Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

Justin Ryan and James Robertson join Democracy Sausage to discuss the rise of the independent, the pressure on the two-party system and how to get the best out of democracy. Is the declining support for a two-party system a good thing? Can the Liberals and Labor adapt to this new environment? And how can we make sure that our community’s best and brightest end up in parliament? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Justin Ryan and James Robertson from think tank, Progressive Action Lab, join Dr Marija Taflaga and Professor Mark Kenny to discuss two-party systems, independent candidates and how to make these processes work for communities. Their discussion paper is From Decline To Dormancy: The Major Parties, Community Independents And Australia’s Void Of Democratic Participation. Justin Ryan is the co-founder of the Progressive Action Lab, a think tank focused on promoting public participation in politics and reshaping the political landscape. James Robertson is a media consultant at Progressive Action Lab and author. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Senior 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. 

Don Watson joins Democracy Sausage to discuss updates from the US election in this live recording. From debates and assassination attempts to celebrity endorsements, a lot can happen in a short amount of time in politics.  What explains the performance-like aspects of this US election campaign? How can Americans come together to mend divisions? And what is the likely outcome of the presidential race?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, author and speechwriter Don Watson joins Professor Mark Kenny to talk about the world’s so-called greatest democracy and his new Quarterly Essay, High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the brink.  This episode was recorded as part of the ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author series. Don Watson was Prime Minister Paul Keating’s speechwriter and adviser between 1992-1996. He is the author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed books, including Caledonia Australis, Recollections of a Bleeding Heart, American Journeys, The Bush and The Passion of Private White. He is the author of a new Quarterly Essay entitled High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the brink. 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. 

Maria Maley joins Democracy Sausage to talk about what can be done to make parliament a less toxic workplace. Who is responsible for controlling bad behaviour in parliament? What norms and traditions make parliament a toxic place for women? And what changes still need to be made?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Maria Maley joins Professor Mark Kenny to talk about making parliaments a safer place for everyone. Maria Maley is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Politics and International Relations at The Australian National University. Her teaching and research covers Australian politics, public administration, public policy, ministerial advisers, the public service and gender issues in political staffing. Her book, co-authored with Marian Sawer, is Toxic Parliaments And What Can Be Done About Them.   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. 

Philip Martin and Alan Gamlen join Democracy Sausage to talk migration – the politics, narratives and possible solutions. From international student caps to housing, many areas of policy are connected to migration. But what is driving our increasing isolationism post-pandemic – economic factors or powerful narratives about being left behind?  How can we adjust our international governance of migration to meet humanitarian needs?  And is it possible to manage migration from the middle ground and avoid knee-jerk policies?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Emeritus Professor Philip Martin and Professor Alan Gamlen join Professor Mark Kenny to talk about dealing with the complex problems of migration and its impacts. Alan Gamlen is the Director of the Migration Hub at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance.    Philip Martin is Professor Emeritus of Agricultural and Resource Economics at University of California, Davis. He edits Rural Migration News, has served on several US federal commissions, worked on UN agencies and testifies frequently before Congress on labour and migration issues.   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. 

Crikey’s Eric Beecher and academic Denis Muller join us on Democracy Sausage to ask how media should operate when the lines between news, opinion and political campaigning have blurred. What impact have media moguls throughout history had on our politics and democracy? How can business models and governance structures be adjusted to ensure the Australian public is served by good journalism? And how does truth compete with exaggeration in the realm of public discourse?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Eric Beecher and Dr Denis Muller join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss how to revive the news. Eric Beecher is a journalist, editor and publisher. He has been a reporter with The Age, The Sunday Times, The Observer in London and The Washington Post. He was the youngest-ever editor at The Sydney Morning Herald and the editor-in-chief of the Melbourne Herald. He was the founder of news website Crikey. He is the author of The Men Who Killed the News: The Inside Story of how Media Moguls Abused their Power, Manipulated the Truth and Distorted Democracy.   Denis Muller is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Advancing Journalism. He is a political scientist, consultant, former journalist and former editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Times, London.   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. 

Nobel laureate and economist Joseph Stiglitz joins Democracy Sausage to talk about the global economy and freedom. In light of the recent court ruling on Google, how can we use economics to drive innovation and efficiencies? Is it possible to make capitalism work better to stop abuses of market power? And how can we allow for freedoms without curtailing the freedoms of others?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, high-profile economist and author Professor Joseph Stiglitz joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss freedom and the winners and losers of the global economy. Joseph Stiglitz is a Professor at Columbia University, Chief Economist of The Roosevelt Institute, co-founder of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD) and the co-chair of the OECD High-Level Expert Group on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress. He is a Nobel Laureate, former World Bank Chief Economist, and best-selling author. His latest book is The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society. He was in Australia for a speaking tour with The Australia Institute.   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. 

Ian Parmeter returns to discuss increasing tensions in the Middle East with Professor Mark Kenny. How can peace talks take place after the assassination of Hamas leader and chief negotiator Ismail Haniyeh? The assassination, dubbed a “grave escalation” by Hamas officials, has been perceived as Israeli action. Has this demonstration of Israeli power changed the strategic calculus in the region? And what can other nations, including Australia, do to reduce tensions?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny speaks to Ian Parmeter about recent developments in the Middle East following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.  Ian Parmeter is a Research Scholar at the ANU Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies. Previously, he was Australia’s ambassador to Lebanon and former Assistant Director-General at the Office of National Assessments.  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. 

Allan Behm joins Mark Kenny to discuss the complexities (and oddities) of the US-Australia relationship. What do the US and Australia have in common? How has Australia’s fear of abandonment influenced diplomatic relations with the US? And how should Australia project confidence and advocate for shared interests?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, international relations expert Allan Behm joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss the US-Australia relationship.  This episode was recorded as part of the ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author series.  Allan Behm is the Director of the International & Security Affairs Program at The Australia Institute. Previously, he was Chief of Staff to Minister for Climate Change and Industry, Greg Combet (2009 to 2013), and senior advisor to the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong (2017-19). His most recent book is The Odd Couple: The Australia-America Relationship.  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. 

Library leaders Marie-Louise Ayres and Cathie Warburton join us to discuss the unique role libraries can play in democratic society. What can libraries do to strengthen democracy?  How can libraries democratise access to information across polarised media, and digital and cultural divides?  And how can we improve civics education while combating misinformation and disinformation?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Marie-Louise Ayres and Cathie Warburton join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss libraries, misinformation and democracy. Dr Marie-Louise Ayres is the Director-General of the National Library Australia. She was a member of the executive team responsible for Trove, which digitises collections from Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives.  Cathie Warburton is the CEO of the Australian Library and Information Association.  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.