Pub tests and double standards

This week, Labor rolled out its flagship social media ban for under-16s. The reform was expected to be one last win for the government after a year of political victories.

But while the spotlight was on the minister leading the charge, it was for all the wrong reasons. Instead of having runway to promote the ban, Anika Wells spent the week defending her use of taxpayer-funded expense entitlements.

Today, former political advisor to two prime ministers, Sean Kelly, on how even a tightly planned policy launch can be knocked off course, and the unquenchable thirst to apply the pub test to some and not others. 

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Giving birth as a national duty

Condoms and other contraceptives are set to become more expensive in China, as the Communist Party tries to boost population growth. 

With the economy slowing, birth rates declining and the population ageing, the government is now trying all kinds of ways to make women have more babies – from taxing contraception, to new laws on marriages, to cash bonuses and propaganda campaigns.

Reproduction is now seen as a national security issue, and the success or failure of the new policies will have far-reaching consequences – for China’s economic and military strength, and for countries like Australia, who rely on China continuing to grow.

Today, senior analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, Daria Impiombato – on the threat to women’s autonomy in China’s new phase of population control.

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Another day, another expenses scandal

Over the past week, Labor Minister Anika Wells has become the face of a new debate over politicians' perks.

Revelations about a near-$100,000 trip to New York to talk up Australia’s teen social media ban at the UN, followed by reports of taxpayer-funded family travel to grand finals, ski fields and overseas sporting events, have seen her refer three-and-a-half years of expenses to the parliamentary watchdog.

The prime minister insists her claims are “within the rules”, but the backlash – and even more questions over the spending of MPs from all parties – has opened up a bigger argument about whether the rules are fair, and whether they match public expectations in a cost-of-living crisis.

Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton, on parliamentary entitlements – and whether this scandal will force change.

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This could only end in a very bad place

AUKUS is moving full steam ahead. That was the promise made in Washington, as Richard Marles and Penny Wong stood beside their US counterparts, stating the alliance is stronger than ever.

But behind those assurances is a Pentagon review of AUKUS that the public isn't allowed to read – and in Canberra, a hand-picked AUKUS committee that will mostly meet in secret, raising questions about what our government is trading away to stay friends with our most powerful ally.

Today, former Director of War Studies for the Australian Army and adjunct professor at UNSW, Dr Albert Palazzo, on the US military’s plans for expansion on Australian soil – and what the secrecy around AUKUS is really hiding.

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Homeschooling for neo-nazis

Australia’s neo-Nazis are forming secret mothers’ groups – and have plans for a network of homeschools for their children.

And when a government minister expressed concern, she was threatened – the latest in a string of threats against female politicians by neo-Nazis.

Now, the federal police have raised the alarm, raising questions about the risk of further political violence – and why neo-Nazis have been allowed to build their movement.

Today, crime reporter at The Age, Sherryn Groch, on the National Socialist Network’s threats and whether authorities are doing enough to stop them.

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The truth about Trump's war on fentanyl

In the waters off the Caribbean, the United States military has been blowing small boats out of the water – boats they say are carrying drugs.

Now, the Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, is facing questions about whether his strike orders are illegal, and US President Donald Trump is doubling down, threatening strikes on Venezuelan soil.

It’s the latest escalation in Donald Trump’s self-declared war on fentanyl – a campaign that casts foreign traffickers as the villains behind America’s overdose crisis.

But the origin of America’s fentanyl problem lies much closer to home, inside the country’s own pharmaceutical industry. 

Today, drug historian at The University of Buffalo, Professor David Herzberg, on how the fentanyl crisis really started and why the war to stop it could make everything worse. 

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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Australia’s childcare crisis

Adele Ferguson is an investigative journalist at the ABC. She’s spent more than a year reporting on the crisis unfolding in Australia’s childcare system. 

Last week, alongside her colleague Chris Gillett, she won the top honour in journalism –  the Gold Walkley.

Her work has inspired us at 7am and so today, we’re bringing you an episode we made back in July, where we spoke to Adele about the dangers in an industry driven by profit.

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Guest: Investigative journalist at Four Corners Adele Ferguson and National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds.

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The 'jobs for mates' report Labor wanted to hide

When Labor came to power, it promised to clean up politics – to end the “jobs for mates” culture once and for all. But this week, the government quietly released the report it’s been sitting on for more than two years – and it’s not a great look. 

The ‘No Favourites’ review found an appointments system riddled with nepotism, where friends are given jobs as rewards for loyalty. And when it finally saw the light of day, it landed with all the energy of a Yes Minister  episode — open government, in name only. 

Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton, on the government’s integrity problem, and why transparency always seems to be the last priority. 

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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