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Violence and vandalism in Alice Springs became a national fascination this year.First Peter Dutton, then Anthony Albanese flew into town, after rates of alcohol-related assault rose by 68 per cent in 2022.One community meeting, held by a group calling itself ‘Save Alice Springs’, became a focal point of the media’s coverage.But another meeting took place as well. On the edge of town, hundreds of Indigenous leaders and community members came together to discuss the crisis.Today, Gunaikurnai/Wotjobaluk writer and contributor to The Saturday Paper Ben Abbatangelo on the real issues facing Alice Springs. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Ben Abbatangelo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Lowe, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, has already had to apologise for his forecast that interest rates were unlikely to rise until 2024.He now acknowledges that people may have taken his prediction as an assurance, and as a result they might have bought homes and saddled themselves with debt that’s more expensive than they thought.So, the pressure was on Lowe as he made his way to Canberra last week to answer questions about his decision making.Today, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton on what Philip Lowe said in Canberra, and whether his job is on the line.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The announcement that former Liberal minister Alan Tudge will resign from the parliament marks the end of a controversial political career, but it's also throwing open new challenges for the party, and opposition leader Peter Dutton.Speculation is swirling about who will be selected to run for Tudge’s seat in Melbourne at the upcoming by-election, and while the pressure is on for the Liberal party to pick a woman, factional infighting means nothing is guaranteed.So, can the Liberals retain the seat of Aston, which it barely clung on to at the last election? Or is the seat within Labor’s grasp?Today, Columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on the political test looming in Aston. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is cutting 5% of its jobs around the world, with over a thousand employees in the newspaper business about to be let go.But it’s not the only upheaval within the Murdoch media empire. Plans to merge Fox Corporation with the newspaper side of the business have recently been shelved.So what does that mean for Rupert’s successor, eldest son Lachlan?Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper and author of the biography of Lachlan Murdoch The Successor – Paddy Manning, on the merger that could define Rupert Murdoch’s legacy and whether he’s really abandoned it for good.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper and author of the biography of Lachlan Murdoch The Successor, Paddy ManningSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was one of the most senior members of the Anglican Church, then became the governor-general of Australia.But last week, Peter Hollingworth sat in secret hearings which could decide his legacy.Those hearings are investigating his handling of child sexual abuse claims – with several complaints being heard about his decisions while he ran the Brisbane diocese.As a result, he could be stripped of his status as an Anglican minister. Plus, there are questions about his generous public pension, which over the years has added up to 12 million dollars. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe on the future of Peter Hollingworth. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Youth crime has become a national issue once again – front page stories from Queensland, to the Northern Territory, to Western Australia are all raising the alarm that young people in regional towns are making the streets unsafe.The WA Premier Mark McGowan said last week: “parents and families need to parent”... and people shouldn’t point the finger at governments.But his government’s only youth detention facility, Banksia Hill, has unlawfully locked down children for 23 hours a day, thousands of kilometres from family and friends.Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Jesse Noakes on the children who get caught up in the criminal justice system and what happens when they’re locked away.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper, Jesse Noakes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s reportedly the world’s third richest man. But perhaps not for much longer.Indian businessman Gautam Adani is best known here for the controversial Carmichael coal mine – but his empire also spans airlines, media networks and, crucially, what he is best known for in Australia: coal.But now, Adani’s fortune is tumbling, questions about whether he has been protected by powerful political allies in India are being raised – all because of a single report.Today, associate editor of The Saturday Paper Martin McKenzie-Murray on Gautam Adani’s rise and how it’s built on silencing his critics.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Associate editor of The Saturday Paper Martin McKenzie-MurraySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clem Bastow reads her piece about borrowing teen magazines from the library.As a kid, Clem couldn’t afford the monthly price of Girlfriend Magazine, or Seventeen, or my personal favourite, Dolly. So the library became her gateway to fashion trends, makeup advice, and the hottest Home and Away stars. As Clem got older and earned her own money, her relationship to libraries evolved. In her piece, Clem writes about class and shame, teen magazines and hope, and the always alluring sealed section.Clem’s article Library learning with ‘Dolly’ was written for The Saturday Paper.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Writer and critic, Clem BastowBackground reading: Library learning with ‘Dolly’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you think you might have ADHD, it can take months, maybe even a year to get a diagnosis.A public conversation about the condition, led by advocates, has meant more people are seeking help — but the system for getting assessed is laborious and costly.Now, Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, a key force behind getting the disability royal commission set-up, is taking on ADHD and will use a parliamentary inquiry to advocate for an overhaul in how the condition is treated.In an article tomorrow in The Saturday Paper, he makes the case for the NDIS to be expanded to cover ADHD as a primary diagnosis — a decision that could impact half a million people.Today, Jordon Steele-John on why it’s time for Medicare and the NDIS to include ADHD.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Greens health and disability rights spokesperson, Senator Jordon Steele-John.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tension in the Greens over the Voice to Parliament has culminated this week in the abrupt defection of high-profile Senator Lidia Thorpe.Publicly, Greens leader Adam Bandt is calling her resignation ‘sad’. Privately, other Greens members are reportedly calling it a catastrophe.As for Lidia Thorpe, the newly-Independent Senator says her focus now will be on representing a grassroots Blak sovereign movement — and she hasn’t said whether or not that means supporting a Voice to Parliament.Today, chief political correspondent at The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton on what happened in the days leading up to the resignation, and what it means for the government — and the Greens. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Chief political correspondent at The Saturday Paper, Karen Middleton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.