7am

Australia’s tobacco wars are fuelling violence, with fire bombings and arson attacks spanning across the east coast. Now the federal government wants to treat these organised crime syndicates like ‘drug lords’ by going after them with wire tapping and seizing their assets. And the tobacconists are in trouble too, with calls to ban tobacco stores and only sell cigarettes in supermarkets. Today, Criminologist Dr James Martin, from Deakin University on how to reign in the multi billion dollar black market that’s created a gangsters paradise   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: Criminologist Dr James Martin, Deakin University Photo: AAP Image/Joel CarrettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Blackburn, former Deputy Chief of the RAAF and chair of the Institute of Economic Research Australia, outlines Australia's fragile fuel system. He discusses real petrol shortages, wider supply impacts on fertilizers and helium, the role of poor government messaging in sparking panic, and proposals like bilateral refinery deals and diversified fuel strategies.

Hamish Macdonald, ABC journalist and documentary presenter known for investigating media and misinformation. He explores how viral social posts and deepfakes spread falsehoods, the blurred line between misinformation and disinformation, and the geopolitical use of online lies. He also discusses public overconfidence in spotting fakes and practical ways to build media literacy.

It’s been one year since dead fish began washing up on South Australian beaches, as the largest algal bloom in Australia’s history spread along the coast. Marine ecologist Dr Scott Bennett was part of the team that first surveyed the bloom – coming face to face with the algae’s devastating impact. Twelve months on, the bloom is still there, the damage has spread, and many of the warnings scientists made in those early days have proved well founded – particularly the damage to marine life. Today, we’re bringing you an episode from 2025 with marine ecologist Dr Scott Bennett, on what caused the bloom, what he saw beneath the surface, and what it means for the fate of the ocean.This episode first aired in August 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: Marine ecologist Dr Scott BennettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Australia does not usually wake up on election day at the centre of the national mood. But this morning, a contest that looks settled on paper is carrying a much stranger energy. Peter Malinauskas is expected to win comfortably. The real movement is happening elsewhere; in the noise around One Nation, the protest vote in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis gathering around the once marginal party, and the possibility that a state election could end up telling us something bigger about where Australian politics is heading.  Today, Editor of InDaily SA, Belinda Willis, on the state election that may be a whitewash for Labor, but a warning for everyone else.    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: InDaily SA Editor Belinda Willis Photo: AAP Image/David MariuzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the world focuses on the war underway in Iran, Israel and the Gulf, there is another war front developing – Lebanon. Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Shia group, Hezbollah dragged the country into the war, attacking Israel after a joint US-Israeli airstrike killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel then hit back, bombing Beirut and amassing tens of thousands of troops on the border. Meanwhile, more than a million Lebanese people are now displaced, forced to flee their homes as the attacks continue and Israel demands evacuations. Today, Michael Young, editor of Carnegie’s Middle East Center blog on whether Lebanon could see a ground invasion and what Israel’s plan is to reshape the region.   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: Michael Young, editor of Carnegie’s Middle East Center blog Photo: EPA/WAEL HAMZEHSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brett Hosking is a fifth-generation grain and livestock farmer, and has seen his fair share of heartache and hard times. But this time, it’s not a natural disaster or a foreign war that’s threatening to tip farmers over the edge, but a decision from the Victorian government. The state has passed new compulsory acquisition laws which make it easier for energy companies to acquire farmers’ land and build transmission lines and renewable energy projects on it. Today, Victorian Farmers Federation President, Brett Hosking, on why the government’s push to roll out renewables and transition lines in rural Australia has left farmers feeling devastated and disrespected.   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: Brett Hosking, Victorian Farmers Federation President Photo: AAP Image/Joel CarrettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at The Australia Institute, critiques the RBA's recent rate rise and its reasoning. He questions the inflation drivers the bank cited and explains why monetary policy was used. He outlines the immediate pain for mortgages and household budgets, discusses who benefits from input-cost spikes, and considers the likelihood of further rate increases.

The war in the Middle East has sent Australia’s fuel prices soaring. And people are worried that if the battle between the US-Israel and Iran continues for another month – Australia may have to begin rationing fuel. Already, drivers are panic buying, stockpiling and some country petrol stations are running dry. Global oil supplies are under threat as Iran attacks tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Today, Tim Buckley, the Director of Climate Energy Finance, and the question: as the oil shock hits home, how high could the price at the pump really go?   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: Tim Buckley, Director of Climate Energy Finance Photo: PR Image/Supplied by Nathan FalvoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month, one of the biggest shows in Australian radio was suddenly pulled off air. For years, Kyle and Jackie O have been treated as untouchable – a breakfast radio juggernaut that could pull huge audiences, generate endless headlines, and weather scandal after scandal. So much so that the Australian Radio Network handed the pair a $200 million deal – one of the biggest contracts Australian media has ever seen – betting Sydney's most popular breakfast show could go national. But that bet turned shaky: The show struggled to win over Melbourne, controversies kept piling up, and the regulator repeatedly found it in breach of broadcasting standards. Now, after an on-air rupture that has blown apart the partnership at the centre of it all, the future of that enormous deal is in doubt. Today, Kyle and Jackie O’s former boss and host of the Game Changers Radio podcast, Craig Bruce, on what happens when the most expensive bet in the Radio business falls apart.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   And you can check out Craig Bruce’s podcast Game Changers Radio here    Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Craig Bruce, host of Game Changers RadioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.