In January, Katie Tangey was killed in a Melbourne house fire believed to be part of the ongoing “tobacco wars”. Police say she was an innocent victim and the arsonists got the wrong address. The tobacco wars are driven by rival gangs fighting over a black market worth billions, and have been marked by firebombings, extortion and murder. While headlines focus on the violence, skyrocketing government taxes on tobacco have long been fuelling the fire behind the scenes. Today, associate editor for The Saturday Paper, Martin McKenzie-Murray, on how a public health initiative created the conditions for a deadly turf war.   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 editor for The Saturday Paper, Martin McKenzie-Murray. Photo: AAP Image/Diego Fedele

As Peter Dutton conceded his 24-year hold on the Brisbane seat of Dickson, he said the Liberal Party will “rebuild”. The party’s soul-searching has begun, as it looks to select a new leader and consider its future direction. But a return to the Liberal Party’s traditional values is complicated by Peter Dutton having led the party further to the right and the election having diminished much of its moderate wing. Today, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Barlow, on what’s next for the Liberal Party.   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: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Barlow. Credit: Pat Hoelscher / AP

Karen Middleton has known Anthony Albanese for more than 30 years – since before he entered parliament. She’s watched his rise, and documented the moments that have shaped the leader he is today. And Karen says this election is going to change Anthony Albanese, in ways that will change the country too. Today author of Albanese: Telling it Straight Karen Middleton, on why Anthony Albanese won – and what the next three years of Labor government will look like.    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: Journalist and author of Albanese - Telling It Straight Karen Middleton Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

The mood inside Labor HQ was jubilant as it became clear that against all expectations, Anthony Albanese had led the Labor party to victory, with a significantly increased majority. For the coalition the outcome is devastating, and Peter Dutton is out of a job. On top of that, the next generation of Liberal leadership has been wiped off the electoral map, setting the party back for years to come. Today, we take you inside Anthony Albanese’s election night party with special correspondent for The Saturday Paper Jason Koutsoukis.  We find out how Labor defied the odds and what it means for 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: special correspondent for The Saturday Paper Jason Koutsoukis Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

It’s election day! While Anthony Albanese’s campaign has been modest and predictable, Peter Dutton’s has been marked by missteps and backflips. It seems the traits that powered Dutton’s rise are now holding him back. Today, columnist and former adviser to two prime ministers, Sean Kelly, on the decisions that shaped both leaders – and what killed Peter Dutton’s campaign.   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: Columnist and former adviser to two prime ministers, Sean Kelly. Photo: AAP Image/Pool

Since the election was announced, just five weeks ago, at least five women have been killed by their partners in Australia. Yet this crisis has barely received a mention in either of the two major parties’ campaigns.  Dr Tracy Westerman, a Nyamal woman from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, has worked as a psychologist in remote communities for 25 years. She says where she works, the silence from politicians has been especially deafening. Aboriginal women face a significantly higher risk of domestic violence, but the assumptions our political leaders draw about the causes are deeply misguided.  Today, Dr Tracy Westerman on what’s really fuelling intimate partner violence in Aboriginal communities – and how to stop women from being killed.   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 Tracy Westerman. Photo: AAP / Lukas Coch

There’s one question Grace Tame is asked all the time: when is she going into politics? And her answer is always the same – never. Like many younger Australians, Tame is disillusioned with the two-party system, which she says serves a dwindling minority of morbidly wealthy players rather than the general public. But as Australia heads into an election where Gen Z and Millennials outnumber Baby Boomers for the first time, she thinks it’s a chance to move beyond the two-party games. Today, 2021 Australian of the Year and director of the Grace Tame Foundation, Grace Tame, on advocating for change outside of politics, and why this election is a chance to fix democracy.   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: 2021 Australian of the Year and director of the Grace Tame Foundation, Grace Tame. Photo: Don Arnold/WireImage

Under Peter Dutton’s leadership, the Coalition has placed One Nation candidates second on scores of how-to-vote cards across the country. In return, Pauline Hanson has switched One Nation's how-to-vote cards to preference the Liberals second in seats where the Coalition is under threat. The decision goes against decades of principled condemnation of Hanson and One Nation inside the Liberal Party, and normalises what has for almost 30 years been a shunned fringe voice in Australian politics. It signals a change not just in campaign tactics, but in what the Liberals stand for. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on the preference deal between One Nation and the Liberal Party and whether it could backfire.   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: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe. Photo: AAP Image / Brian Casey

If things go the Greens’ way this weekend, the party could hold the balance of power in a minority Labor government. But given the prime minister’s famed antipathy towards the Greens – and the Labor Party’s continual approvals of new coal and gas projects – questions remain about whether they’ll really have any power at all. Today, Greens leader Adam Bandt, on working with Albanese and what the Greens have to show for their record win last time around.   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: Greens leader Adam Bandt. Photo: AAP Image/Jason O’Brien

As we head to the polls this weekend, election analyst Ben Raue has been calculating the path to victory for the major parties.  The Coalition needs to pick up 18 seats to win, while if Labor loses four seats, they lose their majority. But as the electorate shifts in all kinds of surprising ways, the path to victory is becoming increasingly complicated for the major parties. Today, analyst at The Tally Room Ben Raue, on the seats that will decide the election – and why Victoria matters more than ever.   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: Analyst at The Tally Room, Ben Raue. Photo: AAP / Lukas Coch

The opening scene of Chris Flynn’s fourth and latest novel, Orpheus Nine, came to him in a dream. Not long after, he had the whole story down from start to finish. On this week’s episode of Read This, Chris and Michael sit down for a conversation about the falsity of certitude, how trauma can re-shape a community, and what The Exorcist, the Bible, and Winnie the Pooh all have in common.

Paul Bongiorno is one of the 1.2 billion Roman Catholics who mourned the loss of Pope Francis this week. As he read tribute after tribute of the impact of the Pope’s life, he noticed what wasn’t on the front page – Peter Dutton’s last-minute policy announcements. “The Pope is a world figure… and of course, it swamped the world’s media, including here in Australia. So it’s not surprising that the death of this pope would overshadow anything that our leaders were doing in the election campaign. In fact, it would blow the campaign out of the water for a few days.” Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on how the Pope’s death changed the election.   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: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno. Photo: AAP / Domenico Stinellis

In January, Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting the trans community by banning some medical care for minors. The move has had a chilling effect across the United States, as doctors withdraw their services for fear of being prosecuted and parents stop accessing medication for their children.  But many are fighting back. In one red state, we spoke with a doctor driving across state lines, at great personal risk, to give patients the care she says is needed to save their lives. Now, trans healthcare is also under attack in Australia – with the Queensland government announcing a ban on state-funded gender-affirming care for minors on the same day of Trump’s directive. Today, 7am’s senior producer Cheyne Anderson, on the ordinary people pushing back against Trump’s war on trans people, and how Queensland became the testing ground for bans in Australia.    Warning: this episode discusses suicide.  If you need support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also call QLife on 1800 184 527. Support is also available at:  Switchboard, Queerspace, Transcend Australia, Transgender Victoria and Minus18.   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:7am’s senior producer Cheyne Anderson Photo: AAP / Dean Lewis

When Scott Morrison lost his job as prime minister, it was women who sacked him. A review commissioned by the Liberal Party after the 2022 election found that a decline in support among women was a decisive factor in their loss. The report outlined ways the party might win women back. But three years on, that hasn’t happened. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Bri Lee, on what women want – and why they’re not getting it from the Liberal Party.   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: Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Bri Lee. Photo: Supplied.

When Peter Dutton’s son, Harry, fronted the media to talk about his dream of home ownership, it was an attempt by the opposition leader to seem relatable. The 20-year-old apprentice said he was “saving like mad”, but it’s unlikely he’d be able to save enough in the near future.  But it seems his father may have failed to anticipate the obvious question: would he help his son with a deposit? As reporter Mike Seccombe observed, “if he said he wouldn’t help Harry, he would look mean and/or untruthful – and if he said he would help, it could be seen as an admission that despite his promises to fix the housing affordability crisis, his son, and by extension other people struggling to get into the housing market, still couldn't achieve home ownership without parental help”. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on why both major parties have policies that will see house prices rise – and what it means for the housing crisis.   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: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe Photo: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

In a coastal corner of Australia, scientist Saul Griffith has been quietly working away on a plan to turn 500 households completely off fossil fuels. He hopes that what he achieves there can act as a blueprint for the rest of the country.  But for that to become a reality, the federal government would need to drastically increase their commitment to renewable energy.  Today, chief scientist at Rewiring Australia, Saul Griffith, on the electrification already underway – and what both sides of politics are promising for our energy future.    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: Chief scientist at Rewiring Australia Saul Griffith  Photo:

As a child refugee in India, Harini dreamt of making it to Australia to study medicine and become a doctor. She arrived in Australia in 2013 when she was 10 years old, leaving behind her two siblings and mother. Harini did not realise her visa status made her different to her classmates until she received a university offer for a biomedical science degree that required her to pay international student fees of nearly $100,000. After attempting to self-fund her studies and falling a year behind in payments, the university disenrolled Harini in 2023 – four months before she was set to complete her degree. Today, Harini Rathnakumar on how her promise of a better life in Australia was shattered, and the many others stuck in visa limbo. This episode was originally published in September 2024. Socials:Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Harini Rathnakumar Photo: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi

Over four decades Niall Williams has made a name for himself as one of Ireland’s leading novelists. In his latest novel, Time of the Child, Niall returns to the fictional village of Faha, in west Ireland, the setting of his previous book, This Is Happiness. Time of the Child centres on the notion of familial love, and as he explains to Michael in this week’s episode, Niall couldn’t have written it without becoming a grandfather himself.

At one point during this term of government, Indigenous affairs dominated national debate. Politicians, pundits and the public couldn't stop talking about it.  But since the Voice referendum failed, it’s become something of a taboo. Labor is eager to move on, while the Coalition is more focused on scoring points than offering a plan.  Now, with the election weeks away, there are glimpses of what might come next. Labor says it’s about delivering jobs. The Coalition says it’s about cutting waste. Today, contributor for The Saturday Paper, Ben Abbatangelo, on what the major parties are really offering – and what it all means for First Nations people around 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: Contributor for The Saturday Paper Ben Abbatangelo Photo: AAP Image / Lukas Coch

Last year, reporter Mike Seccombe looked into the divide between Australia’s richest and poorest schools to find out why this gap keeps widening. What he found was a broken system. Rich parents are able to get huge tax breaks by donating to opulent building projects at their kids’ private schools.  It’s a practice that goes way back, despite many arguing the tactic has become outdated. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper and a proud state school boy, Mike Seccombe, on why we need an overhaul of the charitable giving system that delivers some kids castles. This episode was originally published in July last year.    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: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe. Photo: Taylor Construction