The Liberal Party is locked in a very public power struggle. The Coalition has broken apart. One Nation is on the rise.

What’s emerging isn’t just a shift in support, it’s something deeper – a realignment of the conservative side of politics, with broader ramifications that we’re only beginning to understand.

Today, political columnist and former Labor adviser Sean Kelly – on what’s breaking inside conservative politics, what it means for the government, and what comes next.

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

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram

Guest: Political columnist and former Labor adviser Sean Kelly

Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At Forrest Place in Boorloo (Perth), on what this country officially calls Australia Day, around 2,500 people gathered to mark Invasion Day. They listened to speakers, held banners and, for a few hours, took up civic space in the way protest is meant to: visibly, peacefully, together.

Then, from a balcony above, an object arced through the air and landed near the stage. Police allege it was a homemade improvised explosive device containing nails, ball bearings and chemicals, later described as a fragmentation‑style device with the potential to cause serious harm or death. It did not detonate; it landed. The crowd was evacuated. Within hours, a 31‑year‑old man was arrested and charged with offences including intent to harm and possession of explosives.

What happened next stayed with our host Daniel James – and he decided to write about it. So in this special episode, we’re bringing you his essay on the Perth pipe bomb – and the silence that followed.

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

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram

Guest: Award-winning writer and 7am host Daniel James

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colin Boyce is a Nationals MP from Central Queensland. He represents a huge swathe of land stretching from Bundaberg to Rockhampton – and as he’s travelled around his electorate, he’s been confronted by the looming threat of One Nation.

Colin is so dismayed about the split of the Coalition, he’s challenging David Littleproud for the leadership of the Nationals on Monday. He says it’s a last-ditch effort to “save the National Party from its own self-destruction”.

Today, Colin Boyce, on why he’s challenging his own leader, the inside story of the Nationals’ split from the Coalition, and how One Nation is reshaping the party’s future.

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

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram

Guest: Nationals MP Colin Boyce

Photo: AAP Image/Dominic Giannini

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.