Insiders ABC News
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Every Sunday morning, the ABC's national political lead David Speers unpacks the major stories shaping Australia's future. Each episode includes a major interview with an Australian politician and an extensive discussion with a panel of the country's best journalists. This show will help you understand the major factors behind the decisions and debates driving a national conversation.
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On Background: Is Australia’s energy transition on track?
Barely a week goes by when the great energy transition isn’t making news of some sort. This week the government announced feasibility licences for a bunch of developers to work on plans for Australia’s first offshore wind zone in waters off Gippsland in Victoria.
At the same time, Energy Minister Chris Bowen was talking up the need to seek new supplies of gas to support renewables. The government’s been making all sorts of announcements under its new Future Made in Australia policy – to subsidise the local manufacturing of solar panels and other green technology. While the Coalition continues to talk up its plans for nuclear energy – even if it’s unclear when those actual plans will be unveiled or whether the opposition will make any sort of commitment to a new emissions target. And this week we also saw a concerning report from the Grattan Institute – warning the great energy transition is “not going well”. So – are we on the right track? And how bumpy is it likely to get?
David Speers interviews Kerry Schott, chair of the Carbon Market Institute and AGL board member, among many things, in the latest episode of Insiders: On Background. -
In the budget lead-up, the government is struggling to flag its plans
In the lead-up to this year's budget announcement, the Albanese government is struggling to maintain the public's focus and clear air to announce their plans.
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Will government act on the male violence epidemic?
The crisis of male violence against women in this country is escalating, as an average of one woman every four days is killed so far in 2024. The murder of NSW woman Molly Ticehurst allegedly at the hands of her former partner has sparked community outrage and calls for governments to act urgently to protect women against intimate partner violence. We’ve seen these calls before, but the numbers of dead women continue to be a national shame, so what can and should be done? The panel Bridget Brennan, Karen Middleton and Shane Wright discuss.
Elsewhere this week, Australia is pushing back at the power of social media giants. The battle over who can watch video of a violent stabbing - has become an important test – being watched around the world. What control can a nation state wield over big tech? David Speers interviews Independent MP for Fowler in Sydney’s southwest Dai Le about her community’s social cohesion following the stabbing of a bishop. Mike Bowers talks the week in pictures with Lewis Hobba. -
Productivity commissioner puts the government on the defensive
While Anthony Albanese says we're in a "race for jobs" with other countries offering big government subsidies and can't afford to be "left behind", Productivity Commissioner Danielle Wood isn't sure it's a race we should even be in.
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On Background: Productivity concerns over Australian solar
The Prime Minister has already made it clear what will be the centrepiece of the next federal budget. His second term agenda centres around a Future Made in Australia. Everyone loves the idea of more stuff being made in Australia, particularly Labor Prime Ministers - but the question is at what cost to taxpayers and to consumers. Now, we still don't know all of the details of this plan for a future made in Australia. But we do know it will involve government subsidies and tax incentives aimed at trying to encourage more manufacturing of things like solar panels, batteries, and other green tech that's going to be needed in the transition to net zero future.
Various former Productivity Commissioners have warned about a return to the bad old days of protectionism, throwing money around on uncompetitive industries. And even the current Productivity Commissioner Danielle Wood, appointed to the role by the treasurer late last year, has raised some concerns. David Speers speaks to Commissioner Wood in the latest episode of Insiders: On Background. -
Lehrmann's landmark defamation ruling
The Insiders panel of Samantha Maiden, Phil Coorey, and Lenore Taylor discuss the judgement in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial, with Justice Michael Lee ruling that on the balance of probabilities Lehrmann raped his colleague Brittany Higgins in a ministerial suite inside Parliament House in 2019. The judgement was hailed by journalist Lisa Wilkinson as a vindication of her story, but it also included strong criticism of key parts of the The Project’s broadcast – particularly the suggestion that members of the Morrison government and their staff had covered-up the sexual assault.
David Speers interviews Opposition Leader Peter Dutton about the government’s role following the week of violence in Sydney, nuclear power, and the Lehrmann verdict. The panel also discuss defence spending and delays to the EPBC act.
Customer Reviews
Great show, lousy podcast
This is an excellent show, but since switching to video format in podcasts it is almost unwatchable. They have broken down each segment to be its own download, some only a minute or two long. This is crazy if you'retrying to listen on the bus....very frustrating!