Adele Ferguson on why children aren’t safe at childcare centres

A child care worker in Victoria has been charged with more than 70 offences relating to the sexual abuse of children. Following the arrest, the state health authorities recommended 1200 children, some as young as five months old, get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.  The government is scrambling to figure out how this happened, and how to stop it happening again. But for ABC investigative journalist Adele Ferguson, this is the unsurprising outcome of a long brewing crisis in childcare centres across the country.  Today, Four Corners reporter Adele Ferguson on the dangers of an industry driven by profit, and National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds on what needs to be done to better protect children in care. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Investigative journalist Adele Ferguson and National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is positioning itself as a critical supplier of the minerals the world needs to build clean technology. But for now, China dominates the market, and its grip on supply chains gives it enormous leverage.  At the same time, the Albanese government is racing China to shore up its influence in the Pacific; a region already feeling the sharpest impacts of climate change. Today, contributing editor at The New Daily, Amy Remeikis, on the high-stakes contest for influence in our region, and how Australia’s broken climate promises are holding us back.  If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram   Guest: Contributing editor at The New Daily, Amy RemeikisSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI chatbots have crept into our lives – and some abusers are weaponising them. By feeding intimate details about their partners into tools like ChatGPT, they’re producing “performance reviews” that shame, degrade and control. Today, writer Madison Griffiths on this new form of tech-enabled coercive control – and why ChatGPT always sides with the abuser. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Writer, artist and producer Madison Griffiths.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For generations, First Nations people have called for a truth telling process so their stories can be heard. In Victoria, for the first time in Australia’s history, that has finally happened. For the past four years, the Yoorrook Justice Commission has been gathering the testimony of thousands of Victorians to put on record the truth about the state’s history. The culmination of that work has now been handed to the Victorian government.  Today, we hear the story of the Yoorrook Justice Commission – and find out how knowing the truth about Australia’s history sets us up for a better future. This is part one of a two part series. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram   Guest: Daniel James, host of 7am and author of the Yoorrook report Truth Be ToldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the second installment of a two part series about the history and impact of the Yoorrook Justice Commission. In this episode, we hear the stories of First Nations elders whose loved ones were stolen, and who lived through the racist policies whose legacies are still felt in society today. We also hear what happened when the Victorian Premier became the first sitting leader to testify.  And now that the truth has been told, Daniel discusses the recommendations of the report and what happens next.  If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz published testimony from Israeli soldiers who admitted to deliberately shooting unarmed Palestinian civilians while they waited for humanitarian aid – claims the Israeli government denies.  According to authorities in Gaza, at least 583 people have been killed in the past month at aid distribution centres in Gaza, and many more people have been injured. The United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres has called the Israeli and US-backed aid centers “inherently unsafe” – saying “the search for food must never be a death sentence”. On today’s episode, we speak with doctors working at the last functioning hospitals in Gaza, about the reality of treating people who have been attacked while trying to get food.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guests: Intensive care specialist, Dr. Aziz Rahman and spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Olga Cherevko. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago, some of our colleagues had the idea to start a show about books. The result was Read This – a weekly podcast about the books we love and the stories behind them. In each episode, host Michael Williams speaks to an author about their work and their life.  It’s a favourite show of everyone on the 7am team and as it finishes up as a Schwartz Media podcast, we wanted to pay tribute to our colleagues who make this show so special. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sleek Chinese-made ute is suddenly one of the most popular vehicles on Australian roads. It’s cheap, fast and packed with tech. But behind its rise are questions security agencies are struggling to grapple with.  Because the cars we drive today are no longer just cars; they’re also data collection tools. And in a tense geopolitical climate – the lines between convenience and surveillance are blurring.   Today, senior fellow at the Lowy Institute and contributor to Australian Foreign Affairs, Richard McGregor on the BYD Shark, China’s quietly tightening technological grip on Australian infrastructure and what it means for national security.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Senior fellow at the Lowy Institute and contributor to Australian Foreign Affairs, Richard McGregor Photo: Annegret HilseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this inaugural episode of Read This, host Michael Williams and founding editor Sarah McVeigh head to Helen Garner’s house for cake and conversation. Helen shares what she’s writing about, how she problem solves, and the inspiration she gets from watching her grandson’s footy training.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the world watched for a response. But in Australia, there was silence. It took a day before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong addressed the media. When they did, they backed the US, tentatively, while calling for calm. For Albanese, a leader who once opposed the Iraq war, it’s a moment that reveals how far Labor has travelled on foreign policy and how little resistance that shift is meeting inside his own party. But while Labor falls in line, the Coalition are thrashing their way to a new identity. This week, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley made her first major pitch to the public – signalling where she wants to take her divided party. Today, columnist for The Monthly and Inside Story, Karen Middleton, on war, politics and the calculations driving both major parties.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Columnist for The Monthly and Inside Story, Karen Middleton. Photo: Lukas Coch / AAPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.