Keep the Bastards Honest

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We are thrilled to welcome Martin Bella of the Sensible Centre and The Gherk of Snarky Gherkin fame to Keep the Bastards Honest! Show Notes: Want more of Martin Bella ? Like and subscribe to him on Facebook and Instagram . Want more of The Gherk ? Like and subscribe to him on Facebook , Instagram and Substack . Want to know more about the Australian Democrats? See what we value, what we stand for,...

Join National Vice President Elana Mitchell and Victorian Vice President Heath McKenzie as we whip off the dust covers on the podcast and crank up the commentary engine once more. On this episode we cover all things Victoria in the lead up to the Victorian state election and the Democrats' fight to be registered so we can contest it. Show Notes: Support the team in Victoria Not from Victoria? Supp...

At this point in the year, just past the solstice – a turning point recognised across cultures – we are reminded that light does endure, and that seasons do change. It is a time for reflection: on who we are, what we stand for, and the kind of country we continue to believe Australia can be and will be. In the spirit that has guided the Australian Democrats since 1977, may we meet difference with...

At this point in the year, just past the solstice – a turning point recognised across cultures – we are reminded that light does endure, and that seasons do change. It is a time for reflection: on who we are, what we stand for, and the kind of country we continue to believe Australia can be and will be. In the spirit that has guided the Australian Democrats since 1977, may we meet difference with...

Well… no one was expecting that result, not even the Labor Party. Join Elana, Steve and a rehabilitated former Liberal as they consider the immediate aftermath of the election, while they wait for the very complicated count to be completed and the results finalised. Show Notes That final YouGov MRP that every sensible election watcher guffawed at and immediately dismissed as wildly overstated, but...

Well… no one was expecting that result, not even the Labor Party. Join Elana, Steve and a rehabilitated former Liberal as they consider the immediate aftermath of the election, while they wait for the very complicated count to be completed and the results finalised. Show Notes That final YouGov MRP that every sensible election watcher guffawed at and immediately dismissed as wildly overstated, but...

Education is possibly the third pillar of the cost of living crisis, in that it impacts young people and their families at almost every stage of life before the age of 30.  Elana going to take you through the suite of policies we’ve developed for each stage of education, and then, because she's nothing if not a completionist, she's going to add art, science, and civics to the curriculum. Show note...

Education is possibly the third pillar of the cost of living crisis, in that it impacts young people and their families at almost every stage of life before the age of 30.  Elana going to take you through the suite of policies we’ve developed for each stage of education, and then, because she's nothing if not a completionist, she's going to add art, science, and civics to the curriculum. Show note...

Picking up from our last episode, Elana will take you through what is essentially the other half of the cost of living crisis - health, and access to healthcare.  The growing inequality in Australia is exacerbated by the increasingly difficult access to quality healthcare that the electorate is experiencing.  Poor physical, mental and dental health has profound impacts on people’s economic securit...

Picking up from our last episode, Elana will take you through what is essentially the other half of the cost of living crisis - health, and access to healthcare.  The growing inequality in Australia is exacerbated by the increasingly difficult access to quality healthcare that the electorate is experiencing.  Poor physical, mental and dental health has profound impacts on people’s economic securit...

The first in a series of episodes where Elana takes listeners through the logical groupings of 30+ Australian Democrats policy platforms. This episode covers the cost of living crisis – cost of living and a fair economy, income support, and housing security. Credit to the redoubtable  @gomichild  on X for the episode quote. Show notes Our policy platforms on the  cost of living and a fair economy...

The first in a series of episodes where Elana takes listeners through the logical groupings of 30+ Australian Democrats policy platforms. This episode covers the cost of living crisis – cost of living and a fair economy, income support, and housing security. Credit to the redoubtable  @gomichild  on X for the episode quote. Show notes Our policy platforms on the  cost of living and a fair economy...

Elana is back, and is joined by co-host Steve Baty and Victorian Senate candidate Heath McKenzie to review the 2025 budget, in the wake of the 2025 federal election finally being called. Thanks to the election rendering the budget yesterday's news, there's a fair bit of reviewing the budget through an election lens, which is unavoidable with one previous and two current candidates having the discu...

Elana is back, and is joined by co-host Steve Baty and Victorian Senate candidate Heath McKenzie to review the 2025 budget, in the wake of the 2025 federal election finally being called. Thanks to the election rendering the budget yesterday's news, there's a fair bit of reviewing the budget through an election lens, which is unavoidable with one previous and two current candidates having the discu...

After an accidental hiatus, Elana is back to discuss her very excellent, totally accurate, very good prediction about the US election. Oh wait, we’re getting an update… Show notes: The very disappointing fact check about the Danish Government’s response to Donald Trump’s offer to buy Greenland The current iteration of our defence platform , which thanks to current events is now in need of an updat...

After an accidental hiatus, Elana is back to discuss her very excellent, totally accurate, very good prediction about the US election. Oh wait, we’re getting an update… Show notes: The very disappointing fact check about the Danish Government’s response to Donald Trump’s offer to buy Greenland The current iteration of our defence platform , which thanks to current events is now in need of an updat...

Wishing all of our listeners are safe and happy holiday season, and a merry Christmas for those who celebrate. Show Notes The Australian Democrats’ submission to the Senate inquiry into the Online Safety bill, which was referenced in the inquiry’s final report.

Wishing all of our listeners are safe and happy holiday season, and a merry Christmas for those who celebrate. Show Notes The Australian Democrats’ submission to the Senate inquiry into the Online Safety bill, which was referenced in the inquiry’s final report.

Elana conducts a wellness check on the United States. At the time of publishing this episode the US election is a week away, and to say that it’s one of the most consequential elections the world has ever seen is something of an understatement. Rather than trying to understand US politics through the lenses of either the US or Australian media, Elana asks an average American voter living in Trump...

Elana conducts a wellness check on the United States. At the time of publishing this episode the US election is a week away, and to say that it’s one of the most consequential elections the world has ever seen is something of an understatement. Rather than trying to understand US politics through the lenses of either the US or Australian media, Elana asks an average American voter living in Trump...

The Prime Ministerial captain’s call on the 2026 census and the multiple excuses and backlfips required to ensure that the government ended up in almost the same position as they were in prior to Anthony Albanese’s intervention. You couldn’t make this up. Show Notes: The Daily Aus podcast on the Census backlash and backflip Sign the Equality Australia Count Us In petition to ensure everyone is rep...

The Prime Ministerial captain’s call on the 2026 census and the multiple excuses and backlfips required to ensure that the government ended up in almost the same position as they were in prior to Anthony Albanese’s intervention. You couldn’t make this up. Show Notes: The Daily Aus podcast on the Census backlash and backflip Sign the Equality Australia Count Us In petition to ensure everyone is rep...

In June Peter Dutton finally unveiled the Coalition’s widely spruiked and much anticipated policy on nuclear energy for Australia. But is it a feasible solution to Australia’s energy woes, or is it just a climate change denying fantasy? Steve and Elana review the Coalition’s plans against the current state of the energy transition, and the regulatory, technical, commercial and political hurdles th...

In June Peter Dutton finally unveiled the Coalition’s widely spruiked and much anticipated policy on nuclear energy for Australia. But is it a feasible solution to Australia’s energy woes, or is it just a climate change denying fantasy? Steve and Elana review the Coalition’s plans against the current state of the energy transition, and the regulatory, technical, commercial and political hurdles th...