Life Matters - Full Program Podcast

With more interest rate rises expected, what impact does that have on people who rely on their savings? Life Matters brings you an archival interview from 2003 with author Augusten Burroughs after the release of his controversial memoir, Running with Scissors, and bow legs, pigeon toes and flat feet. Are they a threat to your long term health and mobility?

Some job seekers are experiencing frustration when applying for positions via automated screening processes. Plus why men's friendships can fall by the wayside when they are in a romantic relationship. And today is Life Matters' official 30th Birthday! We hear an interview with Stephanie Dowrick from the 2000 and reflections from former presenter Natasha Mitchell.

Could innovative Scandinavian housing solutions work in Australia? Former Colombian senator Ingrid Betancort on being held captive by terrorists. And, a growing cohort of experts say we need to re-think the posture narrative.

Australian households have seen significant societal change since Life Matters first began in 1992. From roles within families, to work and relationships, and big shifts in housing, we look at the trends that have shaped the lives of Australians over the last 30 years.

Rural health practitioners argue that staff shortages have reached such a crisis point that patients’ lives are being put at risk. How did things get so bad, and what, if anything, can be done to fix a broken regional health system? From the Life Matters archives, a 2004 interview with Shirley MacLaine, and an apparent snub from a neighbour in this week’s Too Hard Basket.

It's 26 years to the day since the Port Arthur Massacre. So where is gun control in 2022? From our 30th birthday archives, the late Tasmanian poet Margaret Scott reflects on the impact of the tragedy, and two brothers share the joy and love that comes with food passed over the fence by their neighbour in the wake of loss.

Is Twitter really the best place for global public debate, or could we design a better way to discuss important issues and build community? Plus tips to manage your debt levels as the cost of living increases, and for Life Matters 30th birthday celebrations, an interview with Jess Thom, who manages her Tourette Syndrome by using humour.

We’re in the middle of an election campaign right now, but how engaged are we in the political process? Some figures suggest Australians are increasingly disengaged from politics. And Richard Aedy shares his memories of hosting Life Matters for six years.

Gary McKay MC reflects on the physical and emotional scars left by war and why we should do more to support veterans and serving members of the defence forces. Plus for Life Matters 30th birthday, we revisit an interview about redemption. And former Life Matters book reviewer Jon Appleton on pen friends.

Author Susan Cain explains why it’s important to feel sadness, melancholy and heartache in a world of ‘toxic positivity’. From the Life Matters archives, the late John Hinde, beloved film critic, chats to Geraldine Doogue in 2002. And in The Too Hard Basket, what to do when you feel excluded by your partner’s family.

How intertwined is men's body hair and how they're perceived as public and private figures? We examine the ability of our education systems to play to the strengths of individual students, and whether anything has changed between 2009 and 2022.

What are the pros and cons of casting your vote for a micro-party at the next election? Plus a Life Matters interview from 2013 about open relationships, and some tips on preparing meals in advance.

Not long ago, COVID daily case numbers in double figures were a cause for alarm, but these days cases are in the thousands. So, how are we all feeling about this new experience of life with COVID, and what might lie ahead, as winter approaches?

Indira Naidoo on losing her sister, and how time spent in nature helped her through the grief process. Plus journalist Gina Rushton spent nine months reconsidering her earlier decision not to have children, after a medical emergency threatened her own fertility.

The power and sheer entertainment that comes from setting creative tasks for older Australians. Plus in our 30th Birthday archival interview former host, Natasha Mitchell talks to then 23-year-old actor and disability advocate R.J. Mitte about his role in Breaking Bad and beyond.

What are the long term housing solutions for flood affected communities in NSW and Qld? We dig into the archives for a famously prickly conversation with Angie Bowie, and for 23 years, Sally Warriner worked on a huge cattle station in the Northern Territory. Her title for this role? "Wife of the general manager."

Reports of students taking toilet breaks to vape and even using them in classrooms are alarming. We find out how to tackle addictive vaping behaviour in young people. Plus interviews, then and now with refugees from Afghanistan who attended Holroyd High School in 2005, and their former principal, Dorothy Hoddinott AO.

With the cost of living going up and people worrying about making their mortgage repayments in the coming years, what strategies could help you cope? And, how might the 'Great Dunny Hunt' help those with incontinence move about the world?

With a federal election called for May 21, voters now face a six-week campaign of party pledges, pitches, and polls. But what issues matter the most?

Peak medical groups argue that the country’s primary health care system is in crisis. And the consequences could be catastrophic for patients. From the Life Matters archives, a 2007 interview with lead singer from the Models, James Freud, a few years ahead of his untimely death. And the Too Hard Basket considers what to do when someone crashes your community choir.