Liberalism in Question | CIS

Rob and Warren discuss at length why Warren believes liberalism is good for indigenous Australians, why the voice to parliament proposal is not a good idea, and why the unjust deprivation of the lands of the First Australians, as regrettable as it is, does not delegitimise our nation. Good policy leads to great outcomes. CIS promotes free choice and individual liberty and the open exchange of idea...

Rob and Andrew discuss some of the provocative ideas in his recent book Buraadja; The liberal case for national reconciliation (Connor Court 2021). Andrew is concerned that it is an anomaly that there are a number of special laws for a particular people in Australia but no proper way that they can have a say in them. He believes that a voice to parliament can be consistent with liberal principles...

Rob and Chandran discuss Chandran's journey from a young socialist to a thoughtful liberal. Chandran understands the essence of liberalism as a commitment to individual freedom but also a commitment to equal freedom. Chandran and Rob discuss how differently liberalism expresses itself in different cultures and how liberal institutions and ideas are all over the world, even in countries like Singap...

Rob and Hannes discuss everything from the pirate radio station he once ran to important thinkers like medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas and Friedrich von Hayek. Hannes believes that the best kind of liberalism is what he calls conservative liberalism, which is a long tradition, which combines the price mechanism with the decentralisation of knowledge on one hand and traditional morality on the o...

Rob and David discuss the remarkable story of ‘the liberal project’ in Australia. David has written a five-volume history of the liberal project from the days of the arrival of Governor Philip in 1788 to the end of the Menzies prime ministership in 1966. Good policy leads to great outcomes. CIS promotes free choice and individual liberty and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among...

Rob and Simon discuss why, despite the unparalleled success of international liberalism in lifting people out of extreme poverty, we are now in danger of abandoning the very policies that made this possible. Simon describes the move away from liberalism as a worldwide phenomenon affecting both the left and right of politics. As Simon puts it, is “Liberalism is losing its ground support and also it...

In a wide-ranging discussion, Rob and Henry explore the heart of the liberal project. Liberalism emerged as a philosophy and ideology that afforded people freedoms and an alternative to civil war. Yet, it is the balance between order and freedom, which requires both tolerance and responsibility. Liberalism does not bring a single overarching purpose to society but rather ways of proceeding togethe...

Rob discusses liberalism with Peter Kurti, director of the Culture, Prosperity and Civil Society Program at the CIS, who surprisingly says he is not a liberal but a conservative and then explains why. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ CIS promotes free choice and individual liberty and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate am...

Professor Simon Haines is a distinguished scholar, teacher and author, and a passionate advocate for the humanities. CEO of The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, Simon joins Rob to discuss the genesis and origins of liberalism. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ CIS promotes free choice and individual liberty and the open exchange o...

Rob discusses issues of liberalism and the university with then Vice Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Michael Spence. Michael is concerned about whether the growing lack of common beliefs will threaten liberal society. He is committed to the vision of the university as a crucial institution in the liberal community. They discuss challenges and opportunities of the modern university in achie...

Parnell McGuinness is a columnist at the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, and is Managing Director at Agenda C. Parnell’s family, especially her late father P.P. (Padraic Pearse) ‘Paddy’ McGuinness, an anti-authoritarian, non-conformist individualist, have spent most of their lives fighting for classical liberalism. Parnell decries to the lack of nuance in liberalism and the nee...

Glenn Fahey is a Research Fellow in Education Policy at the CIS. Previously Glenn has held a series of both policy and research intensive positions in the field of education and economics, as well as being a pizza shop manager. In conversation, Glenn's pizza shop job turned out to be one important reason why he is committed to Liberalism. ___________________________________________________________...

Rob interviews Tim Wilson, who at the time of recording was MP for Goldstein, about the issues raised by his recent book The New Social Contract: Renewing the Liberal Vision for Australia (2020). They discuss Robert Menzies’ vision of a liberalism ‘for individuals not for individualism’ and the need for a society in which individuals have a stake and commitment. Tim is concerned that there are too...

Stan Grant an experienced journalist, thinker and writer has thought deeply about liberalism to which he is attracted by an innate love of freedom. And yet he is aware of liberalism’s limitations in dealing with issues of history and identity. Rob and Stan discuss the dynamic nature of liberalism, the way that indigenous rights may be included within it, and why this can enhance an Australian libe...

In an energetic discussion of both sociology and history Salvatore Babones, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Sydney, is unashamedly upbeat about liberalism and its place in history and the future. And he is not that worried about ‘cancel culture’ or the threat of authoritarian societies either. ___________________________________________________________________________________...

Rob chats with Professor Ian Harper, member of the Reserve Bank Board and dean of the Melbourne Business School, about liberalism as a prejudice to freedom and not a strict doctrine, why becoming a Christian believer reaffirmed his conviction about the freedom of the individual, about whether the Church has been an enemy or friend of liberalism, and the need for moral restraint for freedom to be p...

Welcome to our new podcast Liberalism in Question with host Rob Forsyth. This will be a new listen only series on our YouTube Channel. If you prefer to listen through your chosen podcast network check out the links at the bottom of the description. In a wide ranging conversation, Rob chats to former prime minister John Howard AC about what liberalism is, why it is best combined with conservatism,...