Andrew Leigh joins Mark and Marija to discuss breaking up the Labor Party’s factional ‘duopoly’ on this episode of Democracy Sausage . Are Labor’s factions helping or hindering the party’s ability to attract young members? Why is factional power at an all-time high in the party? And how can ‘total factionalism’ be prevented in an era of professional politics and strict party discipline? On this episode of Democracy Sausage , Dr Andrew Leigh MP joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to ...
Jul 20, 2023•44 min
Former Attorney-General George Brandis joins us to discuss the geographic challenges facing the Liberal Party, referendum politics, and Anthony Albanese’s attendance at NATO. Can moderates regain a foothold in the Liberal Party after the 2022 election defeat? Would releasing an early draft of the Voice to Parliament legislation silence some of the ‘yes’ campaign’s critics? And did Anthony Albanese make the right decision to attend the NATO meeting in Vilnius? Professor George Brandis KC joins Pr...
Jul 11, 2023•57 min
Bruce Wolpe joins us to discuss Donald Trump’s impact both in the United States and Australia, and what it would mean if he was re-elected in 2024. How did Trump’s time in the White House change global politics? What has been the impact of ‘Trumpism’ in Australia? And what would it mean for us if he was re-elected? On this episode of Democracy Sausage , Bruce Wolpe shares his unique insights into American political history with Professor Mark Kenny. The pair discuss the possible consequences of ...
Jul 04, 2023•46 min
David Speers and Senator Barbara Pocock join us at the barbecue to discuss the PwC scandal, Julia Gillard’s political legacy and the Labor-Greens relationship. Why has the scandal surrounding the misuse of information about multinational tax avoidance measures by some at PwC taken eight years to come to a head? How have public perceptions of Julia Gillard’s prime ministership changed in the decade since she left office? And is the Australian government’s recent contribution to the defence of Ukr...
Jun 27, 2023•53 min
Independent member for Wentworth Allegra Spender discusses how a citizens’ assembly might help parliament break through its housing policy impasse. Could bringing a group of regular citizens together to talk through the issues help politicians find common ground on housing policy? Is the ‘Australian dream’ always likely to be connected to home ownership or will the national mythology begin to change? And are the inequities in the housing market having a lasting impact on our democracy? On this e...
Jun 20, 2023•48 min
We discuss the Trump indictment and Australia’s intelligence services with John Blaxland and Clare Birgin on this episode of Democracy Sausage . Why is the Australian Signals Directorate, a secretive and seemingly esoteric part of the Department of Defence, becoming increasingly important to Australian society? And why have Australian officials tended to be more secretive than their counterparts in other democracies? Professor John Blaxland and Clare Birgin join Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marij...
Jun 13, 2023•52 min
Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga discuss dodgy grants, a hollowed-out public service and what the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation ruling means for journalism. What impact are ‘sports rorts’ and this week’s revelations about community health grants having on public trust in policy-making? With the government’s reliance on consultants in the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons, can the public service re-establish itself as a source of ‘frank and fearless’ advice? And was the Ben Roberts-Smith verdict...
Jun 06, 2023•43 min
On this episode of Democracy Sausage , Brendan Crabb and Chris Wallace join us to discuss whether Australian governments have dropped the ball on COVID-19 prevention. With winter approaching and infections likely to rise, what will the human cost of Australia’s current COVID-19 strategy be in the coming months? Why hasn’t Australia seen a concerted public information campaign about preventing infection? And what would it take for governments to start taking the virus seriously again? On this epi...
May 30, 2023•52 min
On this special episode of Democracy Sausage , Stan Grant discusses the importance of speaking truth with love, his decision to step away from media and his new book, The Queen is dead . Following his decision to step down as host of the ABC’s flagship Q&A program, Stan Grant spoke in front of a live audience on campus at The Australian National University (ANU). In a powerful conversation with Mark Kenny, he discussed writing his new book in just eight weeks following the death of Queen Eli...
May 25, 2023•57 min
Peter van Onselen joins our discussion on the first year of the Albanese government on the 250th episode of Democracy Sausage . How does the first year of the Albanese government compare to that of its predecessors? Can Labor build a case for major reform over time or, facing a weakened opposition after the 2022 election, do they risk letting the opportunity slip away if they don’t act now? And will Labor run a candidate in the Fadden by-election following Stuart Robert’s retirement? On the 250t...
May 23, 2023•44 min
Demographer Liz Allen and social policy expert Ben Phillips join us to discuss the budget's impact on struggling Australians and the politics of the population debate. What impact will the modest increases to the JobSeeker payment and other benefits have on the lives of people who are doing it tough? Is the federal government doing enough to build the case for more substantial increases in social security spending? And should people be concerned about the impact of a growing population on infras...
May 16, 2023•49 min
Miranda Stewart and Peter Martin join Mark Kenny to fire up the barbecue for a sizzling post-budget Democracy Sausage special. The budget may be back in black - albeit briefly - but with a $40 per fortnight JobSeeker increase falling far short of what many experts are calling for, are vulnerable Australians going to slip further into the red? In response to the growing spending pressures on the budget, will the government have a serious conversation about tax reform? And will that extend to alte...
May 10, 2023•42 min
Historian Frank Bongiorno joins the show to discuss coronations, consecrations and policy cremations. Poised to deliver its second budget in under a year, is the Albanese government’s post-election honeymoon period finally coming to an end? Can the Liberal Party be a truly ‘broad church’ or is it now beholden to conservatives and the secret Coalition agreement? And will Australians answer Buckingham Palace’s call to swear an oath of allegiance to their new king through their televisions? On this...
May 02, 2023•55 min
Chief Executive Officer of the Grattan Institute Danielle Wood joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the pressures facing the Australian economy and to preview the May budget. How can the federal government manage the significant pressures on the budget while at the same time supporting those most in need during the cost-of-living crisis? Can Australia let go of its property investment ‘fetish’ and ensure everyone has access to an affordable, decent place to live? And with the JobSeeker payment fai...
Apr 26, 2023•45 min
Former Member for North Sydney Trent Zimmerman joins the show to discuss the current direction of the Liberal Party, the demographic challenges the party faces and how it can engage younger voters. With younger Australians now less likely to become politically conservative as they age, can the Liberal Party connect with this changing electorate? Can the remaining moderate members of the Liberal party room effectively influence its direction and reorient it towards the political centre ground? An...
Apr 18, 2023•40 min
On this episode of Democracy Sausage , Kos Samaras joins Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga to discuss how the Australian electorate is changing and the Liberal Party’s declining fortunes at the ballot box. Out of government everywhere bar Tasmania, is the Liberal Party suffering from cyclical changes in politics or are its problems structural? Why is the party struggling to hold onto metropolitan electorates? And with the primary vote for both major parties on the slide, are minority governments lik...
Apr 11, 2023•38 min
Former Senator Rex Patrick joins Democracy Sausage this week to discuss the Australian government’s “mind-blowingly absurd” AUKUS decision-making. Has the Australian government put all of its eggs in one nuclear basket with the AUKUS submarines deal, rather than investing in the range of capabilities necessary to defend Australia? Will the “highly risky” British-designed submarines actually make it to Australian shores - and what will be the implications for South Australia’s defence industry wo...
Apr 04, 2023•48 min
This week on Democracy Sausage , we discuss negotiations between the government and the Greens over the ‘safeguard mechanism’ and the findings of the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report with experts Mark Howden and Arnagretta Hunter. Having reached an agreement with the Greens over its signature climate policy, is the government finally putting to bed Australia’s so-called ‘climate wars’? What role will the expanded crossbench play in climate policy negotiations throughout th...
Mar 28, 2023•44 min
Strategic studies expert Hugh White argues that the AUKUS submarines arrangement is a deeply flawed deal that ties Australia to the United States in the event of a major armed conflict in Asia. Are nuclear-powered submarines the most cost-effective and strategically sound option for Australia? Is Australia paying for the Virginia-class submarines with a portion of its sovereignty as well as a very large sum of money? And is the Australian government basing its decision-making on flawed assumptio...
Mar 18, 2023•55 min
Senior Reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton joins the show to discuss what the Robodebt royal commission hearings uncovered and the dire state of Australia’s policymaking apparatus. How was the Robodebt scheme, which illegally and inaccurately used income averaging to calculate welfare debt, allowed to become policy and wreak havoc on some of Australia’s most vulnerable citizens? What did the royal commission hearings, which concluded just last week, reveal about the culture of the Austra...
Mar 14, 2023•47 min
Historian Frank Bongiorno joins us to discuss superannuation reforms, Robodebt and the state of policy debate in Australian politics on this episode of Democracy Sausage . Why has the backlash to the government’s superannuation changes been so fervent, despite an overwhelming majority of Australians supporting the move? What did the illegal Robodebt scheme reveal about the exercise of power in Australian politics and society? And what lessons can the Prime Minister and his cabinet learn from pas...
Mar 07, 2023•47 min
Social media expert Jennifer Stromer-Galley joins us to discuss social media, echo chambers and the erosion of democratic institutions on this episode of Democracy Sausage . Effective policymaking depends on people coming together to find common ground, but is that still possible in the increasingly caustic political atmosphere in the United States? What role has social media - particularly Twitter - played in undermining democratic institutions? And what, if anything, can be done to reverse the...
Feb 28, 2023•49 min
International relations scholar Charlie Miller joins the show to discuss Joe Biden’s visit to Ukraine and the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Will United States President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Kyiv influence Russia’s strategic calculus in Ukraine? Is a decisive Ukrainian victory on the battlefield possible in the second year of Russia’s invasion, or is the current stalemate likely to continue? And how can lasting peace be achieved? On this episode of Democracy Sausage , Dr Cha...
Feb 21, 2023•40 min
Journalist Hamish Macdonald joins Mark Kenny to get under the skin of some of the world’s most prominent political leaders. How did Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin make their way to the top of their respective political systems? What does the leadership of Giorgia Meloni suggest about how Italy has grappled with its past? And how does Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s power extend around the world, including into Australia? In this episode of Democracy Sausage , Walkley Award-winni...
Feb 14, 2023•47 min
Sophia Gaston and Mark Kenny discuss balloons in the United States, tanks in Ukraine, and railways in the United Kingdom on this episode of Democracy Sausage . It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s a 200-foot-high Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the northern United States (allegedly)! On this episode of Democracy Sausage , Head of Foreign Policy and UK Resilience at British think tank Policy Exchange, Sophia Gaston, joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss whether the discovery of said inflatable ...
Feb 07, 2023•50 min
On this episode of Democracy Sausage , former Chair of the Australian Republican Movement Greg Barns joins Mark Kenny to discuss the Voice referendum and the challenges of running a ‘yes’ campaign. What lessons can the ‘yes’ campaign in the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum learn from the failed republican campaign in 1999? How much is too much when it comes to detail ahead of the vote? And how significant is it that Anthony Albanese and the premiers are supportive of the ‘yes’ vote this t...
Jan 31, 2023•36 min
Treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers joins Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga to discuss the future of Australia’s economy and society on the first episode of Democracy Sausage for 2023. Despite the simultaneous and interconnected crises ravaging the global economy, can Australia find a way forward that leaves the country stronger? How can the economy support a more robust and inclusive democracy? And what legacy does the new treasurer want to leave? On this first episode of Democracy Sausage for 2023...
Jan 26, 2023•37 min
Roll out the red carpet and prepare to get fancy, it’s that time of year again - we present the third edition of the very serious and highly revered Annual Democracy Sausage Awards. Which international leader stood tall in the performance of a lifetime? Who stole the show as Best New Musical Talent? And who selflessly gave it all for the ensemble as Best Supporting Minister? On the Democracy Sausage night-of-nights, Mark Kenny, Marija Taflaga and Frank Bongiorno give out the gongs for the best a...
Dec 13, 2022•56 min
On the penultimate episode of Democracy Sausage for 2022, Benjamin Jones joins us to discuss the future of the republican movement, before Ian McAllister and Sarah Cameron examine the results of the new Australian Election Survey. A referendum to change Australia’s head of state might be off the cards for now politically, but how might the republican movement proceed as its proponents seek to break from Britain? Is the election of a large parliamentary crossbench a one-off, or are Australians gi...
Dec 06, 2022•59 min
On this episode of Democracy Sausage , author and head of The Australia Institute’s international and security affairs program Allan Behm joins Mark Kenny to discuss Australia’s diplomatic challenges and the fallout from the Victorian election. Has the new federal government changed the way Australia does diplomacy? Will progress in reconciling internal divisions over race and gender change how Australia is perceived, and how the country carries itself, on the international stage? And after a co...
Nov 29, 2022•54 min
