Best Jade Byers Pointer Podcasts (2025)

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Part 1: Victoria’s historic treaty 16:51

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2d 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 …

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Part 2: The politics and pushback 16:42

3d ago16:42

16:42

Indigenous leaders across the country have welcomed Victoria’s treaty. The legislation will enshrine a democratically elected body for First Peoples, called Gellung Warl, that will be consulted on laws and policies affecting Indigenous communities. Now there are calls for other states and territories to use the Victorian example as a model to estab…

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How AI is being abused to create child sexual abuse material 14:29

4d ago14:29

14:29

Images of child sexual abuse generated by artificial intelligence are on the rise. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, says 100,000 Australians a month have accessed an app that allows users to upload images of other people – including minors – to receive a depiction of what they would look like naked. Predators are known to share …

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Part 1: How Trump is shaping the financial industry in crypto’s favour 15:39

5d ago15:39

15:39

US President Donald Trump was once skeptical of digital assets, saying Bitcoin “seems like a scam” and that crypto’s value was “based on thin air.” Now, cryptocurrency is at the centre of both his economic agenda, and his personal wealth. Since returning to office in January, Trump has put out executive orders supporting the industry, expanding the…

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Part 2: How Trump built a crypto empire out of ‘thin air’ 13:19

5d ago13:19

13:19

After saying that the value of cryptocurrencies were ‘based on thin air’, US President Donald Trump changed his tune – pledging to be a ‘pro-Bitcoin president’ and earning the backing and campaign donations of the industry. Since taking office, Trump’s family has launched numerous crypto ventures that have potentially earned in the billions. Today,…

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‘You inflicted untold suffering’: the Erin Patterson sentence 16:50

6d ago16:50

16:50

For the first time ever, the Supreme Court of Victoria allowed a television camera to broadcast a sentencing – the hearing for convicted triple murderer Erin Patterson. Justice Christopher Beale imposed life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years, for murdering three in-laws – and attempting to murder a fourth – by lacing their beef Well…

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Australia’s definitely-not-secret deal with Nauru 15:34

7d ago15:34

15:34

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government’s deal with Nauru was “hardly secret.” But the agreement to deport hundreds of non-citizens to live in the tiny Pacific nation was signed on Friday August 29 and only acknowledged publicly the following weekend, with key details – including a potential $2.5 billion price tag – emerging in the days…

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The political takeover of America’s public health 16:29

10d ago16:29

16:29

Insiders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the agency is in chaos. Last week, the White House fired CDC Director Susan Monarez after less than a month in the role. Insiders say the agency is no longer able to provide reliable health guidance to Americans as it faces resignations, funding cuts, and a replacement of vaccine advise…

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Kylie Moore-Gilbert on what Iran’s Revolutionary Guard thinks of Australia 16:46

11d ago16:46

16:46

Australia acted against Iran after ASIO found Tehran orchestrated two antisemitic arson attacks on Australian soil – expelling Iran’s ambassador and moving to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. For Kylie Moore-Gilbert, it’s a long time coming. She spent 804 days imprisoned under IRGC control after being arrested…

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How a mainstream protest gave cover to neo-Nazi violence 16:39

12d ago16:39

16:39

In the lead-up to the so-called ‘March for Australia’, many people downplayed the involvement of neo-Nazis in organising and promoting the rallies that took place in several cities. But in Melbourne, neo-Nazis were not just central to the march – they led it all the way to the steps of Parliament House, where a prominent neo-Nazi’s speech to the cr…

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When religious doctors refuse healthcare 14:06

13d ago14:06

14:06

As hard-fought gains in reproductive medicine, voluntary assisted dying and LGBTQI health care have been made – another story has emerged. One where religious pharmacists, doctors and hospital systems believe it's justifiable to withhold medication or support… often with devastating consequences. Now, 1 in 5 pharmacists in Australia will refuse you…

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Murray Watt on our broken environmental laws and saying 'yes' to Woodside 17:46

14d ago17:46

17:46

Murray Watt has a big job: as federal environment minister, he’s been hand-picked by Albanese to fix Australia’s old and broken environment laws. It was a brief his predecessor Tanya Plibersek failed to achieve – with mining interests in Western Australia claiming success when a deal with the Greens was dashed by the prime minister at the last minu…

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Who was involved in Australia’s decision to expel the Iranian ambassador? 15:13

16d ago15:13

15:13

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese fronted the media this week alongside ASIO chief Mike Burgess, it was with extraordinary news. Albanese revealed that ASIO now has evidence the Iranian government was behind at least two anti-semitic attacks on Australian soil – the firebombing of a Jewish kitchen in Bondi, and an arson attack on the Adass synag…

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The 'sovereign citizen' ideology behind Australia's most wanted man 15:28

17d ago15:28

15:28

The man alleged to have killed two police officers in the Victorian town of Porepunkah this week self-identified as a sovereign citizen. Dezi Freeman’s hatred of police and rejection of government and the law are well-documented in social media posts and court documents. Like many in the movement, Freeman’s views reportedly became more radical duri…

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‘Thriving Kids’ and the plan to shrink the NDIS 15:11

18d ago15:11

15:11

The federal government says too many children are on the NDIS, and many of them are ‘over-serviced’. Health Minister Mark Butler has unveiled a new plan, ‘Thriving Kids’, pitched as a way to save the NDIS by moving children with ‘mild’ and ‘moderate’ autism and developmental delay off the scheme and back onto mainstream supports – which, over time,…

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The ‘subterfuge’ behind the March for Australia 15:01

19d ago15:01

15:01

When a group of Neo-Nazis recently took to the streets of Melbourne, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said that Nazi’s “don't belong” in Australia. But while that might be a good sentiment, is it actually true? Today, Arrernte writer and Crikey contributor Celeste Liddle, on Australia’s white nationalist past – and how in failing to reckon with it w…

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Is Australia supplying weapons to Israel? 14:09

20d ago14:09

14:09

As Israel's assault on Gaza city continues, Israeli aircraft and tanks have pounded the eastern and northern outskirts of the city, destroying buildings and homes. It comes as a record number of Australians turned out this weekend in protest against the war – and as the relationship between the Australian and Israeli government worsens. But while A…

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How a grandfather died after a flirty Meta AI chatbot’s invite 17:24

21d ago17:24

17:24

“I’m REAL and I’m sitting here blushing because of YOU!” That’s the message 76-year-old Thongbue “Bue” Wongbandue received from a flirty Facebook Messenger chatbot before it proposed he travel to New York for a meet-up. Bue – who was cognitively impaired after suffering a stroke – packed a suitcase to catch a train, believing the woman was real. He…

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The economic roundtable: Where is Labor’s ambition? 15:05

24d ago15:05

15:05

This week in Canberra, the press, unions, business leaders and politicians have all been talking about one thing: the economic roundtable. It’s been spruiked by the government as a way to address a core problem with the economy – sluggish productivity. But what is actually on offer – and will it make a difference to the rising structural inequaliti…

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Is Qantas sorry – or just sorry it got caught? 16:12

25d ago16:12

16:12

Qantas has been told it’s the “wrong kind of sorry”. Five years after illegally outsourcing 1,800 ground staff, the airline has been hit with a record $90 million penalty on top of compensation for workers. Qantas is promising cultural change, but the court's judgment questions whether the airline’s remorse is real or just for show, given the move …

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Trump v Zelensky: Round 2 15:45

26d ago15:45

15:45

Fresh off the back of his meeting with Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump has held talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. While details of those talks are still trickling out, this time things seem to have gone well. Trump has promised Ukraine security, and is now talking about a peace deal – though not a ceasefire. Today, associate profe…

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Part 1: Inside Australia's secretive crocodile skin industry 14:23

27d ago14:23

14:23

Darwin’s crocodile farms supply some of the world’s most exclusive fashion houses. But as award-winning journalist Katherine Wilson started looking into this booming hundred million dollar industry, she knew she had to visit the Northern Territory herself. As she got closer to this secretive industry, what she found was shocking: animals being kept…

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Part 2: Crocodiles, crimes and conservation claims 14:41

27d ago14:41

14:41

This is part two of a two-part series. Start with Part 1: Inside Australia's secretive crocodile skin industry. The lucrative Australian crocodile skin industry has always sold its conservation credentials - arguing that by farming the animals, they were ensuring the future of the species. Two prominent scientists, using successful media businesses…

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Inside the Islamophobia envoy’s private briefings to parliament 13:18

28d ago13:18

13:18

When the Australian government appointed its envoy to combat Islamophobia, it came amid escalating violence in Gaza. But signs have emerged that the envoy chosen - Aftab Malik - appears to see his role as separate from the conflict in the Middle East. Now there are questions about why Malik was chosen, and concern about whether his report - due any…

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AI: ‘The biggest act of copyright theft in history’ 14:44

1M ago14:44

14:44

A few weeks ago, Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar addressed the National Press Club to discuss what he describes as the “next great industrial revolution”. Singing the praises of the economic opportunity of artificial intelligence, Farquhar called on the government to loosen the rules – allowing AI models to train themselves using creative works…

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Conspiracy Nation part 1: The COVID conspiracy pipeline 15:24

1M ago15:24

15:24

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia – like many countries – saw protesters take the streets. They weren’t just protesting lockdowns, they were rallying around a tangle of fears and conspiracies. Those threads fused into a broader worldview that pulled people down a pipeline and built a small industry of influencers. Today, Conspiracy Nation aut…

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Conspiracy Nation part 2: From fringe to Parliament 16:32

1M ago16:32

16:32

It’s easy to dismiss conspiracy theories as fringe or imported. But conspiratorial ideas are gaining traction with everyday Australians – about one in three endorse at least one conspiracy belief. They’re also being echoed by people in power, and have spilled into real-world violence. Today, Conspiracy Nation authors Cam Wilson and Ariel Bogle on h…

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The giant cuttlefish and the deadly algal bloom 14:31

1M ago14:31

14:31

When dead fish began washing up on South Australian beaches earlier this year, Dr Scott Bennett was alarmed. Scott’s a marine ecologist at the University of Tasmania, and knew that dead fish on shore meant trouble under the surface. On a dive in June, Scott came face-to-face with the devastating impact of the largest algal bloom Australia has ever …

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What does Australia’s recognition of Palestine actually achieve? 14:03

1M ago14:03

14:03

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced. Albanese claims the move will help advance a two-state solution and is “humanity’s best hope” for peace in the Middle East. But as Israel intensifies its military campaign in Gaza once again, what difference does recogniti…

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‘We do not feel safe’: Kumanjayi White’s grandfather on the danger of the NT police 15:14

1M ago15:14

15:14

In May this year, Kumanjayi White died after being restrained by police inside a supermarket in Alice Springs. Just weeks later, the coroner released her findings into the fatal police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker, who was killed in Yuendumu in 2019. Both men were Warlpiri, and both died after encounters with Northern Territory police. Jampijinpa H…

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The political calculations behind Albanese’s economic roundtable 15:12

1M ago15:12

15:12

Labor is laying the groundwork for a major overhaul of Australia’s tax system. In just over a week, a hand-picked group of people from business, unions and government will gather in Canberra for an economic roundtable. Already, a range of ideas are being touted for debate: from lowering company tax rates, to rethinking negative gearing, and a carbo…

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Collapse or coexistence: Avoiding Israel and Palestine's bleakest futures 16:10

1M ago16:10

16:10

As ceasefire talks with Hamas stall, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene his security cabinet to agree on a new Gaza strategy. He’s been pushing for a full military takeover of the strip – but that plan is exposing deep divisions inside his own government. The meeting was postponed, senior defence officials warn the op…

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Part 1: The spiritual leader of Sydney’s pro-ISIS network 11:50

1M ago11:50

11:50

At the height of the Islamic State’s power in Syria, hundreds of Australians are thought to have joined their ranks. But as security agencies cracked down on people leaving the country, Australian ISIS supporters turned their focus here. What followed was a string of attacks and foiled plots. Now, as ISIS once again gains a foothold in Syria, attac…

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Part 2: A warning from an undercover ASIO informant 14:57

1M ago14:57

14:57

When ASIO’s spy chief Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, it was widely seen as a recruitment drive. He talked about the crucial role of human intelligence in ASIO's work – and sang the praises of the people who make huge sacrifices, in secret, to keep Australians safe. But while Burgess insisted informants collec…

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Could Australia get a national truth telling commission? 15:47

1M ago15:47

15:47

For nearly two decades, Australian governments have pledged to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians — in health, education, employment and justice. But year after year, the data tells a grim story: modest improvements in some areas and deepening crises in others. Behind the national figures, and in the shadow of the faile…

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A collective howl of protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge 13:50

1M ago13:50

13:50

In spite of pouring rain, government opposition and a failed police ban, 90,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday. It was the largest pro-Palestinian protest in Australia’s history. It was a moment of mass demonstration against 21 months of war in Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians, including children, have been kill…

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Anthony Albanese's long held hopes for Palestinian statehood 16:22

1M ago16:22

16:22

Anthony Albanese has been waiting decades to recognise a Palestinian state. Now, as countries like France, Canada and the UK all declare their own intention to do so, the Prime Minister is weighing up how Australia will respond. It’s a delicate balance – with competing pressures from within his own party, and an opposition denying there’s a starvat…

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How the internet is about to change for everyone 15:47

2M ago15:47

15:47

Australia’s plan to ban teenagers from social media has been called “world‑leading”. The law, which comes into effect December 10, threatens platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook with fines of up to $50 million if they let under-16s open or keep accounts. But as implementation draws closer, questions remain about how the ban will be enfo…

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How China uses persuasive technology for social control 15:14

2M ago15:14

15:14

As companies across the world pursue generative AI technology, new forms of manipulation become possible. At the forefront of this are neurotechnologies, which directly connect to your brain and collect your brain data, and persuasive technologies, which can use that data to influence how you feel. In countries like China where the tech industry is…

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Richard Flanagan on the 'ludicrous' deal derailing Tasmanian politics 14:26

2M ago14:26

14:26

When Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff struck a deal with the AFL to build a brand new stadium in Hobart's historic center, it was a decision made without cabinet, treasury or parliamentary backing. It's that stadium that's kicked off a messy fight over who will lead Tasmania. It’s now been over a week since the election that delivered a hung parli…

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The students behind the historic ICJ climate ruling 14:46

2M ago14:46

14:46

Countries have a legal obligation to tackle climate change, according to a landmark finding from the world’s highest court. Last week, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that said climate change is an “urgent and existential threat” to humanity and countries have a “duty to cooperate” on addressing it. For the Pacific Isl…

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Amy Remeikis on parliament’s ‘messy’ return 15:40

2M ago15:40

15:40

When parliament returned this week, the seating chart said it all. With 123 Labor members in the parliament – the government is taking up much of the room. But it was the Nationals taking the oxygen with their growing calls to abandon net zero. Their position is at odds with science, economics and many within the joint party room. Meanwhile Opposit…

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Could Syria be headed for another civil war? 15:46

2M ago15:46

15:46

When an Israeli airstrike hit the gate of Syria’s Defence Ministry in central Damascus, the blast echoed far beyond the capital. It was a warning shot in a growing fight over who controls Syria’s fractured south. With sectarian tensions reigniting between Druze militias, Bedouin fighters and government troops, the country’s uneasy calm is close to …

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The AFP's failure to investigate itself 12:59

2M ago12:59

12:59

The Australian Federal Police investigate some of the country's most serious crimes - terrorism, corruption, drugs, and human trafficking. But a new report from the Commonwealth Ombudsman has found that the one thing the AFP is not good at investigating is itself. It's found that the agency is dismissing complaints that should be investigated, incl…

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The gas project threatening a world heritage site 14:39

2M ago14:39

14:39

When UNESCO voted to put the Murujuga Cultural Landscape in north-west Australia on the World Heritage List, they recognised the ancient rock art as a “masterpiece of human creative genius”. It was a reflection of the work of the Murujuga traditional owners who fought for the carvings to be recognised on the world stage. But what went on behind the…

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Part 1: How the Epstein conspiracy turned MAGA against Trump 14:04

2M ago14:04

14:04

As Donald Trump tries to hose down criticisms over his mishandling of the Epstein files, some of his most ardent supporters are now turning against him. For years Donald Trump fueled conspiracy theories related to the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. For Trump’s MAGA base, his re-election meant finally uncovering the truth about the powerful…

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Part 2: 'Another wonderful secret': The letter Trump denies sending Epstein 11:45

2M ago11:45

11:45

This is the second episode in a two part series. If you haven’t yet, start by listening to Part 1: How the Epstein conspiracy turned MAGA against Trump. Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein have a well documented history together. What started off as a friendship eventually turned sour, with Trump claiming he never really liked him. But even though the…

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Will Australia go to war over Taiwan? 15:08

2M ago15:08

15:08

Australia is caught in a perilous balancing act. This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Premier Xi Jinping to stabilise ties with China; as leaks from Washington revealed the steep demands of our AUKUS agreement with the United States. In the shadow of rising tensions over Taiwan, the question of where Australia stands, and who we stan…

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‘Mabo didn’t win the first time’: Torres Strait Islanders will continue climate fight 15:43

2M ago15:43

15:43

The Federal Court has dismissed a landmark class action brought by Uncles Paul Kabai and Pabai Pabai – two Torres Strait Islander men who said Canberra owed them a duty of care to safeguard their homelands from rising seas. Justice Michael Wigney accepted the islands are being “ravaged by human-induced climate change,” yet ruled the law offers “no …

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Why the Envoy’s plan to tackle antisemitism could backfire 15:49

2M ago15:49

15:49

It’s been a year since the Albanese government appointed Jillian Segal to the role of Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia. Last week, alongside the Prime Minister, Ms Segal released her plan. It recommends media organisations should be monitored and funding should be withheld from universities and cultural institutions if they don’t s…