The hospitality industry in Australia is worth one hundred billion dollars. It employs a million people, many of them young Australians. There’s no question it’s a big deal for our economy. But in some of the best-known venues, behind the welcoming smiles of restaurant maître d’s and the brilliance of barmen and women concocting cocktails, things are completely out of order. In fact, what’s really going on in these places is shocking and disgraceful. There are accusations of sexual harassment, assaults, rampant drug abuse and staff being ripped off by bosses. In a joint investigation by 60 MINUTES, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Eryk Bagshaw reveals damning allegations from inside the empires built by three of Australia’s highest-flying restaurateurs.
TRUTH BOMB
For far too long senior leaders in the Australian military have been derelict in their duty to adequately combat a massive problem, the existence of enemies within. Specifically, they’re the men in uniform, who for years, have perpetrated, and in many cases gotten away with sexual crimes against their female colleagues. On 60 MINUTES, current and former servicewomen say they’ve had enough of the abuse and are refusing to suffer in silence any longer. They want Australia to know the full extent of the mistreatment and misogyny they’ve been forced to endure to serve their country. This joint 60 Minutes, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald investigation, reported by Nick McKenzie, is a truth bomb for the Australian Defence Force’s top brass, and one that must prompt immediate action. Reporter: Nick McKenzie Producers: Garry McNab, Serge Negus SNEAK PEEK
HELL IN BALI
Millions of Australians love Bali. And why not? It’s a stunning place. But a thirst for sun and fun in paradise can hide a sobering truth. The reality is that safety standards in Bali are not what they are here, and when things go wrong, they go really wrong. In March a group of 11 tourists, including Australians, took a boat trip to go snorkelling. No one had any reason to fear danger, until the vessel they were on suddenly capsized. Anna Blight, a 39-year-old Melbourne woman, died and many of the others onboard were injured. On 60 MINUTES, Amelia Adams reveals graphic accounts of a tragedy that survivors say could – and should – have been avoided. In Bali, she also tracks down the boat owners and tour operators to get answers about how and why this disaster happened. Reporter: Amelia Adams Producers: Natalie Clancy, Sheree Gibson
THE UNLUCKY COUNTRY
When it comes to insuring our homes and businesses, Australia is fast becoming the unlucky country. According to the Climate Council, right now 750,000 properties are considered to be at high risk of damage or destruction from natural disasters. Another million and a half face a greater than moderate danger. The numbers are extraordinary, and extraordinarily distressing for homeowners. Many are now being refused insurance, and for those who can get cover, premiums are skyrocketing, often by tens of thousands of dollars a year. But while battling Australians face heartbreak and hardship, not so the insurance companies. On assignment for 60 MINUTES, Nine’s Christine Ahern reports how last year they collectively made more than six billion dollars in profits. Reporter: Christine Ahern Producer: Sandra Odorisio SNEAK PEEK
LIFE OF THE PARTY
After near annihilation by the ALP at the federal election in May, who would now want to be Liberal Party leader? It’s a job many say only a mug would take on. Sussan Ley however sees opportunity in failure. And as the first woman to lead the Libs, which also makes her Australia’s first female Opposition Leader, she’s probably right, because her party’s current state is so grim that up is really the only direction to go. On Tuesday, parliament resumes for the first time since the election, with Ley preparing to battle a supremely confident Anthony Albanese. But the emboldened Prime Minister needs to remember that as a migrant, a mother and grandmother, a former farmer, a punk rocker and a pilot, Sussan Ley packs an arsenal that goes well beyond gender and politics. Reporter: Tara Brown Producers: Anne Worthington, Toni Ambrogetti SNEAK PEEK
According to The Australian’s Media Diary, sound engineer Micky Breen is retiring from 60 Minutes after more than 40 years. He recorded his first-ever story for the show with late George Negus way back in 1981.
TOXIC ICON
Most people would rail against being called a misogynist. But Andrew Tate is not one of them. Not only does he embrace the label, he actively promotes his hateful views about women to millions of social media followers. Hard as it is to fathom, Tate’s business of monetising misogyny has made him rich beyond belief. This toxic icon’s success is born from the fact he has tapped into a very impressionable constituency: young men, including thousands and thousands from Australia, who have fallen under his spell. But as Nine’s Christine Ahern reports, a fightback is underway, one that prioritises the wellbeing of those so damaged by Andrew Tate and his appalling beliefs. Reporter: Christine Ahern Producer: Sammi Taylor SNEAK PEEK
JUST WRITE
As a singer, Ed Sheeran’s career statistics are extraordinary. Fourteen number one hits, billions of streams of his music, hundreds of millions of records sold, and packed-out arena concerts whenever he tours. But equally impressive is the ease with which he can write songs. For many performers, this is the hardest part of the business. Not for Ed, now 34, who in the last two decades has penned close to three and a half thousand. There’s not only more on the way, Sheeran has also announced an Australian tour to showcase his new music. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Laura Sparkes
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
At more than 130 000 hectares, Palmerville Station in Far North Queensland is a massive cattle property. In area it is larger than all of Hong Kong. It’s also, arguably, Australia’s biggest crime scene. Thirteen years ago, 48-year-old gold prospector Bruce Schuler was gunned down on Palmerville. Husband and wife station owners, Stephen Struber and Dianne Wilson, were convicted of his murder and imprisoned. But now there are growing claims of a miscarriage of justice. Supporters of the killer couple want to know how they can be guilty when the victim’s body has never been found and there is no DNA evidence linking them to the crime. As Dimity Clancey reports, on the other side of this confounding case Bruce Schuler’s distraught family are in no doubt the right people are behind bars. They’re demanding Wilson and Struber finally take responsibility for their actions, and reveal where they dumped the body of the good man they ruthlessly murdered. Reporter: Dimity Clancey Producers: Anne Worthington, Toni Ambrogetti SNEAK PEEK
THE RARE ESSENTIALS
At the very top of the world, Greenland is not only remote, it’s breathtakingly stunning. Its beauty, though, is not why it is so attractive to Donald Trump. He says the island is vital for America’s future security. But as well as being geopolitically significant, Greenland is also full of rare earth minerals. They’re considered essential ingredients for modern life, critical in the manufacture of mobile phones, computers, electric cars, and even the latest military hardware and weapons. Currently, China controls the world market for these precious materials, so to counter that, President Trump wants to buy Greenland. And if that doesn’t work, he has threatened to simply take it. Believe it or not, Trump’s bluster is actually good news for a little-known Australian mining company with the exploration rights to Greenland’s largest rare earth deposits. It’s worth billions of dollars, but as Tara Brown discovers, the locals who stand to share in the riches aren’t convinced any of this is beneficial to them. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Laura Sparkes SNEAK PEEK
Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis has lost his defamation case against Nine, the publisher of this website.
Al Muderis had sued 60 Minutes , The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age over a series of reports in September 2022 he claims ruined his reputation and set back the field of prosthetic limbs by 20 years.
Nine defended the claims as true or otherwise protected as journalism in the public interest.
This case was one of the first tests of a public interest defence for reporting.
WEIGHT AND SEE
The wonder of the new group of weight loss drugs like Ozempic is well known. Excess kilos vanish, almost overnight. It’s no surprise then that more and more people swear by them, including an increasing number of teenagers. In fact, in Australia these drugs have just become available via prescription for children as young as 12. But as Adam Hegarty reveals, while the immediate benefits seem extraordinary, what’s not known are the long-term effects of these substances on young bodies. So here’s the question. Is “waiting and seeing” an appropriate course of action if it ends up delivering bad news? Reporter: Adam Hegarty Producer: Sandra Odorisio SNEAK PEEK
THE PRESIDENT AND THE PAEDOPHILE
Like him or not, there’s no denying Donald Trump has talents. One of the greatest is his ability to endure scandal. In the last five years alone, the President has faced 91 felony counts, four criminal indictments, two impeachment trials, and in a civil case has been found liable for sexual abuse. Yet last November a majority of Americans still voted for him to lead them. Now though, for the first time in his two presidencies, there are chinks in Trump’s armour. As Amelia Adams reports, the reason is his bumpy handling of the so-called Epstein files; evidence that may or may not exist about the powerful connections of America’s most despised paedophile, the now dead billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein. Reporter: Amelia Adams Producer: Amelia Ballinger SNEAK PEEK
The CBD column in The Age and SMH said that media monitoring shows the ABC had virtually ignored the verdict of the Al Muderis defamation case, apart from a lengthy report on The Law Report on RN. The column also said the ABC repeated a 2018 episode of Anh’s Brush with Fame with the surgeon yesterday afternoon. An ABC spokeperson told CBD:
“In light of the Federal Court’s recent judgment, the ABC has taken the decision to remove the episode from ABC iview and the broadcast rotation.”
CARE AT ALL COSTS
The fact there’s big money to be made looking after little kids has broken the childcare industry. Its ethos should be to provide care at all costs, but instead, the cost of care seems to now dominate the thinking at many of the businesses that operate childcare facilities. In this 60 MINUTES investigation, Dimity Clancey reveals how the desire for profits means centres are often understaffed, which in turn is leading to the mistreatment of innocent children. In some cases, the allegations of abuse and neglect simply beggar belief. Currently there are one and a half million little Australians in the childcare system and it’s clear an enormous number deserve much better care than they’re receiving. Reporter: Dimity Clancey Producers: Anne Worthington, Toni Ambrogetti SNEAK PEEK
A WHALE OF A TIME
Ordinarily, traffic jams cause headaches. But the ones happening off Australia’s east and west coasts bring only awe. Right now, about a hundred thousand humpback whales are out there having a whale of a time. Their great migration, which seems to get bigger every year, is also an important reminder of what the world almost lost. Up until the 1960s humpbacks were hunted to the point of extinction. As few as 300 were left in our waters. How things have changed though, and as Adam Hegarty finds out, watching these magnificent creatures is guaranteed to make anyone smile. Reporter: Adam Hegarty Producer: Serge Negus
4,000,000,000,000 REASONS TO SCAM
The superannuation industry in Australia is mostly a fabulous triumph. At last count the super savings pot was overflowing with more than four trillion dollars. That’s a lot of zeroes, and guarantees prosperous retirements for millions of hard-working people. But superannuation here has also become a victim of its success. It’s now so valuable, like moths to a flame, that it is attracting the unscrupulous, who are hellbent on getting their hands on the riches. On 60 MINUTES, Adam Hegarty investigates a rogue super scheme affecting twelve thousand Australians who stand to lose not only a billion dollars plus, but also any hope for happy futures. Reporter: Adam Hegarty Producers: Sammi Taylor, Sheree Gibson SNEAK PEEK
BELIEVE IN IT, OR NOT
When it comes to artificial intelligence, it seems there’s little common ground for fans and foes. A.I. is either the greatest advance mankind has made since the industrial revolution, or a dangerous evil that’s stealing intellectual property while assigning millions of workers to unemployment queues. So what’s the truth? As Amelia Adams reports, it’s probably both. However, believe in it or not, one thing is certain. Governments have a responsibility to act now to regulate it because A.I. can’t and won’t be stopped. Reporter: Amelia Adams Producer: Nichola Younger SNEAK PEEK
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, AT 8.35PM ON CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW
BUILDING BAD
No one ever thought rebuilding the crime-riddled and corrupted CFMEU was going to be easy. In the 12 months since 60 MINUTES, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review exposed a level of rottenness in the construction union that forced the Albanese government to take action, there have been significant wins though. Some good people are working hard to clean up the mess. But despite their efforts, incidents of violence, threatening behaviour and intimidation continue to occur. And the perpetrators are not just from within the union. Continuing his award-winning Building Bad investigation, Nick McKenzie reports how building companies, which once enjoyed cosy relations with the CFMEU’s old guard, are now being implicated in allegations of serious law-breaking. Reporter: Nick McKenzie Producer: Garry McNab SNEAK PEEK
GET OUT!
For the first time in 80 years, last week the Australian government took the drastic decision to kick an ambassador out of the country. Iran’s highest-ranking diplomat here, Ahmad Sadeghi, was declared “persona non grata”. His expulsion came after an ASIO-led investigation found the Iranian regime was behind two terrifying anti-Semitic attacks on Australian soil last year. Tehran emphatically denies it was involved and on 60 MINUTES responds in an exclusive interview with Nine News’ National Affairs Editor, Andrew Probyn. Reporter: Andrew Probyn Producers: Anne Worthington, Sheree Gibson
COMMON KNOWLEDGE
Smart, fearless and super-quick with one-liners. They’re assets that have made Rosie O’Donnell incredibly successful. And funny. Millions of people around the world think she’s hilarious. But not everyone. In fact, none other than Donald Trump has become her “hater-in-chief”. He’s so irritated by the actress and comedienne that he sprays petty insults in her direction whenever he can. Rosie, in turn, gives pretty much as good as she gets, no doubt infuriating the President even more by using his nastiness as material in her one-woman show, Common Knowledge, which she’s about to bring to Australia. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producers: Serge Negus, Sheree Gibson SNEAK PEEK
