Politok

Episoade

• 
  “Selling our identity”: inside the Pacific’s “golden passports” 20.10.2026 28min

  Why are Pacific nations selling citizenship, and who benefits?   In this episode of Politok, hosted by Scott Waide for Radio Australia, we explore the growing trade in "golden passports".   From Vanuatu, where passport sales have become a major revenue source, to Nauru, which hopes to fund climate resilience projects through citizenship sales, we examine who is buying, who profits, and what is at stake.
• 
  Sea cucumbers, marijuana and golden passports: New season of Politok drops 15.10.2026

  How can Pacific countries rebuild in the aftermath of devastating cyclones? In Vanuatu’s case, it was turning to the “golden passport” scheme in the wake of Cyclone Pam in 2015 – and it generated more than 35 per cent of the government’s total revenue at its height. Welcome to the new season of Politok, which pulls back the curtain and ask the big questions like: Why are governments banning the lucrative sea cucumber trade? And there’s an emerging cannabis industry in the Pacific – can it deliver on its economic promise, or will it go up in smoke? Join host Scott Waide on Radio Australia’s for another season of Politok, which goes beyond the headlines.
• 
  Billion dollar Pacific tuna industry under threat as climate change heats up ocean 13.10.2026 28min

  Tuna like Pacific waters for its temperature but as global warming heats up the ocean the valuable fish are forecasted to flee.
• 
  US President Donald Trump's second term shakes Pacific aid and climate advocates 06.10.2026 28min

  Scientists and climate activists chart a path forward after the aggressive start to US President Donald Trump's second term.
• 
  Tourism has exploded in Cook Islands so how does it balance welcoming the world and not destroying its way of life? 29.09.2026 28min

  Conservationists and tour operators are concerned that the balance between tourism dollars and the environmental impact on Cook Islands is being tested.
• 
  Fijian politician Lynda Tabuya's private video and public dismissal 22.09.2026 28min

  On Christmas Eve 2024 Lynda Tabuya found out a private video she had made for her husband was circulating on social media. She was soon dismissed from her cabinet role in Fiji's government.
• 
  Are Papua New Guinea's cyber laws helping or harming? 15.09.2026 28min

  In 2024 activist Eddie Tanago re-shared a Facebook post and soon found himself being questioned at a police station charged under the country's Cyber Crime Act. His case has people questioning whether these laws are keeping Papua New Guineans safe or if they being abused and used for intimidation? Talent: Eddie Tanago, Act Now Campaign Manager Marc Cebreros, United Nations Human Rights Advisor for PNG Belinda Kora, ABC Journalist Neville Choi, President of the Papua New Guinean Media Association Presenter: Scott Waide This edition of Politok was a repeat of the program broadcast on 10 June 2025
• 
  Why are Papua New Guineans being kept in the dark? 08.09.2026 28min

  The constant blackouts in Papua New Guinea damages business and puts hospital patients at risk.
• 
  Why is the Pacific’s medicine supply so sick? 01.09.2026 30min

  Basic medicines like paracetamol and antibiotics are hard to come by in many Pacific countries leaving doctors and patients struggling under the strain of sickness.
• 
  Politicians celebrate PNG's NRL deal — but who really benefits? 25.08.2026 28min

  Rugby league fans across Papua New Guinea were thrilled when Australia and PNG struck a historic deal for a PNG team to enter the NRL in 2028. Australia will contribute AUD$600 million to the deal but in a country where infrastructure is failing, and the health system is in crisis some question whether the money could be put to better use. Talent: Michael Marum. Governor of PNG's East New Britain province Oliver Nobetau, Lowy Institute Della Audama, PNG Rugby League Female High Performance Coordinator Presenter: Scott Waide This edition of Politok was a repeat of the program broadcast on 20th May 2025
• 
  How Pacific university students took climate change to the world’s highest court 18.08.2026 28min

  Vishal Prasad was a law student at the University of the South Pacific when he heard about a group that was planning to take the issue of climate change to the International Court of Justice.  More than five years later he tells the story of how he and his fellow students teamed up with Vanuatu’s government to call for climate justice at the ICJ. Talent: Vishal Prasad, Campaign director Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change  Arnold Loughman, Vanuatu’s Attorney General Presenter: Scott Waide This edition of Politok was a repeat of the program broadcast on 13th May 2025
• 
  Inside Papua New Guinea's secret political refugee crisis 11.08.2026 28min

  Each election cycle in PNG sparks conflicts and tribal violence leading to mass displacement of thousands of people around Papua New Guinea, but especially in the highlands. You'll hear from a journalist who borne witness to this violence, a human rights advocate walking alongside the refugees, and a police commissioner trying to negotiate peace. Talent: Rebecca Kuku, PNG Journalist Ruth Kissam, President Advancing PNG Women Leaders Joseph Tondop, Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Highlands Western End Presenter: Scott Waide This edition of Politok was a repeat of the program broadcast on the 6th of May 2025 
• 
  The day the taro stopped growing 04.08.2026 28min

  When Palau's giant swamp taro began rotting from the inside out, it sent a warning far beyond one island. In this episode ABC Radio Australia's Politok show Scott Waide follows Pacific women farmers and scientists as they uncover how climate change, saltwater intrusion and colonial food systems are putting the region's food security at risk. From taro pits to gene banks, this is a story about survival and the traditional knowledge helping the Pacific fight back.
• 
  Detention dollars: Inside Nauru's economic revival 28.07.2026 29min

  After losing it all, Nauru is rich again. But at what cost?
• 
  Cracks in the seawall: Do global development models fit the Pacific? 21.07.2026 29min

  In the pantheon of development aid in the Pacific, the World Bank is one of the most recognisable names. For decades it has channelled billions of dollars into the region funding bridges, roads, climate adaptation projects and critical services. But across its 50-year relationship with the Pacific, there have also been moments of friction. From poverty data that didn't reflect lived reality in Fiji, to seawalls in Kiribati that became symbols of something deeper, Pacific leaders have at times questioned whether global models truly fit Pacific contexts. In this episode of ABC Radio Australia's Politok, Scott Waide examines the evolving relationship between the Pacific and the World Bank exploring who defines development, who holds the power, and what happens when local realities clash with global frameworks.
• 
  The power of the church in Pacific politics 14.07.2026 30min

  When faith moves from the pulpit into parliament, what happens to democracy in the Pacific?
• 
  Equal Work, Unequal Pay: Inside PNG's Dual Wage System 07.07.2026 29min

  A colonial-era pay system still shapes who gets ahead, and who gets pushed out, in Papua New Guinea.
• 
  Papua New Guinea is racing to adopt Artificial Intelligence as concerns grow over access, jobs and data 30.06.2026 29min

  PNG's leaders are betting on AI to transform government, but can the country leapfrog into the future without leaving people behind?
• 
  World War Two shipwreck graveyards a 'ticking timebomb' for Micronesia's water 23.06.2026 28min

  Beneath the turquoise waters of Chuuk Lagoon lies a graveyard of World War Two shipwrecks, rusting hulks still packed with oil, quietly breaking down and threatening disaster for the communities above. In this episode of ABC Radio Australia's Politok show, host Scott Waide investigates how a war the Pacific never chose has become a ticking environmental time bomb, and why Pacific nations are still waiting for the world to take responsibility. Talent list: Ranger Walter, Chuuk Lagoon Marine Ranger Peter Aten, Division Chief for Commerce and Industry, Federated States of Micronesia Dr Matt Carter, Inkfish Marine Archaeologist Mohammed Zullah, Pollution Advisor, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) This edition of Politok was a repeat of the program broadcast on 3rd February 2026
• 
  Cost of COFA: Broken promises from veteran's care to nuclear justice (Part 2) 16.06.2026 28min

  As a new phase of the Compact of Free Association comes into force, the Marshall Islands' Foreign Minister is speaking out about what the deal has really delivered and what remains unfulfilled. In this episode of Politok on ABC Radio Australia, Minister Kalani Kaneko lays bare the gaps in veterans' care, the unfinished business of nuclear justice, and why Marshallese leaders say Washington's promises have too often stalled at implementation. Join presenter Scott Waide for Part 2 of Politok's look into the Cost of COFA. This edition of Politok was a repeat of the program broadcast on 27th January 2026