Keep the Bastards Honest

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

Elana is back with an article she wrote in response to the recent decision by the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC) not to open an investigation into the referrals made to it by the Robodebt Royal Commission of six officials involved in the Robodebt scheme. This story continued to unfold after our article was published, so Elana has additional updates and commentary on this story. Show No...

Rejoice budget nerds, it’s that time of year again! An episode in which Elana is cranky about what not’s in the budget, Leonie is in search of a narrative for the budget, Steve does a better job of selling the budget than Jim Chalmers did, and all three lament the budget’s missed opportunities. Show Notes Podcasts featured in this episode:Dollars and Sense: The Budget and Why Your Wages are Laggin...

It took a little while for Heath, Leonie and the rest of the campaign team to crawl out from under all the life admin that piled up while they were contesting the Dunkley by election, but Elana managed to sit down with Heath and Leonie and have a chat about the results and their experiences on the campaign trail.

Are you wondering just what a small modular nuclear reactor is, and why we’re having a ‘debate’ on nuclear power? Dr Grahame Elder has you covered. He’s done the research so you don’t have to. In this first instalment of The Drill, Dr Elder does a deep dive into the questions of: what are small modular nuclear reactors, are SMRs being used successfully elsewhere, and if so, do they have a future i...

The by election in the Victorian electorate of Dunkley was triggered by the very sad passing of Labor MP Peta Murphy in December of 2023.  We pay our respects to Peta, and extend our condolences to her family and friends on what must be a devastating loss.  Our parliament, and Dunkley, are poorer for her absence. Heath McKenzie is a long time resident of Seaford, situated in the electorate of Dunk...

Elana and Steve are back, with lots to catch up on as they look back at the year that was 2023, and look forward to the year that will be 2024. Show Notes Listen to Greg Jericho’s Dollars and Sense podcast, where he explains how the Australian economy works. Elana recommends his episode on the Reserve Bank

One of the interesting stats that’s come out of the current referendum polling is that a surprisingly large number of Australians didn’t know that we even have a constitution, never mind what it is and why it’s important.  If you’re one of those Australians, or you’re not sure what the deal is with the constitution, that’s ok!  As I covered in our referendum explainer, it’s been quite a while sinc...

This is a story about colonisation, racism, and genocide.  It’s a story about erasure, not just of a culture, but of an entire people.  But it’s also a story of survival.  And it’s a story about love.  It’s a story about a woman who abandons her people, flees her home, her ancestors, her culture, and her heritage, who denies her own identity, right down to her own name, in order to protect her chi...

Too young to have never voted in a referendum before? Old enough that it’s been some time since the last time you voted in one? In this episode we explain what a referendum is, why changing the constitution shouldn’t be a big deal, and what you, as a voter, have to do on the big day. Show Notes Here’s all the references used to build this episode, with some useful links if you’re after more inform...

It shouldn’t come as any surprise to our regular listeners that the official position of the Australian Democrats is to support the Voice to Parliament.  Part of the policy platform we took to the 2022 federal election on standing with First Nations people was whole hearted support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart.  Since the Albanese government has chosen to implement the Uluru Statement fr...

Women for Election is an organisation whose mission is to inspire, equip and sustain women to successfully stand for, and thrive in, public office in Australia. On this episode Elana ...

Listener questions answered! This is a new listener requested segment where we answer your questions about Australian politics, government or even the Australian Democrats that you really wanted to know ...

Chris Simpson is former builder and building project manager, who was part of the team that ran for the Senate in Queensland in 2022, and was our spokesperson on housing.  ...