GET INESCAPABLE PLUS+

A series of disturbing and deeply polarising stories shaping debate at home and abroad headline the show this week. We examine the fallout from the random stabbing in Sydney and the scrutiny of the NSW mental health system after an escaped patient was charged with murder, before turning to France where the death of a far-right activist has ignited fierce arguments about political violence and the hypocrisy of rival factions. We also cover the Taliban’s reported stance on domestic violence in Afghanistan, the jailing of Brandan Koschel over speech at an Australia Day protest and the broader battle over hate speech laws, plus the deeply contentious discussion around Canada’s assisted dying regime and why some critics warn of troubling historical parallels.

In the Plus+ extension, we dig into failures in policing, speech and social cohesion, the rise of basement broadcasters and intergenerational ideological clashes, claims of Chinese authorities intimidating citizens on Australian soil, explosive online culture wars from the UK to Melbourne, and a review of a controversial “peace map” that has stirred talking.

• Man who escaped health care facility charged with murder over Merrylands stabbing - ABC News
• NSW mental health system scrutinised | 7NEWS - YouTube
• Hunt for turbaned man after elderly woman sexually assaulted
• 'Antifa mob' beat man to death at protest against hard-left French politician, with footage showing gang attacking victims as they lie on the ground - as murder probe opened | Daily Mail Online
• Nine arrested in France over death of far-right student
• Parliamentary aide among 11 arrested over killing of French far-right activist | France | The Guardian
• Domestic violence is LEGALISED by Taliban in Afghanistan - as long as abuse doesn’t end in ‘broken bones or open wounds’
• Brandan Koschel jailed over antisemitic speech at Sydney Australia Day protest - ABC News
• Randa Abdel-Fattah to headline Sydney Writers' Festival | SBS News
• Brandan Koschel jailed for one year for Australia Day speech
• Pauline Hanson vows to rip up Australia's 'hate speech' laws
• Pauline Hanson Uncensored - Advocacy, Accountability, Australia - YouTube
• Will Canada soon be euthanizing babies? | The Spectator Australia
• Distraught family blasts Canada for euthanizing...

Get the Full Episode on Inescapable Plus+

Upon the eve of our new show Inescapable, Australia became a nation in shock. Laws were drafted with such extraordinary speed that many began questioning whether the country is becoming the world’s proving ground for a new era of speech control, or if something deeper is unfolding beneath the chaos. In this first episode, we examine how moments of crisis can rapidly reshape a nation. After a series of horrific attacks left the public shaken, sweeping speech restrictions appeared almost ready to deploy. Why was the legislation so expansive? Why did it move with such urgency? And why does Australia increasingly feel like a testing ground for policies that could ripple far beyond its borders?

We explore the tension between security and liberty and the long historical pattern of governments expanding authority in times of fear. Is this reactive governance, or something more deliberate?

At the same time, another current is rising. Australians are debating, questioning, and rediscovering long held values of free expression, mutual respect, and the promise of a fair go. In the friction between protection and freedom, a deeper national conversation is taking shape. Is this the beginning of lasting suppression, or the catalyst for a civic reawakening? Some forces may seem inescapable, but history reminds us that societies are not passive. This is only the beginning.

SHOW NOTES

• March for Australia - Wikipedia
• Anti-immigration protests: How the March for Australia rallies unfolded | SBS News
• 2025 Bondi Beach shooting - Wikipedia
• Bondi Beach shooting suspect charged with terrorism and 15 counts of murder
• Bondi Beach terror attack: Naveed Akram and dad ‘went dark’, ASIO boss claims, backing agency’s calls | The Nightly
• Australian police release documents showing Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father | PBS News
• EXCLUSIVE: AFP’s special counter-terrorism outfit quietly axed weeks before Bondi massacre | The Nightly
• Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026 – Parliament of Australia
• Exposure Draft of the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026 | Attorney-General's Department
• Albanese Government passes legislation to combat antisemitism, hate and extremism | Our ministers – Attorney-General’s portfolio
• Police arrest leader of 'Jews hate freedom' protest