The Fifth Estate

Robert Fisk, Timothy Lynch and Sally Warhaft — Photo: Emily Harms The Syrian War is the most deadly conflict we’ve seen in the 21st Century so far. And with 12 million Syrians displaced since 2011 and world powers intervening on all sides – it’s far from a regional problem. The Syrian War is a crisis with ramifications that reach across the globe. Now in its seventh year, the conflict that began during the Arab Spring has become appallingly complex. The involvement of world and regional powers has served to intensify and prolong the hostilities, turning Syria into a proxy battleground, and casting the possibility of peace further into the distance. For this Fifth Estate episode, recorded live at the Melbourne Writers Festival, join the Independent’s revered correspondent Robert Fisk and American politics expert Timothy Lynch for a discussion of foreign political involvement in the region. How are the interventions of world and regional powers exacerbating the conflict? Who are the various rebel groups involved and what are their activities in other parts of the region? How are global dynamics shifting – and are we witnessing the collapse of American power in the Middle East?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this conversation, we’ll bring together three writers and academics who have examined themes of alienation and social estrangement in their work. William Maley, author of What is a Refugee?, Susan Carland, author of Fighting Hislam, and Rebecca Huntley, author of Still Lucky?, join Wheeler Centre host Sally Warhaft to examine how the idea of ‘stranger danger’ plays out in Australian culture and politics – from media reporting to foreign policy and refugee law. Susan Carland, William Maley and Rebecca Huntley — Photo: Peter Weaving Photography Which groups of people are routinely represented as strangers? And who benefits from demonising these people? What happens when fear outweighs the social, ethical and economic benefits of tolerance? And are we more, or less, tolerant than we think we are? Presented in partnership with Bendigo Writers Festival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immigration has long been among the most contentious, and highly politicised, areas of Australian public policy. The past 20 years have seen a drastic increase in Australia's intake of migrants, as well as an increasingly punitive approach to managing asylum seeker arrivals; an approach that has attracted censure from human rights groups. Does the recent outcome of the class action between Manus Island detainees and the Commonwealth represent a turning point? And what impact will new changes to 457 visas and the Australian citizenship test have on the fabric of our communities? For this episode of The Fifth Estate, Sally Warhaft meets human rights activist, former refugee and orthopaedic surgeon, Munjed Al Muderis and GetUp!’s human rights campaign director, Shen Narayanasamy. Join them for a discussion of the Australian immigration experience and its broader implications. Sally Warhaft, Munjed Al Muderis and Shen Narayanasamy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia has one of the world’s most educated populations. We have stable institutions, a strong economy and advanced technology. Yet we seem to face endless obstacles when it comes to solving our problems with good public policy. Is it the ideas, the culture or the political contest that get in the way? And if we can’t solve problems – even those with broad agreement for solutions – how can we possibly create space for innovation? In this conversation, we examine how public policy is shaped today and how the avenues to reform have changed in recent times. How do global political shifts impact on governance and public policy in Australia? What part do vested interests, changes in the media landscape and declining rates of political participation play? Join host Sally Warhaft and two speakers who are uniquely qualified to tackle these questions: Geoff Gallop, former premier of Western Australia and Peter Hartcher, political editor and international editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. Sally Warhaft, Geoff Gallop and Peter Hartcher See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australia21 report, ‘Can Australia respond to drugs more effectively and safely?’, released in March of this year, argues that it’s time to bring an end to the costly, unavailing campaign of criminalising drug users – and to instead adopt a wide approach to harm reduction. Sally Warhaft and Bob Carr — Photo: Jon Tjhia The report’s 13 key recommendations are groundbreaking, and drawn from conversations between people with legal, law enforcement, prison, public health and policy backgrounds. Drug users and their families have endorsed it. So, how have the recommendations been received? And what hope is there for true policy reform? Alongside former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, Australia21’s report was launched by former Australian foreign minister and former NSW premier Bob Carr. Carr joins Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft for a discussion of the so-called war on drugs, and the push for decriminalisation in Australia today. More broadly, Carr also offers his thoughts on political developments around the globe – including the US, China, Syria and Pakistan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sally Warhaft, Georgina Downer and Mary Gearin — Photo: Jon Tjhia In 2017, Europe is in a period of heightened uncertainty: the rise of populist politics, the biggest refugee crisis since World War II, the prospect of a weakened European Union and an increasingly assertive Russia on its doorstep. French voters recently rejected both major parties to elect an unknown quantity in Emmanuel Macron, who has never before held elected office. The UK’s new Prime Minister Theresa May has made a virtue of being an ‘unclubbable’ Conservative, but after riding high in the lead-up to the June election on a manifesto of 'country and community', her campaign has begun to falter in the wake of two terrorist attacks and the resulting debates about security and rights. What will happen when Germany goes to the polls in September? Angela Merkel's popularity has been waning since 2015, but 21st-century Europe has become hard to imagine without her steady, predictable presence. To discuss the state of play in the UK and Europe – and for the 100th edition of this long-running Wheeler Centre series – Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft is joined by Mary Gearin and Georgina Downer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In previous Quarterly Essays, David Marr has turned his merciless pen to powerful men of the establishment: George Pell, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten. In his new biographical essay, however, Marr’s subject is a self-styled populist outlier and a woman: Pauline Hanson. As Australian political figures go, they don’t come much more colourful than Hanson. Her divisive speeches and curious catchphrases are etched into the memories of many Australians, from the maiden speech to Parliament (‘we are in danger of being swamped by Asians’) to the famous response to the question of xenophobia on 60 Minutes (‘Please explain?’). Then there was the prison stint, the Dancing with the Stars stint, and the extraordinary recent comeback. The former fish-and-chips shop owner is both loved and loathed. And she’s a serious threat to both major parties, with climbing national approval figures. Today, Hanson has much in common with other anti-immigration, protectionist and populist political figures gaining traction across the world. Join David Marr, one of the finest minds in Australian journalism, as he discusses Pauline Hanson and the uniquely Australian strain of the politics of resentment. Hosted by Sally Warhaft, and recorded live at Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sally Warhaft and Kerry O'Brien — Photo: Shannon Hick We’ve all heard the ‘jobs and growth’ mantra, but what are the specifics of the Turnbull Government’s vision for the country? At this special Fifth Estate discussion, the day after Treasurer Scott Morrison delivered the 2017 budget, Sally Warhaft and veteran journalist Kerry O’Brien unpack the implications of the government’s economic plan and take the pulse of the nation. How does this year's budget sit against those of the past – and those potentially to come? What does it reveal about the state of politics and the media … and what remains to be seen? Join us for post-budget analysis with one of Australia’s most respected political journalists.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot has been made of the importance of an American president’s first 100 days. That period has long been considered a crucial measure of their intentions and abilities – and a distillation, in many ways, of what’s to follow. The idea dates back to President Roosevelt – who, taking office during the Great Depression in 1933, immediately launched a series of bills to reignite a flagging economy. Reagan made sweeping revisions to budget and tax policy in his first 100 days; Obama used the time to pass a $787 billion economic stimulus package and to expand children's health insurance coverage. At almost 100 days into the Trump presidency, Sally Warhaft chats with Don Watson – author of the Quarterly Essay 'Enemy Within: American politics in the time of Trump', and the acclaimed American Journeys. They assess the state of the States under Trump so far. How has the Trump administration framed its 100 days? What have been its key policies and accomplishments thus far … and how has America and the world responded?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sally Warhaft and Chris Mitchell in conversation Last year, when Chris Mitchell released his memoir, Making Headlines, much was made of the book’s more gossipy elements: the fancy dinners, brazen ultimatums and the sometimes bitter quarrels with various powerful figures. In this conversation, Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft goes deeper with the former editor-in-chief of the Australian. Mitchell was at the helm of Australia’s only national daily newspaper for 12 years; a period of seismic change in the media landscape. How does he see the future of the Australian specifically, and the role of daily newspapers in Australia more broadly? What does he make of criticisms of ‘crusading journalism’ and the increasing partisanship of major news sources? And how might our current crop of political leaders perform better in today’s perilous media environment? Join this towering figure in Australian journalism for a discussion broaching the relationship between sources and journalists, the revolving door of political leaders and the mysterious nexus of power in Australia today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2017, Australia finds itself in a very strange position on the issue of marriage equality. With the Federal Government’s proposed plebiscite defeated in the senate last November, we now have a bizarre situation in which leaders of both major political parties want reform but are unable to deliver it. There’s a sense of frustration and fatigue in the electorate – where do we go from here? At this Fifth Estate discussion, Sally Warhaft is joined by two speakers, both steeped in the marriage equality debate at federal level, and both with quite different takes on the issue: Liberal MP and former Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson, and Labor MP and Shadow Assistant Minister for equality, Terri Butler. Is it possible that we will somehow break the gridlock this year? Is there a need, and an appetite, for further debate around this issue? Join us for a discussion of public sentiment versus political processes. Sally Warhaft, Tim Wilson and Terri Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The shock election of Donald Trump has forced a period of reeling and reckoning in the United States. How have the failures of previous administrations led to the election of such an unorthodox candidate? And how will Trump’s exploitation of scapegoats – both inside America and outside – play out now he’s actually in office? Sally Warhaft, Cynthia P. Schneider and Thomas Frank — Photo: Jon Tjhia In the first Fifth Estate discussion of 2017, Sally Warhaft hosts two heavy-hitting American experts. Thomas Frank is the author of Listen, Liberal, a blistering appraisal of recent Democratic administrations and a liberal professional class seemingly indifferent to widening income inequality. Cynthia P. Schneider is a foreign policy expert at the highly respected Brookings Institution in Washington and an active, eloquent advocate of ‘soft power’ and cultural diplomacy, especially with the Muslim world. The pair explore a wide range of questions around America’s recent past, present and future, and provide a unique perspective from the inside. How might Trump work to serve the interests of those who voted for him in protest against the establishment? And how are his efforts likely to affect those well beyond American borders? Sally Warhaft, Cynthia P. Schneider and Thomas Frank — Photo: Jon Tjhia See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Colvin is one of the most trusted and revered figures in Australian journalism today. In this Fifth Estate discussion with Sally Warhaft, he reflects on the release of his memoir, Light and Shadow, discussing the unlikely convergence of family and foreign affairs in his personal and professional lives, as well as four decades at the forefront of news reporting. Colvin has won the respect of generations of Australians through his work at the original Double J, his stint as the ABC’s correspondent in London and for his reporting on Australian politics and international conflicts. Today he’s known as the voice of ABC Radio’s current-affairs flagship PM and the darling of Australian Twitter. What nobody knew until very recently, is that he’s also the son of a spy. Mark Colvin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Democracy is the worst form of government,’ Winston Churchill famously said, ‘except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time’. Greg Sheridan, Gareth Evans and Sally Warhaft But democracies come in very different shapes and sizes. And they’re always evolving; sometimes in response to pressure from within the body politic, and sometimes because of shifts outside sovereign control. Lately – with the emergence of Donald Trump, the shock Brexit result and Australia’s confusing recent turn at the polls – talk of democratic dysfunction has been on the rise. But are things really worse than they were in the past? And what can we learn from other models of democracy around the globe? For this conversation, host Sally Warhaft speaks with two observers deeply familiar with democracy here and abroad – academic, lawyer, international policymaker and former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans, and the Australian’s foreign editor Greg Sheridan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, Philip Ruddock declared his intention to retire from politics after a 42-year career. As ‘Father of the House’ – the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives in Canberra – Ruddock has served in Fraser, Howard and Abbott/Turnbull governments, as a key player in several turbulent and transformative periods of Australian politics. Best known as the architect of the controversial ‘Pacific Solution’ during his time as Immigration Minister in the Howard era, Ruddock has also been a vocal advocate on several human rights issues, especially the abolition of the death penalty. After the election, Ruddock will take up a new role as Australia’s Special Envoy for Human Rights. As Ruddock opens a new chapter, and Australia seeks a seat on the UN Human Rights Council for 2018, what are Ruddock’s aspirations and priorities in the role – and how does he respond to criticism of his new position? Hear from this elder statesman of the Australian conservative movement, in the first days of his post-political life. In conversation with Sally Warhaft, Ruddock discusses human rights, the death penalty, and the changing Australian political landscape. Sally Warhaft and Philip Ruddock Your view More to say? Talk it out with the Wheeler Centre community. All messages as part of this discussion and any opinions, advice, statements, or other information contained in any messages or transmitted by any third party are the responsibility of the author of that message and not the Wheeler Centre. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a new collection of essays, It’s Our Country, editors Marcia Langton and Megan Davis bring together diverse ideas from leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander thinkers and leaders including Dawn Casey, Noel Pearson, Patrick Dodson, Nyunggai Warren Mundine and Mick Mansell. Each offers a perspective on what constitutional reforms could – and should – achieve for Indigenous Australians. In this episode of the Fifth Estate podcast, host Sally Warhaft is joined by Marcia Langton and Megan Davis for a conversation exploring the political and philosophical intricacies of recognition, and the real-world implications for the lives of Australia’s first peoples. Sally Warhaft, Megan Davis and Marcia Langton Why should Indigenous Australians be constitutionally recognised, what form should recognition take – and how will it affect Australian society? As a referendum on the issue becomes increasingly likely, those fundamental questions remain unresolved (and sometimes, hotly contested) – leaving Australia as one of the last liberal democracies still to settle its colonial beginnings. Further listening Podcast episode The Wheeler Centre Question Time: Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians / First Nations 15 Jul 2015 Podcast episode The Wheeler Centre Intelligence Squared Debate: True Reconciliation Requires a Treaty 4 Feb 2014 Podcast episode The Wheeler Centre Lunchbox/Soapbox: Mark McMillan on Indigenous Identity and the Law 11 Mar 2014 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning journalist and author Roger Cohen meets Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft for a wide-ranging spotlight conversation on his memoir, his body of work and his perspective on international affairs. 'There's been a tremendous commitment of blood and treasure to far away places, and the results seem pretty paltry.' Roger Cohen Cohen has worked from 15 different countries as a foreign correspondent, reporting for some of the most prestigious news outlets in the globe. His association with the New York Times has spanned 25 years – as a foreign correspondent, foreign editor, and now as an op-ed columnist. Of his trade, he’s said: ‘The journalist moves in the opposite direction from the crowd, toward danger, often leaving the settled majority perplexed.’ Roger Cohen In the latest of Cohen’s four books – 2015’s The Girl from Human Street: Ghosts of Memory in a Jewish Family – he turns that reporting ethos to his own family’s complex and itinerant history, centring on his mother’s travails with mental illness, geographical displacement and loneliness. It’s a slow-burning account of love, revealed layer by layer; it’s also an intergenerational search for the meaning of Cohen’s complex inheritance, and for ‘Jewishness’, touching on his sometimes controversial views on key issues facing modern Israel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immediately after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, British civilian Emma Sky was enlisted as the representative of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Kirkuk, one of Iraq’s most volatile areas. She went on to serve in the region longer than any other senior military or diplomatic figure – including as political advisor to the Commanding General of US Forces in Iraq from 2007–2010. In The Unravelling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq, Sky recounts the years following the fall of Hussein, detailing the corruption, the brutal insurgencies and the often disastrous manoeuvres of both the Bush and Obama administrations. Offering a unique insider’s perspective, it has been praised in the Guardian as ‘adetailed and darkly humorous account that tries to understand everyone involved, Iraqis and Americans, on their own terms.’ Emma Sky (left) and Sally Warhaft (right) Prior to her time in Iraq, Sky worked in the Palestinian territories for a decade. She is a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute, where she teaches Middle East politics. Sky visited Melbourne and Ballarat to talk with Sally Warhaft about the Middle East post-Hussein, the continuing importance of the US and the lessons to be learned about the limitations of power. This podcast episode brings you their discussion in Melbourne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join acclaimed journalist Sarah Ferguson (The Killing Season) and host Sally Warhaft for a conversation about Labor, leadership and loyalty. Sally Warhaft, left, with Sarah Ferguson — Photo: Jon Tjhia Labor romped to victory under Kevin Rudd in 2007, with a comfortable majority and generous reserves of public goodwill. How did they manage to squander that goodwill, and trash their own brand so thoroughly that they were out of office again within just six years? Alan Milburn, a campaign strategist for Tony Blair and later for Julia Gillard has said he’s ‘never seen anything like it in any country, anywhere, anytime, in any part of the world’. Milburn was one of more than 100 politicians, staffers, public servants and political insiders journalist Sarah Ferguson interviewed for the riveting ABC documentary series The Killing Season, about this extraordinary period of ALP infighting and implosion. Ferguson had to edit those interviews back to three one-hour episodes – an unenviable task indeed – but her new book, The Killing Season Uncut, goes behind the scenes of the series, revealing material that didn’t make the final cut. The book has much to tell about this turbulent period in ALP history but also provides fascinating insights into the processes of Ferguson– one of Australia’s most celebrated, agenda-setting journalists. 'For me, this story is unfinished … these two great politicians of their generation, by any standards, cut off at their prime.' Sarah Ferguson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Sally Warhaft and senior member of the Canberra press gallery, Niki Savva, for a discussion of political partnerships, party loyalty, the looming election and the state of conservative politics in Australia today. Sally Warhaft and Niki Savva Earlier this month, Niki Savva’s book on the political partnership of Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin sparked a flurry of press. There were attacks, counter-attacks, impassioned defences of the Abbott Government legacy – and just as vehement defences of long political and journalistic careers. This Fifth Estate conversation offers a chance for a deeper dissection of the issues raised in the book – and in the media surrounding it – as well as a broader discussion of the trajectory of the Liberal Party. In The Road to Ruin: How Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin Destroyed Their Own Government, Savva argues that while the partnership between the former PM and his chief of staff was effective in opposition, it was catastrophic in government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join host Sally Warhaft, Grattan Institute CEO and policy expert John Daley and influential banker and author Satyajit Das for a conversation about change, market forces and aspirations. The divide between generations is becoming an increasingly apparent faultline in our society. Baby Boomers came of age during an era of unprecedented economic prosperity, but their children have become adults in a set of drastically different circumstances. Over recent decades, we’ve seen a widening gap between rich and poor, with access to the property market tipped largely in favour of older generations. The workforce has changed drastically, too, with younger people competing in a more fragmented, casualised market – one that discriminates against older workers. Perhaps it’s time for us all to reconsider our expectations. Can we continue with an economic model that’s predicated on the idea of endless growth? And can we do it while addressing younger generations’ environmental concerns and coping with the economic challenges of an ageing population? Do younger Australians even want what the Baby Boomers have had anyway?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Addressing the media after his successful leadership challenge last year, Malcolm Turnbull stressed his vision for an agile, forward-looking Australia. ‘We can’t be defensive,’ he said, promising a government that would ensure Australia can thrive, ‘as the world becomes more and more competitive and greater opportunities arise’. But beyond the rhetoric – in practical foreign policy terms – what will it take to achieve a thriving, competitive 21st-century Australia? In this election year, which parties have the smartest foreign policy plans? And, in a more complex, competitive world, does Australia need to be bigger to be better? Michael Fullilove is an author, historian and executive director of the Lowy Institute. In his recent Boyer lectures, he argued that Australia must be smarter, shrewder and larger to capitalise on the changing world order. In conversation with Sally Warhaft, he discusses why we need a bigger population and a bigger economy. Listen in for a discussion of foreign affairs, population and thinking big.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can our economy make us sick? David Stuckler thinks it can. Stuckler is an Oxford University professor whose focus is the intersection of political economy and public health. In 2013, he co-wrote The Body Economic: Why Austerity Kills, arguing that some countries have turned recessions into public health disasters in misguided efforts to get the budget back on track. Sally Warhaft and David Stuckler Stuckler has studied large data sets from across the globe to learn how economic upheavals – from the Great Depression to the collapse of the Soviet Union to the Asian Financial Crisis to the Global Financial Crisis – have affected the health of citizens. Australia’s economy has held up better than most in recent times, so how do Stuckler’s findings relate to us? And what lessons can Australian policy-makers learn from mistakes made in other countries? For our first Fifth Estate event in 2016, join Sally Warhaft and a fascinating international guest for a discussion of health and economic upheaval.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our final Fifth Estate of 2015, Sally Warhaft is joined by the authors of The Dismissal, a new book on the abrupt, brutal end to the Whitlam era. One day shy of the 40th anniversary, journalists Paul Kelly and Troy Bramston shed new light on the crisis, discussing the true motivations of key players as well as the scale of collusion. Australia has had four prime ministers in the last two years, thanks to a series of dramatic leadership spills and coups. Yet the dismissal of the Whitlam government on 11 November 1975 continues to stand out among the most divisive events in Australian political history. As far as political crises go, it remains in a class of its own.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six weeks into Turnbull’s turn as leader, host Sally Warhaft is joined by revered political journalists Michelle Grattan and Laura Tingle to discuss the new-look Liberals, the weight of expectation – and Australian political culture more broadly. ‘Here’s the rule in the Liberal Party – if you win, you did the right thing.’ Those are the words of former treasurer Peter Costello, describing the brutal party dynamics that allowed Malcolm Turnbull to seize the leadership from Tony Abbott on 14 September. The Labor Party turned switching leaders into an unedifying team sport, but the Liberals promised Australians something different: stability and ‘grown-up government’. So, how are they doing? Prime Minister Turnbull wants to be a new kind of leader – with a more optimistic outlook and greater respect for the public’s intelligence. The new cabinet, we’re told, will be consultative, communicative and no longer subject to ‘captain’s calls’. The old guard has promised ‘no sniping, no wrecking’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warhaft, Pyne and Bowen If you want a friend in Washington, the famous saying goes, get a dog. Is the same true of Canberra? With a sometimes cynical electorate and a particularly hostile parliament, is it hard to hold onto one’s belief in politics as public service? What keeps long-time politicians in the game? Sally Warhaft is joined by Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Christopher Pyne (who was, until a recent reshuffle, Minister for Education) and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen to discuss life on the front bench. In a wide-reaching conversation, the two Christophers reveal their motivations, their views on Australian political culture today and their personal political heroes in their respective portfolios: education, industry, innovation, science and treasury.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See also Note Malcolm Turnbull: ‘we have to put a price on carbon' / Australian politics Guest post by Malcolm Turnbull 14 Sep 2015 Note Saving Native Species and Our Moral Code: With Tim Flannery / Animals & nature By Jo Case 21 Nov 2012 Ten years after his internationally bestselling book, The Weather Makers, author and scientist Tim Flannery argues in Atmosphere of Hope that the global climate system is close to crisis. Following the recent announcement of Obama’s Clean Power Plan, and in the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (to be held in Paris in December 2015), Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft is joined by Tim Flannery alongside Australian Solar Council CEO John Grimes and futurist Katherine Teh-White to provide both a snapshot of the trouble we’re already in – and a discussion of the emerging technologies that give us hope for the future of our planet. From atmospheric carbon capture to seaweed farming to carbon dioxide snow production in Antarctica and the manufacture of carbon-rich biochar, our guests will discuss not only the depths of the climate change crisis – but the transformative models that might mitigate its effects.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might also like Podcast episode The Fifth Estate Defence policy in the age of ISIS / Defence, military & war 23 Oct 2014 As the reach of ISIS continues to unfurl, key strategic cities in Syria and Iraq have fallen to the group and a number of Australians (most often young or vulnerable) have been drawn into its networks. While media attention has focused primarily on the spectacle of ISIS – the beheadings and immolations – and the organisation’s sophisticated online recruitment strategies, true and measured insight has sometimes proven elusive. What are we failing to comprehend about the workings and the ambitions of the group? Not five years since the optimistic first stirrings of the Arab Spring, how did we get here – to talk of an apocalyptic showdown – so quickly? Sally Warhaft is joined by award-winning journalist Sally Neighbour, author of two books on terrorism and Islamic extremism, and Jamie Tarabay, senior editor of national security and tech at Vocativ, to discuss the growing influence of ISIS and, more generally, the challenges of reporting on global conflict today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's it like to be a political reporter today, when breaking news is measured by second-by-second tweets (instead of next-day newspapers)? How has it changed over the decades? In this Fifth Estate special, recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2015, we hear from Fairfax's Latika Bourke and ABC TV's Barrie Cassidy. Hosted by Sally Warhaft. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past decade, Australia’s stance towards asylum seekers has changed radically. No longer assumed to be refugees fleeing persecution, asylum seekers are now often described as 'illegal immigrants'. In recent weeks, there have been allegations that both major parties have paid people smugglers to return asylum seekers to Indonesian shores. The federal government has come in for particular criticism, with detention centre workers resigning in protest against poor conditions. There have been ongoing accusations, too, that Australian asylum seeker policies breach United Nations conventions. The newly created Border Force, merging the frontline operations of Customs and Immigration, has taken charge of Operation Sovereign Borders – where information regarding 'on water matters' is withheld from journalists. As the number of refugees and displaced peoples increases around the world, Australia's policies will gain increasing international attention. Join host Sally Warhaft with David Manne, Director of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre, and Mariam Veiszadeh, human rights lawyer and 'proud refugee', for a conversation about seeking asylum, politics and Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The name Gonski has long been known and respected in business, arts and philanthropic circles. David Gonski AC is a former chairman of the Australia Council, and chairman of ANZ Banking Group, Coca-Cola Amatil and the Sydney Theatre Company. But when he released his Rudd Government-commissioned report into school funding in 2011, Gonski became a household name across Australia. Subscribe to the series Podcast series The Fifth Estate / History, politics & current affairs In this rare, intimate glimpse into the life of one of Australia’s most successful people, Gonski discusses his book I Gave a Gonski, Selected Speeches – as well as his ideas on sharing, philanthropy, the life changing experience of education and the dangers of 'short-termism'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subscribe to the series Podcast series The Fifth Estate / History, politics & current affairs With major operations in Iraq and the Middle East, the purchase of new military equipment (including ships, vehicles and planes) and the increase in programs to counter violent extremism, how do we prioritise our defence spending and focus? Is the Government's commitment to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP within a decade warranted? And what will the defence white paper, due for release in August, likely reveal? Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft talks to defence expert and adviser to Chief of Airforce, Group Captain Catherine McGregor, about the shape of Australia's defence policy in action.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the dust settles on this year’s federal budget, the Fifth Estate turns its eye to matters economic with Ross Gittins, economics editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, and public policy experts Miriam Lyons and Ian McAuley. While the Federal Government expects to spend more in 2015 than at the height of the global financial crisis, it appears that well-funded health and higher education are inching further out of reach – not to mention an economy that addresses climate change or the growing divide between rich and poor. Must the ‘path back to surplus’ entail a leaner, meaner government? Doesn’t public sector involvement make sound economics? What is the role of government in Australia today? Join Sally Warhaft and guests as they illuminate the complexities and contradictions of the modern economy – and its effects on our daily lives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early hours of 29 April, the Indonesian government executed eight prisoners – including two Australians – by firing squad. Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were killed despite intense diplomatic efforts, desperate legal manoeuvring and an enormous public outcry. These executions, and the promise from Indonesia of more in the near future, have created unprecedented public interest in the death penalty. What can Australia now do to help abolish capital punishment in our region and beyond? Is a moratorium – or abolition – possible? In a special edition of the Fifth Estate, in partnership with Reprieve Australia and its Mercy Campaign, host Sally Warhaft is joined by Professor Gillian Triggs, President of the Human Rights Commission, renowned anti-death penalty jurist the Honourable Lex Lasry and Richard Bourke, Director of the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center and founder of Reprieve Australia, to discuss Australia’s role in campaigning to end the death penalty. Presented in partnership with Reprieve Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past six months, Australia has seen the passing of two giants of the political stage — Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser. Defined by the dismissal, and with vastly different leadership styles, their respective visions and energy for reform have left a lasting legacy. In this Fifth Estate, Sally Warhaft is joined by former Liberal MP, founding director of the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs and senior adviser to Malcolm Fraser (amongst others), Petro Georgiou; former Labor MP and friend and colleague to both Fraser and Whitlam, Barry Jones; and La Trobe University professor of politics Judith Brett. Expect an intimate discussion of the vastly different contributions made by Whitlam and Fraser to the political world, and to Australia as a nation — from free education to immigration to Medicare to arts funding. How do their legacies inform our understanding of the current political landscape? And can leaders like these, with a clear vision and grandeur of ideals, be seen again?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special spotlight edition of The Fifth Estate, we meet one of the most influential investigative journalists of our time. Nick Davies wrote more than 100 articles for the Guardian about scandalous crimes at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World, which led to Britain’s Leveson Inquiry into the culture and practices of the press. He was also centrally involved in the publication of secret cables obtained by WikiLeaks. How has the media changed since the phone-hacking scandal and subsequent inquiry? What was it like to take on the most powerful media mogul in the world? And what is the future for newspapers, the internet and investigative journalism? Join Nick Davies and host Sophie Black for a unique insight into some of the most important stories about power, freedom and corruption in the 21st century. Nick Davies is the author of numerous award-winning books, including Hack Attack and Flat Earth News. He also teaches masterclasses on investigative journalism, writes feature films and makes TV documentaries. This is the second episode of a two-part series; hear Nick and Sophie's earlier conversation here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special spotlight edition of The Fifth Estate, we meet one of the most influential investigative journalists of our time. Nick Davies wrote more than 100 articles for the Guardian about scandalous crimes at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World, which led to Britain’s Leveson Inquiry into the culture and practices of the press. He was also centrally involved in the publication of secret cables obtained by WikiLeaks. How has the media changed since the phone-hacking scandal and subsequent inquiry? What was it like to take on the most powerful media mogul in the world? And what is the future for newspapers, the internet and investigative journalism? Join Nick Davies and host Sophie Black for a unique insight into some of the most important stories about power, freedom and corruption in the 21st century. Nick Davies is the author of numerous award-winning books, including Hack Attack and Flat Earth News. He also teaches masterclasses on investigative journalism, writes feature films and makes TV documentaries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the eve of the execution of Bali Nine prisoners Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in Indonesia, Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft speaks with Tom Porteous, deputy program director at Human Rights Watch (Washington DC) and Julian Burnside, human rights and refugee advocate, about how we can form effective responses to human rights breaches … and how we can broach the logic of capital punishment in a human rights context.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former independent MPs Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott join Sally Warhaft to discuss their impressions of politics from within the minority government of the 43rd Australian parliament – and from life beyond politics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been fifteen years since Indonesia relinquished control of East Timor and the Australian-led intervention supported the successful quest for self-determination. Following the independence ballot, in 2002 Timor-Leste emerged as the first sovereign nation state of the twenty-first century. Since then, the relationship between Australia and Timor-Leste has been close, with strong trade partnerships and extensive aid programs, but it has also been shadowed by disputes. The contested ownership of Timor Sea oil and gas reserves and scandals over Australian spying on its near neighbour has, at times, tested the friendship. How strong is the Australia/Timor-Leste relationship? When will permanent maritime boundaries be established? And how is Timor-Leste faring as an independent nation? For our final Fifth Estate of 2014, Sally Warhaft is joined by Timor-Leste’s Goodwill Ambassador for Education Dr Kirsty Sword Gusmão and former Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks, now special advisor to the prime minister of Timor-Leste.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Australian hornets strike Islamic State targets over Iraq and our special forces remain on standby to once again enter conflict in the Middle East, questions arise about Australia’s defence and foreign policy priorities. Should we be focusing our intelligence and defence resources on global alliances or our own region? How binding is the ANZUS treaty and Australia’s obligations to United States foreign policy objectives? And what has changed within our borders with the rise of homegrown fundamentalists connected to a stateless, criminal terror network with no regard for human life? Sally Warhaft is joined by James Brown, former Australian Army officer, now Military Fellow at the Lowy Institute, and Greg Barton (director, international, of the Global Terrorism Research Centre and co-editor of the journal Islam and Christian Muslim Relations). These distinguished insiders will lend their experience and insight in a special Fifth Estate on Australia’s defence policy in the age of ISIS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The prime minister’s chief of staff has a unique role in Australian political culture. With immeasurable influence – some much more than others – as confidantes, mediators, gatekeepers and advisors, the chief of staff steers the prime minister through the challenges and landmines of leadership, fine tuning and coordinating the things that matter to help win the support of cabinet, caucus and country. What makes a great chief of staff? What are the challenges, pressures and principles that occupy their time? And what matters most in this powerful behind-the-scenes role? Prime Minister Tony Abbott calls his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, ‘the boss’. Kevin Rudd’s chief of staff, Alister Jordan, was referred to as ‘the wunderkind’, not always kindly. Join Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft with Anne Tiernan, associate professor at the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Griffith University, and David Epstein, the first chief of staff to Prime Minister Rudd, to discuss the chiefs, past and present, and this singular job in the national capital.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Combet is one of the most influential public figures of his generation. A former leader of the ACTU, and parliamentary secretary and senior minister in the Rudd-Gillard Labor governments, Combet has been at the centre of some of the biggest battles and dramas in recent political history. He led the 2007 campaign against John Howard’s Work Choices and was Minister for Climate Change in Julia Gillard’s second ministry, before surprising many by resigning after the last ALP leadership showdown and retiring from politics in 2013. Join host Sally Warhaft for this Fifth Estate spotlight interview with Greg Combet, where they discuss the Australian labour movement, the state of our democracy and parliament, the future of the ALP and life after politics for a man many thought a good chance as a future prime minister.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wayne Swan was treasurer of Australia during an extraordinary period of our politics. He was at the financial helm when the world recession hit, and steered our economy through a time of unprecedented international economic challenges. Meanwhile, on the home front, the ALP was divided by leadership battles – whilst ruling on a knife-edge, as a minority government. Sally Warhaft asks Swan about managing the economy, the challenges and compromises of a minority government, and wrangling legislation through parliament in the face of bitter opposition from vested interests (including the mining, banking and hotel industries). They also talk about Australia’s economic past, present and future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wayne Swan was treasurer of Australia during an extraordinary period of our politics. He was at the financial helm when the world recession hit, and steered our economy through a time of unprecedented international economic challenges. Meanwhile, on the home front, the ALP was divided by leadership battles – whilst ruling on a knife-edge, as a minority government. Sally Warhaft asks Swan about managing the economy, the challenges and compromises of a minority government, and wrangling legislation through parliament in the face of bitter opposition from vested interests (including the mining, banking and hotel industries). They also talk about Australia’s economic past, present and future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean to be a whistleblower in the 21st century? When Edward Snowden released thousands of classified documents in June last year, information he acquired while working as an NSA contractor, he could not have foreseen it would be the biggest intelligence leak since the Pentagon Papers, affecting governments all over the world. While he remains busy in an undisclosed location somewhere in Russia, one of his lawyers, Jesselyn Radack, and former NSA crypto-linguist, Thomas Drake, are visiting Australia to discuss the issues which surround the Snowden case. What does it tell us about freedom, the individual and the state? And what do we need to understand about privacy, free speech and security in our times? Join host Sally Warhaft with Thomas Drake, whose own story inspired Edward Snowden to act on his conscience, and Jesselyn Radack, Director of National Security and Human Rights with the Government Accountability Project (GAP), for this special edition of the Fifth Estate in partnership with Blueprint for Free Speech and the Centre for Advancing Journalism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Was WWI the beginning of globalisation, or simply a precursor to a second global conflict that changed the face of the planet? Christopher Clark and Joan Beaumont explore the origins and impacts of WWI, and question what historical lessons we have learned.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago, for a small window of time, Australia had a female prime minister, attorney-general, governor-general, finance minister and four other senior ministers. Today there is just one woman in the federal cabinet – foreign minister Julie Bishop – and when she is away, there are none. How is this possible in a modern representative democracy? What did we learn about the treatment of women in Australian public life from the rise and fall of Julia Gillard? And what is the personal cost for women in politics? To discuss Julia Gillard’s time as prime minister, and to look more broadly at women with power in politics and public life, Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft is joined by two formidable guests, Gold Walkley Award-winning journalist and former state government minister Mary Delahunty, author of the newly released Gravity: Inside the PM’s office during her last year and final days, and bestselling author and journalist Anne Summers AO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australians have always loved a punt – on the horses, card games, two up or the lotto – but in recent decades the prolific increase of poker machines, casinos and online betting has given us the sad ranking of number one in the world for per capita gambling losses. Problem gambling and addiction has had devastating consequences for thousands of people. For everyone else, betting has changed our social landscape and intruded in many areas of our lives we cannot control. Why do Australians love to gamble? What limits should there be on betting and advertising? What can governments and communities do to counter its ill-effects? On the next Fifth Estate, series host Sally Warhaft is joined by anti-gambling campaigner and independent Senator Nick Xenophon and author Michaela McGuire, whose new book Last Bets examines the gaps between ethics and the law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the inaugural Di Gribble Argument, outspoken venture capitalist Mark Carnegie called for Australia to introduce a compulsory (non-military) national service. His ideas include bringing older Australians and students together for mentoring and wisdom transfer, instituting randomly chosen juries of citizens to deliberate and decide on public issues (taking responsibility for key elements of the government’s work) and giving a voice to ordinary people through crowdsourcing. He believes this would establish a culture of active participation in society and democracy, and ward off social threat. Describing civic service as ‘our means of defence,’ Carnegie has called his proposition ‘the maintenance program Australia needs.’ In this special spotlight edition of the Fifth Estate, Mark will speak to host Sally Warhaft about the ideas he’s put forward with his argument, and join her in dissecting and negotiating them. The Di Gribble Argument is a new annual occasion to remember the legacy of publisher, editor and businesswoman Di Gribble, whose impact on the world of books, writing and ideas cannot be overstated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.