The Briefing

For 45 years letters between the Queen and Australia’s Governor General have been kept secret. This week, against the Queen's wishes this series of private letters were released. On todays episode our guest is the Gough Whitlam biographer who fought for the palace papers to be released in court - Australian Historian Emeritus Professor Jenny Hocking from Monash University. We're also joined by Niki Savva - was in Canberra at the time of the dismissal. In today's news headlines: $2.5b rescue package for young workers on the way Pokemon Go, KFC: the ridiculous reasons Victorians are breaching lockdown AFL moving north for the rest of the home and away season Young people drinking, using fewer drugs than their parents In today's Briefing we ask: what is in the palace letters? What do they mean for Australia now?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Jul 202018min

When most of us could travel overseas we knew that that if it all goes pear shaped you still call Australia home and it will be waiting for you with open arms. But for many Australians overseas that changed this week. Today we're joined by Lachlan Kitchen, who has been trying to build a life in Dubai... but had a redundancy last week. Our other guest is James Mort who is still in London he’s also trying to get home. In today's news headlines: Victoria’s public housing tower cluster linked to protests QLD declares two NSW suburbs hotspots Woman who lost her home in bushfires survives QLD shark attack Palace Papers released decades after Whitlam dismissal In today's Briefing we hear what the reality of being unable to return home means for young Australians who’ve been working abroad. We ask the questions: Should returning Australians chip in for quarantine? Have they had enough warning? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Jul 202017min

Should we be wearing face masks in public? To mask or not to mask? It’s a simple question: so why has there been so much mixed messaging about wearing a face mask here in Australia and Overseas? The advice from the World Health Organisation has now become clearer and stronger. Same with the Victorian Authorities and the American Centre for Disease control. To answer this timely question we speak to Professor Kerryn Phelps AM (Doctor and Former President of the Australian Medical Association) and Professor Marylouise McLaws (an infection prevention expert at the University of NSW). In today's news headlines: Victoria warned about possible hotel quarantine bungle months ago NSW pubs hit with tighter restrictions after overnight crisis meeting Charity warns JobSeeker cut would create another national crisis NFL: Washington Redskins announce name change after decades of debate In today's Briefing we ask: Why has the messaging about wearing masks changed? Why has the advice about wearing masks been so unclear? How effective are masks against COVID-19? What type of mask should you use? Where should masks be worn? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Jul 202019min

We know that Covid-19 testing, especially in hotspots, will be key to stopping it’s spread. However, since the second wave hit Melbourne we’ve heard of thousands of people who have refused the swab test. Should we throw the book at these people who say no? Or are there perfectly valid reasons to refuse the nasal swab? Our guests to discuss this topic are Marylouise McLaws (UNSW Professor in infection prevention and is working on the World Health Organisation’s COVID Advisory Panel) and Lawyer Bill O’Shea (former President of the Law Institute of Victoria, former General Counsel at Alfred Health for 13 years). In today's news headlines: COVIDSAFE app push as cases climb NSW Covid Cluster Ghislaine Maxwell fights to keep secret doc out of court Trump finally masks up on visit to military hospital In today's Briefing we ask: There are various state laws that allow authorities to fine people for not taking a test or you can isolate someone as a way of making them get the test - should we use the full powers of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act to coerce people into taking the test?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Jul 202019min

The US is considering banning Tiktok because of concerns about privacy and Chinese government interference. India banned it last week and now our pollies are taking a long hard look at it. So should TikTok be banned in Australia? Serious concerns have been raised about privacy, censorship and Chinese government interference as Tiktok is the first Chinese-owned social media platform to become so popular in the west. In today’s episode we speak with Jackson Aces, one of Australia’s top ten TikTok'ers and find out how he feels about banning it. We’re also joined by Mark Pesche, host of The Next Billion Seconds podcast. In today's news headlines: National cabinet to discuss Victorian outbreak as official warns cases have not peaked yet Horror as hundreds caught flouting social distancing outside Sydney pub “Gross interference”: China’s latest dig at Australia Kanye West unveils Presidential platform in tell-all interview In today's Briefing we ask: What is TikTok? Should TikTok be banned? What are the concerns about users data and privacy? Why does the government care about TikTok? How has TikTok responded to these claims? What are the implications of banning TikTok? What has the Australian arm of the TikTok organisation said?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Jul 202020min

In today’s episode we look at the Melbourne public housing tower crisis. While the city of Melbourne is back in lockdown and panic buying has returned, what will happen to the 3000 people trapped in public housing towers that can’t even go to the supermarket? We speak to Abdi Ish who lives in a North Melbourne housing tower and Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. In today's news headlines: Fears Melbourne outbreak has already spread interstate World champion snowboarder dies spearfishing on the Gold Coast PM confirms JobSeeker will be extended past September for some In today's Briefing: the experience of a pandemic for someone who lives in a public housing tower is very different to that of residents in the suburbs. No visitors are allowed in and no residents can go out. The risk of infection is high with cramped living conditions, shared laundries, and hundreds of people using the same lift, meaning these buildings have an explosive potential to spread COVID-19. We ask a resident to paint to a picture for us - What is it like in there? Is everyone staying in their apartment, or are they going out into the hallways? Is it quiet?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Jul 202020min

Experts at the Australian National University have been testing Canberra's sewage water for traces of COVID-19. Testing wastewater is a quick and inexpensive way of tracking the coronavirus and potentially alerting communities of an outbreak before it occurs, so should it be rolled out across the country? We speak to Dr Aparna Lal from the ANU Research School of Population Health who is leading the team of researchers that took daily samples of wastewater covering the whole of the ACT, and found no traces of the virus. So is testing toilet water the answer? In today's news headlines: Melbourne plunged back into lockdown as NSW border slams shut “Don’t go to China,” warns federal government US considers TikTok ban Leading scientist says facemask refusers should be treated like drink drivers In today's Briefing we ask: what can we pick up from testing sewage? Is this a way to get ahead of the curve compared to mainstream testing methods? Can you test the sewage of a specific localised area? How long has this kind of testing been going on? Does this method show undetected community transmission? Can it only detect the presence of coronavirus or does it give an indication of 'how much' virus is in an area? What's the legality around testing sewage? Are there any privacy concerns?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Jul 202018min

Quarantining international travellers has been a huge part of Australia’s successful management of COVID-19, however Victoria faces mass lockdowns in the face of a second wave. On today’s episode we find out what went wrong with Melbourne’s disastrous hotel quarantine management. Andrew Lund is the Nine News reporter who managed to get hotel security guards to speak out and joins us to dive deeper into what went wrong. In today's news headlines: NSW to close the border on Victoria after spike, two deaths “It’s disgusting” Nine’s Brooke Boney backs Pauline Hanson axing Residents in locked down towers yet to receive supplies Scott Morrison wants penalties for 10,000 refusing tests Mark Zuckerberg to meet with civil rights groups after mass ad exodus In today's Briefing we ask: was there any truth to the allegations that Security guards were sleeping with people in Quarantine? How did it spread beyond the guards into the community? Why did Victoria take a different approach and on private security companies? Who is to blame?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Jul 202015min