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The Morning Edition

The Morning Edition

Written by: The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
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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.

2026 The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
Economics Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Sketch: Tony Wright on the Coalition’s 'ship of fools'
    Jan 23 2026

    Tony Wright, the associate editor of The Age, has been writing for 50 years. He is the master of what we call the political sketch.
    Sketches are akin to a verbal cartoon and, when done well, capture a moment in politics.
    Today, in a bonus episode of Inside Politics, we bring you Wright's sketch on the disintegration of the Coalition, titled: It’s a mess of Titanic proportions on the Coalition’s ship of fools.

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    6 mins
  • Barnaby Joyce opens up on his defection to Pauline Hanson's One Nation
    Jan 23 2026

    One Nation is having a bit of a moment.

    Pauline Hanson’s outfit, accused by both major parties of exploiting racial anxiety over her career, has faded into irrelevance at points since she burst onto the scene in the late 1990s.

    But two new polls have recorded record-high primary votes for One Nation. One of them saw One Nation’s vote rise above the Coalition, which split in spectacular fashion this week, over new hate crime legislation in the wake of the Bondi massacre.

    The break-up of the Coalition, and the rise of One Nation, may point to a tectonic change in conservative politics.

    At same time, the attack at Bondi has further sapped trust in our political system as politicians have brawled in the wake of a tragedy.

    I’m Paul Sakkal, and you’re listening to Inside Politics, from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
    From Parliament House this week, we recorded an interview before the Coalition split, with One Nation’s newest recruit, Nationals defector and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce.

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    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    39 mins
  • Littleproud fired the gun, but Ley set up the circumstances: The spectacular Coalition break-up
    Jan 22 2026

    We are back with a special episode of Inside Politics as a few things have happened this week - namely the break-up of the Coalition, a century-old political alliance.

    Nationals leader David Littleproud announced the split on Thursday morning, blaming Liberal leader Sussan Ley in the process.

    Federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos joins chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal in today's episode.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    14 mins
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