7am

For most of Australia’s recent history, preparing for war has meant preparing the military.
Now, the government is turning its attention on the rest of us.
A new parliamentary inquiry will examine Australia's civilian preparedness and whether we could keep fuel flowing, supply chains moving and essential services running through a major conflict.
It comes as the government warns Australia is facing the most threatening strategic circumstances since the Second World War.
Today, Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program, on what major conflict would actually mean for Australians, and whether we’re preparing for the right threats.

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

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram
Guest: Director of Lowy Institute’s International Security Program, Sam Roggeveen
Photo: PR HANDOUT
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whistleblower David McBride has been released from prison on parole, after serving 27 months for leaking classified Defence documents to journalists.
Those documents helped expose allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
Years on, he’s still the only person to have been sent to prison over the Afghan Files.
Today, as McBride is released, we’re returning to an interview Ashlynne McGhee recorded with him just before he was jailed – on why he leaked those documents, whether he had any regrets, and how Australia keeps its secrets.
This episode was first published in May 2024.

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

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram
Guest: Whistleblower and former military lawyer, David McBride
Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After years of pressure to tackle gambling harm, the Albanese government is trying to get its long-awaited reforms through parliament, looking to cut a deal with the Opposition, sparking a debate over just how far the government is prepared to go to get its reforms through.
Meanwhile, immigration is becoming one of the defining battles in federal politics, as One Nation’s growing support and hardline approach force both major parties to confront how they respond to its agenda.
And amidst it all, Barnaby Joyce declared One Nation “one of the gayest parties in Australia”, after a former One Nation candidate called homosexuality a mental illness.
Today, SBS Chief Political Correspondent, Anna Henderson, on a hectic week in parliament; the fight over immigration, gambling reform and a warm conversation between the PM and President Trump.

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

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram
Guest: SBS Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson
Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire has helped shape politics and public debate, and in doing so, has often left lasting consequences for some of the people caught in its sights, from politicians, to public figures to everyday people. The consequences can be devastating.
Journalists Matthew Ricketson and Andrew Dodd have a name for what happens when that attention becomes a campaign, they call it ‘getting Murdoched’.
Today, co-author of their new book Getting Murdoched, Matthew Ricketson on the people who’ve found themselves on the receiving end, and the media culture that could outlast Rupert Murdoch himself.

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

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram
Guest: Co-author of Getting Murdoched Matthew Ricketson
Photo: AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool, File
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when you thought world politics couldn’t get any more ridiculous: tonight, far-right British politician Nigel Farage is set to face a by-election of his own making. His main opponent? A joke candidate by the name of Count Binface, who says he’s an alien space warrior, and wears a superhero costume featuring a bin for a head.
The contest has turned into a circus, but the five-million-pound donation scandal which prompted it, is deadly serious.
Today, European correspondent for the Australian Financial Review, Andrew Tillett, on the contest, the scandal behind it, and the parallels between Farage and Australia’s far-right offering, One Nation.

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

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram
Guest: European correspondent for the Australian Financial Review, Andrew Tillett
Photo: PA/Alamy
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.