7am

When Pauline Hanson was at the previous peak of her political popularity, in the late 90s, one journalist was there chronicling it.
Margo Kingston followed Hanson on the 98 campaign trail, and has followed her career ever since – pulled back in, even when she wanted to walk away.
So what do Pauline Hanson’s beginnings tell us about her future? And what are the parallels between 1996 and 2026?
Today, Margo Kingston, on what Pauline Hanson has come to represent, and how she’s using her past to fashion her present.

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Guest: Journalist and author of Off the Rails: The Pauline Hanson trip, Margo Kingston
Photo: AAP Image/Tony Phillips
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Is the media’s reporting on Israel’s attacks on Gaza fuelling antisemitism? That’s the question facing the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion – which has been examining the role of the public broadcasters – the ABC and SBS.
Appearing before the commission was Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal – who came out swinging at the broadcasters’ Middle East coverage, reccomending it be overseen by an independent committee.
But do Segal’s claims stack up?
Today, former Media Watch host and ABC Alumni board member Jonathan Holmes, on the submission ABC Alumni put to the commission, and the role of the public broadcaster in reporting on war.

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Guest: Former media watch host Jonathan Holmes
Photo: AAP Image/Dominic Giannini
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New York Times journalist Jonathan Swan is famous for his trainwreck interview with Donald Trump at the height of covid.
Now, he’s exposing the US president again with a forensic look at what he says was the most consequential year of an American presidency in our lifetime.
Donald Trump’s first presidency was defined by chaos – but also by the people around him trying to contain it.
Swan says the second term is different. Trump has returned to the White House with a tighter circle of loyalists, and far fewer people willing to say no.
In a new book Regime Change co-authored with Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan goes inside the first 14 months of Trump’s return to power, documenting a presidency using the machinery of government to punish enemies, pressure institutions and test what one president can get away with.
Today, Jonathan Swan, on Trump’s second term – and how he’s changed America forever.

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Guest: Co-author of Regime Change Jonathan Swan
Photo: AP Photo/Francisco Seco
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Another major telco outage has raised the question: what happens when you call triple-zero and can’t get through?
This week, Telstra blamed a software defect for a national outage that disrupted phones, payments and transport – and left more than 300 triple-zero calls failing to connect. The communications watchdog is now investigating.
It comes after last year’s catastrophic Optus failure, when a 13-hour outage blocked hundreds of emergency calls across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and was linked to deaths.
ACMA opened an investigation into Optus, but still hasn’t published final findings.
Today, journalist and Crikey contributor Michael Sainsbury – on what went wrong at Optus and how the government’s choices led us here.
This episode was originally published in September 2025.

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Guest: Journalist and Crikey contributor, Michael Sainsbury
Photo: AAP Image/George Chan
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Anthony Albanese has, with growing confidence, spent years trying to convince voters he's relatable
But this week that confidence carried him somewhere the office of Prime Minister probably shouldn’t go – a game of “shag, marry, date” on a comedy podcast.
The apology came quickly. Then, as the Prime minister turned to rugby league diplomacy in the Pacific, China tested a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
It was a week that moved swiftly from political embarrassment to regional unease, and left Labor managing the Prime Minister’s image at home and Australia’s influence abroad.
Today, press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno on a turbulent week for Anthony Albaense, marked with missteps, a communication breakdown and a focus on Pacific diplomacy in tumultuous geo-political waters.

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Guest: Press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno
Photo: @nikkiosborneofficial via Youtube
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