7am Schwartz Media

When the robodebt royal commission’s final report landed, it was scathing. It condemned the entire scheme, the individuals who rolled it out and the government culture that enabled it.
The commissioner went to significant lengths to refer six people to the then very fresh National Anti-Corruption Commission.
But last week, the NACC decided to drop the investigation, essentially saying it had nothing to add.
So, what’s the motivation behind this shift? Why not take a swing at the architects of such a discredited and damaging scheme?
Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on why no one is being held to account for the scheme and the impact on victims.

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Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton

Over 90 years ago, a Swiss astrophysicist theorised there was an unseen, unobservable force that sits behind the universe we know.
He called it ‘dark matter’, and today we’re not much closer to understanding it than he was.
But that could be about to change, as a group of Australian researchers are part of our most promising effort yet to uncover the nature of this unseen force
Today, Atticus Bastow will read his piece, ‘The search for dark matter’ from The Saturday Paper.

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Guest: The 7am podcast’s technical producer, Atticus Bastow

There’s an issue exposing fault lines within our political parties and pitting their traditional supporters against each other, fracturing the electorate.
That issue is the new ban on vapes, which is set to pass parliament at the end of the month.
The Albanese government’s proposed ban is putting pressure on the Coalition, which has already been losing ground with professional women tired of catching their kids with a vape, while the Greens fear they will alienate their younger voters if they oppose the bill.
Today, special correspondent for The Saturday Paper Jason Koutsoukis, on the politics of the new vaping ban – and why it will be hard to police. 

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Guest: Special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis.

There’s been a slow but steady reckoning on sexual harassment and discrimination in workplaces across Australia.
That reckoning should have already come to the most high-profile workplace in the country – Parliament House. But several years on from the Jenkins report, has the culture really changed?
Today, chief political correspondent The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow, on the challenges of policing parliamentarians and why alcohol is so ingrained in political culture.

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Guest: Chief political correspondent The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow

There are two things to know about the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The first is that it makes an immense difference to many lives across Australia. The second is that it’s wildly expensive and is projected to cost even more in the future.
So, how to reconcile those two realities? It’s what the government is trying to solve with a new piece of legislation that’s been shrouded in secrecy for months – but some in the sector say this legislation could hand government authorities more powers to pursue debts.
Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on the holes in the NDIS legislation.

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Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton

Many Australians have an idea of New Caledonia. It’s just two hours away by plane and is sold to travellers with images of luxurious hotel complexes and pristine beaches.
But riots in the capital, a state of emergency and the intervention of the French military have been reminders that the future of New Caledonia is a fraught political question sitting on our doorstep.
So, what provoked the unrest? How are we involved? And why are the French still trying to hold on to a Pacific nation?
Today, journalist Nic Maclellan, on the tension in the Pacific he’s covered for decades, and Kanak independence activist Jimmy Naouna, on his hopes for the future of New Caledonia.

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Guest: Journalist, Nic Maclellan; Spokesperson for New Caledonian pro-independence alliance, the FLNKS, Jimmy Naouna.