Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

With the government’s JobKeeper scheme set to cost $60 billion less than originally forecasted, this week on Democracy Sausage we look at what the government might do with its bonus billions.   It was blamed on everything from employers filling out forms incorrectly to the ‘health miracle’ of Australia’s coronavirus response, but the $60 billion budget underspend on JobKeeper raises big quest...

On this week’s Second Serve , Europe Correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Bevan Shields shares his experience of catching the coronavirus in Britain, and we take a look at the missteps that led to the UK having one of the world’s highest death tolls with Elizabeth Ames. From flirting with the idea of herd immunity to confused and confusing messaging, coupled with one of the worl...

Mark Kenny is joined by Phil Coorey, Vanessa Johnston, and Marija Taflaga to talk about Morrison’s first year in charge and getting the message right as Australia takes its tentative first steps out of the coronavirus crisis shutdown measures. Australian governments moved quickly to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and Australians went along with the measures. But as the virus is still with u...

This week on Democracy Sausage Second Serve , we go stateside to take a look at criticisms levelled at the World Health Organization with US expert Assistant Professor Alexandra Phelan. The World Health Organization has been the subject of criticism about its response to pandemic, particularly from President Donald Trump in the United States. So, is the WHO still fit-for-purpose, and can it recove...

This week on Democracy Sausage , we look at what’s in store for businesses and workers as Australians and their workplaces are encouraged to emerge from hibernation. Australia is taking its first tentative steps towards restarting its economy, but what does that mean for business, workers, and industrial relations? Can businesses survive the social distancing requirements that will remain in place...

New research has revealed massive job losses, high levels of anxiety, and a picture of hardship and distress among Australians. We speak to the authors of the research to get a picture of Australia in the pandemic. Two-thirds of Australians say they feel anxious or worried about their own and others’ safety and more than 600,000 have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, according to a new study from T...

This week on Democracy Sausage , Miranda Stewart and Bruce Chapman join us to discuss budget transparency in a post-coronavirus crisis world, and whether there’s a role for an income-contingent loan scheme in COVID-19 economics. The coronavirus crisis has seen governments around the world throw the economic rulebook out to pump vast sums into struggling economies. But how can we ensure that balanc...

On this week’s Second Serve , Mark Kenny talks to Frank Bongiorno about Malcolm Turnbull’s new autobiography, A Bigger Picture .   Political biographies can shed valuable light on leaders, decisions, and policy choices. But they can also attempt to rewrite history, apportion blame, and present an air-brushed view on individuals and events. So what have we learned about former Prime Minister M...

On this episode Mark Kenny talks with Anne McNaughton, Mark Evans, and Marija Taflaga about the government’s COVID-19 app, post-crisis tax and economics, and whether consensus politics has any chance of continuing after the crisis. The government has released its coronavirus-tracing app, but do Australians trust their government with the data it gathers? Could it be time to revisit the findings of...

On this special episode, Shadow Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers MP speaks to Mark Kenny about crisis politics, economic recovery, and ensuring the future story of Australia is an inclusive one. While Australia has so far avoided the more devastating health impacts of COVID-19 that have befallen other nations, the pandemic has caused one of the most significant economic shocks in the country’s history. W...

On this week’s Second Serve , we catch up with Sophia Gaston for the latest on Britain’s devastating coronavirus toll.   With limited testing, struggles to get protective equipment for health workers, and a high death toll, Britain is still in the grip of its coronavirus crisis. But with the British public throwing its support behind the National Health Service, and a high compliance rate wit...

This week we’re joined by the ABC’s Emma Alberici and Professor Robert Breunig to talk tax, Trump, and what society might be able to snap back to. Governments around the world are starting to plot a pathway out of the coronavirus crisis, and are under increasing tension to lift restrictions and return life to normality. But what does reality look like after the coronavirus? This week on Democracy...

In this Second Serve , we discuss the best and worst of political leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Has the COVID-19 crisis exposed the failure of ‘Anglophone conservatives’ to listen to expert advice? Is talk of economic and societal transformation wishful thinking on behalf of the political left in the face of huge deficits and economic devastation? And will the crisis lead to big changes...

On this episode, we chat with Tim Costello AO and Virginia Haussegger AM about the impact of the coronavirus on charities and women in Australia. What has the COVID-19 crisis revealed about who is doing the heavy lifting in Australia? With charities struggling to elicit donations, what does that mean for those in need who depend on the support of these organisations? And with a highly gender-segre...

With overwhelmed hospitals, limited testing and a staggering death rate, and a prime minister in intensive care, how will Britain turn its coronavirus curve? In this Second Serve Mark Kenny talks to UK-based experts Sophia Gaston and Elizabeth Ames.   After four years of a divisive and damaging debate around Brexit, Britain has now been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis. So with Prime Minist...

Our expert panel discusses whether the coronavirus pandemic will lead to major, permanent changes in Australia’s society and economy. While the immediate devastation of COVID-19 in Australia and around the world is far from over, what are the likely impacts of the pandemic on our political and economic future? Will any economic ‘snapback’ be enough to help the jobless back on their feet? And will...

On this episode, we chat about how sports around the world are responding to COVID-19 and what the future holds for sporting organisations struggling because of the virus. With most of the world’s professional sport postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, competitions have come under major financial pressure. But will the crisis lead to a reset in the way sporting organisations operat...

In this episode, we discuss Australia’s new restrictions on social gatherings, whether the government is explaining its approach effectively, and domestic politics during the crisis. As Australia has moved into a new phase in the fight against COVID-19 with greater restrictions on social gatherings, has the government effectively explained new measures as they’ve come into force? Does the national...

On this Second Serve , we chat to senior public servant and policy expert Andrew Wear about his new book, Solved: How other countries have cracked the world's biggest problems and we can too . Why is Singapore such a leader in school education? What’s a small Danish island getting right on renewable energy? And why does Indonesia’s democracy outstrip Australia’s on some measures? On this Second Se...

On this episode, Mark Kenny, John Hewson and Rory Medcalf examine competition and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in light of COVID-19, and whether Australia’s government has been too cavalier in tackling the outbreak. With more and more restrictions coming into force across the globe in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, cooperation has become more crucial than ever – both between and w...

Mark Kenny chats to Dr Andrew Leigh, Member for Fenner in the ACT and former economics professor at the Australian National University about the economics of the coronavirus. Can the world’s politicians find coronavirus solutions that are good for public health and for the economy? Why are people panic buying and what should supermarkets do about it? Should Australia be closing its schools? And co...

On this very special Democracy Sausage podcast extra, Mark Kenny talks to the noted Irish columnist and author Fintan O’Toole about Brexit and the Irish border, global leadership, and democratic systems in a time of global crisis. Infection has driven major change in societies, including providing clean water and improved sanitation. So could the coronavirus pandemic crisis be the impetus for prog...

On this episode, we discuss policy responses to the coronavirus, both in Australia and across the globe. As COVID-19 infection rates accelerate in Australia, state and federal governments have been called into action to reduce the damage. But has the response so far been adequate to ‘flatten the curve’? What can Australia learn from policy responses abroad? What is 'herd immunity'? And will Austra...

On this special episode of Democracy Sausage , our expert panel cast their eyes over Australia’s $17.6 billion stimulus package announced on Thursday. The Australian government has announced a huge stimulus package aimed at businesses and households, but will it work to tackle the potential impacts of COVID-19? Joining Professor Mark Kenny to analyse the announcement are social policy expert Profe...

This week our expert panel take a look at the possible economic impacts from COVID-19, what the government could and should do about it, and whether Australia’s public health systems are up to the job. Will the Australian government’s stimulus package prevent a slide into recession, and do the country’s health systems really have surge capacity to cope with the possible impacts of coronavirus? Tho...