With Mean Streak, his new investigation of how Robodebt was allowed to create a suicidal wave of despair, Rick Morton proves once again that he has an unflinching instinct for social analysis combining journalistic rigour with an outspoken sense of justice. In our specially commissioned opening address, Rick will reflect on the painful truths he has learned while investigating and exposing brutal policies that ruin lives. But don’t expect a litany of gloom: Rick has a wicked and irreverent sense of humour, so anything is possible.

About Rick Morton

Rick Morton has been a journalist and writer for over fifteen years. His first book, One Hundred Years of Dirt, was shortlisted for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the 2019 National Biography Award, longlisted for the 2018 Walkley Book of the Year, and longlisted for both Biography of the Year and the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year at the 2019 ABIA Awards. His second book was the bestselling and critically acclaimed My Year of Living Vulnerably. He is the winner of the 2013 Kennedy Award for Young Journalist of the Year and the 2017 Kennedy Award for Outstanding Columnist. In 2019, Rick left The Australian where he worked as the social affairs writer with a particular focus on social policy and is now a senior reporter for The Saturday Paper. Rick regularly appears on television, radio and panels across both the ABC and commercial networks discussing politics, the media, writing and social policy.

Website: rickmorton.com.au

About Mean Streak

From award-winning journalist and writer Rick Morton comes Mean Streak, the gripping, utterly compelling and horrifying story of how, over the course of four and a half years, Australia’s government turned on its most vulnerable citizens.

Robodebt was the automated debt recovery system, in which close to half a million Australian welfare recipients were illegally pursued over false debts. It was described by the Royal Commission's report as a ‘massive failure of public administration’ caused by ‘venality, incompetence and cowardice’. Essentially, Australia was gaslit by its own government. They backed something that was illegal, shook down innocent people for money, then lied about it for four and a half years.

Buy Mean Streak: https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460717448/mean-streak/

ⓘ True Story Festival info + tickets

True Story Festival 2025 is on November 15-16 at Coledale Community Hall. For more info go to ⁠https://southcoastwriters.org/true-story-festival⁠

Super Early Bird Tickets for True Story Festival 2025 are available now at: ⁠https://events.humanitix.com/true-story-festival-2025⁠

Credits

Recorded by Two Heads Media

Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart

With thanks to The Illawarra Flame

The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.