7am

They were some of the biggest stage productions in the country, starring some of the biggest names in the biz. But in the space of just two weeks, Beetlejuice and Waitress: The Musical have had their tours cut short, leaving the cast and crew devastated.
Now, stars like Nat Bass are sounding the alarm as the industry struggles to stay afloat amid rising costs and slumping ticket sales.
Today, arts executive John Glenn on the crisis threatening the future of theatre and live shows, and what can be done to save the industry.

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Guest: CEO of AANT Centre, John Glenn
Photo: waitressthemusical.com.au
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For decades, the Dollarmites program turned schoolchildren into customers.
The controversial scheme, now axed, gave Australia’s biggest bank access to kids, classrooms and their cash under the guise of teaching financial literacy.
Now it’s happening again.
A new report has found the country’s biggest fossil fuel companies are using the same strategy – with multimillion-dollar programs and sponsorships targeting millions of Australian children.
Today, Comms Declare founder Belinda Noble on how the tentacles of big coal, oil, and gas are reaching into Australian classrooms and manipulating students.

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Guest: Comms Declare founder, Belinda Noble
Photo: Comms Declare
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KPMG is one of the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful consulting firms in the country – auditing and advising everything from major companies to governments.
It is trusted with some of the most sensitive information in Australia. Now that trust is at the centre of a major scandal.
A whistleblower raised concerns that confidential client information was being used to chase new work. What followed has forced out senior leaders, exposed the treatment of the person who spoke up, and raised bigger questions about the firms governments have come to rely on to do the work once done inside the public service.

Today, ABC business reporter Daniel Ziffer on KPMG, the scandal inside one of the Big Four consulting firms, and why the fallout reaches far beyond one company.

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Guest: ABC business reporter Daniel Ziffer
Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the teal independents swept through Liberal heartland, their pitch was simple: they were not like the major parties.
They were community-backed, locally accountable, and free to vote how they wanted.
Now, two of the best-known teals – Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender – are forming a political party. They say Community Strong Australia is a home for the politically homeless: people who want climate action, integrity, sensible economic management and a pro-business agenda.
But can you build a party out of independents without sacrificing what voters liked about them in the first place?
Today, independent MP Zali Steggall, on why the teals are becoming a party – and whether they can hold the centre as Australian politics becomes more divided.

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Guest: Community Strong Australia MP Zali Steggall
Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 authors Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson on the conspiracy pipeline: how it works, who benefits, and where it’s heading now.
This is part one of a two-part series that was originally published in August 2025.

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Guest: Authors of Conspiracy Nation, Cam Wilson and Ariel Bogle
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.