Dr Richard Denniss scrutinises the Prime Minister's "safe plan" for opening up Australia in a COVID world, and debunks the neo-liberal political spin from Canberra and NSW. Does the Doherty Institute's modelling support the plan? What does the modelling even say (in plain English)? And what are its underlying assumptions? Will lockdowns really be a thing of the past? How many Australians will still be unvaccinated once we reach the 80% adult vaccination target? How many cases will there be? Will our ICU's cope? Dr Richard Denniss is the chief economist at The Australia Institute.

Uncommon Sense

Richard Denniss: The Doherty Modelling Explained And How Safe Is Morrison's "Safe Plan" to Open Up Australia?

Renowned wildlife cinematographer Nick Hayward and behavioural ecologist Dr Anastasia Dalziell take us into the forest, describing the brilliant mimicry and fascinating behaviours of the lyrebird in Australia, and their involvement in The Message of the Lyrebird documentary, directed by Mark B. Pearce (Balagara Films). 

Uncovering The Majesty And Message Of The Lyrebird With Nick Hayward And Anastasia Dalziell

Historian and author Dr Emma Shortis joins Amy to speak in-depth about her brilliant debut book, Our Exceptional Friend: Australia’s Fatal Alliance with the United States. We begin the conversation considering the situation in Afghanistan where the Taliban has taken over and there is a mad scramble for countries like the U.S. and Australia to evacuate people from Kabul Airport. 

Emma Shortis Delves Into Australia's Fatal Alliance With The United States

Amy speaks with Bill Bowtell about pandemic politics in Australia, the 'Zero COVID' strategy under threat in NSW, lockdowns, state and national vaccination targets, and all things public health. Bill Bowtell is an Adjunct Professor at the UNSW and a strategic public health adviser. He led Australia's response to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Bill Bowtell talks pandemic politics in Australia and 'Zero COVID' under threat in NSW

Epidemiologist Professor Mary-Louise McLaws explains how Australia can reach herd immunity against COVID-19 and when children should be vaccinated against the virus in Australia. She also discusses the Delta variant outbreak in NSW and its concerning trajectory, the reality of Long COVID, and whether we will ever be able to treat this virus “like the flu,” as the Prime Minister suggests. Mary-Louise is a member of the WHO’s Advisory Panel for Infection, Prevention and Control Preparedness and Response to COVID-19. 

Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws explains the Delta variant, herd immunity, child vaccination, and Long COVID

People for A Living Moorabool's Cameron Steele and water law and nature rights expert Dr Erin O'Donnell discuss Victoria's most flow-stressed river – the Moorabool River – and a new local documentary film about it called, THE RIVER MOORABOOL. 

The Moorabool River under threat

Epidemiologist Professor Mary-Louise McLaws speaks in-depth about Victoria's current coronavirus outbreak and fourth lockdown, as well as the urgent drive to get Australians vaccinated.Mary-Louise talks about how long this lockdown should last based on an epidemiological perspective. Hint: Longer than 7 days! She also talks about the science behind vaccine effectiveness against the COVID variants of interest and concern. 

Mary-Louise McLaws on Victoria’s COVID-19 outbreak, fourth lockdown and vaccination drive

Dr Richard Denniss talks about his newly updated book, Econobabble: How to Decode Political Spin and Economic Nonsense. Econobabble is the incomprehensible economic jargon politicians and commentators use to dress up their self-interest as the national interest, to make the absurd seem inevitable or the inequitable seem fair. Richard is the Chief Economist at The Australia Institute. Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO) campaigner Chris Schuringa discusses the Save Errinundra campaign and the latest developments in the quest to prevent native forest logging in East Gippsland’s forests. Art historian and author Janine Burke explores the themes from her new book My Forests: Travels with Trees, which looks at trees in art, myth, history and everyday life

Richard Denniss on how ‘econobabble’ shuts down democratic debate; Saving the forests of East Gippsland; Contemplating trees across culture and history

The Monthly's Contributing Editor Rachel Withers talks about the political fallout from the federal budget and more. Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Paul Nurse sits down with Amy to explore and answer the question, What Is Life? This is considered in Paul's recent book, What Is Life? Understand biology in five steps. Journalist and author Zoe Holman talks about her new book, Where The Water Ends: Seeking Refuge in Fortress Europe, which explores Europe's migration and refugee crisis.

Unpacking the federal budget; Sir Paul Nurse answers the big question, What Is Life?; Europe’s migration and refugee crisis

Ben Eltham, National Affairs Correspondent for New Matilda talks about the latest in federal politics, including what we know about tomorrow's budget. Human rights advocate and barrister Geoffrey Robertson QC joins Amy to discuss his new book, Bad People: And How to Be Rid of Them: A Plan B for Human Rights, which is the first book published on 'Magnitsky Laws' that have been adopted by 31 countries worldwide. Dr Chloe Ward, historian and Research Officer at the EU Centre of Excellence, RMIT, chats about the results of Scotland's election, the political fallout in Britain, and the renewed push for a second referendum on Scottish independence.

Federal budget preview with Ben Eltham; Geoffrey Robertson QC outlines a Plan B for human rights; Scotland’s election results and UK politics with Chloe Ward

Guardian reporter Luke Henriques-Gomes talks about the many proposed and controversial changes to the NDIS. Luke explains his exclusive report detailing how the proposed "independent assessments" for NDIS recipients would save the federal budget $700m and lead to smaller funding packages “on average” for disabled people. Barrister Richard Beasley SC discusses why he is angry about the death of the Murray-Darling Basin. His new book is called, Dead in the Water: A very angry book about our greatest environmental catastrophe. . . the death of the Murray-Darling Basin. Historian Professor Michelle Arrow from Macquarie University talks about the many archival treasures on the brink of destruction due to chronic federal funding cuts to the budget of the National Archives of Australia.

Luke Henriques-Gomes on the NDIS under threat; why we should be angry about the death of the Murray-Darling basin; Australia’s archival treasures on the verge of destruction

Hong Kong-based lawyer and author Antony Dapiran discusses the latest developments in Hong Kong politics, including Beijing's overhaul of the electoral system and LegCo, the prosecution of an investigative journalist, and the jailing of pro-democracy activists. Dr Monica Bell, associate professor of law and sociology at Yale University joins Amy to discuss the murder of George Floyd and the Derek Chauvin trial, amidst the backdrop of pervasive police violence against Black and brown Americans and the push for racial justice in the United States. Yuin man and conservation ecologist Dr Jack Pascoe discusses his connection to Bangerak country, also known as Cape Otway. Jack's essay on the subject has been published in Animals Make Us Human. 

Hong Kong politics with Antony Dapiran; Police reform and racial justice in the U.S. with Monica Bell; Bruce Pascoe on his connection to Bangerak Country, or Cape Otway

With the mushroom season well underway, Amy chats with fungi expert Dr Alison Pouliot about her new book, Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers. Epidemiologist and WHO Adviser Professor Mary-Louise McLaws talks about what Australia must do to "reset" and fix the vaccine rollout. PhD student, author, and photographer James Dorey explores his fascinating rediscovery of the rare cloaked bee, Pharohylaeus lactiferus, last seen in Australia in 1923.

Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws on how to fix Australia’s vaccine rollout; Wild Mushrooming with Alison Pouliot; the rediscovery of a rare cloaked bee

Guardian Australia reporter Luke Henriques-Gomes returns to discuss poverty, disability and unemployment policy in Australia, as well as the government’s proposed introduction of controversial NDIS ‘independent assessments’. A special panel of experts join Amy to discuss the Declaration of the Rights of the Moon, which they co-authored. Hear from US-based nature rights advocate Mari Margil, Executive Director of Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights, as well as space archaeologist Alice Gorman aka 'Dr Space Junk', and Thomas Gooch, founder of the Office of Planetary Observations as they talk about why we must protect the moon from human exploitation and interference now, more than ever. Professor David Lindenmayer, a world-leading expert in forest ecology based at the ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society’s returns to discuss his latest co-authored research paper showing that 19 major Australian ecosystems are collapsing. This includes Victoria’s critically-endangered Mountain Ash forests.

Disability and unemployment policy in Australia; a case for the rights of the Moon; David Lindenmayer on Australia’s major ecosystems in collapse

A weekly conversation about politics and current events, international affairs, history, art, books, and the natural world, to illuminate the issues faced by society and explore them in new ways – presented by Amy Mullins. The intro and outro theme is Soft Illusion and was generously provided by Andras. https://andras.bandcamp.com/track/soft-illusion

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Uncommon Sense

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