The Briefing

We’re back with The Briefing: Our Take, the weekend hangout where we loosen our ties and kick off our shoes and take you behind the scenes of the week that was, and what you (and we) made of it.
Chris and Sacha kick off by debriefing the botched execution of Christa Pike, who’s now woken up, and is speaking and even walking in hospital after two doses of a lethal injection.
We crack open the inbox to get your thoughts on some of the biggest stories this week with plans for a public supermarket and the latest One Nation ad blowing up our inbox, and one listener teaches us a new word!
We’re also joined by LiSTNR’s head of social media, Brett, who takes on the weekend quiz, before topping it all off with some recommendations on the weekend list!
As always, we want to hear from you! Reach out to us on Instagram @thebriefingpodcast and feel free to leave a comment if you’re listening on Spotify.
The Weekend Quiz:
The Coalition leader Angus Taylor released the party’s migration plan this week. What does it want to cut net overseas migration to, for the first two years?
A) 100,000
B) 160,000
C) 225,000
The Greens official think tank wants to create new public supermarkets called what?
We spoke with two federal leaders this week, who were they?
The logos for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics have been released after a leak over the weekend. What animal inspired them?
Who won the 2026 NRL men’s and women’s Grand Final?
The Weekend List:
To do: Containers for Change Scheme (Listener Scott)
To watch: Bledisloe Cup (Sacha)
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Friday Headlines:
Sam Wood denied bail
Former Prince Andrew wins case against UK Police
ATO facing pressure from government over credit card ban
Greens celebrate ‘biggest surge in new members’ since leadership change
Christa Pike ‘up and walking’ after surviving two lethal injections
Further listening from the headlines:
Sach's chat with David Shoebridge
Deep Dive: Eight years ago, a young Aussie cricketer was caught on camera stuffing sandpaper down his pants during a Test match in Cape Town.
It became known as Sandpapergate - Australian cricket's biggest cheating scandal.
The fallout was brutal. Captain Steve Smith cried on live TV, players were banned, the coach quit and sponsors walked. Now, for the first time since, Australia is back playing Test cricket in South Africa.
So how did a bit of sandpaper become a national crisis? And was the outrage ever worth it?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by sports journalist Sam Ferris, who covered the series from South Africa, to unpack what happened, who knew what, and how it still follows the team.
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Thursday Headlines:
Anthony Albanese facing increasing scrutiny over golf club grants
1 in 6 cafes now charging more for coffee after card surcharge ban
Sam Wood to apply for bail after DV charges
Abortion pill access jumps 50% after improved access
Pornhub is returning to Australia ... with a catch
Further listening from headlines:
Surcharges are going. Will prices drop?
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YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
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The Coalition has finally put numbers on its migration plan, and it's betting voters want a smaller, more selective system.
Net overseas migration down to 100,000 a year. Around 650,000 fewer temporary visa holders. Graduate visas gone. So can it cut this deep without leaving hospitals, farms and pubs short of workers?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Deputy Liberal Leader Senator Jane Hume to unpack the plan, what Angus Taylor meant when he said Labor's immigration policy is "threatening our way of life", and whether the Coalition accepts any blame for building up the system it's now trying to dismantle.

And if you haven't already, you can check out today's headlines in your feed as a separate ep now.
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David Shoebridge is the new leader of The Greens, defeating Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi to become the person to lead the party to the next election.
But after losing three seats in the 2025 vote and failing to make an impact against a surging One Nation, the party is facing an uphill battle to win over voters.
In today's deep dive only episode, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Senator Shoebridge about his plans for The Greens and why he wants everyday Aussies to back his party.

Remember today's headlines are now live too if you haven't already caught them!
Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.