PFAS, housing and climate: Luciana Carusi’s fight for the Blue Mountains

The alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines in Wangaratta raises urgent questions about political violence in Australia, the safety of elected representatives and the health of Australian democracy. With the motive still under investigation, we examine how partisan blame and media framing can obscure the facts, while intimidation threatens political participation, particularly for women in politics. How can Australia protect its MPs while keeping them accessible to the communities they represent – and prevent political hostility from undermining democratic debate? #AusPol

Donald Trump’s cancelled plan to livestream Nidal Hasan’s execution raises disturbing questions about state violence, political spectacle and Australia’s willingness to challenge its closest ally. We examine Pete Hegseth’s proposal to turn capital punishment into online entertainment, Anthony Albanese’s belated condemnation, and the credibility of Australian human rights diplomacy when AUKUS, critical minerals and the US–Australia alliance complicate the response. If Australia really does opposes the death penalty, should its opposition to it really depend on who pulls the trigger? #AusPol

Australia champions international law, but where does it draw the line when human rights collide with defence contracts and strategic alliances? Labor and the Coalition’s decision to block a Senate inquiry into the Red Lines Package raises serious questions about Australian weapons exports, investments and trade linked to genocide, war crimes and illegal occupation. With Israel’s war in Gaza bringing the global F-35 supply chain and trade with illegal settlements into focus, we examine whether the Albanese government will support enforceable safeguards – or leave Australia’s human rights commitments subject to commercial and diplomatic convenience. #AusPol

Donald Trump’s sanctions against the International Criminal Court, Israel’s alleged war crimes in Gaza and controversy surrounding Navi Pillay and the Nobel Peace Prize expose the hypocrisy of a rules-based international order that shields powerful nations from accountability. Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong champion international law, yet Australia remains reluctant to challenge Washington and Benjamin Netanyahu. Has Australian foreign policy confused loyalty to the United States with national interest, and can the Albanese government defend international justice while accommodating those accused of undermining it? #AusPol

Who controls Australia’s AI future: elected governments or Big Tech? In this episode, we examine how scrutiny of OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Google and DeepMind at Australia’s parliamentary inquiry exposes broader questions about artificial intelligence regulation, corporate power and democratic accountability. Beyond AI safety lies the challenge of automation and job displacement: who benefits from greater productivity, and what happens to workers left behind? As AI reshapes education, journalism and public services, Australia needs enforceable safeguards and an economic agenda that shares the gains instead of leaving communities to bear the costs. #AusPol