Best Jade Byers Pointer Podcasts (2025)

1
The woman who exposed the childcare industry 18:51

Play Pause

9h ago18:51

18:51

Some childcare centres in Australia are so understaffed that children are left alone for hours. Other centres spend less than a dollar a day on feeding them. Yet the industry receives billions in public subsidies and dodgy centres are allowed to keep operating even after serious breaches. What’s emerging is a picture of a broken childcare system – …

1
Australia’s definitely-not-secret deal with Nauru has begun 15:55

1d ago15:55

15:55

Back in 2023, Australia’s top court made a landmark ruling: it was against the law for the Australian government to indefinitely hold people in immigration detention. That ruling had massive implications for our country’s border policies. It overturned 20 years of precedent – and it led to the release of people into the community who had been held …

1
The secret ‘jobs for mates’ report Labor won’t release 16:22

2d ago16:22

16:22

Murray Watt has talked a big game about fixing our environment laws by the end of the year. But this week, the government’s attempt to do that fell apart – with the crossbench and Coalition senators refusing to back the changes. At the same time, Labor faced a dramatic revolt in the Senate over its refusal to release a secret report meant to fix th…

1
When Donald Trump met Xi Jinping 15:20

3d ago15:20

15:20

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have met face-to-face for the first time in six years. The meeting, on the sidelines of the APEC summit, comes at a time of deep tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Tariffs are soaring, critical minerals are being weaponised and the battle over tech dominance is reshaping global supply chains. Trump likes…

1
The cost of Trump's critical minerals ‘deal’ 16:04

4d ago16:04

16:04

Anthony Albanese’s $13 billion critical minerals deal with Donald Trump has been touted as a huge win – one that strengthens our relationship with our most powerful ally – and delivers massive US investment in our national interest. But while Australia and the US talk it up as a blow to China’s stranglehold on these important commodities, questions…

1
Why the ACCC is suing Microsoft 15:55

6d ago15:55

15:55

Tech giants have invested billions into AI – and are looking for ways to get a return. So when Microsoft offered its customers its new AI function “co-pilot” recently, it told them they’d need to pay a higher price for their subscription – or cancel. AI was now part of the deal, whether they wanted it or not. Except it wasn't. Now, the ACCC is suin…

1
How profit beats safety in childcare 17:38

7d ago17:38

17:38

When Joshua Brown was arrested for allegedly abusing children at childcare centers across Melbourne, it exposed a horrifying reality: patchwork regulation and an understaffed, profit-driven industry is failing children. Months on, as state and federal governments try to deal with the fallout – and as the Albanese government pumps record investment …

1
The NACC has a trust problem 16:12

8d ago16:12

16:12

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has over 200 employees, an annual budget of $60 million, and has received more than 5,000 referrals. It also hasn’t made a single major corruption finding in the two years it’s been operating. And adding to questions around performance and credibility, it was recently revealed that the NACC’s Chief Commission…

1
How China took over the world’s critical minerals 13:26

9d ago13:26

13:26

When Anthony Albanese met with Donald Trump, the two leaders cut a deal on critical minerals worth $13 billion. And as we settle into a new phase of the relationship with our most important ally – this is Australia’s crucial bargaining chip, as the US tries to break China’s grip on the supply chain of critical minerals. China’s global domination ha…

1
Is Barnaby at home in One Nation? 15:43

10d ago15:43

15:43

Barnaby Joyce has announced he would not recontest his seat of New England, saying his “relationship with the leadership of the Nationals in Canberra has unfortunately, like a sadness in some marriages, irreparably broken down”. People are now guessing whether his flirtation with One Nation will turn into marriage. So does the former Nationals lead…

1
Prince Andrew, Epstein and the emails 16:34

11d ago16:34

16:34

“We are in this together… we’ll play some more soon.” That’s what Prince Andrew wrote to Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 – the day after a photo of Andrew with accuser Virginia Giuffre hit the papers. The email undercuts the prince’s claim that the two had cut ties in 2010, and is part of a new stream of documents surfacing as US Congress releases tens of …

1
The ‘playbook’ lobbyists use to delay climate action 16:14

12d ago16:14

16:14

When Professor Christian Downie appeared before a Senate inquiry into climate and energy misinformation, he warned that Australia is facing coordinated campaigns designed not to debate climate solutions, but to stall them. Professor Downie has spent years inside boardrooms and the lobbying world studying how these campaigns are built – tracing the …

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Trump and Albanese’s new friendship 16:44

13d ago16:44

16:44

Anthony Albanese was so chuffed with his meeting with US President Donald Trump that the prime minister joked he’d use Trump’s endorsement in his next campaign ads. While Trump is used to a procession of world leaders coming through his door, there was more at stake for Albanese, who is trying to manage an increasingly difficult relationship. In th…

1
Russia can be beaten 14:05

14d ago14:05

14:05

When Donald Trump met Vladimir Putin in Alaska back in August, he rolled out the red carpet, talked up his ability to end the war, but ultimately came away with no deal. Now, high off his recent Middle East peace deal, Trump is saying he’s “gotta get Russia done”. He met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky last week – and he’s preparing ano…

1
The world according to Tony Abbott 14:39

15d ago14:39

14:39

Charlie Lewis writes about politics for Crikey. He’s been a close observer of Tony Abbott – from his time as a Liberal Party bomb thrower, to his face-offs with Julia Gillard, to his short ‘Prince Philip-themed’ time as prime minister. Now, Charlie’s tracking Abbott’s political afterlife: which brings him to Sydney’s affluent Northern Beaches, and …

1
This is Alice Springs: Children of the Intervention 29:38

16d ago29:38

29:38

From afar, Alice Springs is a whirlpool of myth and truth. A town with competing interests and few solutions, marked by chaos and decades of government overreach. That all came to a head earlier last year, with what’s been described as a “youth riot” in town. The violence led to the Northern Territory government imposing an emergency curfew. This i…

1
This is Alice Springs: The coppers 31:24

16d ago31:24

31:24

Police are everywhere in Alice Springs. You see them driving pursuit vehicles and caged vans on the streets, or stationed outside the bottle shop checking IDs. But more police doesn’t mean less crime – it just means more people are getting locked up. As Alice Springs reels from the police shooting of Warlpiri teenager Kumanjayi Walker, and in the w…

1
This is Alice Springs: Mparntwe 29:09

16d ago29:09

29:09

Alice Springs is littered with “For Sale” signs as those who can afford it are packing up and leaving. Punitive government curfews made daily life more challenging, and families struggle to see a future for themselves if things continue the way they are. With the Country Liberal Party elected on a promise to be even tougher on crime – and lowering …

1
Why Chalmers backtracked on big super balances 15:29

17d ago15:29

15:29

This week, the federal government dramatically re-wrote its signature tax policy. The changes mean that a small section of people with very high super balances will pay less tax. That backflip has big consequences – for the government's budget, and for its commitment to addressing wealth inequality in this country. Today, press gallery journalist P…

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Why David Pocock was booted from parliament's sports club 14:20

18d ago14:20

14:20

The Australian Parliament Sports Club has been attracting a lot of unwanted attention lately – for registering as a lobbying group, accepting sponsorship from the gambling lobby, and for kicking out ex-Wallabies captain David Pocock for having a problem with all that. Daanyal Saeed is Crikey’s media reporter and he broke the story in the first plac…

1
‘ISIS brides’ and the Aussie kids stuck in Syria 14:40

19d ago14:40

14:40

In a desert camp in northeast Syria, behind razor wire, with thousands of other people, live 12 Australian women and 25 Australian children. They are the wives and children of men who went to Syria to join ISIS. With Australia unwilling to help bring them home, they’re living in danger – and in limbo. The recent arrival of two women and four childr…

1
The embassy run by exiles 14:58

20d ago14:58

14:58

When the Taliban retook Afghanistan in August 2021, the country’s embassy in Canberra stayed open. It’s an embassy in exile – staffed by diplomats from the former administration – and advocating on behalf of Afghans here in Australia. Until now, there have been 17 embassies of its kind around the world – in countries that don’t formally recognise t…

1
Why protests are getting more dangerous 13:47

21d ago13:47

13:47

Melbourne photojournalist Alex Zucco was cleaning her camera lens when a police officer hit her directly in the face with a stream of capsicum spray at a protest outside the Melbourne Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition last year. In July this year, a police officer allegedly punched former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas in the face a…

1
The outdated trans study still doing damage 16:17

22d ago16:17

16:17

In the 1970s, eight children in Perth were sent to a psychiatric hospital to be ‘treated’ for being transgender. Their experiences became the basis of a medical study that claimed kids could be cured of their identity. Now, nearly forty years after it was released, that same study is being cited in arguments against trans healthcare and being used …

1
Spotify and the AI arms race 14:25

23d ago14:25

14:25

Recently, Spotify’s founder, Daniel Ek, announced he’s stepping back from running the company. He leaves as one of the richest men in his home country of Sweden – with Forbes estimating his wealth at $9.6 billion. In a departure note to staff, Ek said he wants to focus on creating more European “supercompanies” – companies he described as “developi…

1
'ISIS brides' and broken environment laws 16:23

24d ago16:23

16:23

Labor is trying to land one of its toughest reforms – an overhaul of Australia’s environmental laws. Environment Minister Murray Watt says he wants to speed up housing and energy project developments, make it clear where construction can and can’t go ahead, and create a federal environment watchdog. After a failed deal with the Greens in the last p…

1
Why Israel and Hamas agreed to Trump’s peace deal 15:40

25d ago15:40

15:40

Almost two years to the day since October 7, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. The agreement involves the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, with Israel pulling back its troops to an agreed-upon line and allowing aid into Gaza. The first hostages are expected to be…

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How Albanese killed the climate wars 15:05

26d ago15:05

15:05

Anthony Albanese was first elected on a pledge to fix the climate wars. The most recent test of that promise was the emissions targets he announced on the world stage. But if the targets themselves don’t meet the standards set by scientists – and the policy underpinning them hasn’t dramatically altered – what’s really going to change? Today, journa…

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Why Albanese won't solve the housing crisis 16:21

27d ago16:21

16:21

By Solstice Media

1
Is another Coalition spill brewing? 14:00

28d ago14:00

14:00

By Solstice Media

1
How the gambling lobby infiltrated social sports at Parliament House 14:20

29d ago14:20

14:20

Every Wednesday morning during sitting weeks, politicians, staffers, public servants and journalists gather for a friendly game of sport. It’s meant to be casual, even wholesome. But recently, that club, the Parliament Sports Club, quietly re-registered as a lobbying organisation. Its board includes the Prime Minister. Its members include represent…

1
The woman who exposed Robodebt 29:23

30d ago29:23

29:23

This week, Rick Morton won the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for his book Mean Streak. It’s a huge achievement and we are thrilled for him. This book was the culmination of years of reporting on Robodebt – a government scheme that destroyed lives. At 7am, we were lucky enough to work with Rick on a series, which we published in 2023, about how R…

1
'What happens if the US goes batshit crazy?' 15:17

1M ago15:17

15:17

Anthony Albanese recently returned from a major overseas trip, rubbing shoulders with royalty and sharing the stage with world leaders. But behind the scenes, there were also quiet discussions about a possible Plan B for AUKUS. With parliament about to sit again, his government faces pressure from the crossbench over defence and foreign policy – wh…

1
The MAGA billionaires taking over TikTok 15:58

1M ago15:58

15:58

TikTok is the most influential media platform for Australians under the age of 25. It’s where millions now get their news - whether they realise it or not. But the app is no longer just a cultural force. It’s now at the centre of a global power struggle - between China – and Trump’s America, over who gets to control the algorithm. In the US, a Trum…

1
Rick Morton and the spreadsheet of secrets 15:42

1M ago15:42

15:42

Rick Morton was writing about the restructures happening at several universities earlier this year when documents from the University of Technology Sydney caught his eye. UTS had hired KPMG to help it save $100 million through a restructure. That restructure has now led to the announcement of 400 job losses, with the entire School of Education gone…

1
Trump's ‘peace’ plan for Gaza 15:07

1M ago15:07

15:07

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have unveiled a 20-point proposal they say could end the war in Gaza “immediately” – after nearly two years of bombardment and mounting international pressure. At its core, Hamas must release all hostages, disarm and have no role in Gaza’s future governance. Israel would not commit to a full withdrawal – retainin…

1
What is left of Gaza’s hospitals? 14:49

1M ago14:49

14:49

Dr Rachel Coghlan is a palliative care doctor based in Melbourne, who worked with doctors in Gaza before October 7, 2023. Since then, she has been in regular contact with her colleagues there, as they have continued to show up for work to care for their patients in increasingly horrific circumstances. But now, as Israel’s bombardment of Gaza City i…

1
Trump’s retribution list 15:04

1M ago15:04

15:04

When Donald Trump took power, he promised retribution against his political opponents. Now, he’s delivering - and he’s using the justice department to do it, with the US Attorney launching a two-count indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. And it seems like that’s just the beginning. The justice department has also been directed to inv…

1
Albo v Trump: Oct 20. Let’s goooooo. 15:24

1M ago15:24

15:24

Anthony Albanese has finally managed to get a meeting with Donald Trump, after months of trying. But why did it take so long? And what does it say about just how rocky our relationship with the US has become? As political journalist and author of Albanese: Telling it Straight Karen Middleton reports, the Australian government has been working hard …

1
Labor's guilt in the Optus failure 16:14

1M ago16:14

16:14

The communications watchdog has opened a formal investigation into Optus after a 13-hour failure blocked about 600 triple-zero calls – now linked to three deaths. The government is furious, calling it “completely unacceptable”, and warning of “significant consequences”. But is it actually their fault too? Today, journalist and contributor to Crikey…

1
Australia's China contradiction: AUKUS vs the Pacific 17:00

1M ago17:00

17:00

The Albanese government has been on an unprecedented campaign of diplomatic activism in the Pacific Islands – all to keep China’s military at a distance. At the same time, AUKUS is remaking our defence strategy, with eight nuclear-powered submarines, expanded facilities for US forces, and plans for a new east-coast submarine base. For some watching…

1
Dezi Freeman: from family photographer to alleged cop killer 17:40

1M ago17:40

17:40

Almost a month after two police officers were shot and killed in regional Victoria, the accused gunman – Dezi Freeman – is still at large. Victoria Police have deployed thousands of officers, searched more than a hundred properties, and offered the biggest reward in Victorian history – with no result. People have also been combing Freeman’s Faceboo…

1
Washington's warning to Australia over Palestine 15:17

1M ago15:17

15:17

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in New York for the UN General Assembly, where Australia has formally recognised the State of Palestine – a step that more than 150 UN member states have now taken. The move is part of what Australian calls "a co-ordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution". But with no active pea…

1
The Coalition is in crisis (again) 17:00

1M ago17:00

17:00

The Coalition is again in crisis. The latest Newspoll puts its primary vote at 27 per cent – its worst on record. And with one frontbencher sacked over immigration comments and others threatening to quit over climate policy, the party seems more divided than ever. Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton on the ideological battle lines teari…

1
How the government’s climate targets stack up 15:47

2M ago15:47

15:47

Having released the National Climate Risk Assessment – a report full of apocalyptic climate warnings – earlier this week, the government has now announced its 2035 emissions reduction target. It’s a range, not a single number: 62–70 per cent below 2005 levels. The government says it’s achievable and ambitious, backed by more renewables and industry…

1
Israel rejects a genocide finding and widens its war 18:12

2M ago18:12

18:12

The UN Commission of Inquiry has delivered its starkest assessment yet – finding that Israel has been and is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel has rejected the report, saying it’s acting in self-defence and takes steps to protect civilians. Meanwhile, Israel has begun a major ground offensive in Gaza City after weeks of bombardment. And abroad, I…

1
How Trump is weaponising the assassination of Charlie Kirk 18:37

2M ago18:37

18:37

In the days since the assassination of prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, the White House ordered flags flown at half-staff and memorials were organised in Washington, DC and Arizona. But what followed wasn’t just mourning. The Trump administration is urging people to report anyone who criticised or mocked Kirk’s death, and has pledged to …

1
How one fossil-fuel giant captured Australia 17:59

2M ago17:59

17:59

Last week, the federal environment minister approved Woodside’s plans to keep its North West Shelf project producing gas out to 2070. Both the government and Woodside claim that gas is a necessary transition fuel as the world decarbonises – but how convincing are their arguments? Today, investigative journalist and author of the Quarterly Essay Woo…

1
‘An assault on transparent government’: Albanese’s plan to make secrecy easier 17:02

2M ago17:02

17:02

In opposition, Anthony Albanese said Scott Morrison was running "A shadow government that preferred to operate in darkness." Now in power, the Albanese government is planning to water down Australia's transparency laws and make secrets easier to keep. The proposed changes to Australia’s Freedom of Information act would limit who can make requests, …

1
Part 1: Victoria’s historic treaty 16:51

2M ago16:51

16:51

When Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan introduced the state's treaty bill into parliament, she said it would pave the way for a formal apology, the introduction of Aboriginal truth-telling into the school curriculum, and a better future for Indigenous Australians in the state. The treaty is the culmination of almost a decade of work that established …