My First Party

Owen and Peter are joined this week by some neighbours who might be next door, but worlds apart. We show that a friendly discussion is still possible, and can lead us to some surprising places. Neighbours Don and Robyn chat about free speech, the Middle East, public banking, nuclear power, national service, education, corruption, and the future of Australian politics. We cover policies from some l...

An anonymous Labor Party insider — "Lester" — joins My First Party to pull back the curtain on pre-selection battles, factional dysfunction, and how far the party's original vision has drifted.🗳️ In this episode:- Preselection dramas, including the Theophanous family's scandals- Why Labor MPs are quietly rebranding- How ASIO and lobbyists shape which stories get told- Ed Husic an...

What can Australia actually learn from China? And what can China learn from Australia? We chat with Lev Lafayette, President of the Australia-China Friendship Society, for a wide-ranging conversation that goes well beyond the headlines. In this episode:🏙️ Building friendships that are stronger than an exchange of plaques🌾 How food security has played out in Chinese policy🧠 A whirlwind comparison...

Our guest Andrew Andreou has gone missing. His colleague Doug from the Omni Party joins us to discuss the possible whereabouts of Andrew, and the possible motives for his disappearance. We also discuss the continuing political legacy of Andrew and what his views would have been on some current issues:🗞️ The media distortion of Andrew's comments on minorities.🚧 Union corruption allegations, th...

Trump's health is failing, the water is running out, and America's client states are starting to crack. This week on My First Party, Owen and Peter welcome back returning guest Danny Abdeljabbar (host of @BroHistory  ) for a wild ride through geopolitics and collapsing infrastructure.🎙️ In this episode:🩺 Trump's Health & Succession Watch — The "cocaine retainer" theory,...

Mel Yuan has run for local council three times — now she's stepping up to contest the Victorian state seat of Brunswick as a community independent. In this episode, Mel joins Owen and Peter to unpack what actually pushed her from playgrounds to Parliament, and why she thinks more "loonies" should put themselves forward for office. We get into:🏛️ Why Trump 2.0 and the Bondi attack wer...

Drew Wolfendale, President of the Fusion Party, returns to the show for round two. We cover Fusion's approach to the upcoming Victorian state election, why Drew rejects the "block One Nation" style of politics, and the real difference between aspirational and regressive populism. Drew also makes the case against a "take all ideas and sort them out later" approach to party p...

Owen and Peter sit down with Nick Willis from Rising Tide — the direct action group that has been blockading the Port of Newcastle with kayaks for three years running, growing from 3,000 to nearly 8,000 participants. We get into: ⚓ The Newcastle blockades — how two people in a dinghy turned around two massive coal ships, and what that actually achieves beyond optics 💰 The 78% fossil fuel export...

Owen and Peter are joined by Alice — a pseudonymous cybersecurity expert with decades of experience working across government departments and private sector contractors — to dig into the uncomfortable truth about Australia's digital security landscape. We cover:* The government talent drain — why cybersecurity experts consistently earn two to three times more through private contractors than i...

The founder of the Omni Party joins Owen and Peter to discuss a recent controversy about new Gazans and what his stance actually is. Andrew explains how his certification program can help with humanitarian efforts for building peace in the Middle East.

Metin Pekin is the author of a recent book, Breaking Democracy's Chains. He joins Owen and Peter to discuss the problems with modern democracy, especially the phenomenon of parties no longer being compelled to represent their constituents. https://www.metinpekin.com/

Kammy Cordner-Hunt is a candidate for the Fusion Party and has written a Masters' Thesis on the unaccountability of multi-national corporations. In this chat, we explore how these corporations cause refugees and what we can do to resist the evil around us.

Andrew Andreou is the founder of the Omni Party, a nascent party open to accepting all political ideas that arise.

Jess Robertson is from the Koala Alliance, a group pressuring governments at all levels to implement favourable policies for koalas and their habitats.

Jeremy Lawrence is the founder of Streets Alive Yarra, an organisation championing policies for more accessible transport and more harmonious neighbourhoods 🏡🏢🌈 · Streets Alive Yarra : https://streets-alive-yarra.org/about/· Suggestions for increasing revenue, i.e. how to pay for it: https://streets-alive-yarra.org/revenue/· Broad community support: https://streets-alive-yarra.org/community-sup...

Chad Peace is from the Independent Voter Project, an organisation focused on reducing the systemic biases favouring the two incumbent parties. In this chat, we covered the current efforts of the Project and how Chad thinks about political ideals more broadly.

John August is a candidate for the Fusion Party. In this chat, we cover immigration, foreign policy, tax havens and the controversies around Australia Day.

Jordan Woodhams (president of the WA Libertarian Party) joins Owen and Peter to discuss how the Australian government restricts people's freedoms, especially in its response to recent terrorism.

Adam Swart (CEO of Crowds on Demand) joins Owen and Peter to discuss the legitimacy of protests and its role in the toolbox of civic actions.

Fusion president Drew Wolfendale joins Owen and Peter to discuss the background of the Science Party, and how that has shaped the Fusion Party's policies in areas such as housing, economic inclusivity, and Australia's role on the global stage.

Neil Thanedar chats with Owen and Peter about his new book, Positive Politics. We discuss minimising war, improving healthcare, and more!

Chrysten Abraham from the Libertarian Party joins Owen and Peter to discuss the principle of "do no harm" and her thoughts on implementing liberty in Frankston.

Paul Ross is the founder of the Citizens' Dividend Organisation. In this chat, Paul joins Owen and Peter to discuss the desire for a subsistence income and on a realignment of the economy away from competition and more towards "coopetysm".

Oscar Yildiz has been mayor of Merri-bek / Moreland and has served on the council for 16 years. In this chat with Owen and Peter, he discusses his disdain for virtue-signalling and his determination to achieve real results for residents.

Former mayor of Merri-bek, Lambros Tapinos, joins Owen and Peter to discuss the highlights of working in local government and the motivations for becoming politically involved with the Australian Labor Party 📣👫