Saturday Magazine

Saturday Magazine’s own Paul Horwell, now CEO of Vic. Pride Centre joined the team live on-air from The Melbourne Exhibition Centre to discuss the 125th Anniversary of Australia’s First Sitting of Parliament in Melbourne in 1901. The post Sat, 9th, 2026: Paul Horwell, CEO VPC, 125th Anniversary of Australia’s First Parliament appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Fiona and Macca are joined live on-air by Michael Wilson, Research Fellow at the Movember Institute of Men’s Health; as they discuss Men’s Mental Health Michael Wilson is a Research Fellow focused on men’s mental health and suicide prevention, based with Orygen at the University of Melbourne. Since 2018, Michael has published and presented research both nationally and internationally across a range of subjects, including healthy masculinities and mental health in young men, improving training for mental health practitioners around engaging and responding to help-seeking men, and understanding risk and protective factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours in men. His research currently focuses on men’s mental health and suicide risk in the context of intimate partner relationship breakdown. The post Sat, 9th, 2026: Michael Wilson, Research Fellow at the Movember Institute of Men’s Health; Men’s Health appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Fiona and Macca are joined live on air by Nicholas Huxley, International Educator and Fashion Designer; as they discuss the annual Met gala red carpet hits and misses Nicholas Huxley was born and brought up in Papua New Guinea as one of five boys. His mother worked as a correspondent for the ABC and his father was managing editor of the Times Courier newspaper. Huxley began his training in 1973 at East Sydney Technical College’s Fashion Design course, now TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio, and after a few years in the industry, began teaching at the same institution until his retirement as head teacher in 2018. He has been a teacher, mentor and studio presence for notable designers including Akira Isogawa, Alex Perry, Nicky Zimmermann, Lisa Ho, Dion Lee, Romance Was Born and Academy Award nominated Costume Designer Janet Patterson. He was instrumental in developing showcase opportunities for students at Australian Fashion Week and Strand Arcade runway shows. In his youth, during their Australian tours, Nicholas befriended the likes of Bette Davis and Zsa Zsa Gabor, for whom he tailored a purple wool pencil skirt and jacket. As an active designer he has worked in film, TV, fashion magazines creating illustrations for Elle, Vogue and Marie Claire, and dressed film star Nicole Kidman. In 1989 Nicholas was nominated for an AFI award for Costumes for Sons of Steel and has won two Fashion Industry of Australia awards. He has received nine nominations for the NSW Government Fashion Laureate Award and a nomination for the Fashion Group International Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also served on a number of design juries and design-based committees including the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards in 2017. In 2015, Nicholas was invited by Miami Dade College to assist them in establishing the Miami Fashion Institute, which offers a degree course and he has been a supporter of the Fiji/Pacific Islands Fashion Week since its inception. He travels extensively and is an avid collector of jewellery, clothing, art and decorative objects. His first solo art exhibition was held at Maunsell Wicks in 2018. The post Sat, 9th, 2026: Nicholas Huxley, International Educator and Fashion Designer; Met Gala Red Carpet Hits and Misses appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Fiona are joined live in the studio by Rachel Westaway, Lib Prahran, Shadow Asst Min Small Business + Hosp. State budget response, firebombing epidemic, Libs retain Nepean in the by-election, in this extended interview the Sat Mag team and Rachel discuss factionalism in politics, the rise of One Nation and what is emerging as the new political alignments in Australia, as well as the rise of Reform in the UK. The post Sat, 9th, 2026: Rachel Westaway, Lib Prahran, Shadow Asst Min Small Business + Hosp. State budget response, firebombing epidemic, Libs retain Nepean in the by-election appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Fiona are joined live on air by Ged Kearney, MP Cooper – Asst Min for Prevention of Family Violence, as they discuss the new policy initiative National Healthy Men Community Conversations. The Albanese Labor Government is has launched the national Healthy Men Community Conversations project to support the health and wellbeing of men and boys. The project will deliver a series of community conversations across the country, bringing together the public and organisations working to support men’s health and wellbeing, as well as those engaged in family, domestic and sexual violence prevention. The project aims to explore and encourage help-seeking and connection for mental, physical and social wellbeing and health among men. The project will be led by the Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Prevention of Family Violence, Ged Kearney, and the Special Envoy for Men’s Health, Dan Repacholi. The National Healthy Men Community Conversations will: Conversations from the tour will inform future government policies and programs as part of the Albanese Labor Government’s broader commitment to working in partnership with communities to improve outcomes for men and boys, while supporting safer, healthier relationships for all Australians. The project kicks off with a Healthy Masculinities Roundtable hosted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, with representatives from government and academia bringing expertise in family safety and services, legal affairs, gender-based violence, online safety, gender equality, social cohesion and men’s physical and emotional health. The Albanese Labor Government is also extending funding for the Healthy Masculinities Trial and Evaluation Program (Healthy MaTE) through to 30 June 2027. Healthy MaTE trials and evaluates schools and community based activities to encourage healthy expressions of masculinity and promote respectful relationships among boys and young men. It is funded through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32. The 12-month extension, is supported by an additional $861,000. More information on the government’s work to improve men’s health outcomes is available on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s website. More information on the government’s work to end family, domestic and sexual violence is available on the Department of Social Services website. Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Prevention of Family Violence, Ged Kearney is quoted as saying, “ The Albanese Labor Government is committed to working with men and boys, because when we do, we know we strengthen families and communities for generations to come. “We want men to feel confident seeking support when they need it, and to know that reaching out is an act of strength. “The data shows that when men feel supported and socially connected, they are better able to build respectful, healthy relationships. Understanding what strengthens connection and wellbeing is key to fostering strong and positive relationships”. The post Sat, 9th, 2026: Ged Kearney, MP Cooper – Asst Min for Prevention of Family Violence, National Healthy Men Community Conversations appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Fiona are joined up first this week by Dr. Cameron McLaren, as they discuss evidence based Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) in Australia, Dr. Cameron McLaren is a Victorian-based medical oncologist and a leading advocate for, and practitioner of, Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) in Australia. He works at Casey Surgical Group (Berwick) and Monash Health, specialising in gastrointestinal, genitourinary, lung, and breast cancers, while supporting patients with end-of-life care options The post Sat, 9th, 2026: Dr. Cameron McLaren, Medical Oncologist, Voluntary Assisted Dying appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca is joined in the hosting seats this week by Fiona Patten, as they discuss the week that was and what’s coming up in this week’s programme. Patten established the Australian Sex Party in 2009 to focus on personal freedoms after deep frustration with stagnation on censorship, freedom, marriage equality and drug law reform. On 22 August 2017, it was announced that the Australian Sex Party would be changing its name to the Reason Party Before entering politics, Patten was the CEO of Australia’s national adult industry association, Eros Association. She championed sexual rights and health movements for more than 20 years, particularly on HIV/AIDS, after initially starting out as a small business owner with her own fashion label. During her time as a Victorian MP, Patten has been credited for playing pivotal roles in achieving social reforms in Victoria, with examples including the passage of Victoria’s assisted dying legislation, the trial of a medically supervised drug injecting room in Richmond, relaxing laws for ride-share companies such as Uber and establishing buffer zones for abortion clinics to keep protesters away from patients and staff . The post Sat, 9th, 2026: Weekly Wrap Up With Macca and Fiona Patten appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Our last guest for this week’s programme is Clare Stephens is a podcaster, editor, and formerly was the editor-in-chief for Mamamia. This year Clare published her first novel ‘The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done’ and launched her new podcast The Pile On. Former editor of Mamma Mia and the creator and host of interview podcast The Pile-On where she speaks to public figures about what happens when the internet turns on you. Her debut novel is The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done. She was on the panel at the Sorrento Writers Festival about Podcast Mania that we discussed recently with fellow-panellist Mark Kenny. The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done follows the story of Ruby, the editor of a feminist website, and Felicity, an online commentator who makes it her mission to take Ruby down. The post Sat, 2nd, May 2026: Clare Stephens, Podcaster, ‘The Pile-On’, & ‘The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done’ appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena, Macca and Misha talk to Lenore Taylor about World Press Freedom Day. Raised in Brisbane, Taylor attended Brisbane Girls Grammar School and studied journalism and politics at the University of Queensland, where she was co-editor of the student newspaper Semper Floreat. She began working as a journalist in 1987 at The Canberra Times. She was later national affairs correspondent and then chief political correspondent at The Sydney Morning Herald, before becoming Guardian Australia‘s first political editor from 2013 to 2016. She has won the “Scoop of the Year” Walkley Award twice: in 2010, for her reporting on the Rudd government‘s shelving of an emissions trading scheme, and in 2014, for a joint report on Australian spying on the Indonesian government. She also won the 2014 Paul Lyneham Award for excellence in journalism and the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery Journalist of the Year in 2007 and 2014. Taylor published her first book, Shitstorm: Inside Labor’s Darkest Days (about Kevin Rudd‘s first term as Prime Minister) in 2010. In February 2026, Lenore resigned as Editor of The Guardian after more than a decade in the role. Macca, Nevena and Misha talk to Lenore about World Press Freedom Day, is now more important than ever? – attacks on journalism by Trump – does this send a signal to other world leaders that this is acceptable? – What is the FOI situation like in Australia – should we be concerned? They also look at the fracturing of news sources and the rise of podcasters. Does it erode the public’s confidence in journalism? Where will the Lenore Taylors and Cameron Stewarts of the future learn their trade? – is there a shadow side of press freedom?. In a democracy like ours, where should we draw the line on Freedom of the press? The post Sat, 2nd May, 2026: Lenore Taylor, Australian Journalist; World Press Freedom Day. Podcasting and the Future of Journalism. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena, Misha and Macca talk to Lizzie O’Shea, Chair, Digital Rights Watch, Are Corporations Profiling You? Lizzie O’Shea sues companies and governments that do the wrong thing. Lizzie works and opens dialogues about the intersection of technology, law and human rights. Lizzie is the founder and chair of Digital Rights Watch, Australia’s leading digital rights organisation, she is an advocate for stronger laws to protect people from predatory industries and dangerous business models. Lizzie has authored two books, and a contributing author to three more, which explore campaigns to protect human rights and the history and future of technology. https://digitalrightswatch.org.au/ ‘Corporations are deploying Artificial Intelligence into almost every aspect of our lives, shaping how we interact with our government services, businesses, healthcare systems, and employers. While carefully-considered and worker-led introduction of AI tools may provide benefits, Digital Rights Watch is concerned with the real harms these tools cause to our community’. The post Sat, 2nd May, 2026: Lizzie O’Shea, Chair, Digital Rights Watch, Are Corporations Profiling You? appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Misha Ketchell discusses with Macca and Nevena Whistle-blower laws in Australia David McBride, a former Australian military lawyer, was jailed in May 2024 for leaking secret documents that exposed alleged war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan. While Ben Roberts-Smith was implicated in these crimes, he has not been imprisoned, though he was arrested in April 2026 for war crimes and lost a civil defamation case where a judge found him involved in murders. Misha discusses the consequences in Australia of being a whistle-blower and how it differs so dramatically from many other Western countries. The post Sat, 2nd May, 2026: Misha Ketchell on David McBride and Ben Roberts-Smith; Whistle Blower Laws in Australia appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

On 30 April 2026, Commissioner Virginia Bell AC SC presented the Governor-General, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, the Interim Report of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The Interim Report was tabled in the Australian Parliament on 30 April 2026. The Interim Report examines the circumstances surrounding the antisemitic Bondi terrorist attack on 14 December 2025 Term of Reference (c) of the Letters Patent. The complete version of the Interim Report will be provided on a confidential basis to the Australian Government and state governments (the confidential report). An edited version is publicly available. Parts of every chapter are contained only in the confidential report as they refer to information that cannot be disclosed publicly, for reasons that include national security and the need to avoid prejudice to current criminal proceedings. To access the publicly available interim report please go to here: https://asc.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/interim-report While it’s great news about the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion; why isn’t the government doing more about gambling addiction and the social cohesion effects on gambling in Australia? Macca, Nevena and Misha discuss this issue with Josh. https://theconversation.com/to-protect-australians-the-federal-parliament-must-push-albanese-on-gambling-reforms-281641 Australia has historically taken a lax approach to gambling reform, and it shows. A 2024 Grattan Institute report shows we have the highest gambling losses in the world per capita. Australians collectively lost more than $32 billion gambling in 2023-24, half of it on the pokies. And our losses per person have grown almost every year since reporting began in 1975. Pokies and online betting are particularly addictive, leading to serious harm for hundreds of thousands of Australians. The Murphy inquiry was focused on online gambling harm and identified gambling advertising as a major culprit. Gambling advertising exposes large numbers of Australians, including children, to a dangerous product and increases losses, with little corresponding economic or social benefit. The post Sat, 2nd May, 2026: Josh Burns, MP Mcnamara, Antisemitism & Social Cohesion Royal Commission Interim Report. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Nevena ae joined in the hosting seat this week by Misha Ketchell, Editor and an executive director of The Conversation. Misha Ketchell is the Misha Ketchell is the editor and an executive director of The Conversation Australia and New Zealand. He was previously editor of Crikey, founding editor of The Big Issue Australia and editor of The Melbourne Weekly. He spent six years at The Age of and four years at the ABC as a producer and researcher on Media Watch. They discuss what’s coming up on this week’s show as well. World Press Freedom Day (on Sunday) this year, the theme for this week’s programme is independent media, whistle-blowers and new media fees for social media and what issues podcasting raise for quality journalism in Australia. The post Sat, 2nd May, 2026: Weekly Wrap Up with Macca, Nevena and Misha Ketchell; Editor of The Conversation. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Zoe and Macca are joined live in the studio by Laura Wiener. Laura has been in the zoo field since 1998 and worked at a variety of different zoological facilities in the US, including San Diego and Oregon Zoos. Laura’s main focus has been mammals with a keen interest in rhinoceros species. Four rare snow leopard cubs—two boys and two girls named Maya, Kira, Lumi, and Sabu—debuted at Melbourne Zoo in April 2026, born to mother Miska and father Kang Ju. As the only snow leopard cubs in Australia, they are on display in the Lion Gorge habitat, often seen playing, running, and resting. Melbourne Zoo is part of a global breeding program; Laura discusses if some or all of the cubs will go to another zoo to continue the program. However, this won’t happen until they are 18 months to 2 years old at the earliest. Laura details How they care for them in a climate that is different from the Himalayas? The training they do for voluntary behaviours What the role of a zookeeper is really like? Laura detailed that as the cubs grow, they start to practice hunting behaviours, and they’ve started to practice them on mum Miska! They’re pouncing on her, chewing on her tail, grabbing her,” Laura said. “As you can imagine, four cubs are a lot to handle! So, she does take some time on her own away from them.” The post ANZAC Day 2026: Laura Weiner, Life Science Manager of Carnivores & Ungulates, Melbourne Zoo; Snow Leopard Cubs born at Melb. Zoo. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Zoe are joined live on air by Professor Mark Kenny, from ANU, as he discusses his recent panel at the Sorrento Writer’s Festival, is podcasting re-shaping the media landscape? Professor Mark Kenny is a political journalist, commentator, and academic, formerly chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times. A regular on ABC’s Insiders and Sky News, he has reported from locations including Kandahar, Beijing, and the Vatican, covering global summits such as G20 and APEC. Now at ANU, his research focuses on national politics, democracy, and the rise of populism The post ANZAC Day 2026: Prof. Mark Kenny, Podcasting Mania: Has it Re-shaped the Media Landscape? appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Zoe talk to David Gibson about a bill introduced into Parliament to address the historic treatment of LGBTI personnel in the Australian Defence Force is being welcomed as a long-overdue step toward justice. The Defence Force Discipline Amendment (RCDVS Implementation) Bill 2026, introduced by Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh, will enable eligible Defence personnel convicted solely on the basis of consensual homosexual activity to apply to have those convictions extinguished. “Chair of GRAI (GLBTI Rights in Ageing Inc), David Gibson, said the introduction of the legislation marks an important milestone in recognising the harm caused by past policies that targeted homosexual service members. “As a former Army officer who was discharged back in 1989 because of my sexuality, this is not just policy for me. It is personal,” Gibson said. “Careers were lost. Reputations were damaged. Many former personnel carried that trauma quietly for decades.” https://www.outinperth.com/new-bill-aims-to-address-historic-discrimination-against-lgbti-defence-personnel/ The post ANZAC Day 2026: David Gibson, Chair GRAI in Perth, Fmr Army Captain, Dismissed for his Sexuality appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Thanks to our producer Kenny Hill, we have a very special treat for ANZAC Day. Renouned Australian stage and international cinema actor Richard Roxburgh reads the poem; ‘The Fallen”. Richard Roxburgh is one of Australia’s most accomplished and versatile actors, celebrated for his work across acclaimed international film, television and stage productions. His standout film credits include Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! and Elvis, Mel Gibson’s Oscar-winning Hacksaw Ridge, James Cameron’s Sanctum, and Force of Nature: The Dry 2, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2025 AACTA Awards. Most recently, Richard portrayed journalist Robert Greste in The Correspondent, controversial political figure Joh Bjelke-Petersen in Joh: Last King of Queensland and is featured in the animated film Lesbian Space Princess, which won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the 2025 Berlinale. On television, Richard is best known for his iconic portrayal of Cleaver Greene in the multi-award-winning ABC series Rake, a role that earned him a Silver Logie and AACTA Award for Best Actor. Other significant screen work includes Hawke, Blue Murder, Bali 2002 opposite Rachel Griffiths, Stan’s drama series Prosper, and international series such as Netflix’s The Crown and HBO’s Catherine the Great alongside Helen Mirren. A highly respected stage performer, Richard headlined productions for the Sydney Theatre Company and Company B, including Uncle Vanya, The Present, Waiting for Godot, Hamlet, and The Seagull. *** We have included a brief biography of the English poet, Laurence Binyon, who wrote the famed poem, ‘The Fallen’. Because of the cultural importance Binyon has on ANZAC Day, and Armistice (Remembrance) Day and how War Memorials are commemorated in the West. Binyon was a prolific English poet and scholar of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whose career spanned 50 years. During this time, he authored numerous poetry collections and plays, two historical biographies, and several art history volumes, including books on the works of Asian artists, English watercolourists, and William Blake’s drawings and engravings. He is perhaps best remembered for his World War I poem, “For the Fallen”, and his translation of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, which he translated in its original terza rima, Dante’s original rhyming scheme, which was much lauded by Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot and other poets of the time. Poetry and visual arts shaped his career, the majority of which was spent with the British Museum, where he began in the department of printed books in 1895 before moving to department of prints and drawings, from which he retired in 1933. His first book of poetry, Lyric Poems (1894), was quickly followed by two books on painting, Dutch Etchers of the Seventeenth Century (1895) and John Crone and John Sell Cotman (1897). Later books such as Painting in the Far East (1908) and The Flight of the Dragon (1911) reflect this interest in Chinese, Japanese, and Indian arts and cultures. Ezra Pound praised The Flight of the Dragon and thought of Binyon as a pioneer in the Western appreciation of Asian art. Binyon served as an orderly in the Red Cross during World War I, and his experiences would become an important part of his poetry. From 1915 to 1916 he worked in a military hospital in France, an experience reflected in his war poem “Fetching the Wounded.” His collections The Winnowing Fan (1914), The Anvil (1916), The Cause (1917), and The New World (1918) deal with the war as a noble cause. One reviewer from Literature Digest contended that WWI as a subject brought a new vitality to the poet’s work: “Laurence Binyon’s poetry once was somewhat coldly ‘literary’—aloof from common human experience, but the war has given him new vigor and new humanity.” His best-known war poem, “For the Fallen,” has been frequently anthologized was widely embraced by the British public. “As the casualty lists grew,” notes John Hatcher in the...

Zoe and Macca are joined live on-air by Dr. Monique Ryan, Independent Member for Kooyong, Deputy Chair of Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability; as they discuss the cuts and changes to the NDIS, ANZAC Day and politics. Dr Monique Ryan is an Australian politician and former paediatric neurologist who serves as the independent Member of Parliament (MP) for the Division of Kooyong in Victoria. She was first elected in May 2022, defeating the then-Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and was re-elected in 2025. Monique, Zoe and Macca discuss the recent announcement of changes and cuts to the NDIS. The post ANZAC Day 2026: Dr Monique Ryan, Independent Member for Kooyong, Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability; Changes and cuts to the NDIS appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Zoe, Macca and Kenny talk to Kenny and Macca talk to Konrad Benjamin from Punter’s Politics, about his recent invitation to the Senate Select Committee Hearing on Taxation of Gas Resources. Punter’s Politics is an Australian political commentary podcast and associated political movement with the goal of making Australian politics simpler for everyday people. The podcast was launched in June 2024 by former economics teacher Konrad Benjamin, and has since gained traction for exposing corporate influence in Australian politics. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLg9ANGIggv/ https://www.punterspolitics.com/pages/media The post ANZAC Day 2026: Konrad Benjamin, Punter’s Politics; Senate Select Committee Hearing on Taxation of Gas Resources appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Our next guest for this week is Peter Khalil, MP for Wills and Assistant Minister for Defence. Some of the topics discussed today between Macca, Zoe, Kenny and the Minister are: With so many Australian service people currently serving on US subs, what does that mean for Australia in escalating global conflicts? Had the Israeli government adequately responded yet over the deliberate bulldozing of ANZAC graves at the Commonwealth Cemetery in Gaza? The Defence Force Discipline Amendment (RCDVS Implementation) Bill 2026, introduced by Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh, will enable eligible Defence personnel convicted solely on the basis of consensual homosexual activity to apply to have those convictions extinguished—will there be a formal apology from the Government and the Prime Minister? What is he hoping his mate Dr Chalmers will announce in the Budget. What are his constituents saying to him about the PRRT and taxation of Gas exports? Peter was first elected to the House of Representatives for Wills, Victoria in 2016. Previously, Peter was the Special Envoy for Social Cohesion from July 2024 to May 2025, Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security from September 2022 to October 2024, and has held numerous committee positions. Peter is a second generation Australian. His parents migrated from Egypt to Melbourne for a better life. He grew up in public housing and played AFL and tennis semi-professionally after leaving school. Peter went on to study a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law at the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws at Australian National University. Prior to entering Parliament Peter was the Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, Strategy and Communications at SBS and a Victorian Multicultural Commissioner. He also has served as a foreign policy and national security adviser to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He has also worked as a public servant at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Department of Defence. Peter is married with 2 children and supports the Collingwood Football Club. The post ANZAC Day 2026: Peter Khalil, MP for Wills & Asst Min. for Defence: Federal Govt. Update appeared first on Saturday Magazine.