Afternoon Light

Why are we so quick to try to censor opinions with which we disagree? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, to discuss the current fight for free debate across the Anglosphere. Giving insights into his own experience of being 'cancelled', the massive legislative encroachment on free expression, and what the FSU is doing to protect...

What happens to an ex-prime minister's legacy when they repudiate the political party that would otherwise have championed it? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Margaret Simons to unpack the complexities of the career, beliefs and impact of Australia's twenty-second prime minister Malcom Fraser. A leader whose profound contribution to our nation has sadly been obscured by...

How did long have politicians been dodging criticism by appointing elaborate Royal Commissions and inquiries? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Kirsten McKenzie to explore how the famous Bigge Report denouncing Lachlan Macquarie's liberal treatment of convicts fit into a broader attempt to regulate and rationalise the kaleidoscopic British Empire, as it had emerged from th...

How did Book Week grow to become an Australian institution, inspiring children & stressing parents nation-wide? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with children's authors Jackie French & Kate O'Donnell to mark 80 years of Book Week. Exploring the annual celebration's wartime origins, the hope its founders had for promoting understanding and world peace, the role of the C...

Why is the Melbourne University Liberal Club (MULC) older than the Liberal Party of Australia, & what grand tales and battle scars has it developed carrying the liberal banner on a hostile campus for over a century? On a special bonus episode of the Afternoon Light podcast Georgina Downer speaks with MULC President Kai Bowie to mark 100 years since the club's formation. A very timely discussio...

How can Australians know who we are and where we're going, without skilled historians who can map how we even got here in the first place? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Alex McDermott to discuss the profound career and contribution of Australian historian John Hirst. An inquiring mind, who asked unorthodox questions and succeeded in explaining many of the paradoxes of...

Who is going to celebrate a prime minister who got kicked out of multiple political parties? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Hugh Rogers to explore the complex career and legacy of Billy Hughes. The man who ensured that Australia had its own 'seat at the table' in international relations & won the acclaim of foreign media, but who is now most often remembered for the...

On 16 September 1975 Papua New Guinea gained its independence, but how well did Australia prepare its former territory for that day? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Nicholas Ferns to unpack the ideology and policies known as 'developmentalism' - Australia's concerted attempt to help its neighbours achieve the same level of economic prosperity & political stability en...

Should India be considered a democratic success story? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Salvatore Babones to explore the remarkable rise of democracy in India, and why it has recently become the subject of much international criticism. A story which reveals the importance of culture in maintaining democratic institutions, and how cultural differences therefore shape the d...

If more than a third of voters are opting for Independents and minor parties, does Australia even have a two party system anymore? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Charles Richardson and Zachary Gorman to discuss a new Robert Menzies Institute policy paper on  The Future of Australia's Two Party System: Function, Flaws and Fixes . A wide ranging conversation exploring how...

Who led Australia through the roaring 20s & was he responsible when they came to a crashing halt? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with David Lee about Australia's 8th Prime Minister Stanley Melbourne Bruce. A decorated Gallipoli veteran, architect of the Federal Coalition, and notable international diplomat, whose complexities have been obscured behind the caricature of a...

When did the widespread property ownership evoked in 'The Forgotten People' first become a cornerstone of the Australian liberal project? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with William Coleman to revive the name of one of Australia's most dominant and influential political figures, John Robertson. A fierce democrat, patriot and liberal, whose impact spread far beyond the 'Mothe...

How did Magna Carta help lead to the birth of Australian democracy? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Zachary Gorman to mark 800 years since King Henry III gave his consent to the most famous document in political and legal history. Rescuing Magna Carta from potential obscurity after the 1215 version had been annulled by the Pope on the grounds that it had been signed unde...

How different would Britain have looked if the Conservative Party won the 1945 election? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Kit Kowol to discuss the grand and unrealised Conservative vision for the post-war world. A fascinating tale of utopianism, factionalism, and historical what-ifs, that serve to highlight how Menzies's vision of Australian liberalism was quite distinct...

How did a play help to transform child custody laws? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Wendy Michaels OAM to tell the story of conservative feminist trailblazer Millicent Preston Stanley MP. A tireless campaigner for both Australian liberalism and women's rights, who weaved a remarkable career as an activist, parliamentarian, journalist, performer and even playwright. Dr W...

Why does the term 'liberal' mean such vastly different things in Australia and America? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Greg Melleuish to discuss the evolution of political terms. With phrases like 'progress' and 'social justice' meaning vastly different things to different people, and leaving us susceptible to imposing our modern values in misinterpreting texts from the...

Why do people think that Australian history is boring & what can we do to change that? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with David Hunt, author of the award-winning Girt series, to reveal some of the funnier facts of Australian history and explore how we can get more people to engage with it. David Hunt is a bestselling author, historian, satirist, television presenter, po...

Why would Australians enlist to fight in a civil war on the far side of the world? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Michael Samaras to tell the story of Jim McNeill and his personal crusade against fascism. A fight that led him to defy the Australian government, stowing away on a ship to reach the bloody battlefields of the Spanish Civil War. Michael Samaras is a Sydney-b...

What kind of country doesn't remember the name of its first prime minister? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Professor David Headon AM to reveal the fascinating story of Sir Edmund Barton. The cricket-mad 'tosspot' who found the vision and drive to spearhead Australia's federation movement. Dr David Headon is a cultural consultant and historian. Formerly Director of the C...

How can Australia see off the threats posed by an increasingly unstable world? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Sir Peter Cosgrove for a wide-ranging interview covering his own personal experience in the ADF, reflections on Australia's Vietnam War commitment, and a call to action on the pressing need to invest in our military preparedness. Born into an Army family, Sir Pe...

How can a monument encapsulate the loss of 60,000 young men? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Katti Williams to explore the design process that produced Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. Undoubtedly one of Australia's most iconic monuments and a haunting tribute to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of our nation. Katti Williams is a Postdoctoral Resea...

Why did a critic of the Boer War double down on Australia's commitment to its bloody successor? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with David Day to discuss one of our most important but forgotten nation builders, Andrew Fisher. Who rose from the coal mines of Scotland to become Australia's fifth prime minister. But whose legacy is inextricably linked to the Australian lives los...

How did Menzies's Liberal Party end up with the lowest primary vote in its 80-year history? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with John Roskam and Zachary Gorman to dissect the recent election, apply some historical context to the results, and ask 'where to now?' for Australian liberalism. John Roskam is a columnist for The Australian Financial Review and Senior Fellow at the I...

How did Robert Menzies sell his message as Opposition Leader? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Bob Crawshaw about how Chifley and Menzies's epic clash over bank nationalisation reshaped Australia's political communications landscape. As innovative marketing techniques first defeated the policy then helped to sweep the Liberals into power in 1949. Bob Crawshaw began his ca...

How did one group of soldiers manage to endure practically the full breadth of Australia's experience in World War Two? On this week's Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Mark Johnston to tell the story of Don Company. An Australian 'band of brothers' who fought with distinction in Tobruk, El Alamein and New Guinea. Dr Mark Johnston has established himself as one of the foremost authoritie...