7am

Over the weekend, Eurovision got a feel-good ending. Bulgaria won the contest for the very first time with their infectious song Bangaranga. And Australia came close - with Delta Goodrem placing 4th. But the controversy over Israel didn’t go away. Israeli singer Noam Bettan finished second, after getting a huge huge public vote – despite protests outside the contest, boycotts from five countries, and warnings over the Israeli broadcaster KAN running a campaign telling people to vote ten times. Eurovision insists it’s a non-political contest... but over the past three years, Israel’s place in it  has exposed how political that stage can be – and how useful it can be for a government trying to shape how the world sees it. Today, author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World’s Greatest Song Contest, Chris West, on the boycott, the vote, and how Israel turned the world’s biggest song contest into a soft-power campaign.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   And Eurovision audio is courtesy of SBS.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest, Chris West. Photo: EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s budget shows AUKUS is getting bigger. The government is putting more money into the agencies, workforce and infrastructure needed for nuclear-powered submarines. But the deal still relies on the US agreeing to sell them to Australia, and on a Trump administration that has already reviewed AUKUS through an “America First” lens. And as the program grows, the public still knows very little about what Australia is trading away to keep it alive. Today, former Director of War Studies for the Australian Army, Dr Albert Palazzo, on the secrecy around AUKUS – and the US military expansion on Australian soil. This episode was originally published in December 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Former Director of War Studies for the Australian Army and adjunct professor at UNSW, Dr Albert Palazzo Photo: AAP Image/Pool, Colin MurtySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Labor handed down its fifth budget, Anthony Albanese spent the week answering one question: had he broken his promise? The government wanted the budget framed as a fairness agenda built around changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and trusts, and a pitch to younger Australians locked out of housing. Instead, the immediate political fight became whether voters could trust the prime minister. But the noise around broken-promises obscures deeper conversations about what the housing tax changes will actually deliver, the omission of a gas export levy, and the tens of billions of dollars being cut from the NDIS. Meanwhile, Angus Taylor’s budget reply showed where the Coalition wants the argument to go next: migration, welfare and net zero – as One Nation surges in the polls. Today, Cheek Media CEO and host of Big Small Talk, Hannah Ferguson, on the ambition, compromises and contradictions in Labor’s budget – and what young voters are being asked to accept.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast, Hannah Ferguson. Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator David Pocock has been one of the fiercest advocates for the You win some, you lose more report, known as the Murphy Review, and its recommendations to reduce the harms of online gambling. It took the Albanese government 1,049 days to formally respond to the landmark inquiry that called for urgent action to reduce gambling harm, including a phased ban on gambling advertising. When the government did finally release its response this week, it was hidden on budget day and stopped well short of that central recommendation, prompting anger from advocates and crossbenchers who say the government has failed to meet the scale of the problem. Today, Senator David Pocock on the government’s handling of the Murphy Review, the power of the gambling lobby and why he says the response shows a failure of political leadership.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Independent senator David Pocock Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a case where the art has been overshadowed by the drama.  The star of Australian film The Deb, singer Charlotte McInnes, is suing Australian actor and director Rebel Wilson for defamation.  Over two weeks of hearings, the court was told about smear campaigns, hacked Snapchats, and the central claim: that Rebel Wilson lied about her star actress. Rebel is accused of being a fantastical liar who orchestrated a ‘complete revision of history’. She maintains she’s telling the truth – and that she’s a whistleblower who supports women.   A judge is deciding which version of events is true – with a decision expected any day.  Today, senior reporter at The Daily Telegraph, Nathanael Cooper, on the trial, the movie, and the consequences for everyone involved.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Senior Reporter at The Daily Telegraph, Nathanael Cooper Photo: AAP Image/Dean LewinsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.