Socially Democratic

This episode of Socially Democratic covers the politics of energy transition — why renewables are not just good for the planet, but smart economics and a political winner heading into the Victorian state election and beyond. Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by Jono La Nauze, CEO of Environment Victoria, and David McElrea, CEO of the Smart Energy Council. They cover: 🍃 How renewables went from 15%...

On Monday afternoon, independent federal member for Indi, Helen Haines, was struck by a vehicle outside her office in Wangaratta. She was flown to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, where she remains in a critical condition. Whatever the circumstances, Monday’s events in Wangaratta have shone a spotlight on something that that many of us have been watching with growing concern - threats against ele...

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic is back with the October Mailbag, and with the Victorian state election just weeks away, this one’s a cracker. Former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and two-time election-winning Labor leader Michael Gunner joins the ever-reliable Lissie Ratcliff and host Stephen Donnelly to answer your questions. Three big threads this month: the Nat...

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic continues 'The Recount', our month-by-month journey through every federal election since 1972. On the 18th of May 1974, just 17 months after Labor's historic It's Time victory, Gough Whitlam was forced back to the polls. He hadn't chosen to go early. He'd been pushed by a Senate that refused to pass his legislation...

Socially Democratic turns its attention to one of the most consequential elections in Israeli history. On the 27th of October, Israel goes to the polls. Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by Will Cubbison, political consultant based in Israel and holder of a PhD in political science from George Washington University, to unpack the complexities of Israeli electoral politics ahead of what could be a hi...

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic is back with the Feeney (McCrone) Files, with Lissie Ratcliff subbing in for David Feeney.  This month's episode covers three big threads: the media's campaign to blame the Andrews government for Victorian Labor's current polling slump, the Albanese government's immigration announcement and what it means for One Nation'...

On the 2nd of December 1972, after 23 years of Coalition government, Gough Whitlam led Labor to victory with one of the most celebrated campaigns in Australian political history.  But how effective was it at the time?  And what does the story of that campaign reveal about how elections are actually won? Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by Dr Stephen Mills (journalist, former speechwriter in Bob Haw...

Secret Harbour, Labor's Longevity, and other Mailbag Questions with Lissie Ratcliff and Michael Gunner | Australia's Labor Podcast Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic is back with the September Mailbag.  Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by regular guest Lissie Ratcliff, as well as former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Michael Gunner. They cover: 🤔 Is Labor bu...

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic is launching something new. Starting next month, we're embarking on a two-year series called The Recount: a month-by-month deep dive into every single federal election since 1972. That's 21 elections, one per episode, all the way from Gough Whitlam's 'It's Time' to Labor's historic 2025 victory.  No one has ev...

This special episode of Socially Democratic was recorded live at the Victorian Trades Hall Council, as a fundraiser for four Labor women fighting battleground seats in November: Michaela Settle (Eureka), Daniela De Martino (Monbulk), Pauline Richards (Cranbourne) and Belinda Wilson (Narre Warren North). 🙏 A huge thank you to Trades Hall for hosting us. 🙏 Alongside our Labor MPs, host Stephen Don...

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic returns to one of the most important and difficult conversations in Australian public life. In December last year, following the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 Jewish Australians on the first night of Hanukkah, we spoke about the rise of antisemitism in Australia and the Left's role in allowing it to fester. We promised to...

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic is back with the August Mailbag. It's just Stephen and Lissie this month, with Todd Pinkerton away temporarily.  Lissie Ratcliff joins host Stephen Donnelly for a packed episode covering teacher strikes in Victoria, the Suburban Rail Loop saga, gambling reform, UK Politics, and a deep dive into the US Democratic primaries. They cover: 📚 T...

Socially Democratic goes live at the 50th ALP National Conference Fringe in Adelaide for a special panel on one of the Labor Party's most important and least discussed challenges: how do we grow our membership, and how do we keep people once they join? Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by Todd Pinkerton, Director of Campaigns and Strategy at Unions NSW; Bisma Asif, Member for Sandgate in the Qu...

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic goes live at the 50th ALP National Conference in Adelaide. Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by David Feeney and Jessie McCrone for a wide-ranging night of conference trivia, half-year report cards, and hot takes. They cover: 🏛️ Conference democracy. Has expanding the ALP National Conference to 400 delegates made it more powerful or less? 🌟 Sout...

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic is back with a snap episode. Victoria has a new Premier. On Monday and Tuesday, in a matter of 48 hours, Jacinta Allan was replaced by Ben Carroll, who is now the 50th Premier of Victoria. Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by two people who know Victorian Labor politics from the inside: former Victorian State Secretary and MP David Feeney, and fo...

This episode of Socially Democratic is a special two-parter recorded on the eve of the ALP National Conference in Adelaide. Part one: pollster John Armitage from Qdos Research joins Stephen for a mid-year federal check-in. One Nation is at 30% in Newspoll. The Liberals have collapsed to 19%. And the swing is coming from women. Part two: Priya Brown from GRA Partners breaks down the Secret Harbour...

Socially Democratic is back with the July Mailbag, and we're here to answer your questions on AI regulation, nationalising critical infrastructure, and whether Victorians should be nervous about the state election. Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by former Chief of Staff to Daniel Andrews and Managing Partner at FMRS Advisory Lissie Ratcliff, and the Director of Campaigns and Strategy at Unio...

Socially Democratic goes live at the New South Wales Labor State Conference Fringe for a special episode recorded in front of a live audience at Sydney Town Hall. Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by regular guest and Unions NSW Director of Campaigns and Strategy Todd Pinkerton, Federal Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes, and ALP National Assistant Secretary Rosie Ryan. They cover: 🏛️ What makes th...

Apologies to our listeners for the technical difficulties this week.  Socially Democratic heads to Victorian Trades Hall for a special episode with two of the most important figures in the Victorian trade union movement. Luke Hilakari, Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, and Wil Stracke, Assistant Secretary, join host Stephen Donnelly to talk organising, digital campaigning, the rise o...

This episode of Socially Democratic covers a massive month in Australian politics: One Nation's rise, Pauline at the National Press Club, and a Victorian Labor leadership non-challenge that fizzled before it started. David Feeney is back on the Feeney Files with Jessie McCrone and host Stephen Donnelly. They cover: 💰 $4 million in 48 hours? One Nation's digital fundraising machine and w...

Host Stephen Donnelly sits down with NSW ALP General Secretary Dom Ofner ahead of the NSW Labor Conference, July 4–5 at Sydney Town Hall. They cover: 🏛️ Why the NSW Conference is unlike any other political event in Australia, and why it has to be at Town Hall 📜 The McKell Model: how NSW Labor keeps government and party in balance 🎯 Safe seats aren't safe anymore. Rethinking the target seat...

This episode of Socially Democratic is the June Mailbag. Todd Pinkerton and Lissie Ratcliff answer your questions on AI, the budget, progressive media, and the future of cheap beer. 🤖 Is Labor seriously game-planning for an AI-driven jobs crisis?  🏠 A month on from the budget, has it landed with people, and why is One Nation still rising?  📱 Does Labor need its own media ecosystem, or do we alr...

In this episode of Socially Democratic, your Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast, host Stephen Donnelly is joined by senior Democratic consultant and former Obama field organiser Katie Parsons for a deep dive into the state of the Democratic Party. The DNC finally released its post-mortem of the 2024 Harris presidential campaign. It was, to put it diplomatically, not great. Neither the...

This episode of Socially Democratic covers the May federal budget: the politics, the comms, and what it means for Labor heading into the next Victorian election. David Feeney is away, so Stephen Donnelly and Jessie McCrone are joined this month by Lissie Ratcliff, former Andrews Chief of Staff and regular Mailbag guest, for a cracking Feeney Files sans Feeney. They cover:  🏠 Whether the budget&ap...

This episode of Socially Democratic discusses the UK local, Scottish, and Welsh election results, and what Labour's historic collapse means for social democracy. Reform UK surged across England, Scotland, and Wales. Labour lost its 115-year dominance in Wales. And inside the Parliamentary Labour Party, calls for Keir Starmer to stand down are growing louder. Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by...