Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

In this special live recording from the 2025 Whitlam Symposium, Mark hosts a star-studded panel discussing the 50th anniversary of the Dismissal.Was Sir John Kerr's decision to dismiss Gough Whitlam constitutionally correct but politically catastrophic? Did Malcolm Fraser's blocking of supply in the Senate represent an abuse of power, or legitimate opposition tactics? And has the Dismissal left lasting scars on Australia's public trust in democratic institutions?Distinguished Professor George Williams AO is Vice-Chancellor of Western Sydney University and one of Australia's leading constitutional lawyers.The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP is the Member for Isaacs and former Commonwealth Attorney-General.The Hon Justice Michael Lee serves on the Federal Court of Australia.Julia Baird is an ABC journalist, broadcaster, and author.Troy Bramston is a journalist with The Australian and author of the new biography Gough Whitlam: The Vista of the New.The Hon Amanda Vanstone AO is a former Liberal Senator for South Australia and Howard Government minister.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.Recorded live at ANU in partnership with the Whitlam Institute (whitlam.org).

Political journalist and author Troy Bramston joins Democracy Sausage to discuss his new biography of Gough Whitlam and asks how a government could be so transformative yet so chaotic.How did Whitlam's government profoundly change Australia in less than three years despite being shambolic and scandal-prone? Could Whitlam have avoided the Dismissal if he'd passed supply in the House of Reps? And did the hostile media environment contribute to the government's downfall, or simply report on its dysfunction?Troy Bramston is a political journalist with The Australian and author of Gough Whitlam: The Vista of the New, published by HarperCollins to mark the 50th anniversary of the Dismissal.Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is the Director of 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.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

Jason Koutsoukis joins Democracy Sausage to examine Barnaby Joyce's political future and asks whether One Nation is really a viable option for the former Nationals leader.Will Barnaby Joyce defect to Pauline Hanson's One Nation party? Why did David Littleproud allegedly tell Joyce he wasn't wanted in Parliament? And is Sussan Ley's Coalition giving Labor too easy a ride on AUKUS and foreign policy?Jason Koutsoukis is a Special Correspondent with The Saturday Paper covering politics and national affairs.Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is the Director of 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.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

Political scientist Feo Snagovsky joins Democracy Sausage to explore the uncanny valley between Canadian and Australian politics and ask whether Mark Carney can govern while sleeping next to an 'elephant on meth'.How did Trump's annexation threats unite Canadians like never before? Why does Alberta want to hold a separation referendum while sitting in the middle of Canada? And what happens when your conservative leader loses his own seat but still gets the highest vote share in party history?Dr Feo Snagovsky is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta, specialising in Canadian politics and comparative political systems.Dr Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

Political scientists Jill Sheppard and Pat Leslie join Democracy Sausage to ask whether the Albanese government is strategically waiting or simply drifting through its second term.Why did Labor walk back its modest superannuation tax reform after winning 94 seats? How has Nigel Farage's Reform party overtaken the UK Conservatives with 250,000 members? And what happens when governing parties become so grey and joyless that voters prefer the 'entertainment' of the fringes?Dr Jill Sheppard is a Senior Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations, specialising in political behaviour and public opinion.Dr Pat Leslie is a Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations, focusing on comparative politics and electoral systems.Dr Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

Former ambassador Bob Bowker joins Democracy Sausage to assess the Middle East two years after October 7 and asks whether the prospect of a Palestinian state has been obliterated forever.Why did Hamas's military wing launch an attack they knew would unleash catastrophic retaliation? How has Australia's recognition of Palestine exposed an 'iceberg adrift' in our society? And why does Trump's 20-point peace plan have even less chance than Moses's ten commandments?Dr Bob Bowker is an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. He served as Australia's ambassador to Jordan, Egypt and Syria during his diplomatic career with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).Mark Kenny is the Director of 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.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

Author Virginia Haussegger joins Democracy Sausage to discuss her new book tracing fifty years of Australian feminism and ask why the revolution that began in 1975 remains unfinished.What role did a Canberra house party have in selecting the world's first women's advisor to a Prime Minister? Why did ASIO surveil women's liberation meetings and photograph their knitting bags? And what does the UN Secretary-General mean when he warns we're witnessing "the mainstreaming of misogyny"?Virginia Haussegger AM is an award-winning journalist, author and gender equality advocate. Her new book is The Unfinished Revolution: The Untold Story of the Feminist Fightback.Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is the Director of 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.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

Columnist Jenna Price and economist Sinclair Davidson join Democracy Sausage to dissect the crisis engulfing Australia's university sector and ask whether it can be fixed before it's too late.Why are students being taught by academics on 13-week contracts who can't get home loans? How did universities end up with 55% of staff in administration while gutting teaching? And should prospective students skip university entirely until the sector sorts itself out?Dr Jenna Price is a columnist, political commentator and former academic. Sinclair Davidson is a Professor of Institutional Economics in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT University.Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is the Director of 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.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

Historian Frank Bongiorno joins Democracy Sausage to dissect the Liberal Party's existential crisis and asks whether Australia's 'natural party of government' is heading for collapse.Is the Liberal Party becoming ideologically pure but electorally toxic? Why are Liberal MPs losing control of their branches to Sky After Dark viewers? And what happens when a political party holds just one in ten metropolitan seats but refuses to moderate?Frank Bongiorno is a Professor at the ANU School of History. He is President of the Australian Historical Association and the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is the Director of 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.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.