dutton. He accused the Leader of the Opposition of seeking to amplify misinformation about the Voice. Today, federal political reporter Lisa Visentin and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the latest developments over the Voice to Parliament debate. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever since Scott Morrison was booted as prime minister, exactly a year ago this past weekend, the rumour mill has been in overdrive. When will he leave politics? Calls for his resignation have been coming since Morrison was accused of undermining our democracy. That was last year, when we found out he had secretly appointed himself to five senior ministries when he was in power. Today, national affairs editor James Massola joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss what happens when a former PM won’t exit stage left. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Stan Grant announced that he would be leaving the ABC and standing down as the host of its Q+A program. His decision, and the torrent of abuse that prompted it, has led to a reckoning about how responsible the media is for the racism that pervades our culture. Today, culture news editor Osman Faruqi joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss Stan Grant, the ABC and Australia's racism problem. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warning: This episode contains graphic content. Australia will soon embark on a debate about whether the government should step in to restrict children’s access to online pornography. For many advocates, it’s not a minute too soon. While the link between young people watching pornography and real-life harm has been disputed for years, numerous experts now say that this long-held truth is starting to come undone. Among them is a president of a children’s court here who now sees sexual assault allegations that frequently feature choking. It is just one piece of evidence, she says, that suggests how violent porn is being enacted in the bedrooms of teenagers throughout Australia. Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on what a new report into this issue has found, and the pressure that many teens now feel to steer clear of so-called “vanilla sex”. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's known as the Mr Big of trafficking and for the last few years Binjun Xie has cultivated a lavish lifestyle in Sydney off the back of human misery. Evidence suggests that the crime syndicate boss has been exploiting women in an illegal prostitution ring here, moving them around like cattle from one hotel to another. But did it have to be this way? A report leaked last week reveals that Australian government authorities have failed to heed warnings about corrupt officials within our immigration and education systems, who have enabled such sex rings and human trafficking to flourish. Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on just how easily crime bosses like Binjun Xie have been able to game our visa system, and the secret and scathing report that aims to hold them to account. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Sunday, the Albanese government will have been in power for one year. When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister, he made big promises. He said “no one left behind and no one held back” under his government. And that he would “seek common purpose and promote unity” among Australians. So what exactly has this government achieved so far? Has Albanese lived up to the optimistic promise of his election night victory speech? And what upcoming problems are likely to bring the government’s honeymoon period to an end? Today, political commentator and author Niki Savva and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the Albanese government, one year in. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was meant to be a moment of great triumph for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. American president Joe Biden was due to visit our shores next week for a historic meeting, in what would have been the first Australian visit by an American president in a decade. But yesterday, less than nine hours after Albanese confirmed Biden's visit, the American president cancelled. National correspondent Matthew Knott tells Samantha Selinger-Morris why Biden pulled out, and what it means for the relationship between the two countries. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Billionaire tech boss Elon Musk takes a version of it. Model Julia Fox has denied using it. We’re talking, of course, about the new weight-loss drug that has swept the globe. The weekly injection that helps people feel fuller on less food. It is now, say local doctors, shockingly easy to get. But is Ozempic, and other drugs like it, medical magic? Are they the first medications to produce double-digit weight loss without crippling side effects? Or are the drugs and the new online shops now selling them fostering a new generation of patients who will end up suffering unintended consequences? Today, technology editor Nick Bonyhady joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss the potential - and the dangers - of the weight loss drugs that are sweeping Australia. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks to recent queries from an independent senator, we now know that nearly 1,800 people have been granted access to lobby our federal government. The kicker? We don’t know who they are. Under a system that is now under great scrutiny, these people have unfettered access to the private corridors of Parliament House in Canberra. With their bright orange passes granted to them by politicians, they have the ability to wander into the offices of ministers, backbenchers and independents at any hour. Today, chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, David Crowe, on why we are prevented from knowing who is influencing those in power, and just how serious a threat this might be to our democracy. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The “cost of living crisis”. It’s a phrase we constantly hear at the moment. And it was the centrepiece of the budget the federal government handed down last week. But what does that mean for families on the ground who were struggling to make rent and put food on the table for their children, even before the recent record-breaking spike in inflation? Today, Sydney Editor Michael Koziol takes us inside one community cafe that exposes Australia’s devastating cost of living crisis. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the budget was handed down earlier this week, Katy Gallagher - the Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service - tweeted that Labor is, “backing Australian women with the most significant single-year investment in women’s equality in at least the last 40 years”. Gallagher said that’s because equality for women isn’t an add-on or a nice to have. That it’s crucial for our prosperity. But what exactly has Labor promised women? And were they really “winners” in this year’s budget? And, while the government has put billions of dollars into bulk-billing - which many GPs claim they can no longer afford to do - there is no guarantee doctors will cooperate with the government’s plans. Is there any way the government can police bulk billing? What are doctors saying about this budget measure? Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and economics correspondent Rachel Clun join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many listeners may have seen recent articles - and there have been many - about how One Nation MP Mark Latham recently wrote a homophobic tweet, aimed at another politician. It could lead to Latham being charged with a criminal offence, or even sent to jail. But how did it come to this, for a politician who was once close to becoming our Prime Minister? Today, state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, Alexandra Smith on the damage Mark Latham has wreaked on others during his political career, and just what it takes for a parliamentarian to lose their power. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the Labor government’s second federal budget. While it forecast a $4 billion surplus – the first surplus in 15 years – it also laid bare the challenges the economy is facing, both here and globally. Today, David Crowe and Shane Wright join host Tory Maguire to discuss what the budget will do to ease the economic pressures, who it will help, and what it can tell us about Labor's priorities. #breakingnews #news #budget2023 #auspol #australia #finance #budget Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sudden outbreak of violence in Sudan, beginning last month, has killed hundreds of people, and trapped millions in their homes. Bodies lie in the streets and the sounds of gunshots reverberate off concrete walls torn with bullet holes. Many fear starvation. Amid this chaos are hundreds of Australians. More than 230 of them have already been evacuated, but an unknown number are still struggling to leave. Today, senior writer with The Age, Bianca Hall, on the conflict in Sudan - and the Australians stranded there. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disposable vapes will be banned under a major crackdown by the federal government, with Health Minister Mark Butler calling it “the biggest loophole in Australia’s healthcare history”. The emphasis will be on quote “the people selling” with tougher border controls, policing - and millions of dollars invested in nicotine cessation support programs. But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the government attempt to curb vaping. So will the new reforms be enough to stop a new generation of vapers in their tracks? Today, federal health reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Natassia Chrysanthos on Australia’s vaping problem. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will the Albanese government make changes to JobSeeker after its own committee called it a “pressing concern” because of the “precarious financial situation” of those on the payment? And, what did we learn about our Prime Minister after his hour-long exclusive interview with controversial TV host Piers Morgan in the UK? Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and columnist Sean Kelly join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.