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Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny
Hey, big spenders
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The coronavirus crisis has thrown the rule book out on what it means to be a better economic manager. On this Democracy Sausage we take a look at what it will take to chart an economic road to recovery with The Australia Institute’s Dr Richard Denniss.
The government is keen to paint the options for economic recovery as a choice between spenders and enablers. But with both Labor and the Coalition willing to splash the cash – albeit on different policy priorities – isn’t it really a battle between big spenders? And would economic growth be better served by continuing free childcare, or by major construction projects? On this Democracy Sausage Mark Kenny takes a look at Australia’s economics with Dr Richard Denniss of The Australia Institute and regular guest Dr Marija Taflaga.
Dr Richard Denniss is Chief Economist and former Executive Director of The Australia Institute. He is a prominent Australian economist, author and public policy commentator, and former Associate Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy.
Professor 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.
Dr Marija Taflaga is Director of the Australian Politics Studies Centre 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.
Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.
This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.
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All cloud, no lining
39:57|Researcher Nicholas Biddle joins Democracy Sausage to discuss new research on Australia’s optimism (or lack thereof), what’s driving it, and what it means for the election. What’s the current mood in Australia and how is it impacting votes? Can our pessimism drive support for any particular policy, party or candidate? And will we see populist support grow in Australia? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Nicholas Biddle joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss research on the erosion of hope and Australia’s mood as we move closer to a federal election. Nicholas Biddle is the Head of the School of Politics and International Relations. His latest research on the Erosion of Hope is available here. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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.
Monkey see, monkey don’t?
54:01|Political scientist Shaun Ratcliff joins Democracy Sausage to discuss election polls, influential demographics, and whether foreign politics are at the forefront of voter's minds.How will Donald Trump's hostile meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy affect diplomatic ties between Australia and the United States? What are the key issues influencing Australian voters in the upcoming federal election? And what factors are driving Peter Dutton’s political gains?On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Shaun Ratcliff joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss our current political landscape on both a domestic and world stage.Shaun Ratcliff is a political scientist, survey researcher and data scientist. He is the principal at Accent Research. He is also an Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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.
Keep calm, Keir-y on?
44:15|We Are New Britain's Anna McShane joins Democracy Sausage to talk British politics, the return of President Trump, and the power of visible change in uniting public support.With the Australian federal election on the horizon, what can we learn from the leadership styles of politicians across the world?Should UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer take on a ‘Trumpist’ approach to wielding executive power? And why are quick wins so important for building long-term support for a political agenda?On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Anna McShane joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the flow-on effect of a Trump presidency on foreign affairs.Anna McShane is the Director of We Are New Britain, an independent progressive think tank focused on bringing in more women and front-line voices into policy making.Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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.
An unpredictable race?
46:34|The Tally Room’s Ben Raue joins Democracy Sausage to talk by-election results, swing seats and what it all means for the federal election. What lessons we take from the most recent by-elections? What do they tell us about long-term shifts in Australian politics? And what are the patterns we should watch for ahead of the federal election? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Ben Raue joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the long and short-term trends influencing voters.Ben Raue is an independent electoral analyst and the founder of The Tally Room. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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.
Countering effective mislabelling
44:19|Senator Larissa Waters joins Democracy Sausage to talk electoral reform, resisting the far right and the Greens’ ongoing negotiations. What’s stopping donations data from being revealed in real-time? Do proposed donation reforms go far enough to strengthen Australian democracy? And is the left too fractured to rise to the challenge at the next election? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Senator Larissa Waters joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss political donations, truth in advertising and responding to the far right. Senator Larissa Waters is the Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate and represents the people of Queensland. 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.
Shrinking leaders and nations
47:46|Cultural studies professor Graeme Turner joins Mark and Marija to compare election campaign expectations, media concerns, and ask whether Donald Trump’s return could affect Australian democracy. Can we expect Peter Dutton to adopt a Trump-style for the upcoming election? Could such a campaign ever gain traction in Australia? And if it did, would the government hold it off? Or have portfolio governance changes and an incremental approach to progress left Labor with no defining re-election narrative? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the federal election. Graeme Turner is Emeritus Professor in the Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies at the University of Queensland and a founding figure of Australian media and cultural studies. His most recent book is The Shrinking Nation. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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.
Hungry for hope in the new year
54:42|Historian Frank Bongiorno and political scientist Marija Taflaga join Democracy Sausage to look back on 2024 and ahead to upcoming election year. After a turbulent year for democracy, does incumbency offer an advantage anymore? What does this say about the Albanese government’s chances next year? And what is Peter Dutton’s vision for Australia (and what are his policies to achieve it)? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Frank Bongiorno and Dr Marija Taflaga join Professor Mark Kenny to reflect on the year that was and make some forecasts about the political future ahead of us. 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. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Whitlam Institute Distinguished Fellow at Western Sydney University. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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.
Punishing kids for adult failures
40:03|Teen journalist Leonardo Puglisi and youth justice expert Faith Gordon join Democracy Sausage to discuss social media bans. How can we manage the very real harms of social media – for young people and society? Is the youth social media ban the first step towards safer social media or purely performative? And can large tech and social media companies be regulated? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny is joined by Leonardo Puglisi, managing director of 6 News Australia, and Associate Professor Faith Gordon to discuss the blunt instrument of youth social media bans. Leonardo Puglisi is Chief Anchor and Managing Director of 6 News Australia – a channel to reflect young people’s voices. Faith Gordon is an Associate Professor and Deputy Associate Dean of Research at the ANU College of Law. She has expertise in areas including youth justice, children’s rights, criminal law, digital technologies, media regulation, and young people and politics. 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.
Perception and judgement
44:17|Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga discuss the final sitting week of 2024, what drives political deal making and how politicians interpret public opinion. With the last sitting week upon us, how long until an election is on the horizon? What do the politics behind the Greens’ shift to back Labor’s housing policy say about the current political climate? And what does the science say about how public opinion sways and influences a politician’s decisions? On this episode, Dr Marija Taflaga joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the end of the year, deal making and how politicians interpret (or ignore) your opinions. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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.