Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

Julian Leeser and Bridget Archer join us on this episode to discuss the media’s performance during the Voice referendum and the “dishonourable” argument underpinning the ‘no’ campaign.     What impact will the Voice to Parliament have on the gaps in life expectancy and a range of other measures between First Nations people and the general Australian population? Why is the Voice the...

On this episode, Senator Pat Dodson joins us to talk about the Voice, why it’s important for improving outcomes for First Nations people and the consequences for the country if the amendment fails.     Why is a Voice to Parliament, rather than constitutional recognition alone, the proposal being put to the Australian people at this referendum? What would be the process to design the...

We discuss the resignation of Daniel Andrews and boundaries for bureaucrats on this episode of Democracy Sausage .   How did former Victorian leader Daniel Andrews gain a national profile like few premiers before him? Where should the line be between bureaucrats and politics? And can the Yes campaign turn public opinion around before referendum day? On this episode of Democracy Saus...

Author and academic Julianne Schultz joins Mark and Marija to discuss the media coverage of the Voice campaign and the importance of understanding Australia’s history.     What impact has the Coalition’s decision to oppose the Voice to Parliament had on the media’s coverage of the referendum? Why has the debate around the Voice not led to a deeper discussion about Australian history...

Russia expert Derek Hutcheson joins us to discuss the reasons for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political longevity and whether his power is finally on the slide.     What impact did the economic chaos in Russia in the decade leading up to Vladimir Putin’s ascension to the presidency have on his political career? Will the suspicious death of his former ally Yevgeny Prigozhin ha...

Researchers Nicholas Biddle and Intifar Chowdhury join us to discuss the impact of the inflation crisis on Australians’ wellbeing and their attitudes to politics. What impact is inflation and rising interest rates having on the financial and psychological wellbeing of Australians? With over 30 per cent of people finding it difficult to get by on their current income, are voters likely to start poi...

Sam Roggeveen from the Lowy Institute joins us on this episode of Democracy Sausage to discuss Australia’s search for power and peace in the Indo-Pacific. What is Australia’s biggest asset when it comes to defending against a rising China? Have the economic arguments made in favour of AUKUS been over-egged by the federal government? And how far should Australia go to protect Taiwan’s democracy? On...

Megan Davis and George Williams join Mark Kenny live on campus to talk about Australia’s constitution and their new book, Everything you need to know about the Voice . Some critics of the Voice argue it would “introduce race” into the constitution, but is racial discrimination in fact a significant factor in the document and its history? Has the government dropped the ball by not running a civic e...

Frank Bongiorno and Liz Allen join us to discuss the political challenges facing the Labor Party in the wake of its national conference and the upcoming Intergenerational Report. How damaging is internal criticism within the Labor Party around the leadership’s positions on issues like AUKUS and climate change? How has Anthony Albanese adapted as a leader on the path to the prime ministership and w...

Former foreign minister Bob Carr joins Mark Kenny to talk about AUKUS, Julian Assange and the Australian government’s language around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ahead of the Labor Party’s national conference. Is Australia acting against its own national interests through the AUKUS deal and other defence agreements being struck with the United States? Should the Albanese government be more vi...

Independent Member of Parliament Kate Chaney joins us to discuss how to make Australian politics more transparent and ways to level the playing field for new and independent political actors. Are political parties writing the rules to protect their own interests rather than those of the Australian public? Why can governments still run expensive, taxpayer-funded advertising campaigns in the lead-up...

Climatologist Janette Lindesay joins the show to discuss whether climate denial is finally on the decline and the science behind our increasingly severe weather. With unprecedented wildfires in Europe and another hot and dry summer likely in Australia, what’s causing the increasingly intense weather across the globe? Is Australia’s climate denial sector now entering a recession in the face of this...

Global referendums expert Matt Qvortrup joins us to bust some referendum myths ahead of this year’s Voice vote and to discuss the political implications of the campaign. Is Peter Dutton piling pressure on the government through the Voice campaign or racing towards a political dead end? Do scare campaigns or celebrity endorsements work in referendums? And is Rishi Sunak just trying to 'save the fur...

Andrew Leigh joins Mark and Marija to discuss breaking up the Labor Party’s factional ‘duopoly’ on this episode of Democracy Sausage . Are Labor’s factions helping or hindering the party’s ability to attract young members? Why is factional power at an all-time high in the party? And how can ‘total factionalism’ be prevented in an era of professional politics and strict party discipline? On this ep...

Former Attorney-General George Brandis joins us to discuss the geographic challenges facing the Liberal Party, referendum politics, and Anthony Albanese’s attendance at NATO. Can moderates regain a foothold in the Liberal Party after the 2022 election defeat? Would releasing an early draft of the Voice to Parliament legislation silence some of the ‘yes’ campaign’s critics? And did Anthony Albanese...

Bruce Wolpe joins us to discuss Donald Trump’s impact both in the United States and Australia, and what it would mean if he was re-elected in 2024. How did Trump’s time in the White House change global politics? What has been the impact of ‘Trumpism’ in Australia? And what would it mean for us if he was re-elected? On this episode of Democracy Sausage , Bruce Wolpe shares his unique insights into...

David Speers and Senator Barbara Pocock join us at the barbecue to discuss the PwC scandal, Julia Gillard’s political legacy and the Labor-Greens relationship. Why has the scandal surrounding the misuse of information about multinational tax avoidance measures by some at PwC taken eight years to come to a head? How have public perceptions of Julia Gillard’s prime ministership changed in the decade...

Independent member for Wentworth Allegra Spender discusses how a citizens’ assembly might help parliament break through its housing policy impasse. Could bringing a group of regular citizens together to talk through the issues help politicians find common ground on housing policy? Is the ‘Australian dream’ always likely to be connected to home ownership or will the national mythology begin to chan...

We discuss the Trump indictment and Australia’s intelligence services with John Blaxland and Clare Birgin on this episode of Democracy Sausage . Why is the Australian Signals Directorate, a secretive and seemingly esoteric part of the Department of Defence, becoming increasingly important to Australian society? And why have Australian officials tended to be more secretive than their counterparts i...

Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga discuss dodgy grants, a hollowed-out public service and what the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation ruling means for journalism. What impact are ‘sports rorts’ and this week’s revelations about community health grants having on public trust in policy-making? With the government’s reliance on consultants in the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons, can the public service r...

On this episode of Democracy Sausage , Brendan Crabb and Chris Wallace join us to discuss whether Australian governments have dropped the ball on COVID-19 prevention. With winter approaching and infections likely to rise, what will the human cost of Australia’s current COVID-19 strategy be in the coming months? Why hasn’t Australia seen a concerted public information campaign about preventing infe...

On this special episode of Democracy Sausage , Stan Grant discusses the importance of speaking truth with love, his decision to step away from media and his new book, The Queen is dead . Following his decision to step down as host of the ABC’s flagship Q&A program, Stan Grant spoke in front of a live audience on campus at The Australian National University (ANU). In a powerful conversation wit...

Peter van Onselen joins our discussion on the first year of the Albanese government on the 250th episode of Democracy Sausage . How does the first year of the Albanese government compare to that of its predecessors? Can Labor build a case for major reform over time or, facing a weakened opposition after the 2022 election, do they risk letting the opportunity slip away if they don’t act now? And wi...

Demographer Liz Allen and social policy expert Ben Phillips join us to discuss the budget's impact on struggling Australians and the politics of the population debate. What impact will the modest increases to the JobSeeker payment and other benefits have on the lives of people who are doing it tough? Is the federal government doing enough to build the case for more substantial increases in social...

Miranda Stewart and Peter Martin join Mark Kenny to fire up the barbecue for a sizzling post-budget Democracy Sausage special. The budget may be back in black - albeit briefly - but with a $40 per fortnight JobSeeker increase falling far short of what many experts are calling for, are vulnerable Australians going to slip further into the red? In response to the growing spending pressures on t...