The Morning Edition

A Sydney mother, the big bank and the court stoush over $44.11

It should have been a time of celebration for a Sydney woman, who had bought a new home for herself and her daughter. But as settlement loomed, her application for a mortgage unravelled in shocking fashion. And it was all over $44.11. Kishor Napier-Raman appraises what led a judge to demand that the head of one of the big four banks be hauled before a court this week. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

How far will Angus Taylor go to crack down on immigration?

“Our character is essentially Anglo-Celtic and Judaeo-Christian. That's what has made our country attractive to migrants, and we should keep it that way.’’ That was former prime minister Tony Abbott on the position he would like the newly minted Coalition leader Angus Taylor to adopt, saying that for the Coalition to win voters back from One Nation, it needed to take a harder line on immigration and move away from diversity. Today, political analyst Sean Kelly, on how far Angus Taylor will go, in cracking down on immigration.  And his connection to Tony Abbott. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The CFMEU ‘crime gang’: A honeypot of money, and a government that looked the other way

Investigative reporter Nick McKenzie’s 2024 exposé of the criminal infiltration of the construction sector prompted a slew of investigations among governments and law enforcement agencies around the country. The conclusions of those investigations reveal the extent of that corruption, and its findings are damning - including that the CFMEU's conduct could have cost taxpayers $15 billion, and the Victorian government knew of the problems but did not fix the problem. Drug trafficking and shocking sexual exploitation of women on major infrastructure sites - are some of the other claims. Today Nick McKenzie on the serious questions the government has to answer. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese interview: Police prayer disruption at Herzog protest needs ‘full explanation’

We're bringing you an extra episode of Inside Politics today because Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had an opening in his diary, and he's granted us an audience. His interview comes off the back of a difficult week, with a state visit from Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Herzog's visit was welcomed by the victims of the Bondi terror attack and their families, but his presence in Australia also sparked protests with shocking clashes between police and protesters in Sydney. Host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal ask Albanese whether the police response was heavy-handed, and whether his invitation to Herzog caused further division. The conversation also traverses other issues bubbling along in the background, including the Coalition leadership tussle, as well as what policies the prime minister plans to implement this year ahead of May's budget.  Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Is government spending really driving inflation?

There’s a bit going on with the Liberal Party this week, but while that unfolds we are going to look at some bigger issues.  Interest rates went up recently, for the first time in two years, and there’s a question as to whether government spending contributed to inflation. So we're testing that today, with host Jacqueline Maley, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.