Part 2: The truth has been told

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.

Cyclone Alfred should not have tracked as far south as it did. But in March it tore through Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Northern Rivers, affecting about four million people. One of them was climate scientist and IPCC lead author, Joëlle Gergis. She says the storm’s freak southward drift, driven by record-warm ocean temperatures, shows the climate crisis is outrunning politics. Today, Joëlle Gergis on how far governments have fallen behind their climate promises – and the bold action Australia must take before the next disaster strikes.   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: Climate scientist and lead author for the IPCC, Joëlle Gergis. Photo: David Gray / AFPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mistake at an IVF clinic has led to a woman giving birth to a stranger’s baby. It’s a catastrophic error and not the first one that’s recently come to light. Such risks are not covered in the marketing material of Australia’s major fertility clinics. But this mistake – at one of the oldest and most reputable clinics in the country – has had devastating consequences that reach far beyond the affected families, and damaged the confidence of anyone relying on fertility treatment in Australia.  Today, writer and public health campaigner Hannah Bambra on how Monash IVF has handled its monumental mistake, and why the IVF industry is so vulnerable to human error.   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 and public health campaigner Hannah Bambra Photo: Supplied by University of Queensland/AAP ImageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend mark a terrifying turning point. Donald Trump has taken the US into direct conflict with Iran – and risked what the UN secretary-general is calling a “rathole of retaliation”. US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth claims that Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated, but questions remain about the extent of the damage, and whether the attack will only strengthen Iran’s resolve to rebuild. Moreover, Trump’s calls for regime change suggest that peace may take much longer. Today, author of The Permanent Crisis: Iran’s Nuclear Trajectory and defence editor at The Economist Shashank Joshi, on what Iran will do next.   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: Author of The Permanent Crisis: Iran’s Nuclear Trajectory and defence editor at The Economist, Shashank Joshi Photo: Hindustan Times/Sipa USASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.