All The Best is for new Australian storytelling. Hear from a Melbourne-based cannibal, how the Australian Wallabies used theatre workshops to improve their game, anxiety attacks in a Tantric sex class, and what the shopping centre Santa Claus is really thinking, all on All The Best. We're a weekly radio show and podcast produced at FBi Radio in Sydney in association with SYN and Triple R in Melbourne, and broadcast nationally via the Community Radio Network. We’ve been telling stories in a v ...
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Australian perspectives on the week's neglected social aspects of life, too often ignored by economics-driven priorities. These undermine our options for good societies, not just growth. Eva Cox is a well-known sociologist and public feminist commentator with a long involvement in advocacy for more civil societies. Julie Macken has a wealth of experience as a journalist for AFR and New Matilda and has worked with a variety of non-profit organisations. Produced for community radio stations ac ...
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So, what actually goes on in Parliament House? Two journalists new to the Canberra press gallery chat about the week in politics, breaking down what happens in the nation’s Parliament for people who don’t live inside ‘the Canberra bubble’. Join Amanda Copp and Sarah Ison for a 30-minute chat as they pop the coded language to tell you what's really going on.
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In 2020, the first series of From the Embers premiered, focusing on communities across Australia who had faced fire and smoke and homes destroyed in what was one of the most difficult summers has ever seen, the 2019-20 bushfire season. In 2022, From the Embers 2: Phoenix returns to several places featured in the first series, including Mallacoota, Kangaroo Island, and the forests of the Far north of New South Wales to explore how communities are recovering from the fires and the issues that ...
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This week, we dive into the All the Best archives, we march alongside the largest lesbian football club in the world, learn about the not-so-secret lives of drag kings, and … and hear about the challenges of living with … fake gay clout? Secrets and Confessions In our first story Jared challenges our assumptions by confessing a shocking secret. Tha…
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Michael Walker explores how Australia's car-dependent suburbs are failing residents—driving up costs, limiting mobility, and eroding health. He makes the case for better public and active transport options that reconnect communities and reduce our reliance on cars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…
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We continue our celebration of June as Pride month with more live performances from Maeve Marsden's Queerstories. This week’s continued celebration of queer stories is about finding love … or realising that you just want to be loved … whether that’s through a niche television show and a whale obsession or being the only trans woman at a straight se…
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It's June! Which means that for Pride Month we are celebrating queer stories and queer storymakers! In this episode, we tackle the gender binary and explore gender identity. One of da boiiz How far did you go to fit in when you were in high school? Nico takes us all back to those awkward moments of high school when we might have faked it just to fi…
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King’s Birthday Reflections – Have We Really Progressed? - With Eva Cox
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5:00In this episode of A Five Minute Advocate, Eva Cox reflects on the significance of the King’s birthday honours — and uses the moment to ask broader questions about the state of the world. Drawing on her own experience as a Jewish refugee born before World War II, Eva examines the erosion of postwar optimism, the impact of power and technology, and …
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Sydney is full of hidden stories. Lindsey Vassallo guides us to one of those stories hidden under Hyde Park in the Sydney CBD and investigates the mystery of the Travellator. Travelator Lindsey takes a deep dive into Sydney’s most forgotten and strangest landmark, hidden right under the grounds of Hyde Park. The travelator spans almost 700ft and is…
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Courage, Cowardice, and Palestine - With Julie Macken
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5:00Julie Macken reflects on moral courage in the face of Australia’s muted response to the crisis in Gaza. Drawing on legal commentary and historical parallels, she argues that ignoring international law erodes national trust, damages our global standing, and inflicts deep moral injury. In just five minutes, she makes a compelling case for why silence…
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Welcome to a very special episode of All The Best. Today, we delve into the surreal and cinematic world of Corpse 5—a dark, sci-fi-tinged journey through sound, story, and imagination. This piece is part of The Exquisite Audio Corpse, an ambitious international collaboration between 75 audio makers from around the globe run by Audio Club, creating …
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With renewable energy surviving Australia’s election, in this episode of The Five Minute Advocate Michael Walker explores the challenges ahead—including the environmental cost of lithium mining on Indigenous land. Michael also highlights the little-known First Nations Clean Energy Strategy as a rare chance to shift power and ownership to Indigenous…
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The thing about op shops is that they're filled with stories. In this week's episode to mark National Volunteer Week, Ramon Briant joins us in the studio to share his tale of the op-shop thief, The Second Hand Bandit. The Second Hand Bandit When a local op shop becomes the target of a string of mysterious burglaries, the shop’s community is pushed …
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In this episode of the Five Minute Advocate, Eva Cox takes a sharp look at the post-election landscape: Labor’s win in the House, their lack of control in the Senate, and what that means for getting things done. With new faces in power, shifting party dynamics, and some unexpected moves, Eva unpacks the political puzzle and asks—what kind of change…
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Content Warning: This week's stories contain references to a war zone and to gambling. This week, stories that explore how we find joy in dark and challenging times. Acidic Cuts During her trip to Ukraine, Kiera searches for the harmony of the tradition, and tries to avoid the discordance of fear and air raid sirens. Written and performed by Kiera …
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In this episode of The Five Minute Advocate, Julie Macken unpacks the aftermath of the election. Labor may have won big on paper — 92 seats — but Julie asks: what does that win really mean? As the second phase kicks off, it’s no longer about votes — it’s about narrative. Julie dives into how the Albanese government is framing their victory, from pi…
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The 2025 federal election is done and dusted but the full extent of the fallout from Labor’s landslide victory still remains to be seen. Join Julie Macken and Michael Walker as they return for the final installment of ‘This Is Not A Horse Race’ to unpack what exactly transpired along the election trail, what issues were explored and ignored and ask…
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There is nothing that compares to making that decision to leave everything you know behind. To choose to make a home in a foreign place. And while you might have some pre-conceived ideas … you might even have done your research…none of it will quite compare to the experience itself. In our story this week, Michael’s journey is more than about movin…
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Maintaining hope for change - With Michael Walker
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5:00In this episode of the Five Minute Advocate Michael Walker unpacks the meaning behind Australia’s recent election results, highlighting public disillusionment and the silence on foreign policy. Drawing on the “Stockdale Paradox,” he calls for clear-eyed advocacy grounded in hope and realism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…
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This week, stories of democracy, dreams, and things happening in and out of the ballot box. Elections Elsewhere by Phoebe Adler-Ryan Have you ever wondered how elections operate in other corners around the world? In our first story, ATB takes you on a ‘election tour’ of different countries as our volunteers - from China, Vietnam, some with connecti…
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In this episode of The Five Minute Advocate, host Eva Cox explores how politics often overlooks the unpaid labor—especially by women—that sustains our communities. With the election approaching, Eva challenges us to rethink progress, focusing on care, connection, and equity over monetary measures See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…
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Calling A Spade, A Spade - With Julie Macken
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5:00This week on the Five Minute Advocate Julie Macken explores how our society has collectively normalised human rights abuses — so much so, they barely register as atrocities anymore. From Trump’s praise for El Salvador’s brutal prisons to Australia’s own offshore detention regime, she shares the harrowing story of refugee Benham Sattar and connects …
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To mark Earthday we’re playing two stories that explore how we can use disruption to effect change and save the environment around us. In our first story, Meagan takes us journey on the Murray-Baaka River that led to the Menindee fish kill in 2019. In Murky Waters Produced by Megan Williams (they/them). The supervising producer was Richard Dinnen. …
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What does heartbreak sound like to you? This week’s stories are about heartbreak… whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the loss of who you once were…or a relationship that didn’t work out. Sounds of Heartbreak In our first story, Lee explores the sounds of different kinds of heartbreak and whether they can become sounds of healing. Produced by Lee…
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In this episode of The Five Minute Advocate, Michael Walker digs into why Australia isn’t following the global trend of political polarisation. He unpacks fresh research showing that Aussies are actually becoming more tolerant of differing views—thanks in part to things like compulsory voting and a general disillusionment with party politics. Plus,…
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Can you think of a moment when things fell short of your expectations? A book or a movie you’ve been looking forward to. Maybe you’ve met one of your idols … and … wish you hadn’t. Maybe it was something bigger … maybe it’s your own country … a conflict of values around democracy and justice. In this episode, we explore the gap between a citizen an…
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In this episode of The Five Minute Advocate, Eva Cox explores how the shifting global landscape, fueled by America's current policies under Trump’s administration, could impact Australia's upcoming federal election. With the US stepping back from its role as a global leader, Eva discusses how this uncertainty could shape Australia's future and its …
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The federal election is fast approaching and it got the FMA team thinking about the way in which campaigns are often treated as if they were horse races, with the mainstream media often framing the parties as either winners or losers depending on polling and who “won” the media that day. But this is not a horse race, it’s an election with very high…
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In this episode, the artist collective Small Audio Art founded by Phoebe McIndoe invites us to contemplate the possibilities of windows… Interview with Phoebe McIndoe Are you creatively stuck, a worried novice audio-maker, or just feeling a little lonely? Don’t worry, Phoebe McIndoe feels you. Establishing Small Audio Art—a 6-month playful, low-sta…
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Navigating the Election Campaign with Julie Macken
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5:00In this episode of The Five Minute Advocate, Julie Macken discusses the federal election campaign, highlighting how international instability and disillusionment with politics shape public sentiment. She explores how political campaigns use imagery and slogans to tap into the collective imagination, urging listeners to stay grounded in reality and …
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Australia’s Climate Blindspot - With Michael Walker
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5:00Australia faces an existential threat from climate change, yet unlike a rogue asteroid, which mobilises immediate global action, the government has no transparent strategy to tackle the crisis. In this episode of The Five Minute Advocate Michael Walker highlights how despite possessing a secret climate risk assessment described as “frankly terrifyi…
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This week's stories call on us to humble ourselves before nature…and consider whether maybe …there are some things that animals know that we don’t. The Great Dingo Debate by Andrea Dixon In our first story, Andrea shares her love for Taz, a rescued dingo living on her family’s property in Hawkesbury, Darug country. As tensions rise between farmers,…
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In this episode of The Five Minute Advocate, Eva Cox challenges us to rethink what truly matters, emphasizing that civility—our ability to trust and care for one another—has been lost in political agendas focused on money and power. She calls for a return to valuing our shared humanity, reminding us that a good society is built on connection, not j…
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The experience of exploring childhood memories can vary greatly from person to person. Sometimes, this emotional excavation can be painful, bringing up unwanted memories that you might not be ready to face. But it can also be a beautiful experience, allowing you to rediscover with fresh eyes the places or people you knew ... or thought you knew ...…
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Introducing: This Is Not A Horse Race – With Julie Macken
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5:00In this episode of The Five Minute Advocate, Julie Macken introduces our upcoming extended special series that will focus on the looming federal election campaign. Entitled ‘This Is Not A Horse Race’ Julie and the team will be amplifying community voices and looking at policies over political theatrics. They’ll be asking experts: what should we loo…
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This episode features voices from the story collection Povo edited by Adam Novaldy Anderson and produced by the Sweatshop Literacy Movement. Australia is often referred to as The Lucky Country — a land of economic opportunity and vast natural resources. But how does this myth square up against the true experiences of Indigenous and culturally diver…
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This week, three stories about connection: connection to the land and the sea, connection to history, connection to the divine and to ourselves. Weaving Ancestral Voices by Shareeka Helaluddin In our first story, Shareeka reconnects to faith and identity through the voice of the singer Sheila Chandra. Growing up in an interfaith household, Shareeka…
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