Hack

Hack

Hack brings you the stories that matter to young people. Every weekday host Dave Marchese and the triple j Hack team cover the latest news, politics and culture from all around Australia.
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Episode's summary

Should prisoners be allowed to freeze their eggs? A 'landmark' High Court decision could soon give one Queenslander prisoner the chance after her initial application was rejected. And the NT government has announced it will make pepper spray available to 16 and 17-year-olds as it moves to permanently legalise the weapon for self-defence. We speak to both sides of the debate. Plus, it’s not often you see intergenerational competition in sport... unless you attend your local wood chopping competition, where it’s often passed down through families. Listen now: 01:10 – Prison reproductive health 07:01 – Legalising pepper spray 24:55 – Fourth-generation wood choppers Guests: Talissa Siganto, ABC Reporter Tatum Martin, advocate for the legalisation of pepper spray Jeff Rodwell, pepper spray retailer Dr Chay Brown, FDV victim survivor and advocate Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Episodes

5085-

Freezing your eggs in prison, the pepper spray debate + four generations of wood choppers

Should prisoners be allowed to freeze their eggs? A 'landmark' High Court decision could soon give one Queenslander prisoner the chance after her initial application was rejected. And the NT government has announced it will make pepper spray available to 16 and 17-year-olds as it moves to permanently legalise the weapon for self-defence. We speak to both sides of the debate. Plus, it’s not often you see intergenerational competition in sport... unless you attend your local wood chopping competition, where it’s often passed down through families. Listen now: 01:10 – Prison reproductive health 07:01 – Legalising pepper spray 24:55 – Fourth-generation wood choppers Guests: Talissa Siganto, ABC Reporter Tatum Martin, advocate for the legalisation of pepper spray Jeff Rodwell, pepper spray retailer Dr Chay Brown, FDV victim survivor and advocate Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

14 Oct 2026
5084-

Freedom of religion or discrimination? Plus, the impacts of a live-streamed execution

In Australia today, you can still lose your job for being gay, getting divorced, or getting pregnant. How? Because of exemptions for religious schools that they say are about freedom of religion, not discrimination. But a new bill has been introduced to change those exemptions. We unpack both sides of the discussion. Plus, can Australia stop an execution from being live streamed? Listen now: 01:14 – Live-streamed execution 12:02 – Sex Discrimination Act Guests: Dr Victoria Fielding, Strategic Communications at Adelaide University Michelle Pearse, CEO of the Australian Christian Lobby James, LGBTQIA+ advocate Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

13 Oct 2026
5083-

Coming home botched, WA’s ‘mega uni' + Trump’s surprise ceasefire

An estimated 15,000 Aussies head overseas for surgery each year – but some people are stepping off the plane home with botched results and infections. We hear about what changes Aussies are getting done overseas, and what's going wrong. And, three of Western Australia's biggest universities are potentially merging, but not everyone is happy about it. Plus, Trump has called an ‘energy ceasefire’ between Ukraine and Russia, which was a surprise to Ukraine’s President Zelensky. So... what exactly is an ‘energy ceasefire’? Listen now: 01:13 – University merger 12:26 – Energy ceasefire 18:40 – Medical tourism Guests: Dylan Storer, President of the Curtin University Student Guild Dr Matthew Sussex, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Dr Lily Vrtik, President of the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

12 Oct 2026
5082-

DEEP DIVE: Why politicians can't stop talking about immigration

This week the Coalition dropped it's new migration policy. It's promised to slash the number of international students coming to Australia and put a bigger focus on skilled migrants. So how does this stack up to what Labor and One Nation are proposing? And what would it mean for Australia's economy? On this week's Deep Dive, host Dave Marchese speaks to ABC Finance presenter Alan Kohler to unpack the Coalition's migration plan. Plus, Dave asks Liberal MP Andrew Hastie if his party is just copying Pauline Hanson. Guest: Alan Kohler, ABC Finance Andrew Hastie, Liberal MP, Shadow Minister for Industry and Sovereign Capability Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

10 Oct 2026
5081-

THE SHAKEUP: The cost of being single, what next for Christa Pike + AI election ads

Christa Pike is alive, talking, and reportedly ‘angry’, after surviving a botched execution. So what happens now? And, a One Nation electoral ad has gone viral this week – but not only for its content. It’s raised the question, should AI be allowed in political ads? Plus, is the ‘singles tax’ real? Apparently, it’s costing people thousands of dollars a year... Also, would you cheat... in a marathon? A fitness influencer’s been caught hitching a ride mid-race. Host, Dave Marchese, is joined by Daily Aus Editor-in-Chief , Billi FitzSimons, and comedian, Billy D’Arcy. Listen now: 04:10 – What now for Christa Pike? 12:10 – AI in election ads 19:50 – The ‘singles tax’ 26:40 – Marathon cheater Guests: Billi FitzSimons, Editor-in-Chief at the Daily Aus Billy D’Arcy, Comedian Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

09 Oct 2026