Best Cult Talk Net Podcasts (2025)

1
Life, death and Optus: Should the telcos be trusted to run Triple Zero? 19:29

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18h ago19:29

19:29

Optus is in the firing line once again over an outage that left customers unable to call Triple Zero for 13 hours. In that time, four people died – including an eight-week-old baby. Authorities later said they don’t believe the baby’s death is linked to the outage. Today, technology editor David Swan on whether the telcos can be trusted to run Trip…

1
No fry zone: Should councils be able to block fast food outlets? 15:26

2d ago15:26

15:26

Once upon a time, the dangers of eating too much fast food were at the front of our minds thanks to documentaries like Super Size Me. But that was more than 20 years ago. Since then, the topic may have fallen off the front pages, but fast food chains have been on the march, opening up across Australia. Today, regional editor Benjamin Preiss and sen…

1
Coalition combust over net zero. Will the anti-climate action stance work? 21:19

4d ago21:19

21:19

The government announced its 2035 emissions reduction target this week, committing Australia to climate action despite a retreat from the United States. Meanwhile, the Coalition looked a lot like it was about to take up arms in the climate wars - again. Chief political commentator James Massola joins host Jacqueline Maley. Subscribe to The Age & SM…

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A primer on Australia’s climate target 19:17

5d ago19:17

19:17

A flurry of numbers relating to climate change have been tossed around all week. But what do they mean? Today, environment and climate reporter Bianca Hall and climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley on what impact the government’s climate emissions target for 2035 will have on all of us. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au…

1
Why Gen-Z fury led to destruction in Nepal 18:59

7d ago18:59

18:59

Three years ago, mainstream newspapers in the West had a bit of fun ridiculing so-called nepo-babies, and the unfair advantage enjoyed by the children of the rich and the powerful, like Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple, or Lenny Kravitz’s daughter, Zoe. But in Nepal, nepobabies are no joking matter. They have just, in part, sparked the most widesp…

1
From children’s entertainer to political celebrity. The rise of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price 28:47

8d ago28:47

28:47

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s charisma has led to her meteoric rise, and also, to her recent relegation to the back bench. Lambasted for her position on various issues including the Stolen Generation, the Black Lives Matter movement, and more recently, immigration, the Indigenous senator is celebrated by some of the most powerful conservatives in the …

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‘The cult of the leader’: The professor who left America says fascism is flourishing 28:33

9d ago28:33

28:33

US President Donald Trump is a fascist, running an authoritarian regime. We hear this allegation a lot, now. But is he? Really? Fascism expert Jason Stanley says he moved with his family to Canada so that he could leave behind, and protest against, the political climate in the United States. Today, Stanley, a University of Toronto philosophy profes…

1
Why the sacking of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price could turn the senator ‘into a martyr’ 19:02

12d ago19:02

19:02

Controversial Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was sacked from the Coalition frontbench this week. Price left Opposition Leader Sussan Ley with little choice, after she refused to apologise for comments she made about the Indian community, and then refused to publicly affirm her faith in Ley’s leadership. Chief political correspondent Paul …

1
Why Australia is trying to out-woo China for influence in the Pacific 20:37

13d ago20:37

20:37

When we think of countries trying to show the world their power and influence, we might think of muscular shows of force, like China’s army parading its newest nuclear weapons, missiles and lasers in a military parade in Beijing, last week. But then there was our government scrambling to out-deliver China with a tit-for-tat over, of all things, car…

1
'Like an episode of the Sopranos': Life inside the clean-up of the CFMEU 20:11

14d ago20:11

20:11

More than a year ago, the CFMEU – one of Australia’s most powerful unions – was placed into administration, after an investigation by our mastheads, and 60 Minutes, revealed that it was infiltrated by bikie gang members and criminals who were guilty of corruption and cronyism. But now, some of the very union officials who have been tasked by the go…

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'No remorse, no pity': The sentencing of mushroom cook Erin Patterson 25:21

15d ago25:21

25:21

So now we know: Erin Patterson will be 82 before she gets the chance to get out of jail; if she gets out at all. This will make her one of Victoria’s longest-serving female inmates. But the revelations from Patterson’s sentencing hearing, in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday morning, leaned less to the historic, and more to the primal. Today,…

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The ‘tradwife’ movement: All flax and linen, or a pipeline to fascism? 17:23

16d ago17:23

17:23

Year 9 debaters in South Australia were given a topic for the third round of their debating competition a few months ago. The topic was whether the ''tradwife'' movement, a lifestyle in which women embrace traditional gender archetypes, was good for women. While it was deemed offensive by some, senior writer Jacqueline Maley today outlines why such…

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The rallies, the neo-Nazis, the flag-draping: How politics on immigration have led to this point 26:54

19d ago26:54

26:54

Political debate was dominated this week by the topic of immigration after anti-immigration rallies in major cities last weekend. Politicians from both major parties tried to strike a balance between listening to people’s legitimate concerns while condemning the extremist fringe of the anti-immigration movement. Chief political correspondent Paul S…

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Yulia Navalnaya’s blunt message about Putin, the president who murdered her husband 28:20

20d ago28:20

28:20

Almost immediately after Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny was murdered by the Kremlin last year, in an arctic penal colony, Russian president Vladimir Putin turned his eyes to Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya. She knows that nowhere is safe for her; not even flying to Australia, as she did this week. She was once a victim of poisoning. And a…

1
Is Dezi Freeman being glorified like the other 'daring, desperate or deranged' fugitives who came before him? 19:11

21d ago19:11

19:11

The whispering forests and deep valleys of Victoria’s high country have long provided refuge for those on the run. Think of Ned Kelly and his gang, who roamed the north east Victorian ranges, before finally being captured by police in a shootout at the Glenrowan Inn. And, conspiracy theorist Dezi Freeman, who has been on the run for the last week i…

1
March for Australia: Why weren’t neo-Nazis stopped? 22:31

22d ago22:31

22:31

Violent clashes, police with pepper spray and chants of “Heil Australia”. These were the scenes we saw over the weekend, as thousands of Australians marched in anti-immigration rallies, which have been endorsed by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. Why did this violence erupt now? And what does it mean that two prominent politicians attended th…

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When is it genocide? And is it happening in Gaza? 37:44

23d ago37:44

37:44

Venture to a pro-Palestinian rally at one of Australia’s capital cities, and you’ll invariably hear calls to “end the genocide” in Gaza. And in the international court of justice, South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide as well. It’s a claim Israel strenuously denies. So what is a genocide? And what evidence is needed to prove that o…

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Like a spy novel: How Iran orchestrated attacks on Australian shores 22:53

26d ago22:53

22:53

This week Canberra turned into a John le Carre novel, with the stunning revelation from the head of ASIO Mike Burgess, that the state of Iran directed at least two attacks on Australia’s Jewish community, on Australian soil. As a consequence, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expelled the Iranian Ambassador from the country. Joining Jacqueline Maley …

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Porepunkah police shooting: What is the sovereign citizen movement? 15:22

27d ago15:22

15:22

As we record this episode, the Victorian High Country is the scene of an intense hunt for a man accused of shooting and killing two police officers, and injuring a third. The man Victoria Police say they are searching for is Desmond Christopher Filby, aka Dezi Freeman, a radicalised conspiracy theorist, and self-described “sovereign citizen”, who e…

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‘Aimed at breaking social cohesion’: Iran blamed for antisemitic attacks on Australian soil 18:38

28d ago18:38

18:38

Many will remember a spate of frightening attacks against Jewish communities in both Sydney and Melbourne last year, including firebombings, vandalism and a van full of explosives. We now know, according to the country’s top spy agency ASIO, that the Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks. The government has responded swiftly, ex…

1
First home buyers can afford a mortgage, but not a deposit. So will the new 5% scheme make a difference? 17:09

29d ago17:09

17:09

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, or have someone in your life who’s in that age bracket, you know that the struggle to buy a home is real. So, what to make of the federal government's announcement that it will launch its newly expanded scheme to help first home buyers purchase a property earlier than expected? Today, senior economics correspondent Sha…

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More Australians are using AI now, but is it lying to us? 17:39

30d ago17:39

17:39

AI chat bots are fast becoming a part of everyday life with more than half of all Australians using them regularly, although just over a third of those users say they trust them. Today, explainer reporter Jackson Graham explores how artificial intelligence learns, how often hallucinations - or wrong information - occurs and whether AI can be truste…

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‘Intergenerational bastardry’ in our tax system: Do older Australians have it too good? 22:30

1M ago22:30

22:30

This week was an exciting one in Canberra, especially if you’re the kind of person who digs the philosophy of tax and transfer. We are talking, of course, about the economic roundtable, hosted by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Meanwhile Health Minister Mark Butler began the necessary but painful process of reining in the enormous growth of the NDIS. Chief…

1
Russia-Ukraine: Whose side is Trump on now? 25:31

1M ago25:31

25:31

Since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine three and a half years ago, both sides have suffered catastrophic losses. More than one million Russian soldiers killed or injured. And on the Ukrainian side? Nearly 400,000. Both sides seem to agree on nothing except for one thing: whoever has the support of American president Donald Trump h…

1
The country writers festival that descended into chaos 16:41

1M ago16:41

16:41

It was billed as a “vibrant gathering of readers, writers, and creative thinkers” who would spark “ideas, conversation, and inspiration”. So what happened last weekend to turn the Bendigo Writers Festival from an idyllic ideas-fest into an event that exemplified “an authoritarian abuse of power”, as the festival’s founder put it? Today, senior cult…

1
A $90 million fine and a scathing court judgment. Is Qantas damaged beyond repair? 17:35

1M ago17:35

17:35

It may have once boasted one of the most heartwarming advertisement ever to grace our TV screens reminding us that Qantas meant coming home, but in the last few years, the airline has weathered multiple scandals, and allegations of ripping customers off. And then came Monday morning, when the national airline was slapped with a whopping $90 million…

1
The unravelling of a star surgeon, and the journalist who took on the fight 24:42

1M ago24:42

24:42

For more than a decade of dazzling media coverage, Dr Munjed Al Muderis was lauded as a miracle worker to some of the most vulnerable people in our community, helping people to walk again, against all odds, after losing their limbs in accidents and warzones. This all came crashing down, after a months-long investigation by reporter Charlotte Grieve…

1
Is there beef between Chalmers and Albanese? And, we talk Palestine, and productivity mixed-messages 26:01

1M ago26:01

26:01

This week the Albanese government announced it would recognise Palestine as a state, a huge foreign policy shift that was greeted with approval by many and criticism by others. Plus, the Reserve Bank assumes a fall in productivity right before the government's productivity summit, and is there tension between the PM and Treasurer? Joining Jacquelin…

1
A 'war of deception': Why Netanyahu insists on a Gaza takeover 24:14

1M ago24:14

24:14

Two former Israeli prime ministers and now, the chief of staff of the Israeli defence force, have objected to Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial Gaza takeover plan, in the face of growing objections from the west, including Australia, to the starvation and death of Palestinians. But, as international editor Peter Hartcher pointedly argues, Netanyah…

1
Why has Trump sent the military into Washington DC? 16:26

1M ago16:26

16:26

It was a scene straight out of the Donald Trump playbook: a rambling press conference where he spoke about oceanfront property in Ukraine, his upcoming meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Russia – though he’s actually meeting him in Alaska. And then, as if on cue, his claim that, Washington DC has been “overtaken by violent gangs and b…

1
Australia will recognise Palestine. What does it mean? 19:59

1M ago19:59

19:59

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has announced that Australia will recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations, next month. After being told, over the weekend, of Australia’s imminent announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Australia - and the other countries that have recently flagged their intention to …

1
'You're not imagining it': Inside our 18-month investigation into 'misleading' property price guides 25:55

1M ago25:55

25:55

If you've bought a house lately - or tried to - then you'd know the price advertised for properties in the big cities are, more often than not, way below what they sell for. But we've never really had a handle on how widespread underquoting is. Until now. In a new investigation that analysed tens of thousands of property sales in Sydney and Melbour…

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The ‘Coachella of Canberra’, A.I is coming for us, and is the government serious about tax reform? 22:28

2M ago22:28

22:28

This week on the pod we are going to delve into what we are calling Canberra’s Coachella - AKA the Productivity Summit, which is happening the week after next. What is the point of it? And what is productivity anyway? Here to discuss, we have Chief Political Correspondent, Paul Sakkal as usual, and special guest star and productivity king, Senior E…

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How Trump’s sacking of stats chief is another 'slide into autocracy' 23:23

2M ago23:23

23:23

If you heard the news that Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday and responded with a shrug, you probably weren’t alone. How do or die are monthly jobs statistics? And wasn’t this just another instance of Trump attacking someone whose findings he didn’t like? Not according to experts from across the political aisle…

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Crypto, frequent flyer points and pets: The new financial battleground for divorce 13:06

2M ago13:06

13:06

We all know that divorce settlements often get ugly. We hear stories about the couples who chainsaw couches in half, such is their disagreement over who is entitled to get what. So, who knew that, behind our backs, divorce settlements have been getting even messier? Today, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn on the new methods that couples ar…

1
Why an MP, a convicted rapist, is keeping his taxpayer funded salary 16:40

2M ago16:40

16:40

Picture this. A man has been convicted of rape. And as he sits in his prison cell, awaiting a sentence, he continues to be paid his taxpayer funded salary of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. He hasn’t been fired. It might sound implausible. But this case is playing out right now, with a NSW member of parliament. Today, state political edi…

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Australians are working longer hours, so is it finally time for a four-day work week? 13:22

2M ago13:22

13:22

If you feel like you’re working like crazy, but getting nowhere fast, you’re far from alone. It turns out that Australians work many more hours, per week, than our counterparts in Germany and Japan. But a new study has shown the benefits of a four-day work week. Today, economics writer Millie Muroi, on why the government keeps going on about produc…

1
Palestinian statehood: The UK has moved, so has Canada. What’s Albanese waiting for? 24:02

2M ago24:02

24:02

French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian and UK prime ministers Mark Carney and Keir Starmer have all called for Palestine to be recognised, one way or another. But Anthony Albanese remains cautious. So what is the Australian Prime Minister waiting for? This week on Inside Politics, European correspondent David Crowe, national security corres…

1
Problems, the world has a few...and are journalists one of them? 19:52

2M ago19:52

19:52

For the last 54 years, countless writers have lived by the words of the late author Graham Greene who wrote that writers should have a “splinter of ice in the heart”. He meant that we need to maintain a critical distance from the events we cover, in order to remain objective. But have journalists become part of the world’s problems, with our focus …

1
Israel says there is no starvation in Gaza. Trump disagrees 19:01

2M ago19:01

19:01

The release of images of starving children lying listlessly in their mothers’ arms, in the Gaza strip, has pushed a growing number of global leaders to accuse Israel of breaking international law. So, is this the tipping point that will end the war? Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on the plight of Gazans, no…

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The cancer drug, the faked data and the superstar scientist 17:15

2M ago17:15

17:15

Mark Smyth was one of Australia’s very top cancer scientists. Or, as one former colleague puts it, “the god of immunology." But Smyth was a god who fell to earth and doubt now surrounds his work after a public unravelling. Today, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald's national science reporter Liam Mannix on Smyth’s so-called “lab of secrets”, and his…

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Ozempic: What the evidence says about side-effects 16:06

2M ago16:06

16:06

Obesity affects about a third of Australian adults, while another third are classified as overweight. But the weight loss drug Ozempic has proven to be a game changer in tackling this health epidemic across the country. Drugs such as Ozempic have evolved from managing diabetes to managing waist lines as Hollywood celebrities and doctors have hailed…

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A case of 'burger diplomacy' for Trump, and Barnaby Joyce puts his beef aside to oppose net zero 21:48

2M ago21:48

21:48

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faces tricky terrain with the government lifting a ban on US beef imports to Australia this week, leaving him open to suggestions he has capitulated to pressure from Donald Trump. We also witnessed a democratic festival in the form of the opening of the new parliament, with former foes Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCor…

1
Trump sues Murdoch over Epstein files, and the ‘surreal turn’ MAGA loyalist Steve Bannon took 24:43

2M ago24:43

24:43

A showdown looms between two of the world's most powerful men, Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch, with the American president suing the media mogul for a whopping $10 billion. Front and centre of the case is Trump's connection to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, an issue that has become so divisive lately that it threatens to tear the MAGA mov…

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The Australians poisoned by over-the-counter vitamins 21:44

2M ago21:44

21:44

You may be like half of all Australians who now take a multivitamin, to improve their health. But are they safe? Melbourne dad Dominic Noonan-O’Keefe had no reason to think the multivitamin he took recently, to boost his energy, would be anything but. And then, one day, he sat at his desk and felt like his brain was exploding. Today, health reporte…

1
The sperm donor loophole that led to 27 half-siblings 14:54

2M ago14:54

14:54

More Australians are turning towards using in-vitro fertilisations to have babies, every year. Often it's done through regulated IVF clinic, but sometimes parents - desperate for a child - search for a sperm donor on social media. But as this extraordinary case shows, there can be many more risks associated with - as one lawyer put it - the ‘wild w…

1
Evictions rising in East Jerusalem and a Melbourne man’s part in it all 22:49

2M ago22:49

22:49

East Jerusalem is one of the most contested pieces of land in the Middle East. International law says it is an occupied Palestinian Territory. Israel claims it is an essential part of the Jewish state. But for the Palestinians and Jewish people who live in East Jerusalem, side by side, it’s often a daily struggle to feel safe. If not physically, th…

1
Inside Politics: ‘Killing season’ is over, so what will Anthony Albanese do with this moment? 20:08

2M ago20:08

20:08

Well, here we are, a new term of parliament begins next week. There’ll be fresh faces and, hopefully, fresh ideas. So will the government use its massive majority to press ahead with major reforms in housing, or tax, and how will opposition leader Sussan Ley and her team rebuild their battered party? Before we get to that, the news this week has be…

1
Why the China trip is a big deal for Albanese - and Xi Jinping 24:19

2M ago24:19

24:19

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been in China this week, a picture of warmth as he shook hands with Chinese president Xi Jinping. But there’s a lot happening behind these carefully stage-managed moments. As one commentator put it: “The tightrope along which [Australia’s] been walking between the U.S. and China - just got pulled tight…

1
The fallout when two disgraced men go on rehabilitation tours 19:54

2M ago19:54

19:54

One time high court justice Dyson Heydon and famed neurosurgeon Charlie Teo once held the futures of countless people in their hands. But then came their downfall. As one lawyer put of Dyson Heydon, after a high court inquiry in 2020 found that he had sexually harassed six young female associates, “At the same time he was dispensing justice in the …