Headlines focused on Kevin Rudd’s awkward exchange with Donald Trump —but they missed the story. Behind the laughs and one-liners, Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Trump avoided the key issues Australia actually faces with the US: Palestine, climate, AUKUS and the influence of American government and corporations over Australian resources. When a reporter pressed the President on those topics, the moment quickly turned from diplomacy to deflection a reminder that personality politics often drown out substance. So while the media replayed Rudd’s clip, here’s what really happened in the room. Watch the full report on The West Report, part of Michael West Media’s ongoing coverage of politics, diplomacy, and the power plays shaping public life. 📺 Full coverage: michaelwest.com.au 💬 Support independent journalism: patreon.com/thewestreport 👕 Merch: https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Albanese government promised to protect Australian storytelling but instead Netflix and the Hollywood streamers have walked all over them. Four years, three elections and still no local content quotas. Meanwhile the streaming giants are making billions from Australian subscribers, using the taxpayer funded NBN and paying zero tax. In this episode Michael breaks down how Labor got hustled by Netflix’s lobbyists, why our film and TV industry is collapsing and what it means for Australian culture. Watch the full report and join the discussion below. Should streamers be forced to invest in Australian stories? https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

First they came for the journalists, then the academics, now the doctors. In this episode of The West Report, we break down Australia’s part in the global whitewashing of Israel’s war crimes. As Gaza lies in ruins, the Israel lobby turns to the courts to silence dissent journalists like Mary Kostakidis, academics John Keane and Nick Riemer, even cardiologist Peter McDonald are being dragged through legal battles for daring to criticise Israel. Michael West exposes how these cases weaponise Australia’s legal system to muzzle debate, relitigate October 7, and label criticism of a foreign government as hate speech. We also look at how big tech and billionaires are helping to control the narrative — from TikTok’s forced sale to Zionist-linked investors to paid propaganda campaigns on social media. This isn’t about peace, it’s about control. The great whitewashing is underway. 📖 Read the full stories on our website: Antisemitism? St Vincent’s heartless treatment of cardiologist who asked a question https://michaelwest.com.au/antisemitism-st-vincents-heartless-treatment-of-cardiologist-who-asked-a-question/ Zionist doctors pursue Israel dissenters https://michaelwest.com.au/zionist-doctors-pursue-israel-dissenters/ 🌐 Website: michaelwest.com.au 👕 Merch: michaelwest.com.au/shop ❤️ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/thewestreport Support Us here https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Hackers just leaked millions of Qantas customers’ personal data onto the dark web but the real story isn’t just the hack. It’s how the same weak privacy laws that failed to protect Qantas now underpin the government’s new Digital ID system and upcoming under-16 social media ban. This episode of The West Report dives into what Australia’s Digital ID really is, how it works, and why concentrating identity verification in one system could be risky for both privacy and freedom. We also look at Big Tech’s role in all this from Google’s data-harvesting empire to governments outsourcing responsibility for online safety to the same companies profiting from our personal information. If Qantas, Optus, and Medibank can’t keep your data safe, why should we trust the government or tech giants to do any better? 👉 Watch the full story and support independent journalism at michaelwest.com.au 💡 Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/thewestreport 👕 Merch: lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west 🕶 Sponsored by: Island Optical https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Scam of the Week: from the sports field to the Senate floor, the lobbyists are winning. Independent Senator David Pocock gets booted from the Parliamentary Sports Club after calling out gambling sponsors. Labor’s Don Farrell gives a jaw-dropping answer on genocide and the IDF. Deloitte bills taxpayers nearly half a million for a report with made-up quotes. And whistleblower David McBride’s High Court appeal? Denied. Meanwhile, Rex Patrick exposes the government spending $600,000 to hide the Snowy Hydro cost blowout, while the Department of Parliamentary Services refuses to answer questions on notice. Welcome to Lobbyland where transparency goes to die and incompetence is bipartisan. 👓 Supported by Island Optical — Silver Sponsor 👕 Grab your merch at Lonely Kids Club https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west ✉️ Full stories and investigations: https://michaelwest.com.au 💡 Support independent journalism: https://patreon.com/thewestreport 00:22 — David Pocock vs Lobbyland 03:28 — Inside The Senate 04:30 — Don Farrell’s Gaza Gaffe 07:02 - Labor on the Economy 08:47 — Deloitte’s Fake Report 09:30 — David McBride Appeal Rejected 12:58 — More Senate Shenanigans Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Every year, the Australian Tax Office drops a spreadsheet that tells a story — and it’s not a pretty one. Billions in mining profits, but barely a cent in tax. Behind the numbers are billionaires, loopholes, and the few rare companies that actually pay their fair share. In this episode, The West Report teams up with Punters Politics to dig through the ATO’s latest corporate transparency report revealing who’s paying up, and who’s taking Australia for a ride. This is the story of wealth, power, and how Australia’s richest quietly bend the system in their favour. @punterspolitics 🔗 Read more at michaelwest.com.au 👉 Support our work: patreon.com/thewestreport 👕 Merch: lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Australia’s housing market isn’t a ladder, it’s a Ponzi scheme. And the government’s latest “first home buyer” plan? Just another injection straight into the property lobby’s veins. Michael breaks down how the new scheme will once again drive prices higher, feeding developers, investors, and politicians with five investment properties while renters queue for apartments in Bondi. We look at the real fixes: end negative gearing perks, scrap CGT relief, tax Airbnb rorts, and slap a Singapore-style stamp duty on foreign buyers. Everyone knows how to fix it, no one’s got the guts to do it. 💡 Support evidence-based journalism: https://patreon.com/thewestreport 👕 Grab official merch: https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west 👓 Proudly supported by our Silver Sponsor, Island Optical 📰 Read more at michaelwest.com.au https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Last year the tax contribution by Australian mining companies dropped. It was the only segment to tip in less tax. Every year the ATO drops the numbers on Australia’s biggest companies. Billions flowing in, billions vanishing offshore, and too often, zero tax paid. From mining giants and tech titans, to insurers and Rupert Murdoch’s empire, we break down who’s lifting and who’s leaning. The truth is simple: if they don’t pay, you do. We go through the zeros and heroes of our tax system and find out extensively who pays what Watch as we name names, expose the shenanigans, and ask the obvious question how long are Australians going to foot the bill for corporate greed? ✹ Newscorpse Shirt: https://michaelwest.com.au/michael-west-media-merchandise/ ✹ Visit our Website: https://michaelwest.com.au ✹ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewestreport https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Scams don’t take a holiday and this week has been overflowing with them. First, Anthony Albanese heads to the UN, and Murdoch’s media machine has a meltdown. If he skips Trump, it’s “disgraceful.” If he takes a photo with Trump, it’s “humiliating.” Damned if you do, damned if you don’t all while Rupert keeps pulling the strings. Meanwhile, Susan Ley is busy bootlicking foreign powers, writing apologies to US Congress for Australia recognising Palestine, while her own party tears itself apart at CPAC with Matt Canavan, Jacinta Price, and Tony Abbott sharing the stage with Liz Truss and Rowan Dean. Comedy or politics? Hard to tell. Over in the UK, Keir Starmer pushes a mandatory digital ID for anyone to work by 2029, sparking fierce backlash over civil liberties. And in the US, Trump’s chaos only deepens: honoring war criminals at Wounded Knee, joking with Erdogan about rigged elections, and claiming Tylenol in pregnancy causes autism a claim his allies’ supplement companies stand to profit from. But it doesn’t stop there. Trump has now slapped a 100% tariff on Australian pharmaceuticals, directly targeting our PBS system to please American drug giants. That means higher costs for taxpayers, less stability in our health system, and more profits for his billionaire backers. And through it all, the Liberal Party is auditioning Andrew Hastie as their next leader. With Jacinta Price, Angus Taylor, and Matt Canavan lining up behind him, he’s selling nostalgia about “bringing back Aussie manufacturing” while ignoring the fact his own party killed it in the first place. Add in his contradictions on net zero, and Hastie’s pitch looks less like policy, more like theatre. This week’s Scam of the Week award goes to Andrew Hastie the Liberals’ would-be Trump, wrapped in Murdoch’s headlines and serving up old ideas as if they’re new. 👉 Support independent journalism: https://patreon.com/thewestreport 👉 Read more at: https://michaelwest.com.au/ Merch: https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west/ 00:00 Intro 00:49 Murdoch Madness 02:13 Sussan Ley 03:00 CPAC 04:46 Andrew Hastie 08:45 UK digital ID 09:37 US Quickfire Round 11:22 Trump Tariffs 12:53 Scam of the Week Winner Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

David McBride: The Whistleblower in Prison for Telling the Truth. MWM reporter Stephanie Tran interviewed David in prison ahead of his High Court appeal. Former Australian Army lawyer David McBride is serving a five-year prison sentence for leaking classified documents that exposed alleged war crimes committed by Australian troops in Afghanistan. While those implicated in killings walk free, McBride the whistleblower sits behind bars. We hear directly from McBride inside prison. He explains why he took the risk, why he believes his case will shape Australian law, and how it connects to the Nuremberg principle: the idea that “just following orders” is never an excuse for covering up crimes. McBride’s appeal to the High Court could have international repercussions, raising the question: do we have a duty to do what is right, even when it means breaking the law? Watch the full interview and join us as we unpack the shocking irony of a system that jails whistleblowers but lets war criminals off the hook. 👉 Support independent journalism: https://patreon.com/thewestreport 👉 Read more: https://michaelwest.com.au Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.