Auspol Explained

What is the role of a minister? A minister has a lot of responsibilities, both as an elected representative but also as part of the executive government their role involves managing government departments, formulating government policy, working alongside and taking on board the advice of the public sector, and introducing government legislation. I sat down with Linda Reynolds, Liberal Senator for...

What training do new MPs get? The standing orders of the chambers can be a complex set of rules to follow, and getting your head around the technical details of a bill may seem intimidating to those who've never had to do it - so what kind of job support and training is there for a Member of Parliament so they can do their job? I sat down with Stephen Bates, Member for Brisbane and Greens MP,...

Here's a guide on how to vote in Tasmanian state elections! There's been a slight change since the last election in 2021 so here's a handy explainer of that, along with the unique ways Tasmania is different to other states. For the official source of information on voting go to: https://www.tec.tas.gov.au/ Hare-Clark equation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare%E2%80%93Clark_electoral_...

I sat down with the ACT's first Gen-Z Member of Parliament and one of the youngest MPs across Australia to ask her why young people in politics is important and how young people can be more confident expressing their voice when it comes to issues that affect them. At 24, she's also the 2nd youngest member of the ACT Legislative Assembly in its history. So what words of encouragement does s...

Does AI understand Australian politics? Is ChatGPT a reliable source of information? Well, I asked it to explain elections, the Senate, and the House of Representatives and I was initially impressed by what it got right - followed by mortified by just how incredibly blatantly wrong it could be. So, enjoy! Come learn a thing or two about how parliament works and also the pitfalls of AI generated in...

January 1st, 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was created - but who was going to be the first Prime Minister? The choice seemed obvious to everyone except the person actually making it. This is the story of the Hopetoun Blunder, a political controversy where the first Governor-General of Australia wasn't sure what he was doing and caused the nation a load of confusion and one unlucky politi...

Hon Wilson Tucker made history in 2021 by winning a seat in the WA state election with only 98 primary votes for the Daylight Savings Party. 1) How does that work? 2) How does it feel being an unexpected entry to the historic composition of a parliament? 3) Why make a single issue political party? Let's find out! I sat down with the Hon Wilson Tucker to discuss what it felt like to have to mak...

To vote in a referendum you clearly mark your ballot with YES or NO. But why not something else like a tick or a cross? Well, it isn't actually as clear as you think and so an incorrectly filled out ballot can't legally be counted if that intention is ambiguous or unclear. For official information about how voting works in referendums and to make sure your details are up to date please vis...

The official Yes and No pamphlet for a referendum is there to let the public know the arguments for and against a proposed change to the constitution - but where did it come from? And is the referendum pamphlet useful? Well, let's explore its history and why it is the way it is. This episode is of course about the general concept of the referendum pamphlet that has over a century of history an...

To change the constitution in Australia you need a referendum - but how do you vote in a referendum? It's actually incredibly simple! Here's a basic guide as well as a few extra bits of information that's handy to know. For up to date information about voting/referendums go to the Australian Electoral Commission website: www.aec.gov.au Support the channel on patreon here: https://www.p...

In the early years of the Senate there was a loophole only certain people could exploit to get more votes. Four men teamed up together to see if this worked for them. Get tickets to Extraordinary Auspol here: https://blueroom.org.au/events/extraordinary-auspol/ Support the channel on patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/AuspolExplained Like Auspol Explained on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A...

Get tickets here! https://blueroom.org.au/events/extraordinary-auspol/ Support the channel on patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/AuspolExplained Like Auspol Explained on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Auspol-Explained-107892180702388 Auspol Explained would like to acknowledge the Whadjuk Nyoongar people and their Elders as the owners and custodians of the Land that the episode was recorded...

Today's claim: the Voice will abolish private land ownership and revert it all to native title if the Voice referendum succeeds. This is, of course, simply not true. This is actually a bit of misinformation that predates the Voice by a couple of decades and is just being rehashed to stir up the same old unfounded fear for a fresh new audience that doesn't have the historical context. Don&#...

There's the claim that the Voice's approval will be required to pass any bill, or that even Parliament would need to consult the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice ahead of time before it could pass anything. In this episode I'll explain why that doesn't work either constitutionally or practically, and why the Voice won't even read or examine every single bill let alon...

Claims that the Voice will be so powerful that it'll even be able to stop a future referendum bill from passing, thus ensuring it can never be abolished, are going around the internet - but is there any truth to that? The short answer, of course, is no. The long answer is no - but I explain why it's no so you understand it and can hopefully also explain it to someone who is being misled by...

A common claim is that the Voice to Parliament will have veto power - but does that have any basis in reality? What argument is there to be had over it? The answer is: none. The wording of the amendment prevents such an interpretation and clearly limits it to just being an advisory body, but on top of that we'd need to radically alter SEVERAL sections across multiple chapters of the constituti...

Welcome to the first in a series of several debunking episodes where I'll be fact checking and addressing misinformation that's floating around the internet (and maybe the family dinner table). Misinformation naturally happens when there's a gap in someone's understanding, or even just develops out of accidental misrepresentations of something. It's understandable. But we shoul...

Will the Voice to Parliament be a third chamber? Can it veto legislation or be given veto power? And will we see a bunch of High Court challenges as a result of the Voice to Parliament if it passes? Well, instead of wild speculation in the comments section - why don't we ask Professor Anne Twomey, a constitutional expert, and dispel some misinformation and learn what experts ACTUALLY believe a...

What is the Voice to Parliament? What does the Voice to Parliament do? Why put it in the constitution? And why would that be different to creating a legislative Voice instead? These questions and more I ask directly to a constitutional expert - Professor Anne Twomey - who was a member of the constitutional expert group advising the referendum working group on some of the constitutional and legal a...

The Indigenous Voice to Parliament will be taken to a referendum at the end of 2023 - but before you vote yes or no you should understand at least some of the basics. What is the Voice to Parliament, what can it do, what can't it do, and how will it work? All these questions and more will be unpacked and also some historical context given. The proposed change is to create: Chapter IX Recogniti...

The referendum is officially happening! It has passed the Senate and by the end of 2023 the public will cast their votes - YES OR NO - to see if we want to change the constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the First Peoples of Australia by creating an Indigenous advisory body known as the Voice. The proposed change is to create: Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and...

In classic collab style I'm being tested on my general knowledge of Australian politics history by Leo Puglisi. 15 questions to see how much I know! Feel free to play along and comment down below what score you got and if you beat me or not. I also have a quiz for Leo as well. If you'd like to see how well he did head on over to Channel 6 News Australia: My quiz for Leo:    • Are you smart...

How does the Galactic Senate in Star Wars work? Does Naboo have a voting age limit? How did Palpatine manipulate the Senate into becoming the Emperor? Well, in a special May the 4th episode I will explain the politics of the Star Wars prequels but also tear them apart because they don't make sense. Seriously - there is some serious nonsense word soup going on. So enjoy this lengthy rant of one...

Does the King have any power? What does the Monarchy do in Australia? Why is King Charles III Australia's King and does that mean he has a say in our laws? Well, let's explore the constitutional role and powers of the Monarch and their representatives - the Governor General and Governors - and how that has evolved over time. There are indeed royal powers - some are used regularly, some hav...

Referendums are the only way to change the Australian Constitution but how do they work? In this episode I'll cover what the constitution is, how a referendum happens, how voting in a referendum works, and why constitutional change is proposed in the first place. I'll also explain the difference between plebiscites and referendums. Enjoy! Support the channel on patreon here: https://www.pa...