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The Reserve Bank of Australia yesterday left interest rates on hold at 4.35 per cent: a relief for those with a mortgage. But as the bank weighs up future interest rate hikes to try and combat inflation, some economists say there’s a fairer way to keep spending under wraps and spread the pain around. And the alternative could leave us all with bigger retirement nest eggs. Today, independent economist Saul Eslake on whether superannuation could be used to manage inflation, and what it all means for the future of housing. 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: Independent economist Saul Eslake Photo: AAP Image/Dean Lewins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As One Nation’s political clout rises, so too does its bank balance, courtesy of the very elites Pauline Hanson often rails against. Now an investigation by the Brisbane Times and SMH has detailed some of the places One Nation’s cash is coming from: from exclusive parties hosted at Gina Rinehart’s mansion, to movies, to merch. But perhaps even more pertinent are the contributions hidden from public view. Today, SMH Investigative Reporter Patrick Begley on the sources of One Nation’s wealth. 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: SMH Investigative Reporter Patrick Begley Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early hours of July 5 last year, a group of masked people allegedly broke into a defence manufacturer in Melbourne’s north-east. Three cars were set alight. The building was vandalised, and later, a video message appeared online with a masked man claiming responsibility; warning workers involved in the weapons supply chain that they were being watched. Waleed Aly has a PhD in global terrorism and says the message left behind is crucial to understanding what happened and what might happen next. Today, Waleed Aly on what makes political violence terrorism, and whether this attack is a sign of something much bigger taking hold. 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: Monash University terrorism expert Waleed Aly Photo: Supplied: AFP See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Alan Jones went on trial in Sydney, more than 20 months after his arrest. The once-powerful broadcaster is now facing 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching involving six complainants. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies any wrongdoing. When we recorded this episode, Jones had just been charged with 24 offences involving eight complainants. Since then the case has narrowed, with a number of charges withdrawn or replaced before the trial began. Today, we revisit our conversation with investigative reporter and author of Jonestown: The Power and Myth of Alan Jones , Chris Masters, on the fall of one of Australia’s most powerful men, and what it tells us about the nature of power itself in this country. This episode was first published in November 2024. 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: Investigative reporter Chris Masters Photo: AAP Image/Damian Shaw See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australian politics, access can be bought, factions can operate beyond public view, and conduct can be deeply troubling without ever meeting the definition of corruption. None of it is especially new, and maybe that’s the problem. Meanwhile, people are becoming more disconnected from the institutions that shape their lives, and less convinced that those institutions are working in their interests. Today, columnist for The Age and SMH Sean Kelly, on the money, secrecy and private power shaping our politics, and what happens when voters stop trusting the system itself. 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 Age and SMH Sean Kelly Photo: AAP Image/Jane Dempster See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost 30 years ago the Howard government shut down Australia’s public employment service and privatised the system that helps unemployed people find work. Since then, repeated inquiries have found the system is failing the people who need it, while the companies paid to run it rake in huge profits. Now, the Albanese government has admitted the system isn’t working and promised its biggest overhaul in decades. But Labor says these private providers will still remain part of the system, even as a new report has followed the billions of dollars flowing through the industry Today, ABC business and economics reporter Gareth Hutchens, on how helping unemployed Australians became a massive money spinner, and whether Labor can fix the system while leaving private companies at its centre. 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: ABC business and economics reporter Gareth Hutchens Photo: AAP Image/Dan Peled See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Jones is used to attracting attention. But not like this. At 85, the once-powerful shock jock who for decades acted as judge, jury and executioner in the court of public opinion, is now the one on trial. Jones is accused of historical offences involving the indecent assault and sexual touching of teenagers and young men – claims he’s always denied. Now, a judge will decide, with the trial slated to run over the next four months. Today, National Affairs Editor at Ten News, Hugh Riminton on how the first few days of the Alan Jones trial played out in court, and what comes next. 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 Affairs Editor at Ten News Hugh Riminton Photo: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades it’s shone a light on corruption of the highest order, even toppling premiers: Now NSW ICAC, the state’s corruption watchdog, has set its sights on a secretive right-wing Christian faction of the Liberal Party, “the Reformers”, and its cashed-up group of backers. Already the public inquiry, codenamed Operation Rosny, has heard of shit sheets, sham payments, phone taps, and dodgy deals with fugitive developers – with the reformers' connections reaching all the way to the top of the Liberal party. Today, The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont unpacks the tangled web of players at the centre of what she’s calling ICAC’s Game of Thrones. 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: SMH chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont Photo: PR Handout/Supplied by NSW Police See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do Jacqui Lambie, Pauline Hanson, Lidia Thorpe and David Pocock all have in common? Usually not much. But they're part of an unlikely group of politicians backing former senator Rex Patrick in a legal fight with the Albanese government over information the government does not want released. At the centre of that fight are documents about potential sites for nuclear waste storage from AUKUS submarines, a bill that could see Patrick forced to pay $150,000, and a warning about what happens when ordinary Australians push too hard for answers. Today, transparency campaigner Rex Patrick on the case that has united some of parliament's most unlikely allies. 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: Transparency campaigner Rex Patrick Photo: AAP Image/Jono Searle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the largest institutional emitter in the world. A bigger polluter than 140 countries. And yet its emissions are hidden from sight. Now a new documentary ‘Earth’s greatest enemy’ is exposing the impact of the US military empire on the planet: the waste, the billion dollar budgets, and the political maneuvering that’s kept it all out of the public eye. Today, Journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin, on what the world’s biggest war machine is doing to our Earth. 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 filmmaker Abby Martin Photo: US Central Command See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, 7am spoke with former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, as he returned to public life with a memoir defending many of the decisions he made during his final years at the airline. Joyce said the company was fighting for survival during the pandemic and that, while mistakes were made, the difficult decisions taken under his leadership were necessary to keep Qantas from going under. Today, we revisit our conversation with journalist and author Joe Aston, recorded after Qantas was handed a record $90 million penalty for illegally outsourcing 1,800 workers. It asks what those decisions cost, whether they really were necessary, and whether the airline has actually changed since Joyce’s departure. The episode originally 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 : Rampart founder and author of The Chairman's Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out , Joe Aston Photo: AAP Image/Dean Lewins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In America, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has turned anger over rent, groceries and childcare into a powerful movement on the left. One with real momentum. In Australia, that same anger is increasingly being captured by Pauline Hanson and the populist right, while Labor retreats towards the centre. So attention is turning to who in Australia could make a Mamdani-style case for economic change, and to whether the Australian left has the organisation, discipline and ambition to build a movement around them. Today, freelance writer, political commentator and host of RRR's Spin Cycle Rachel Withers, on the political figure the left is searching for, and whether the conditions exist to produce an Australian Mamdani. 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: Writer and political commentator Rachel Withers Photo: AP Photo/Heather Khalifa See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria’s new premier Ben Carroll has announced a royal commission into the state’s building industry. It follows years of reporting exposing alleged corruption, organised crime links and misconduct within the sector, and years of resistance from the government and former premier Jacinta Allan. The commission now has the potential to examine what happened and who knew about it, forcing powerful figures in politics, unions and the underworld to answer questions under oath and in public. Today, The Age investigative reporter Nick McKenzie, on what the royal commission must uncover and the big names who could be called to testify. 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: The Age investigative reporter Nick McKenzie Photo: AAP Image/James Ross See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next election the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will have a new contender for his Sydney seat, with commentator and Cheek Media founder Hannah Ferguson announcing she’s taking a tilt. She says she’s started canvassing locals to find out what they want from their representative, and that she’s already been warned that attempts to build a dirt file on her have begun. Today, we speak with Hannah Ferguson, and political journalist Karen Middleton, about what it takes to actually oust a PM, and what else could be in store. 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: Candidate for Grayndler Hannah Ferguson and press gallery journalist Karen Middleton Photo: AAP Image/ Lukas Coch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a chaotic 24 hours of backroom plotting and mounting pressure, the Victorian premier resigned. Jacinta Allan’s replacement, and former deputy leader Ben Carroll, now has just four months to turn Labor’s fortunes around in what’s shaping up to be the most unpredictable election the state has ever seen. Polls show an unprecedented three-party contest – with voters split, almost equally, between the unpopular Labor government, an Opposition ridden by scandal, and a rising One Nation. Today, ABC Melbourne Mornings host Raf Epstein on what Labor’s change of leader means for an already chaotic election race and whether Australia’s most progressive state could turn orange. 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: ABC Radio Melbourne host Raf Epstein Photo: AAP Image/James Ross See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cory Doctorow is the author and tech critic who brought us the term ‘enshittification’ – which refers to the gradual decline in the quality of digital platforms and services over time. Now he’s warning that what we’ve been led to believe is the inevitable march of AI towards world domination isn’t that inevitable after all, and actually what we’re marching towards could be the end of the AI bubble. Because every time you ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini a question, companies like OpenAI are losing money. The more we use, the more they lose. And while those AI giants burn through billions of dollars a year, gambling that eventually they’ll figure out how to turn it into a profitable business, the world’s economy is hanging in the balance. Today, Cory Doctorow, on why the AI boom is being pushed into every part of our lives and what happens when the bubble bursts. If you enjoy 7am , the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support . Cory Doctorow is in Australia this August for appearances at Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas, and in Melbourne at The Capitol, presented by The Wheeler Centre and Now or Never. His new book, The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI , is out via Verso Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author Cory Doctorow Photo: AAP Image/James Ross See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Joyce was once one of Australia’s most admired business leaders. By the time he left Qantas, he had become one of the country’s most hated men. His final years at the airline were marked by unlawful sackings, cancelled flights, withheld refunds and a collapse in public trust. But in a new memoir, Riding the Jet Stream , Joyce defends many of the decisions that made him a symbol of corporate arrogance and public distrust. Today, former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, on what he believes Australians got wrong about him – and whether he accepts responsibility for the damage done to the Qantas brand on his watch. 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: Former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce Photo: AAP Image/Joel Carrett See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Robert F Kennedy Jr was sworn in as Health and Human Services Secretary, his confirmation came off the back of a fiery questioning from Democrats and Republicans alike about RFK Jr’s record on vaccines. And under oath, RFK Jr denied he was against them. But now, Reuters reports he considered scrapping the entire childhood immunisation schedule, removing polio and MMR vaccines, and spending five billion dollars investigating the disproven link between vaccines and autism. Kennedy has spent two decades campaigning against vaccines, using his famous name to become one of the movement’s most prominent figures. Today, we return to our conversation with investigative journalist Brian Deer, on Kennedy’s anti-vaccine campaign – and the deadly consequences of vaccine misinformation in Samoa. This episode was originally published in February 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: Investigative journalist Brian Deer Photo: AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of liquefied natural gas. Over the past 25 years, the value of those exports has increased more than twentyfold. Yet revenue from the tax designed to capture the extraordinary profits made from petroleum resources has gone backwards. This week, at its national conference, the Labor Party formally acknowledged that Australians deserve a "fairer return" from the resources beneath their land and seas. But the party stopped short of backing the policy that forced the issue onto the agenda: a 25 per cent tax on gas exports that supporters say could raise up to $17 billion a year. Today, Australia Institute co-chief executive Richard Denniss, on the unlikely alliance pushing Labor to take on the gas industry – and whether the party’s carefully chosen words will ever become an actual tax. 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: Co-Chief Executive Officer at The Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss Photo: AAP Image/Joe Castro See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the East Room of the White House, Donald Trump made an extraordinary accusation of election interference: Beijing had illegally obtained the voter files of 220 million Americans. He also accused US intelligence agencies of hiding the extent of China’s activity. Later, Trump claimed a Homeland Security review had found around 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote. Trump’s motivation, critics say, is to sow doubt ahead of the upcoming midterm elections – which he’s already made several attempts to reshape: from redrawing maps, to restricting voting, to firing the entire electoral commission. Today, staff writer at The Atlantic David A. Graham, on Trump’s campaign to tilt the midterms and what he could still do before, during and after election day. 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: Staff writer at The Atlantic David A. Graham Photo: Saul LOEB / POOL / AFP See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.