The Morning Edition

Hosted by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

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60 recent

June 16, 202620 min

6000 students. 1000 places. Competition for our best schools has never been tougher

This weekend thousands of teenagers will sit the entry exam for one of four select-entry government schools for high-achieving students in Victoria. It’s a nerve-recking experience and the stakes are high. Many students will miss out on a place.In NSW, competition is also fierce for a spot at select-entry schools. Students in both states spend countless hours preparing for the exams. Today, Age education reporter Jackson Graham and Sydney Morning Herald education editor Christopher Harris explain how select-entry schooling became such a big deal and such big business.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 15, 202619 min

‘Breaks every rule’: What the KPMG scandal is all about

They are one of the big four accounting firms. Government agencies and major corporations trust them to audit their books and ensure everything is above board.So what happens when one of these auditors is accused of a catastrophic failure of integrity?KPMG will face this question and many others when it fronts a Senate inquiry this week. The explosive claims emerged after a whistleblower brought allegations the firm misused confidential client data to potentially win business with other companies.Today, senior business reporter Colin Kruger explains why this scandal extends well beyond the big end of town and might affect anyone with an investment or super fund.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 14, 202621 min

How gangsters are still obtaining military-grade guns in Bondi masscre's wake

Last week there were a couple of shocking crimes in Sydney. In one, a father and his 15-year-old daughter were forced to flee when a gunman approached them at school pick-up time. In another, assailants in a car filmed themselves as they sprayed bullets from a high-powered firearm into a funeral home.Today, crime reporter Perry Duffin discusses the gang war in Sydney, and how the underworld is still accessing military-style guns after Port Arthur, and in the wake of the Bondi massacre.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 11, 202623 min

Polls, the media and what's really driving One Nation’s support

With the budget backlash era moving on to something like begrudged resignation, or budget fatigue, we’re expecting Treasurer Jim Chalmers to soon make a few announcements around the tax changes. While this bubbles along, the only story in politics continues to be One Nation. Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal debate whether the media and the near-daily reporting on polls are driving more support or exaggerating Pauline Hanson’s true popularity in Australia. Outside of this, the hard-right party purportedly raised $1.5 million in a single day via a crowd-funding campaign called Fire the Liar. And the Coalition is squabbling over whether to preference One Nation in the next federal election, which is still two years away. In the meantime, Labor by way of Foreign Minister Penny Wong says in the face of chaos, the government wants to go back to basics and focus on health, education and all the policies it says the other parties are lacking in.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 10, 202620 min

North Korea just made China back down. Is Trump taking note?

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea this week has put the world on notice that Kim Jong-Un's nuclear program, and ambitions, are stronger than ever. But has Donald Trump taken note? Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how North Korea has gone from global pariah to earning the respect of some of the world’s great capitals.   Background reading The Chinese president has arrived in North Korea. The world is watching Xi Jinping is feted in Pyongyang as Kim Jong-un swivels to Moscow Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 9, 202618 min

Has the fragile ceasefire in the US-Israel war with Iran been broken?

Earlier this week, it looked as though tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran had jeopardised a two-month ceasefire. The new hostilities threatened to once again place the Middle East on the precipice of a full-blown regional war. And then Donald Trump stepped into the fray. Today Middle East and security analyst Rodger Shanahan discusses what led to these strikes, and what they mean for the fragile negotiations between Iran and the United States.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 8, 202614 min

Nick McKenzie on the arrest of Mick Gatto and the CFMEU crackdown

When one of Australia’s most infamous Victorian gangland figures was arrested last week over an alleged traffic infringement, it raised some eyebrows.So given Mick Gatto’s centrality in the building industry, was this the Victorian police pulling at straws in some last ditch attempt to crack down on suspected corruption?Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on whether this arrest was, as Gatto asserts, “a load of crap”. Or if it’s illustrative of a new dedication by police to clean up an industry that’s been rife with alleged corruption for decades.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 7, 202623 min

The big baby bust: What happened to Australia’s middle child?

The fertility rate in Australia is at a record low, and there is judgment all around.Today, senior journalist Matt Wade and reporter Bronte Gossling on what our exclusive polling tells us about the global population plunge we’re all inching towards; what challenges it will throw at us; and why the demise of the third child may not be a great thing.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 4, 202629 min

A week of reality checks: ‘Pauline for PM’ and the true state of the AUKUS pact

This week polls showed, for the first time, One Nation ahead of the major parties and Pauline Hanson as preferred prime minister in second place ahead of Angus Taylor.  Today we're talking about her strategy, her chances in the lower house and any parallels with the United States. Is it time to take Hanson seriously? And the week would not be over if we didn't mention submarines - but second-hand ones this time. Was this always the intention as the government is saying? We'll unpick it. Today's episode is hosted by Jacqueline Maley, with guests chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 4, 202631 min

Don’t say it’s a protest vote’: Pauline Hanson on One Nation’s resurgence

The debate on the rise of Pauline Hanson is shifting rapidly. This week, for the first time, polls are showing One Nation's primary vote has risen above the Labor Party's. A conversation that focused on One Nation and the Coalition swapping preferences has now shifted to more profound questions about the long-term configuration of the right flank of Australian politics. Hanson is yet to face the full force of scrutiny on her policies, her position on race relations and whether her party really is a credible governing outfit. Pauline Hanson joined chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal for this bonus episode of Inside Politics, recorded in Parliament House on Wednesday.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.