The Conditional Release Program cover art

The Conditional Release Program

The Conditional Release Program

Written by: Jack the Insider and Joel Hill
Listen for free

About this listen

Welcome to The Conditional Release Program, a podcast that delves into the netherworld of cults, crims and con artists.

Who would have thought a spicy chest cough would turn everyone so completely mad?

Our weekly show covers the conspiracy theorists that created a 'shadow pandemic' of political idiocy and violent ideation within the fringe of politics.

From time to time we get our hands even dirtier with true crime deep dives. Jack is a seasoned expert in the true crime genre, having written and spoken extensively about Roger Rogerson, Stan 'the man' Smith and, of course, the Fine Cotton Fiasco. In various episodes he guides us through the dark underbelly of Australian crime in his trademark storytelling style.

The world is getting weird and we are getting weird with it. Let's watch as democracy crumbles into a smouldering heap - and take note of the kids carrying the matches and the metho.

Hosted by Jack the Insider and Joel Hill with an occasional rotation of guests that generally share our distaste toward the lunatic fringe.

All rights reserved. Political Science Politics & Government Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Two Jacks - Episode 145 - The Liberal Makeover, Epstein's Elite Friends & Cuba on the Brink

    The Two Jacks - Episode 145 - The Liberal Makeover, Epstein's Elite Friends & Cuba on the Brink
    Feb 21 2026
    AI slop from our mate Claude Sonnet 4.6 - who is a good slopmaker and a blessed robot. Jack the Insider and Hong Kong Jack are back for Episode 145, kicking off with Chinese New Year greetings before diving headlong into the Liberal Party's new leadership under Angus Taylor, Victoria's CFMEU corruption saga, and the ever-deepening Epstein files rabbit hole. They roam through the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky's sharp Putin put-down, Cuba's unravelling regime, and the Iran situation — then lighten the mood with one-hit wonders in literature, the T20 World Cup disaster, AFL State of Origin, Winter Olympics, and the Premier League title race. Buckle up.SHOW NOTES WITH TIMESTAMPS🎉 Introduction & Chinese New Year[0:00:25] — The Two Jacks kick off Episode 145 with Chinese New Year greetings (Kung He Fat Choi!). Hong Kong Jack reports an unusually quiet Hong Kong, with locals escaping to Dubai, Singapore, and Japan to avoid pricey CNY celebrations closer to home.🏛️ Australian Federal Politics — Angus Taylor & the Liberal Party[0:01:52] — New Liberal Leader: Angus Taylor defeats Susan Lee 34–17, with Jane Hume elected Deputy over Ted O'Brien (30–20). Jack the Insider and Hong Kong Jack assess whether Taylor can rebuild a shattered party.[0:02:53] — Immigration policy leak: A policy blueprint, reportedly Susan Lee's, surfaced within a day of the spill. Taylor claimed he hadn't seen it. The Jacks debate how the Liberals should handle immigration without gifting One Nation more oxygen.[0:05:59] — Strategy session: Jack the Insider argues Taylor should shut up, take two weeks of parliamentary recess to announce his shadow cabinet quietly, then re-emerge with policy — rather than chasing the media cycle daily.[0:08:57] — The Goward–Menzies review of the Liberal Party's election drubbing: never publicly released, reportedly so legally combustible that lawyers have been called in. The Jacks agree burying internal reviews is standard practice — but ask whether rank-and-file members deserve some honest reckoning.[0:11:00] — Malcolm Turnbull's "best-qualified idiot" quip about Taylor sparks a broader conversation about whether bitter ex-PMs (Turnbull, Abbott) do themselves or their parties any favours by lingering. The Jacks compare them unfavourably to Gillard, Howard, and Keating, who moved on successfully.🏗️ Victorian State Politics — CFMEU Corruption & the Big Build[0:15:24] — The AFR's damning investigation into the Victorian Government's infrastructure boom: drug deals, strippers, bribes, bikie gangs, ghost ships, and a 15–20% cost blowout to taxpayers. Mick Gatto's denial is, per Jack the Insider, "a pretty bad week" for the government.[0:17:22] — Victorian polling (Demos): LNP 29%, Labor 23%, One Nation 21%, Greens 15%. The eye-opener: One Nation at 15% in inner Melbourne, prompting the memorable line "There are cookers everywhere, Jack."[0:23:51] — The Jacks wrap Victoria: Premier Jacinda Allen is "limping to re-election in November" (28th). Hong Kong Jack suggests she book a Christmas holiday now. Sixteen years in government, a mountain of debt, and a corruption scandal — the cupboard, when opened, will be grim.🕌 NSW — Muslim Worshippers Dragged from Sydney Protest[0:25:16] — PM Albanese calls for NSW Police to explain footage of officers removing Muslim worshippers praying at a protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit. The Jacks note the footage, whatever the legal context around move-along orders, was always going to lead news services around the world — and it did.🎬 Obituaries — Robert Duvall & Rev. Jesse Jackson[0:26:54] — Robert Duvall, dead at 95. The Jacks celebrate a career stretching from Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird (his film debut) through MASH, The Godfather (Parts I & II), Apocalypse Now ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning"), The Conversation, True Grit, and Tender Mercies. His decision to skip Godfather III over pay parity — Pacino was on five times his fee — is vindicated by the finished product.[0:31:30] — Rev. Jesse Jackson, dead. A big, complicated public life: present at Martin Luther King's assassination, kingmaker in Clinton-era Democratic politics, gifted preacher and orator, and a man who had falling-outs with nearly everyone — including the Obamas — before his death.🇬🇧 UK — Sir Keir Starmer's Bad Week[0:33:21] — Starmer abandons plans to cancel local government elections after pressure from Nigel Farage. The Jacks' verdict: the real reason was the government was set to be shellacked, and it no longer has the political capital to pull something so transparently sneaky.[0:35:35] — Ambassador Peter Mandelson under active criminal investigation. Prince Andrew (referred to properly as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) under police investigation connected to the Epstein files — with allegations around misconduct in public ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 31 mins
  • The Two Jacks - Episode 144 - Angus, Epstein and the Ashes of the Washington Post

    The Two Jacks - Episode 144 - Angus, Epstein and the Ashes of the Washington Post
    Feb 21 2026
    Shownotes are AI slop as usual. It's a week late cause nobody bothered to tell me it was recorded. Apologies for lack of freshness. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jack the Insider and Hong Kong Jack are back for Episode 144, recorded on 12 February. It's Liberal Party leadership spill eve and the boys break down whether Angus Taylor has the numbers to end Susan Ley's tenure — and what sort of baggage he'll carry into the job. From there: a landmark High Court ruling on the Catholic Church's duty of care for survivors of clergy abuse; the protests surrounding Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Australia; the widening Epstein-Mandelson catastrophe engulfing Keir Starmer; the slow collapse of the Washington Post; Japan's election result and its implications for China; and a packed sports segment covering the T20 World Cup, AFL State of Origin, the Rugby World Cup opener, and the Winter Olympics.Show Notes & Timestamps🏛️ Liberal Party Leadership Spill[0:00:25]Jack the Insider opens by noting this is Liberal Party spill number four since 2013 — one per parliamentary term. Recording on the eve of the 9am spill motion, the Jacks dig into the state of play with James Patterson's resignation from the front bench seen as a signal that Angus Taylor has the numbers. Hong Kong Jack raises the "glass cliff" observation from commentator Parnell McGuinness — that Taylor may have waited for Ley to absorb the ire before seizing the job back.[0:02:44] — Tanya Plibersek's doorstop spray is quoted at length, listing Taylor's baggage: the Jam Land scandal, dodgy water buybacks, 22% hidden energy price increases, the Clover Moore documents, and his claim to have lived near Naomi Wolf.[0:04:35] — The Jacks discuss whether Taylor will grow or shrink in the job, drawing comparisons to the unexpected rise of John Howard. The Liberal Party room numbers are crunched — just 28 members, including 10 LNP caucusing members.[0:07:36] — Discussion of the One Nation threat, Newspoll figures, and the argument that the Nats are more vulnerable to One Nation than the Libs. A brief but enjoyable exchange on Murray Watt vs. Malcolm Roberts at Senate estimates.💬 "It looks to me like in the modern Liberal Party, an incompetent bloke beats a woman any day of the week." — Tanya Plibersek (quoted by Jack the Insider)⚖️ High Court Rules on Catholic Church Duty of Care[0:11:44]Jack the Insider outlines a landmark High Court ruling finding the Catholic Church owed a non-delegable duty of care to a boy abused by Father Ron Pickin in 1969, aged 13, in the Newcastle-Maitland Diocese. The church had won in the NSW Supreme Court but that decision was overturned.[0:12:47] — Hong Kong Jack reflects that the Church has been waging this legal battle for 30 years, hiding behind its labyrinthine structure to avoid liability — and that he always thought the courts would eventually "sheet the liability home."[0:13:41] — Jack the Insider connects this to a previous High Court ruling and notes the clarity this decision now brings — not just for the Catholic Church but for all institutions with histories of child sexual abuse. The legal fraternity is expected to respond with a surge of litigation.💬 "The courts have historically not been very keen on letting people go uncompensated because the defendants had a complicated structure." — Hong Kong Jack🇮🇱 Isaac Herzog Visit & Sydney Protests[0:16:29]Israeli President Isaac Herzog (described correctly as a largely ceremonial head of state, akin to a Governor-General) arrives in Melbourne after two days in Sydney. His visit was formally requested by the Albanese government on behalf of the families of those killed in the Bondi attack.[0:16:57] — Peter Cronau's criticism that Herzog "politicised" the visit is discussed. Jack the Insider reads Herzog's own words about wanting to explain Israel's perspective on Hamas and Iran.[0:17:57] — Around 6,000 protesters assembled at Sydney Town Hall, led by the Palestinian Action Group. Police used major-event crowd management laws to block off large sections of the CBD, "kettling" protesters toward Central Station. Requests to march to the NSW Parliament and Hyde Park were denied.[0:20:18] — The Jacks debate whether police went too hard, with Hong Kong Jack noting mixed footage — some showing aggravation from the crowd, some showing a heavy-handed response. Both agree it would have been deeply inappropriate for the mourning group of ~7,000 attending Herzog's ceremony to have been confronted by protesters.[0:23:49] — A digression into the 2007 APEC security lockdown of the Sydney CBD — including the Chaser stunt and the lesser-known story of 12 missing rocket launchers from Holsworthy Army Base, one of which ended up in the hands of a South Western Sydney crime figure.🏚️ Victoria Barracks & Defence Property Sales[0:26:23]The NSW ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Episode 204 - Kudelka - Perth - Superbowl - Epstein - SovCits - PETE!

    Episode 204 - Kudelka - Perth - Superbowl - Epstein - SovCits - PETE!
    Feb 12 2026

    This week we are back with another news episode because there is a bloody lot going on.


    First up, Jack gives a quick eulogy for his friend Jon Kudelka, a political cartoonist who used to work with Jack at the Aus. He was a good man - and a funny one - and is a loss to the nation.


    We have an early days look at the violence that broke out in Sydney between protestors and police. Premier Minns keeps on saying he 'makes no apologies' but might have to change his tune on that as a lot of footage is coming out which paints NSW police in a very bad light. But then again, we did see footage of a very rude man assaulting a police officer('s bicycle) by obstructing its path while falling down. Then we saw him viciously place his ribs in the way of the officer's fists. Several times, no less.


    It's really bad. I think he should probably make apologies.


    We look at the sidelined story of the attempted terrorist attack in Perth. It didn't get much traction in the news and that quite reasonably upset a few people. We have seen some mentions in parliament, including a motion from Senator Thorpe but it has now been declared a terrorist attack and the alleged kid is allegedly in deep shit.


    We were going to look at gun laws and MFA but we just ran out of puff. We have that stuff written up though and it's coming soon.


    We lighten the mood by looking at the SATANIC SUPERBOWL HALF TIME SHOW which spoke SATANIC GIBBERISH and offended a lot of idiots. It's just racism though. Weird, confected racism.


    We touch on the epstein files. We look at a very funny sovcit. And Pete is back! Poorer than before but still richer than me and probably richer than you. If he's not, I bloody hope you are a patron. Give us money.


    AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE BUY CBCo beer at cbco.beer! We don't get a cut but it looks good to the marketing folks if you use CRP10 at the checkout. Keep the beer flowing and I will keep the pod coming. Bless!


    Enjoy!


    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 56 mins
No reviews yet