Politics with Michelle Grattan

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill’s willingness to countenance an increase to the GST angered federal Labor colleagues. But Weatherill tells Michelle Grattan he has no regrets about his “circuit-breaker” intervention – although he also concedes an increase to the GST is not really a solution to the states' revenue problems. “It raises too much money in the early years and too little in the l...

As the government considers a tax reform agenda without changing the GST, Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer discusses tax and superannuation with Michelle Grattan - and strongly defends the Business Council of Australia’s Jennifer Westacott against an attack by Victorian Liberal President Michael Kroger. Kelly also suggests the Liberal party tap talented women on the shoulder to get more female re...

At the start of a frenetic year for independent Nick Xenophon, the South Australian senator tells Michelle Grattan his new national political party, the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT), will fill a vacuum. “People want a genuine choice from the political centre. I think they’re sick of the left and right skirmishes we see in politics - the red team, blue team approach where even if one side acknowledges...

As the government turns up the heat over its Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation, Employment Michaelia Cash reveals to Michelle Grattan she is willing to agree to senator David Leyonhjelm’s call for a sunset clause. “David has raised that with me and … yes, I would accept an eight-year sunset clause,” she says. She says in that time the ABCC would demonstrably prove its wor...

In the first Politics Podcast for 2016, Michelle Grattan and shadow finance minister Tony Burke discuss the challenging gap between government revenue and spending, and what Labor would do to address the problem. Burke pitches Labor’s recent education announcements as being central to its economic vision, describing them as a “strategic economic investment” in what Australia will need post the min...

Michelle Grattan discusses the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook with shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh, gaging his thoughts on the savings measures announced by the government and how Labor would address the issue of budget repair. Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support non-profit journalism you can trust. Donations 2025 The Making of an Autocrat Search: "The Conversatio...

Former Howard government minister Peter Reith, who has just released his recollections of the period in his book 'The Reith Papers', talks about the current challenges facing the Turnbull government including his view that Tony Abbott needs to keep his head down for a while, the pros and cons of increasing the GST and the predicament facing Mal Brough.   Mentioned in this episode: The Making of an...

Newly appointed chair of Innovation Australia, Bill Ferris, talks about his early experiences investing in start-ups in the 1970s, the need for Australia to bring its ideas and inventions to market, and the way to tackle a business culture that fears failure.  Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support non-profit journalism you can trust. Donations 2025 The Making of an Autocrat Searc...

Michelle Grattan speaks with Education Minister Simon Birmingham about his negotiations for a new higher education package, efforts to crack down on rorting in the vocational educational sector and the government's overhaul of the childcare system.  Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support non-profit journalism you can trust. Donations 2025 The Making of an Autocrat Search: "The Con...

Michelle Grattan speaks with Minister for Social Services Christian Porter about the government's moves on domestic violence, his thinking on welfare reform and his support for making adoption easier. 

Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings has strongly criticised the decision to lease the Port of Darwin to a Chinese company, saying it is a deep strategic mistake after a flawed policy process. Speaking to Michelle Grattan, Jennings also canvasses the difficulties of co-ordinating Russian and American military action in the Syrian conflict, and warns Australia cou...

Former ACT chief minister Katy Gallagher, now a federal Labor Senator with new responsibilities in the shadow ministry, admits she has found the jump into the bigger political pool challenging - she has also had to do a pivot in her views on increasing the GST. Here she also talks about the issues of mental health, federal-state relations and Labor’s face-off against Malcolm Turnbull. Mentioned in...

Michelle Grattan discusses the new release book The Protest Years: The Official History of ASIO 1963-1975, with its author Dr John Blaxland. Among many controversies, they review the evidence supporting conspiracy theories surrounding the dismissal of the Whitlam government and the fractious relationship between the agency and Lionel Murphy, the Labor Attorney-General. Mentioned in this episode: T...

In this interview, Senator Hanson-Young calls upon the government to appoint an independent advocate to protect the interests of the Somali woman known as Abyan, who at the time of recording was being held in Nauru. Michelle also probes the Senator on the Greens electoral prospects following the ascension of Malcolm Turnbull to the prime ministership.  Mentioned in this episode: Your support matte...

In The Conversation's first live podcast, which took place in Canberra's Muse wine bar and bookstore, Labor's Sam Dastyari gives a candid insight into Labor's strategy to win back government, the threat of the Greens and much more.  Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support non-profit journalism you can trust. Donations 2025 The Making of an Autocrat Search: "The Conversation Weekly"...

Minister for Cities and the Built Environment Jamie Briggs joins Michelle to talk about his new portfolio, the policy pivot away from just roads toward other infrastructure projects like public transport, the changes under new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the mistakes the government made about submarines in South Australia and much more.  Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support...

Labor has a new higher education policy out this week. Shadow Minister for Higher Education Kim Carr joins Michelle to talk about it in depth. In the interview Carr is highly critical of some university managements for exploiting the system to the detriment of the tax payer, says far too many students are not graduating and much more. Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support non-pro...

Arthur Sinodinos was a key backer of Malcolm Turnbull, and he sits down with Michelle to talk about the coup, why the Liberals needed to change leader, what he hopes will change in the running of the Prime Minister's Office and much more. Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support non-profit journalism you can trust. Donations 2025 The Making of an Autocrat Search: "The Conversation W...

Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg joins Michelle to talk about Syria, Australia's humanitarian refugee intake, the economy, Canning, the state of the Liberal Party in Victoria and much more.  Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support non-profit journalism you can trust. Donations 2025 The Making of an Autocrat Search: "The Conversation Weekly" for our new series. Is America watchin...

Michelle spent two days this week in Canning, where campaigning is building up for the by-election on the 19th of September.  The seat is held by the Liberal Party by about 12%. Its former member was Don Randall, who died suddenly in July. In a break from our usual longform format, we conducted short interviews with Labor candidate Matt Keogh, Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek, Finance Minister...

The secretary of the department of foreign affairs and trade Peter Varghese sat down with Michelle to talk about aid, the integration of AUSAID, Islamic State, the Asian century and much, much more.  Mentioned in this episode: The Making of an Autocrat Search: "The Conversation Weekly" for our new series. Is America watching its democracy unravel in real time? In The Making of an Autocrat from The...

Michael McCormack is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and the Nationals member for Riverina. He joins Michelle to talk about the future of the Nationals leadership, the difference in the Nationals political style, tax reform and much more.  Mentioned in this episode: The Making of an Autocrat Search: "The Conversation Weekly" for our new series. Is America watching its democ...

Clare O'Neil is the Labor member for Hotham and with her colleague Tim Watts has written a book, Two Futures. In the book the discuss Australia in 2040 and what can be done in the short term to improve our future. Clare sits down with Michelle to talk about the book, the ideas in it, and the future of progressive politics in Australia.  Mentioned in this episode: Your support matters Support non-p...

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen and Michelle step away from day to day politics to talk about Bowen's new book The Money Men, in which he writes about twelve of Australia's most notable treasurers. They talk about the legacies of notable Treasurers such as Keating, Costello, Cairns and Swan, Bowen talks about his research process, writing on the job he hopes to hold and much, much more.   Mentioned i...

In a special episode recorded live at the ALP federal conference Michelle sits down with infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese to discuss the conference itself and then with immigration spokesman Richard Marles to talk about the ALP controversially adopting asylum seeker boat turnbacks.