Share
Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny
Can Labor be a long-form government?
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 250th episode of Democracy Sausage, academic and former journalist Professor Peter van Onselen joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss what comes next for the federal government.
Peter van Onselen is a Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of Western Australia and a columnist for The Australian.
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 a Professor at 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.
More episodes
View all episodes
Broken Britain and the Burnham Moment
01:02:12|How did a Prime Minister who won one of the largest parliamentary majorities in British history find himself gone within two years — and what does his fate tell us about the limits of triangulation politics? Is Andy Burnham's victory a genuine realignment moment for British Labour, or is he inheriting a structurally broken state where no leader can succeed? With Reform UK on the march and the North-South divide wider than the gap between East and West Germany, can Burnham's vision of devolution, constitutional reform and a written constitution offer a way out — and what can Australian politics learn from Britain's decade of revolving-door prime ministers?Political scientist Pat Leslie joins Mark and Maria to make sense of the collapse of the Starmer government and the rise of Andy Burnham.Race for the base
53:25|How long will the honeymoon last for One Nation? Can Pauline Hanson create a robust political party to be competitive at the next election? How do populist leaders like Trump, Farage, and Hanson convince the working class that their wealthy backers back them? With One Nation rising in the polls, Special Correspondent at the Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis joins Mark and Marija to discuss the threats to Labor and the Liberals and what they need to do to arrest the decline in the polls.Contest for the populist vote
52:49|Does the experience in the US, Germany, and Brazil reflect the Australian experience? How have institutional structures insulated centrist parties against new political threats? Can the rise of anger captured by the populists be effectively tested, and has Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani shown the way? Dr Rüçhan Kaya joins Mark and Marija to discuss the drift towards populism and nationalism in liberal democratic countries.China in the world
38:14|Can Australia manage the tensions between our strategic relationship with China and the alliance with the United States? Does membership of AUKUS and the Quad damage our China relationship? How significantly are societal and economic issues - such as the role of women in decision making, aging population, corruption and the household registration system - impacting cohesion?China expert, Graeme Smith joins Mark to discuss China, and our relationship.A Democracy Sausage for the Teacher
01:14:37|Have young voters lost faith in the major political parties and politics in general? Did the recent federal budget go far enough in addressing the generational wealth gap and what will it take for political parties to successfully engage young voters?In this special classroom edition of Democracy Sausage, Dr Jill Sheppard joins the DS team and heads back to school (literally) to discuss the growing distrust in politics amongst young voters.Budget, Smudge-it: truth, details and the aspiration wars
57:34|Will the budget changes reconnect young and disaffected Australians to the benefits of the economy? Is Angus Taylor’s vision likely to arrest the decline in support to One Nation? Is the ALP open to creating a sovereign wealth fund as outlined by Pauline Hanson? Treasurer of Australia, Dr Jim Chalmers joins Marija and Mark to discuss last week’s budget, Angus Taylors’ reply and the challenges of ‘getting it right’ in today’s volatile political and economic landscape.Budget fight
48:51|Has the social deficits of broken promises put the government 'on the ropes'? Could Labor have 'pulled their punches' in this budget? Does the zeitgeist allow governments to adjust the status quo?Join Mark and Marija from the 'ringside seats' as they analyse labors 'chin-leading' budget.By-election tea leaves
57:41|In the wake of a dominant political victory, what are the challenges for One Nation in navigating a path to opposition status in Australian politics? Does Angus Taylor have the political capital to survive the long road back to political relevance for the Liberal Party? Will One Nation’s uncompromising anti-immigration rhetoric backfire in urban seats and do they have the party discipline to grow into an effective alternate party government? Psephologist Ben Raue and Political scientist Dr Jill Sheppard join Democracy Sausage live in the Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre to dissect the Farrer by-election result and its implications, if any, on politics beyond.Democracy and the fiscal paradox
55:56|What responsibilities should the government have? Can hypocrisy be ignored if the government's narrative is perceived as authentic? Does the lack of access to education help to explain the erosion of democratic ideals?Professor Nicholas Biddle joins Democracy Sausage to make sense of the paradoxical observations of Australian voters in this 'age of pessimism'.