85 episodes
Revisiting Paul Keating’s legacy: Australian foreign policy and national identity
16/09/2026 | 37 mins.Paul Keating was prime minister of a very different Australia, in a very different geopolitical environment from that of today. How does his ambition for Australia hold up 30 years later? Crikey politics editor Bernard Keane and Professor James Curran from the University of Sydney discuss Keating’s legacy, and whether his approach to foreign policy suffered from the curse of being “right, but too early”.
Today’s episode covers:
Shaping foreign policy in a post-Cold War world
Winston Churchill’s influence on Keating
Australia and Asia under Keating
Indonesian President Suharto’s impact on Keating
Reimagining Australia’s national identity
Keating’s view of the US alliance: then and now
Sliding doors: The 1996 election loss
Read more:
Grand Ambition: Paul Keating's global vision for Australia by James Curran
Paul Keating and a very present past raise hard questions for a country of decidedly modest ambition
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.- Worms on the uterus, chatbots soliciting photos of women’s breasts, and AI-generated podcasts shilling supplements: welcome to the weird, dark and dangerous world of AI “Mum Slop”, a genre of content targeting the health anxieties of pregnant people and new mothers.
Crikey contributor Madison Griffiths joins the podcast to expand on her recent article exploring the intersection of AI and women’s health, for good, bad and worse.
Today’s episode covers:
What is “Mum Slop”?
Why new mothers are susceptible to AI exploitation
Why slop doesn’t have to look realistic to shill products
Sexism and the “certainty gap” in women’s health
Can the “Digital Duty of Care” legislation help curb the harms of Mum Slop?
How the “free birth” movement leveraged social media
Read more:
Welcome to the dark and dangerous world of Mum Slop
Madison Griffiths’ Labour Relations essay series
First-time mother scared to feed her daughter after varying advice from multiple practitioners
Want to ask us a question? Send an email to letters@crikey.com.au or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/
Subscribe to Crikey now to get 55% off your annual subscription!
Sign up to Crikey’s free newsletter: https://bit.ly/crikey-newsletter
Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. - After conducting 10 days of public hearings and receiving almost 800 written submissions, the independent AUKUS public inquiry is moving into its final phase. It will soon prepare a report to answer the question: will AUKUS keep us safe, and at what cost?
In today’s special episode, the inquiry’s lead commissioner Peter Garrett and former submariner and independent senator Rex Patrick join Cut Through to answer your burning questions about the AUKUS deal and what the inquiry can practically achieve without government buy-in.
Today’s episode covers:
Peter Garrett (listen from 01:00):
The lack of government – and Labor party – interest
The US use of HMAS Stirling naval base in WA
Weighing up informed vs uninformed submissions
Impact on Australian sovereignty and foreign policy
Can the inquiry have practical outcomes?
Rex Patrick (listen from 30:10):
Cost and opportunity-cost of AUKUS
Government secrecy over handling of nuclear waste
Will technological advancement make AUKUS submarines obsolete too soon?
What if the submarines are never delivered?
The merits of AUKUS
Public inquiries vs parliamentary inquiries
Read more:
AUKUS Public Inquiry
The anti-AUKUS campaign needs to turn into an effective political movement
In the fantasyland of AUKUS, even the good news shows how badly things are going
AUKUS waste is a toxic topic. The Albanese government wants it kept quiet
Undersea drones are a welcome addition. But as with everything AUKUS, details are scant
Want to ask us a question? Send an email to letters@crikey.com.au or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/
Subscribe to Crikey now to get 55% off your annual subscription!
Sign up to Crikey’s free newsletter: https://bit.ly/crikey-newsletter
Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. - Why the eSafety Commissioner is arguing it should be allowed to keep some secrets relating to the under-16 social media ban, WA Labor’s gas lobbyist candidate for the Secret Harbour by-election does a runner, and former NACC commissioner Paul Brereton gets exposed by FOIs... again!
Charlie Lewis and Crystal Andrews recap these stories and many more compelling, illuminating and absurd items from The Snoop, our daily roundup of tips, treasures and titbits from news and politics in Australia and around the world.
This episode covers:
Paul Brereton’s redacted conflicts of interest declaration
Analysis by Rex Patrick: The government’s poor performance on FOIs
Hit rate and secrets of the eSafety Commissioner
Labor’s decision to ignore former gambling addict Luke Bateman
PointsBet CEO calls for more regulation
Who wins WA Secret Harbour by-election: Labor or One Nation?
RFK Jr’s ridiculous ringtone
Want to ask us a question? Send an email to letters@crikey.com.au or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/
Subscribe to Crikey now to get 55% off your annual subscription!
Sign up to Crikey’s free newsletter: https://bit.ly/crikey-newsletter
Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Shady or smart? Labor and the Coalition’s backroom deals on gambling ads and the NDIS
20/08/2026 | 36 mins.Two major bills passed parliament this week, with Labor and the Coalition coming together to get the job done on gambling advertising reforms and the NDIS overhaul.
Crikey’s politics writer Rachel Withers joins readers’ editor Crystal Andrews and media reporter Daanyal Saeed to bring you up to speed on which MPs crossed the floor to vote against their party, the important details buried within both sets of legislation, and whether the optics of a Labor and Liberal duopoly will turn voters off.
Plus, the anti-abortion bill — and accompanying stunt by the Australian Christian Lobby — you might have missed.
This episode covers:
What’s in the final gambling ad ban
Coalition MPs crossing the floor
NDIS cuts pass in the Senate
What does the Coalition get out of this?
Do voters like major party deal-making?
Australian Christian Lobby’s “Born Alive” anti-abortion bill
Tip: More One Nation Victoria candidates
Tip: Is Clive Palmer returning to politics again?
Want to ask us a question? Send an email to letters@crikey.com.au or contact us using the secure methods detailed here: https://www.crikey.com.au/tip-off-crikey/
Subscribe to Crikey now to get 55% off your annual subscription!
Sign up to Crikey’s free newsletter: https://bit.ly/crikey-newsletter
Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About Cut Through
Cut Through is Crikey’s spin-free analysis of Australian news, politics and power. Each week we break down the biggest news stories, stripping away the noise to bring you the information that really matters. Join us every Friday to get your talking points delivered the Crikey way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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