In the aftermath of the 1996 massacre at Port Arthur, Prime Minister John Howard donned a bullet proof vest and argued the case for gun control, to crowds of angry protestors.

His reforms, including a ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, and a national buyback scheme, changed the country by getting rid of more than half a million guns.

But in the years since, the number of guns in Australia has skyrocketed, and as Anthony Albanese tries to change that, the Coalition is fighting back, while the Greens have signalled early support.

Today, deputy director at The Australia Institute Ebony Bennett on why Australia has more guns than ever – and whether Labor’s proposed plan will make us safer.

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Guest: Deputy director at The Australia Institute Ebony Bennett

Photo: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

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Rex Patrick is a former senator from South Australia. Before that, he was a submariner in the Navy.

Last year, he noticed a reference to a new arm of the Australian Federal Police called the AUKUS Command.

He wanted to know more, so he lodged Freedom of Information requests with the Australian Submarine Agency and the Australian Federal Police.

The documents he got back were heavily redacted – but he was able to form a picture of a secretive new command set up to protect AUKUS submarines.

But hidden in the fine print were plans to surveil protest, manage dissent, and deploy force against it.

Today, Rex Patrick on the Australian Federal Police, their new powers to protect America’s interests in Australia, and what it means for the future of protest.

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Guest: Former submariner and former senator for South Australia, Rex Patrick

Photo: AAP Image/Pool, Colin Murty

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The fallout from this year’s Adelaide Writers’ Week debacle has reignited fierce debate about political interference in the arts and about who gets to speak in Australia’s cultural spaces.

After the invitation to Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah was withdrawn, 180 writers pulled out in protest.

The festival was eventually cancelled and Adelaide Festival has since apologised for excluding the author from Writers’ Week, admitting it had failed to uphold artistic freedom. The whole saga raises urgent questions about how decisions are being made – by governments, by boards, and by those in charge of our institutions.

Today, we’re bringing you a story from last year that exposed one of the initial fault lines in cultural administration.

It’s about artist Khaled Sabsabi, who was dropped from representing Australia at the Venice Biennale after political pressure. Then, as the backlash intensified, Sabsabi was reinstated.

It’s an episode that feels more relevant than ever. It features chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow, speaking with Ruby Jones.

This episode originally aired in February last year.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow

Photo: Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino in Granville. Photo: Anna Kucera

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