Life Matters - Full Program Podcast

School students of all ages have faced enormous disruption to their educational lives, so what impact does that have on attendance? Should the contraceptive pill be available over the counter without seeing a GP, and the quirky history of the picnic through an Australian lens

Are those after school karate classes really worth it? How does musical play contribute to babies’ early development? And why are more than a quarter of a million people tuning in to watch a young farmer do his job?

How global supply shortages are leading to delays on our online orders for almost everything and what you can do about it, looking at the history of Australian women in magic performance and a deep dive into what you should have learnt in high school sex ed with psychosexologist Chantelle Otten.

What makes you trust, or mistrust, your political leaders? Does it come down to how they handle donations or grants? Or is it about how they communicate? Do well-resourced anti-corruption watchdogs make you feel more comfortable about elected officials? Listeners share their thoughts on the best ways and mechanisms for holding politicians and governments to account.

Hydrogen has been described as the fuel of the future, but is it viable as a replacement source of energy? Plus, how a Facebook group became a space to build community resilience. And what do you do when your partner puts conditions on taking the next step in your relationship?

How well-prepared are the parts of Australia with low rates of infection and vaccination to face the future of COVID? A new podcast examines the challenges of coming out, and do tiny homes and micro apartments have a future in a post pandemic population?

What are your coping mechanisms when you're feeling overwhelmed? An expert explains some of the strategies that can help and we take your calls. Plus childcare centres frequently pop up as COVID-19 exposure sites, so with younger children remaining unvaccinated for now, how are these centres protecting children and workers?

As NSW opens up again, how are business owners feeling? Lots of excitement, as well as potentially some anxiety? Also, who was the late Australian sculptor Bronwyn Oliver? And, is it time to reassess some of those unfortunate online purchases of the last year?

Anyone who has been a carer knows that their needs can often come second to the person they are looking after. During the pandemic, this situation has become even more heightened than usual. But there have also been benefits, with some carers finally being handed the flexible working arrangements they have long asked for. Carers share their experiences of managing their mental health and discuss the impact that the pandemic has had on their wellbeing.

The pandemic has thrown up a magnitude of challenges for many of us, especially children. Can mindfulness help families cope and reduce stress? Plus, a street party on the final episode of season 3 of The Fitzroy Diaries. And what would you do if you saw someone tossing rubbish?

How are you negotiating conversations about vaccination status, when you're planning for catch-ups with loved ones? We discuss the dynamics, and in the penultimate Fitzroy Diaries recognising the real happiness of reconnecting with an old friend.

The Federal Government will begin winding back disaster payments once the 70 percent vaccination target is reached in NSW and Victoria, so how will this affect those on the payments? Plus in today's episode of The Fitzroy Diaries, the mood is lifting as they contemplate planning a party.

ABC political writer Annabel Crabb and 7:30 host Leigh Sales are known for their hard hitting interviews and incisive analysis but also for their chats. They are on fine display on their award-winning podcast, but also now in a new book, 'Well Hello: Meanderings from the world...of Chat 10 Looks 3'. Leigh and Annabel join Life Matters to talk about it all. Plus a new Fitzroy Diaries.

Models make predictions that help shape the policy approaches being taken towards fighting coronavirus and some states are planning a pathway out of lockdown based on these models. The National Cabinet's reopening plan uses modelling from the Doherty Institute. Victoria has looked to the Burnet Institute's work, as well as the Doherty models, and those two reports differ in their predictions. Experts answer listeners questions about how modelling, vaccination rates, and data around vulnerable groups, are all being considered, as we face the coming months.

Former NSW fire chief Greg Mullins reflects on decades of fighting fires and seeing Australia's climate emergency up close. Plus, a socially distant bear hunt on episode 4 of The Fitzroy Diaries. And calling out pet names in the workplace.

New York Times journalist Damien Cave thought running the Australian bureau would be a chance to kick back, but this country challenged him in ways he could never have imagined and in episode 3 of The Fitzroy Diaries a strange feeling when two old friends re-unite.

As case numbers rise when different parts of Australia open up, some are concerned contact tracers won't be able to manage and that other parts of our public health system will suffer as a result. So what's the solution? Plus how to assess whether or not your superannuation fund is giving you what you need.

As Fitzroy Diaries returns for a third season, with a new episode launching today, we talk to the creator of the award-winning series, Lorin Clarke. And, you may have seen footage of the huge mouse plague that ravaged parts of regional Australia earlier this year. What is a mouse plague and will there be a resurgence this summer?

While policies to encourage vaccination have been commonplace in Australia for some time, the pandemic has thrown into sharp relief the benefits and downsides of making vaccinations compulsory, with many workplaces and other spaces now mandating that people get vaccinated against COVID-19. Listeners and experts share their thoughts on this.

Our awareness of death develops in stages, which can be distressing for young children and that fear of death continues to shape the way we behave in later life, but tapers off as we are closer to dying. Anxiety about death has shaped every aspect in human society, from religion to our use of social media platforms like instagram and TikTok, so how can we learn to come to terms with it in a way that is less frightening?