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Joining us live on the Saturday Magazine to break down all things television is Steven Molk from TV Blackbox. With the dust settling on the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards and local networks gearing up for a packed spring line-up, Molk is here to walk us through the big winners, the host’s performance, and the hottest Australian shows landing on our screens. Welcome back to JOY, Molk!  78th Emmy Awards Highlights & Trends Host Performance: Mariska Hargitay took on hosting duties for the September 14 ceremony as part of NBC’s 100th-anniversary milestone. Moving away from traditional stand-up comedians, Hargitay leaned into TV royalty nostalgia. Major Winners: HBO Max’s medical drama The Pitt took out Outstanding Drama Series, while comedy Widow’s Bay (Apple TV) swept the night with 14 total wins. Apple TV’s Pluribus also made waves with Rhea Seehorn taking home Lead Actress in a Drama Series.  Domestic Australian TV Landscape & Streaming Originals Local Drama Push: Paramount+ recently launched Dalliance, a high-profile Australian drama starring Hugo Weaving and Georgie Parker. Genre Experiments: Stan revealed first looks at its upcoming horror-comedy series Gnomes (featuring Megan Smart, Asa Butterfield, and Nina Oyama), where garden gnomes come to life with murderous intent. This points to a trend of Aussie streamers taking bigger creative risks. Upfronts Season Approaching: Channel 9 and Stan’s Upfronts have just happened which should be exciting The post Sat, 19th Sept, 2026; Steven Molk TV Critic, Industry Analyst & Co-Founder of TV Blackbox appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Nevena and Rachel Payne are joined live on air by, Michelle Reynolds,  Director – Advocacy and Policy, Inner Melbourne Community Legal. Michelle Reynolds is the Director of Advocacy and Policy at Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL). In this role, she oversees strategic advocacy and policy development, working extensively with IMCL’s Police Accountability Project. She is a leading voice on legal reform and social justice issues in Victoria, focusing heavily on systemic police accountability, public housing advocacy, and the rights of marginalised communities. Police impunity could be collateral damage to IBAC ‘follow-the-money’ reforms The post Sat, 19th Sept, 2026; Michelle Reynolds, Director, Advocacy and Policy, Inner Melbourne Community Legal appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Joining us live in the studio this morning is Felix Ralph, a leading criminal defence lawyer from law firm Marshall Jovanovska Ralph. As the federal parliament pushes forward with major reforms to the Online Safety Act—including the introduction of a statutory ‘Digital Duty of Care’ for social media platforms—Felix is here to unpack what these legislative shifts mean for corporate liability, digital free expression, and individual rights online. Welcome to JOY, Felix. The proposal for a “Digital Duty of Care” amends the framework under the Online Safety Act 2021. Rather than relying solely on reactive takedown notices administered by the eSafety Commissioner, it imposes an affirmative legal duty on platforms to design safer digital environments and mitigate systemic risks (e.g., algorithmic amplification of self-harm, cyberbullying, hate speech, and deepfakes). Legal Duty vs. Free Speech Concerns: Legal scholars and civil liberties advocates raise concerns over “chilling effects.” If platforms face heavy civil penalties or corporate liability for failing their duty of care, their automated moderation tools may over-regulate, censoring legitimate speech, political commentary, or LGBTQIA+ community discussions. Algorithmic Accountability & Opt-Outs: A central debate surrounds recommendation algorithms. Implementing a duty of care could force platforms to give users direct controls—such as chronological feed opt-outs—and demand transparent risk assessments before launching new platform features or AI models. Enforcement & Constitutional Boundaries: Key legal questions remain regarding the eSafety Commissioner’s enforcement powers, standard-of-proof thresholds, potential class action liabilities, and whether these state-level/federal restrictions withstand implied constitutional protections for freedom of political communication. Section 25C(2) & Ministerial Discretion: The exposure draft of the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 sets out 13 explicit categories of “seriously harmful material and conduct” under Section 25C(1). However, Section 25C(2) creates a broad catch-all power allowing the Communications Minister to declare any additional material or conduct as “seriously harmful” via subordinate legislative instruments if they are satisfied it “may cause serious harm”. Critics argue this creates an expandable regulatory ratchet where executive power can bypass primary parliamentary debate to reclassify controversial speech, political advocacy, or social commentary as legally harmful. The post Sat, 19th Sept, 2026; Felix Ralph, Criminal Defence, Technology & Media Lawyer; Digital Duty of Care. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Joining us this morning on Saturday Magazine is Sophie McNeill, Greens Member of the Legislative Council in Western Australia. Before entering parliament in 2025, Sophie spent over fifteen years on the frontlines of global conflict as a Walkley Award–winning foreign correspondent for the ABC and SBS, followed by leading investigative research for Human Rights Watch. McNeill has been a prominent voice in the anti-AUKUS campaign, particularly focused on Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West) at HMAS Stirling in WA. Sovereignty risks, the massive $368 billion price tag diverted away from public housing and health, nuclear waste disposal concerns, and the militarisation of local communities. She has also campaigned against state anti-protest laws surrounding arms fairs (such as the Land Forces exposition). As a former ABC Middle East correspondent who produced Walkley-winning coverage in Gaza and author of We Can’t Say We Didn’t Know, McNeill brings personal field experience to parliamentary advocacy. Calling for an immediate end to Australian arms exports and dual-use component supply to Israel, federal sanctions, human rights accountability, and advocating for Palestinian self-determination and refugee protections. The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and hyperscale data centres across Australia is putting severe pressure on state energy grids and net-zero targets. Data centres consume vast amounts of electricity and water, often delaying the phase-out of fossil fuels or sucking up renewable energy capacity meant to power homes. McNeill argues that unconstrained tech infrastructure undermines state emissions reduction commitments and diverts resources from genuine climate action. The post Sat, 19th Sept, 2026; Sophie McNeill MLC, Greens Upper House MP for Western Australia, former ABC Middle East Foreign Correspondent & Human Rights Watch Researcher appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Joining us for our weekly political pulse-check is Amy Remeikis, Chief Political Analyst at The Australia Institute and Contributing Editor for The New Daily. Known for cutting straight through Canberra’s noise and spin, Amy is here to break down the latest media culture wars, truth in political advertising, and the policy debates dominating federal parliament. Welcome back to Saturday Magazine, Amy. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced plans to curb migration to Australia, reducing numbers to 245,000 this year and 225,000 next financial year. One Nation wants Australia to have 0 net overseas migration for the next three years and then 130,000 after that, and the Coalition wants migration numbers to be between 150,000 to 170,000 people. Burke wants to increase the value of skilled permanent migration, with housing construction tradespeople to receive the same recognition as those with university degrees. Priority will be given to construction, healthcare, agriculture, fisheries and teaching. International Students will also no longer be able to attach family members to their visas. For backpackers in Australia, eligibility for a second-year stay will be capped at 45,000 places and applicants will need to complete 88 days of regional work to qualify. For those seeking a third year, it’s six months in the country and only 5,000 places available. UK applicants will not be subject to this restriction because of our Free Trade Agreement with them. The post Sat, 19th Sept, 2026; Amy Remeikis; Chief Political Analyst, The Australia Institute & Contributing Editor, The New Daily appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Joining Nevena as co-host this week,  live in the studio this morning is Rachel Payne, Legalise Cannabis Victoria MP for the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region. Beyond her leading advocacy on drug policy reform, Rachel has been a persistent parliamentary voice calling for greater government integrity, the ending of internal police self-investigations, and urgent support for Victoria’s overburdened justice system—including our volunteer Justices of the Peace. Good morning, Rachel, and welcome back to Saturday Magazine on JOY. IBAC Reform & Police Misconduct Oversight Victoria’s anti-corruption framework currently sets a high legal bar for IBAC to investigate misconduct. Historically, over 95% of complaints made to IBAC regarding Victoria Police are referred back to Victoria Police internal affairs (Internal Integrity Command). In 2023, IBAC commenced independent investigations into just 23 out of over 4,000 allegations. Rachel introduced the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission Amendment (Functions) Bill 2026 to strip away barriers that force IBAC to bounce complaints back to the police force. She has also pushed to expand IBAC’s powers to cover broader misconduct, follow-the-money powers, and hold public hearings without extreme statutory restrictions. Systemic Misuse of LEAP: Payne has previously highlighted instances where police officers inappropriately accessed the Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) database to stalk or harass victim-survivors, arguing that independent oversight is essential to ending systemic abuse. The State of Victoria’s Justices of the Peace (Honorary Justices) The Crisis: Victoria has a severe shortfall of active Justices of the Peace (JPs) compared to other states. Victoria has under 4,000 registered JPs (with fewer than 2,000 actively operating), whereas states like Queensland and NSW maintain tens of thousands. Public Impact: JPs provide essential, free volunteer services—witnessing statutory declarations, affidavits, and certifying legal documents. The severe shortage in growth corridors like the South-Eastern suburbs leaves vulnerable community members, elderly residents, and people without regular internet access struggling to execute legal documents. Parliamentary Action: Payne sponsored petitions in Parliament calling on the Attorney-General to fund and reform the Honorary Justice Services Support unit to prevent the collapse of the volunteer JP network. The post Sat, 19th Sept, 2026; Rachel Payne MLC, Legalise Cannabis Victoria Upper House, MP for South-Eastern Metropolitan Region appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Celebrated local designer and technologist Mel Huang Buntine, has built a shrine to the tender and personal side of computing. Embracing code as a creative medium, Mel brings together people, communities and computers that push our understanding of what computation can be. “My love letter to the personal computer” – Mel Huang Buntine ‘What if computation wasn’t about speed, automation and scale but building slower, tender and more personal systems? Radical Computing, guest curated by Mel Huang Buntine, is a love letter to the personal computer and to all those who tinker, weave, extend, stretch, hack, subvert and make with the materiality of code’. .Owning your own computer was once a radical concept. When computers started entering our homes from the 1970s, computing was out of reach to most people. Affordable, small computers that could be built by everyday people changed this. From the raw energy of the Demoscene, Australia’s early rave and hacker underground, to global creative coding and open-source software movements, Radical Computing celebrates those who have shaped, challenged and reimagined our world via code as a medium. Featuring commissions from artists like Chia Amisola and Chok Si Xuan, plus a revival of Laurie Spiegel’s groundbreaking work Music Mouse, this exhibition is anything but a computer graveyard. Explore a vast array of personal computers from the Buntine Computer Collection, plus see a rare piece of computing history – NCM’s latest acquisition, a Connection Machine CM-2, restored by our Collections and NCM Studio teams, in collaboration with its original industrial designer, Tamiko Thiel. Centring communities who have challenged traditional ideas of what computers are, how to use them and who they’re for, this is an interactive exhibition for all ages   The post Sat, 12th, Sept, 2026: Mel Huang Buntine; Radical Computing; National Communication Museum (NCM) appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Kenny talk to Todd Hacking; Chief Executive Officer; Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia. Todd holds a double degree in Arts (Politics) and Law from the University of Adelaide and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has forged a successful career advocating public policy solutions for a range of industries, including infrastructure, transport, land use planning, environment, safety, construction, and logistics. As CEO of Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia, the peak body for truck, trailer, component, equipment and technology manufacturers and suppliers, as well as being the custodian of the largest B2B event in Queensland, the Brisbane Truck Show, Todd is delving into the policy areas affecting the heavy vehicle industry. On weekends, he moonlights as a marriage celebrant, is an avid AFL fan, a horse racing enthusiast and is at his most comfortable cooking in the kitchen. The post Sat,12th Sept, 2026: Todd Hacking; Chief Executive Officer; Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Senator Shoebridge is a NSW Greens senator and former barrister. Since June 2025 his federal portfolios include foreign affairs, defence, home affairs, justice and digital rights. He has attacked the government over what the Greens describe as a $29 billion defence blowout and argues procurement changes do not address structural waste or AUKUS risk. Digital accountability is live: the Senate recently ordered the Privacy Commissioner to release a report into American Express technology-security failures after a long-running investigation. He is also prominent in the debate over foreign-owned AI data centres, arguing that government policy must protect Australian jobs, water, energy and data rather than simply facilitate large US technology investments. Senator David Shoebridge profile and portfolios — Parliament of Australia, accessed 10 July 2026 David Shoebridge — latest media — Australian Greens, 1 July 2026 Senate orders release of American Express privacy report — ABC News, 2 July 2026 Angus Taylor attacks One Nation economic plan — ABC News, 9 July 2026 The post Sat,12th Sept, 2026: Sen. David Shoebridge Aust. Greens Sen. for NSW; State of affairs in Parliament appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Macca and Kenny are joined live on air by Tim Reardon, Chief Economist at the Housing Industry Assoc (HIA), Is the government pulling on the right levers to when it comes to building more homes? Macca and Fiona are joined live on air by Tim Reardon, Chief Economist at the Housing Industry Assoc (HIA), Is the government pulling on the right levers to when it comes to building more homes? Tim Reardon is the Chief Economist at the Housing Industry Association (HIA), where he leads the association’s economic research and policy advocacy for Australia’s residential building industry. In his most recent reports, Reardon identifies land supply as the primary constraint on Australian home building, rather than construction costs or interest rates.  Housing Industry Association | HIA +1 Land vs. Construction Costs: Since 2000, residential land prices have surged by over 500%, while construction costs and skilled labour have risen by approximately 150%. Infrastructure Taxes: He argues that government policies requiring developers to pay infrastructure fees upfront are “artificial” demand drivers that embed high costs into land prices, ultimately borne by home buyers. Cost of New Homes: HIA estimates that approximately $570,000 in various taxes, fees, and charges are embedded in the cost of a typical new house-and-land package.  Housing Industry Association | HIA +4 Releasing HIA’s new report, Taxation of Housing and its Impact on Supply, Tim Reardon, Chief Economist of Housing Industry Association, said governments cannot make homes cheaper by taking more from them. “You don’t fix a housing shortage by taxing housing harder,” Mr Reardon said. “And you certainly don’t make homes more affordable by destabilising the tax settings that support new home construction.” The report finds that housing is already one of the most heavily taxed sectors in the Australian economy, with taxes applied at every stage of the housing lifecycle. Many of these taxes fall most heavily on new housing, directly increasing costs and reducing the feasibility of new projects. “The political reflex has been the same for decades,” Mr Reardon said. “First it was to blame investors. Then foreigners. Then foreign investors. Meanwhile governments quietly add more taxes, more charges and more costs to housing, and wonder why supply keeps falling short.” HIA’s analysis shows that investors play a critical role in housing supply, commencing more than 40 per cent of new homes built in Australia, and an even higher share of apartments and rental housing. “When you discourage investors, you don’t free up housing, you stop it being built,” Mr Reardon said. “Investors don’t neatly switch from established homes into new construction when taxes rise. They leave the housing market altogether.”   https://hia.com.au/our-industry/newsroom/economic-research-and-forecasting/2026/01/stop-taxing-housing-harder-if-you-want-more-homes-built-hia-warns?srsltid=AfmBOooQfowpfnhUyCDTwqExK1c2CmARBq5m-gcKQHUKra2ACDjQvc1g The post Sat,12th Sept, 2026: Tim Reardon, the Chief Economist at the Housing Industry Association (HIA) appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Kieran Rooney is a Victorian state political reporter at The Age. Carrol gov fails to get WFH laws passed; IBAC reform at risk of collapse; One Nation’s Pickering drugs admission https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/who-in-this-country-has-not-tried-drugs-hanson-backs-pickering-in-explosive-interview-20260909-p60vy0.html https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/shameful-con-labor-proposes-last-minute-change-to-ibac-reform-20260907-p60v7q.html Victorians will next go to the polls in November 2026, with Labor under Premier Jacinta Allan seeking a fourth term in government. An article by Kieran published on the 13 th of July says voters are showing signs of drifting back to the major parties, but notes only 24% of survey respondents nominated Allan as their preferred premier, while 43% backed Liberal Jess Wilson. That said, the article also says only 23 per cent of Victorians remain uncommitted ahead of November 28, with more than three quarters of the 1,000 people surveyed by Resolve Political Monitor saying they had made up their minds. Kenny and Macca are joined live on air, by phone this week, not in the studio as usual, by Rachel Westaway, Lib Prahran, Shadow Asst Min Small Business + Hospitality as they discuss State politics. Rachel Westaway is an Australian politician serving as the member for Prahran in the Victorian Legislative Assembly since winning the 2025 Prahran state by-election. She is a member of the Victorian Liberal Party. With a background in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and as former Assistant Freedom of Information Commissioner for Victoria, she brings extensive experience in public service. Rachel has lived in South Yarra for 20 years and is actively involved in the community, including serving as President of the Thai Australian Chamber. The post Sat,12th Sept, 2026: Kieran Rooney; VIC State Political Reporter, The Age; and Rachel Westaway; Lib Prahran, Shadow Asst Min Small Business + Hospitality appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Josh Burns, the federal Labor Member of Parliament for Macnamara, has been heavily involved in key national policy debates and shared significant personal milestones, including an adult ADHD diagnosis, his appointment as Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness, and strong advocacy for gambling advertising reform. In August 2026, Josh Burns spoke publicly about receiving an adult ADHD diagnosis during an episode of the ABC TV series Kitchen Cabinet with Annabel Crabb. In May 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed Burns as the Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness. Working alongside Housing Minister Clare O’Neil, Burns focuses heavily on addressing systemic shortages in the Australian housing market. Burns has stated that the housing market has long been stacked against young people. He has driven initiatives to specifically earmark a portion of the government’s planned 55,000 new social and affordable housing properties for youth-specific accommodation. He is a core defender of the federal government’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) and has publicly pushed back against criticisms of rental stress, maintaining that aggressive infrastructure builds are necessary to decouple wages from out-of-control property prices. Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, which passed through Parliament in August 2026.   The post Sat,12th Sept, 2026: Josh Burns, MP Macnamara, ALP: Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Georgie Purcell is the Animal Justice Party Member of the Legislative Council for Northern Victoria, and her recent parliamentary advocacy has delivered major developments regarding transparency, native forests, koalas, and the greyhound racing industry. In September 2026, Georgie Purcell moved a “production of documents” motion in Parliament to force the release of an $850,000 taxpayer-funded study titled The Status of Victoria’s Koala Population: Surveys to Estimate Abundance, Genetic Diversity and Koala Health, which had been withheld since June 2025. Just minutes before her scheduled address, the State Government released the report and concurrently announced a $2.6 million commitment toward koala research, welfare, and habitat restoration. Purcell has continuously challenged the ongoing destruction of native forests, pushing back against legislative loopholes and exemptions that allow commercial timber operations or continued logging under alternative guises (such as fire management and safety mitigation) post-official phase-out. Purcell has heavily targeted the greyhound racing industry to increase integrity, accountability, and real-time welfare tracking. Her ongoing watchdog efforts—highlighted by campaigns focusing on GRV operations and monitoring (“moving cameras” and broadcast transparency)—strive to eliminate hidden injuries, track whole-of-life data for every registered greyhound, and expose practices occurring on and off the track.     The post Sat,12th Sept, 2026: Georgie Purcell, Member Legislative Council, Nthrn Victoria, Animal Justice Party; Native forest logging; release of documents re: Koala population; GRV Moving Cameras appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

The flipside of Australia’s often discussed housing crisis is a boom in new developments across Suburbia. But there’s plenty to learn about making an investment in these areas. Lifestyle presenter Walt Collins knows all about that – his show New Neighbourhoods discusses showing us what display home trends are set to explode, how buyers can maximise their purchasing power, and what it really takes to build a community from the ground up. Walt Collins—acclaimed TV host, producer, and DIY enthusiast. Known for co-hosting Healthy Homes Australia (10+ seasons), Buy to Build, and Country House Facelift. New Neighbourhoods (9Life) Co-Host: Emmylou MacCarthy (lifestyle TV personality and social media creator). Production Team: Produced by BSTV in collaboration with Infront Media and industry partner Openlot.com.au. Focus Areas: Unpacking major housing developments across Australia; exploring display home trends; maximising buyer purchasing power; and inspecting essential infrastructure (schools, parks, transport) being built for new suburbs. Country Home Renovations (Country House Facelift) Walt recently renovated a 115-year-old historic homestead, Annie’s Hillhouse, in Kilmore, Victoria. Key expertise: Balancing modern rustic interiors with historic charm, navigating old-home challenges (termites, outdated wiring, structural shifts), incorporating smart lighting/heating, and choosing materials that complement the surrounding landscape. The post Sat, 5th, Sept, 2026: Walt Collins TV and Lifestyle presenter, New Neighbourhoods & Country Home Renovations appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Australians are passionate coffee drinkers, knocking back about two billion cups every year – but less than one per cent of all the coffee we consume is actually grown in Australia. But that could be about to change thanks to a new 5-year, $4 million national research investment. Rebecca Zentveld is the President of the Australian Grown Coffee Association and founder of Zentveld’s Coffee Farm in the hills behind Byron Bay. She joins us now. Rebecca Zentveld is a pioneer of the Australian coffee industry. She established Zentveld’s Coffee Plantation and Roastery in Newrybar (behind Byron Bay) in 1993 and serves as President of the Australian Grown Coffee Association (AGCA). She was the first person in NSW to grow and roast their own coffee. Launch of the Australian Coffee Research Program—a $4 million, five-year national research initiative led by AgriFutures Australia (Federal Government’s Agricultural Research Body), Southern Cross University, Plant Health Australia, University of Queensland, and the AGCA. It is the largest coordinated R&D investment in Australian coffee history. Australia currently has around 40 commercial coffee growers farming ~400 hectares, producing roughly 800 tonnes of green coffee beans annually. This is very small. Australian grown beans make up about 1 per cent, if that, of Australia’s total coffee consumption. Primary commercial hubs are the tropical Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland, as well as subtropical regions in south-east Queensland and northern NSW (like the Northern Rivers). Australia is one of the only coffee-growing regions in the world free of major exotic Arabica pests and diseases (meaning growers can produce near-pesticide-free, high-quality coffee). Core Program Goals: Evaluating higher-yielding, climate-suited coffee varietals. Improving farm mechanical harvesting, efficiency, and grower profitability. Strengthening biosecurity to defend against global threats like coffee leaf rust. Expanding commercial growing into new suitable microclimates across Australia. This new $4 million research investment brings together universities, biosecurity experts, and growers. From a grower’s perspective, what are the most urgent challenges on the farm that this research will help solve? You became a coffee roaster in Melbourne before returning to NSW. For those who haven’t tried Australian-grown coffee, how does the flavour profile compare to beans from South America or East Africa? What does our cool subtropical or tropical climate bring out in the bean? Global coffee supplies are under huge strain from climate change, pests, and disease in traditional growing countries. How important is our clean, pest-free biosecurity status here in Australia, and what risks is this research trying to safeguard us against?   Harvesting coffee overseas often relies on low-cost manual labour, whereas Australian farms rely heavily on smart mechanical harvesting and technology. How can research help smaller Australian farms scale up efficiently to compete on price and availability? We’ve seen huge consumer shifts toward buying local produce, wine, and craft beer. Are you finding that local cafes and roasters are getting eager to feature 100% Australian-grown coffee on their menus?   The post Sat, 5th, Sept, 2026: Rebecca Zentveld President, Australian Grown Coffee Association appeared first on Saturday Magazine.