Best Barnaby Cook Podcasts (2026)

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Best of 2025: The rallies, the neo-Nazis, the flag-draping: How politics on immigration have led to this point 26:46

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21h ago26:46

26:46

Happy New Year. We’re on a break over summer - lucky us - before we return at the end of January for another year of Inside Politics. Today, we’re returning to an episode recorded in the wake of the divisive ‘March for Australia’ protests, which became the vehicle for a hodgepodge of causes, including immigration, an issue that would lead to Jacint…

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Best of 2025: Chifley, Hawke, Rudd. Albanese beat them all. But what’s next? 19:25

1d ago19:25

19:25

Remember how there was a federal election? In this episode, we return to Anthony Albanese's astonishing landslide victory in May with former chief political correspondent David Crowe and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright. Crowe and Wright reflect on how history-making the win was, and what Albanese will do with his mandate. Subscribe to T…

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Best of 2025: How a dancing Robert Irwin became America’s antidote 23:45

3d ago23:45

23:45

Today, we return to a good news story as we kick off a new year. The fame of Robert Irwin, the son of ‘crocodile hunter’ Steve Irwin, was supercharged recently when he won one of America's top reality television shows, Dancing with the Stars. Our culture editor-at-large Michael Idato delves into the Irwin family empire and how Robert Irwin’s brand …

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Best of 2025: The lawyer (and author) who represented Palestine in international court 23:27

4d ago23:27

23:27

As we say goodbye to 2025, we can only hope we also see an end to the swirling chaos of multiple wars that raged across the world, and in the case of the Israel-Gaza conflict, fractured so much of our society. Today we return to a special episode with British barrister and human rights lawyer Phillipe Sands, who defended Palestine at the Internatio…

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Best of 2025: The tobacco tax causing carnage in our streets 15:22

5d ago15:22

15:22

A tax on tobacco seemed like a great idea to deter smokers and raise revenue. But, as the price of cigarettes soared, major criminal organisations saw an opening, and began to pump cheap, illegal cigarettes into Australia. And violence came along with it as warring gangs fought for control of the trade in our major cities. Today, with your Morning …

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Best of 2025: A Labor 'landslide' and disaster for Dutton 25:22

8d ago25:22

25:22

Hi and Merry Christmas! Your Inside Politics team is on a little hiatus over summer before we return at the end of January. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy some of our favourite episodes of the year, starting with a trip down memory lane to election night with our former chief political correspondent David Crowe before he passed the baton to BFF…

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Best of 2025: Is this the beginning of the end of the American empire? 17:23

9d ago17:23

17:23

We’re bringing you the best episodes of 2025 before your Morning Edition team returns mid-January. It was another big year for the human headline that was U.S President Donald Trump, and political and international editor Peter Hartcher was an essential listen each week on our podcast as we tried to make sense of it all. This episode was recorded i…

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Best of 2025: The sentencing of mushroom cook Erin Patterson 25:35

10d ago25:35

25:35

We’re bringing you the best episodes of 2025 before your Morning Edition team returns mid-January. Well, the mushroom murders was the criminal case of the year and in this episode, we take you inside the court on the day Erin Patterson was sentenced to life imprisonment. Patterson received a triple-murder conviction for the now infamous lunch of be…

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Best of 2025: Is Prince Andrew an existential crisis for the monarchy? 25:02

11d ago25:02

25:02

We’re bringing you the best episodes of 2025 before your Morning Edition team returns mid-January. Today, we return to an episode recorded in October with senior columnist Jacqueline Maley, when more torrid tales emerged of the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and his connection to sex offender and disgraced financier, Jeffrey Epstein. Wh…

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Best of 2025: Belle Gibson's cancer con 28:30

12d ago28:30

28:30

Hi, it’s Samantha Selinger-Morris here, the host of The Morning Edition. We’re bringing you the best episodes of 2025 before your Morning Edition team returns mid-January. This one is about Belle Gibson. One of the original wellness influencers, Gibson claimed to have healed herself from terminal cancer through healthy eating. The problem was, she …

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Tony Abbott on running for Senate, AUKUS and cultural ‘self-loathing’ 42:44

13d ago42:44

42:44

In this bonus episode of Inside Politics, former primer minister Tony Abbott joins host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal. Abbott has penned a new book, Australia: A History, describing a more positive view of our past. He also discusses the current political and cultural challenges facing the Liberal Party, as well as …

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Anger in the aftermath: Albanese and the Bondi attack 23:54

15d ago23:54

23:54

This week it feels wrong to talk about politics in the wake of the horrific antisemitic massacre at Bondi Beach on Sunday. Australians and Sydneysiders in particular are still trying to make sense of the senseless. But the fact is that the response to the massacre has been deeply political, and things got divisive very quickly. So this week on Insi…

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Courage and kindness in the face of the Bondi attack 18:15

16d ago18:15

18:15

On the evening of the shooting at Bondi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian” – that was indeed proven when the entire community sprung into action, those who ran towards the disaster, not away from it. There are tales of heroism, like the couple who first tried to stop the gunmen …

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Holocaust survivors chose Sydney after the war. Then came the Bondi attack 21:08

17d ago21:08

21:08

When Michael Visontay heard of the shootings at Bondi Beach on Sunday, his first instinct was to call his son, who often swam there. Then came the sickening feeling of dread, when his son didn’t answer his phone. Something that thickened this dread even further, was a family history that taught him to always be alert to possible threats. His father…

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A voice note from our reporter who was caught up in the Bondi shooting 5:34

17d ago5:34

5:34

We’re releasing an additional episode today featuring one of our reporters, Elias Visontay, who was at Bondi Beach with a friend on the day of the terror attack. Elias recounts his first-hand experience as the gunmen fired bullets at the unexpecting crowd. You can read his story on our websites here. And if you’re struggling with the bad news at th…

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Bondi terror attack: On the ground after mass shooting 17:30

18d ago17:30

17:30

Sunday’s Bondi Beach terrorist attack, which targeted a Hanukkah celebration, was the worst mass shooting in Australia since Port Arthur. Some in the Jewish community have been fearing a deadly attack for years. This episode features the stories of witnesses, such as reporter Elias Visontay, and mother-of-three Jacqui Cohen, who took cover with her…

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How horror Bondi Beach terror attack unfolded 7:04

19d ago7:04

7:04

As we record this on Sunday night, 12 people, including the shooter, have been confirmed dead in a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, with the New South Wales Police Commissioner declaring it a terrorist incident. The number of dead has since increased to 16, including a child. Dozens of people had been gathered to mark the first night of Hanu…

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Inside Politics: The ‘dirty business’ of MP expenses 26:18

22d ago26:18

26:18

Today, we're delving into the expenses scandal, if indeed we are calling it a scandal, that has engulfed the Communications Minister Anika Wells. A $100,000 taxpayer funded flight to New York snow-balled into a drip-feed of information about flights to the Formula 1 grand prix, the Boxing Day tests and even a family reunion at Thredbo. All of this …

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Trump and the Caribbean boat strikes: Did a war crime occur? 24:47

23d ago24:47

24:47

The video is, according to those who have seen it, horrific to watch. Two sailors cling to the debris of a blown-up boat in the Caribbean, when they’re killed by a US military strike. This occurred after the first strike on their boat failed to kill everybody on board. It has sparked outrage, and led to accusations – by Democrat and Republican lawm…

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The sex offenders being protected under secretive orders 17:13

24d ago17:13

17:13

Our mastheads have discovered that a number of sex offenders have committed crimes - in our communities - after serving their time in prison. And here’s the thing. They committed these crimes while under a “supervision order”. This little known order, issued by a court, is meant to keep a “ring fence” around these known offenders, to keep tabs on t…

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What happens when social media goes ‘dark’ for Australian teens 15:15

25d ago15:15

15:15

Parents across the country have been wringing their hands for months about how the social media ban will work – and more so, if it will work. So, what exactly does the ban cover? And how will it be enforced? Today, reporter Bronte Gossling on the main methods children plan on using, to circumvent what the federal government has called a “world-lead…

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Blood on the ground: What’s happening in Sudan 32:18

26d ago32:18

32:18

When American author Anne Applebaum travelled to the frontlines of the Sudanese civil war this year, she gave herself a stern remit. Bear witness to, and report on, a lawless world that - since the United States has pulled most of its aid - is now run by warring militias, clans and families. Crucially, she would keep emotion out of it. But then she…

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$100k flights, uncomfortable truth about PM's wedding, and the fight over social media 26:36

29d ago26:36

26:36

This week the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was on his honeymoon after his low-key Lodge wedding last weekend, while Senate estimates rolled on in Canberra, uncovering some interesting secrets. Notable was the head-scratching amount that Communications Minister Anika Wells spent on flights to New York, made public ahead of the mammoth social medi…

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Kate McClymont on the fake accountant, the solicitor, and the stolen millions 19:35

30d ago19:35

19:35

When Mark Leishman and his wife Kathy first sought out the help of George Dimitriou, they were suffering with cash-flow problems at Mark’s business. By the time their working relationship with Dimitriou finished - and after they discovered he was only pretending to be an accountant - their Newcastle home was repossessed, and they lost, they say, $4…

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Will ‘gentle density’ help fix our housing stupidity? 16:09

1M ago16:09

16:09

New figures out on Monday show that the median house values in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane have become, well, kind of insane. They’re the kind of figures that make people who’ve been desperately saving to break into the housing market tear at their hair by the roots. But new research shows that allowing Australians to subdivide their properties c…

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Why shark attacks in Australia are increasing 13:36

1M ago13:36

13:36

It really was the stuff of nightmares. A Swiss tourist, who was swimming with dolphins off the NSW coast, was suddenly mauled by a three-metre bull shark. The 25-year-old died from her injuries, despite her heroic boyfriend, an exchange student also from Switzerland, fighting off the shark and carrying her to shore. Today, environment and climate r…

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How real is the rise of One Nation? 21:34

1M ago21:34

21:34

When Pauline Hanson marched into the Senate last week wearing a burqa, it felt, for a moment, like we were back in the 1990s. Those were the sorts of stunts – and anti-immigration rhetoric – that the former fish and chip shop owner from Ipswich used to pull when she first swept into power. But, with a high-profile member of parliament on the verge …

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Barnaby defects, Hanson offends and Sussan Ley comes on the podcast 25:31

1M ago25:31

25:31

Well, Barnaby Joyce finally announced his resignation from the Nationals this week, paving his way to join One Nation, in a week where Pauline Hanson recycled a burqa stunt from 2017. And it’s amid this turmoil that we have a special guest with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and Jacqueline Maley - Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. Subscribe …

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'Nice is nice': How a dancing Robert Irwin became America's antidote 23:50

1M ago23:50

23:50

We feel like we’ve known him since he was in nappies. But now, at 21, the fame enjoyed by Robert Irwin - the son of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin - has been supercharged after winning one of America’s top reality television shows, Dancing with the Stars. Today, culture editor-at-large Michael Idato on the Irwin family empire and how Robert Irwin’s b…

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‘They view it as a contagion’: Why Trump wants our migrant data 16:57

1M ago16:57

16:57

Donald Trump has long tried to stamp American institutions - and the daily life of his country’s citizens - with his ultra-conservative ideology, openly waging war on diversity, transgender rights and women, among other targets. But now he wants American diplomats in Canberra to report back to him about the way we live. Today, North America corresp…

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Why the BOM spent $96 million on its website 15:40

1M ago15:40

15:40

The Bureau of Meteorology has been plagued with public stuff-ups, including, just a few years ago, a false tsunami alert sent to half of the country. This is a problem because farmers use the site to plan harvests, fisherman use it navigate the seas, and the rest of us rely on it to decide if we need to bring an umbrella, or can safely travel from …

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'Blood oil': How Australia is funding Russia's war 27:03

1M ago27:03

27:03

Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Australia banned the importation of Russian crude oil. Even so, Russian oil is still making its way to our shores, and into our petrol. Kateryna Argyrou calls this blood oil - money from which goes to fund the Kremlin’s war machine. Today, Argryou, who chairs the Australian Federation of Ukrainian…

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Albanese wants to protect Australia ‘as it is’. But is it good enough? 29:18

1M ago29:18

29:18

Recently on this podcast we have been highly fixated on the problems within the Liberal opposition and we have neglected the government somewhat. So this week we are going to focus on Labor, and to that end we have a real treat for listeners. Sean Kelly, a columnist for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, was previously a Labor staffer with Kevin Ru…

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The 'helpers' of Singapore – raising expat children, while never seeing their own 19:46

1M ago19:46

19:46

It’s a Sunday at a park in Singapore, and, as journalist Zach Hope observed, it’s the servants day off. They lounge on picnic rugs, shaking off the week of cooking, cleaning – and raising other people’s kids. Singapore has more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers, or “helpers”, as they’re called and many care for the children of expats, including…

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The political 'killing season' has begun, so who are the new leaders? 19:34

2M ago19:34

19:34

There can be no mistaking it – it is that time of year known as the killing season. Because, as of this morning, there are two state political leaders who’ve lost their jobs. One whose job is rumoured to be on the chopping block. And all this, as rumours swirl that federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, might not last through to the new year. Today,…

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Trump and Epstein: How significant are the new emails? 21:09

2M ago21:09

21:09

Donald Trump has long sworn that his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was no big deal, that he didn’t know about his abuse of girls and women, and there was nothing of consequence in the so-called Epstein files. Then came last week, when a group of Democrats, and later Republicans, released thousands and thousands of pages of emails and correspond…

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Wasting billions: The government system hurting your hip pocket 23:22

2M ago23:22

23:22

Four years ago, when our senior economics correspondent, Shane Wright, pointed out the failings of our central bank, government leaders, including the federal treasurer, sat up and took notice. Well now, he’s at it again. And this time, he’s got his sights on what he calls an unspoken economic problem that is driving down our quality of life. Today…

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Inside Politics: The Coalition’s net zero word salad, and Ley’s leadership ‘not safe’ 24:16

2M ago24:16

24:16

This week in federal politics there was really only one show in town, and that was the compelling and 'can't look away' car crash that is the Liberal party's continued ructions on its net zero policy. They culminated, or maybe even concluded, on Thursday afternoon, when the Liberal Party met and finally came up with a policy. Today, host Jacqueline…

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The NYT asked if women ruined the workplace. Women had some thoughts 25:31

2M ago25:31

25:31

“Did women ruin the workplace?” This was the question that was put forward in a New York Times podcast that - no surprises here - quickly went viral. The main thrust of the argument was that women are gossipy and overly emotional, and so, as we take over more and more businesses, we are a threat to the pursuit of truth and innovation. To say that w…

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Blood and honour: why couldn’t the NSW Government stop a neo-Nazi rally? 20:03

2M ago20:03

20:03

How could dozens of white supremacists be allowed to rally outside of the NSW parliament building, on Saturday morning? And why didn’t the police who watched them congregate make them disperse, once they heard them use antisemitic tropes about power and influence, and chant a Hitler Youth slogan? These are just two of the questions facing our gover…

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John Laws: The power of one Sydney shockjock 16:03

2M ago16:03

16:03

Tributes have flown in – from the likes of actor Russell Crowe and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – for John Laws, the polarising broadcaster who died over the weekend at 90. But, it has to be asked: why are we still talking about him, decades after his peak, when he played a key role in helping prime ministers either nab, or keep their hold on po…

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REDs is the hot topic among athletes and amateurs, but is it real? 22:32

2M ago22:32

22:32

Have you ever taken on a 10km run, or a half marathon - maybe pushed yourself just a little too much, without properly researching what you should be eating, to fuel your efforts? Many have. And it’s no wonder endurance activities are an increasingly popular coping mechanism for those of us struggling to deal with the mental load of everyday life. …

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Jane Hume on rebranding net zero, and Hastie's abortion comments 33:58

2M ago33:58

33:58

It’s been a rather torrid week for the Coalition, with yet more messy fighting over whether it will dump its commitment to Australia achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This was followed by controversial comments by former frontbencher Andrew Hastie on late-term abortions. Today’s guest is Senator Jane Hume, a Liberal moderate, joining chief poli…

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Our hospitals and GPs are struggling. Are Albanese’s fixes working? 16:12

2M ago16:12

16:12

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese swept back into power in part on the back of an $8.5 billion investment in Medicare, what he described as the “single largest investment in Medicare since its creation” more than 40 years ago. Who could forget him waving his Medicare card at every opportunity on the campaign trail? Today, health reporter Angus Thomso…

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A birthing trend is leading to deaths. Why is 'freebirthing' growing in popularity? 19:34

2M ago19:34

19:34

A series of tragic deaths of Australian mothers and babies, as a result of so-called “freebirthing” has put this practice into the spotlight. What is “freebirthing”, you ask? Call it birth without a safety net, that is: without any doctor, trained clinician or registered midwife present. Some women are alone. Some are just with their partner. Today…

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An impending 'Spermageddon': New study on the everyday chemicals lowering sperm count 21:29

2M ago21:29

21:29

Is "Spermagedon" coming? Well, the results of a new study on men's fertility and testosterone levels has left experts concerned as male sperm counts plunge. Many experts suspect the drop is driven by a cocktail of air pollution, microplastics and other hormone-disrupting toxins, including PFAS or “forever chemicals” in the environment. Today, scien…

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'The most intense attack of my career': Alex Greenwich on what happened with Mark Latham 34:35

2M ago34:35

34:35

High-profile politician Alex Greenwich is used to the robust world of public office, but he says he had never experienced such an intense attack on his sexuality after his public stoush with Mark Latham. Latham, the former Labor leader turned political pariah, was ordered to pay Greenwich $140,000 for a vile social media post the Federal Court foun…

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Inflation figures were bad, so why focus on Albanese’s T-shirt? 24:03

2M ago24:03

24:03

This week we're going to talk about the government's weaknesses, which might seem a little bit counter-intuitive, because Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been flying so high on the international stage, where he dined with US President Donald Trump at a dinner at ASEAN. But back on the domestic front, there are a few weaknesses, particularly in …

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Is Prince Andrew an existential crisis for the monarchy? 24:44

2M ago24:44

24:44

This week, King Charles was doing something the British royal family are accustomed to - shaking the hands of royal fans who had lined up for a chance to greet him outside a Cathedral in the UK. But then there was a shout from the crowd - loud and clear over the hum of voices and clicking of cameras: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstei…

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The private powerbroker who has Lachlan Murdoch’s ear 15:48

2M ago15:48

15:48

In 2005, Rupert Murdoch famously sided with his right-hand man, former Fox News chairman and now disgraced businessman, Roger Ailes, over his son, Lachlan, in a television dispute.He chose proven loyalty over blood ties. Perhaps it’s a lesson Lachlan never forgot. Because after a decades-long succession battle over his family’s media empire, he cam…