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Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny
Australia redux – rebooting the country after the coronavirus crisis
This week on Democracy Sausage, we look at what’s in store for businesses and workers as Australians and their workplaces are encouraged to emerge from hibernation.
Australia is taking its first tentative steps towards restarting its economy, but what does that mean for business, workers, and industrial relations? Can businesses survive the social distancing requirements that will remain in place as the economy reboots? And is the bigger role for the state that we’ve seen through the crisis here to stay? This week on Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny talks to former Minister for Small and Family Business in the Turnbull Government Craig Laundy, AAP’s Senior Political Writer Katina Curtis, and regular guest Dr Marija Taflaga about business, the economy, and industrial relations.
Mark Kenny is a professor in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.
Marija Taflaga is a lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Her major research is on political parties and particularly the Liberal Party of Australia. She has previously worked in the Australian Parliamentary Press Gallery as a researcher at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Craig Laundy is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for Reid from 2013 until his retirement in 2019. He served as Minister for Small and Family Business, the Workplace and Deregulation. Craig is also a business owner.
Katina Curtis is Senior Political Writer at Australian Associated Press in Canberra.
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This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.
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Opportunity in chaos
01:00:16|What does the Middle East conflict mean for Australia and how instructive is the past in drawing parallels with the chaos of today? Will a global recession benefit One Nation in marginal, outer suburban electorates? How worried should the National Party be in the upcoming Farrer by-election? Can Albo manage the Trump relationship?Frank Bongiorno joins Mark to discuss his new role, instructional history, and the fallout for Australian politics.
One Nation watershed
59:15|Will the Liberal and National parties do better in the Victorian election and the Farrer by-election? Can One Nation build itself into a national political force, beyond its Queensland heartland and newfound popularity in South Australia? Will poor leadership and discipline unravel One Nation success, or will it become the party of the right?South Australia political junkies, Josh Sunman and Dr Emily Foley join Democracy Sausage to discuss the South Australian election washup and the performance for One Nation.
The scales of war
52:47|What are the legal implications of Australia's participation in the Gulf? Is International Law being undermined by the US? How are the powers of influence tipping the scales of justice? Leading international law expert Donald Rothwell joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the legal implications of the Iran war.
Insider view
01:02:19|What were the domestic pressures in Israel and the US for attacking the Iranian regime? Has the international rules-based order been permanently eroded or is the current conflict lawful? How does the Australian government plan consular service responses in a time of conflict and what is the IDETF? Career diplomat and foreign policy observer, Andrew Goledzinowski joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the conflict in the Middle East and the prospects for regime change in the Islamic Republic.
Pub politics
01:04:17|Can Angus Taylor rebuild public confidence in the Liberal Party and will Migration play out well for them? What are the risks for Angus Taylor in the Farrer by-election? Will One Nation capitalise on the disarray in the Liberal party?‘Live to tape’ at the Australian National University, political scientist, Jill Sheppard and The Saturday Paper national affairs correspondent, Jason Koutsoukis join the DS team for a beer and to discuss the reconfiguration of the coalition, the Farrer by-election and all things 1 Nation.
Conservative cleavage
01:01:03|How long does Angus Taylor and the Liberal party have to redefine themselves in a changed electoral landscape? Can the major parties develop serious policy in the era of grievance politics? What is ‘cross-cutting cleavage’?With a new opposition leader and the return of Nationals to the shadow cabinet, Intifar Chowdhury and Richard Denniss join Democracy Sausage to discuss the rocky path ahead for mainstream conservative politics.
Building social cohesion
58:23|What has fuelled grievance politics and anti-system sentiment in Australian politics? How does policy reform in housing and education build social cohesion and why are One Nation successful in harnessing voter discontent? How have policy settings created intergenerational inequity and will the ALP develop a significant reform agenda in this term, or next?Member for Reid, Sally Sitou joins Democracy Sausage to discuss her political journey, migration, grievance politics and areas of reform needed to improve social cohesion.
Realignment of Australian Politics
54:33|How has the preferential voting system masked the decline of the major parties and why is the decline worse for the Liberals and Nationals? Can One Nation capitalise on the trend? How does ‘voter softness’ play out amongst the ‘aggrieved’,and what lessons are there from similar democracies?Social and political data scientist, Shaun Ratcliff joins Democracy Sausage to discuss new polling on the realignment of the Australian political landscape.
Anatomy of a conservative crisis
48:08|What were the structural factors in the split of the coalition? How did the culture wars and deindustrialisation change the conservative base? Can the liberals regroup to become an effective opposition?Former federal politician, Jason Falinski joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the fractures within conservative politics, the challenges of opposition and the opportunity for Sussan Ley, and the Liberal Party in the wake of the dissolution.