A few years ago, Hillsong Church was a byword for glitzy and empowering faith. The global megachurch, which started in Sydney with one small congregation, was the church to the stars. Everyone from Justin Bieber to Chris Pratt worshipped at the church known for its rock concert-like services and gleaming pastors who sported gold watches. But in the last two years, the megachurch has been rocked by a series of explosive allegations. Tax evasion. A pastor fired for infidelity. And, worst of all, an alleged cover-up of the pedophilia committed by the church’s co-founder, Brian Houston. Today, onetime megachurch member Cherie Gilmour on the growing number of so-called “megachurch refugees”, and the lasting emotional fallout.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2018, our newspapers published a story titled ‘SAS soldier accused of killing innocent villager'. It was the first of many articles, which eventually identified Australia’s most decorated living soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, and accused him of multiple murders of unarmed civilians.  Roberts-Smith proceeded to sue our newspapers - in what’s become known as the defamation trial of the century. It went for more than 100 days, and examined more than 40 witnesses. And on Thursday, a judgement was finally delivered.  Federal Court Justice Anthony Besanko ruled overwhelmingly for our newspapers, finding Roberts-Smith was, on the balance of probabilities, a murderer, a war criminal, a bully, a liar, and a disgrace to his country and the Australian military.  Today, the journalists who broke these stories, Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters, join Tory Maguire to discuss what it took to win the biggest defamation case in Australia’s history - and what this victory means for journalism.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News outlets win defamation case against Ben Roberts-Smith. And earlier this week, Mark McGowan announced that he would be stepping down as Western Australia’s premier. How much has McGowan’s way of doing politics impacted the Labor party - and Anthony Albanese?  Plus, there are now calls for former cabinet minister, Stuart Robert, to face the government’s new anti-corruption watchdog.  Today, WA Today's state political reporter Hamish Hastie, and chief political correspondent for The Age and SMH, David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The top tax expert at Price Waterhouse Coopers, one of the big four consulting firms, helped the Australian government create a pioneering tax law that would finally crack down on multinational companies that were avoiding paying tax here.  At the very same time, that expert shared that confidential information to help the firm’s clients avoid paying that very same tax. This betrayal, which one senator has likened to a “major cancer”, was revealed in January this year. But since then, we’ve heard bombshell finding after bombshell finding. Today, economics correspondent Rachel Clun, on what you need to know about this bad deal of the century. And whether the worst is yet to come.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A week ago, Clare Nowland, a 95-year-old great grandmother, died after being tasered.  She weighed 43 kilograms, and suffered from dementia. The case has shone a spotlight on NSW Police, which is now battling to regain control. Today, state political reporter Michael McGowan, on who should police the police. And why calls for greater oversight have a history of being ignored. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.