Latest Episodes
Politics podcast: Derryn Hinch on becoming a senator
Incoming Victorian senator Derryn Hinch has the potential to be an ally or an enemy to the government's agenda. Describing his political philosophy, Hinch says he isn't in the Senate "just to be opposition". "If I was in America I'd be a Democrat. I'm conservative on some issues. Very conservative. And that's over law-and-order issues and I've campaigned on those over the years. If I'm a socialist…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Karen Middleton on Albanese – Telling It Straight
This week, political reporter Karen Middleton is releasing a book about the life and career of Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese. At its heart is a deeply personal story of Albanese's absent father. As a boy, Albanese believed his father had died in a car accident shortly after his parent's marriage. But at the age of 14 his mother told him the truth. Middleton tells Michelle Grattan she came to…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Anne Aly on counter-terrorism policy
When parliament returns later this month, Labor's Anne Aly will become the first Muslim woman to take a seat in the lower house. Aly is an internationally renowned scholar on counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation. In 2014, she was the only Australian expert invited to attend Barack Obama's summit on countering violent extremism. Aly tells Michelle Grattan she has spoken with many people who have…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Linda Burney on the 50th anniversary of the Wave Hill walk-off
Next week, Australians will look back at one the most significant moments in the struggle for Indigenous rights. August 23 marks the 50th anniversary of the Wave Hill walk-off, when Vincent Lingiari led a group of 200 Aboriginal workers and their families off a Northern Territory pastoral station in protest against their exploitative pay and working conditions. Labor's spokesperson for human services…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Tom Calma says Nigel Scullion should go
The royal commission into the Northern Territory's youth detention and child protection systems has had a shaky start. The Four Corners program that spurred the federal government into action has also raised questions about its previous knowledge of reports of abuse at the Don Dale detention centre. Chancellor of the University of Canberra Tom Calma, who is co-chair of Reconciliation Australia and…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Tiernan Brady on the campaign for same-sex marriage
Tiernan Brady was the political director of the "yes" campaign during the Irish referendum on same-sex marriage. With the government pushing ahead with plans for a plebiscite on the issue, Brady is in Australia to help advise local advocates. Brady tells Michelle Grattan one of the most important aspects of the Irish referendum was that they recognised that it should always be about "a real person…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Jim Chalmers on Labor's approach to the economy
Labor begins its next phase in opposition with bigger numbers in the parliament and with a new level of confidence as it confronts the government. Shadow Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation Jim Chalmers tells Michelle Grattan Labor has a pretty good record of "supporting what they can" of government savings measures. "The way I like to describe it is when it comes to the budget, you…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Darren Chester on the Nationals' success
By increasing their numbers within the government, the Nationals were the surprise success story of the election, with a very locally focused campaign. The infrastructure and transport minister, Darren Chester, tells Michelle Grattan the presidential style of campaigning that is becoming more prevalent in Australia doesn't suit the Nationals. "We don't necessarily benefit from that style of campaigning…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Wayne Swan on Labor's next moves
As a veteran of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years, former treasurer Wayne Swan is a politician with a great deal of experience with parliamentary instability. With the outcome of the election still uncertain, Swan tells Michelle Grattan Labor should approach the next period ahead in a very positive way. "We put [forward] a comprehensive agenda for inclusive growth. What you saw at this election was the defeat…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: James Pearson on the knife-edge result and business confidence
The election has plunged Australia into uncertainty and placed a possible question mark over the country for companies looking to invest. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO James Pearson tells Michelle Grattan that businesses are disappointed there isn't a clear result and that policies that are pro-business will now be harder to get through parliament. "The call from business now is to…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Election podcast: Nick Xenophon on his play for Senate power
Senator Nick Xenophon is the South Australian "vote magnet". He is making both the Coalition and Labor nervous as he spreads his brand at this election. His probable success promises not just more Senate seats for the nascent party but a powerful role in the new Senate for its leader. Xenophon tells Michelle Grattan he believes that while governments have a mandate to introduce legislation, the Senate…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Election podcast: Tony Abbott on his campaign role
Tony Abbott has been low key so far this election, spending much of his time campaigning in his own electorate, with some visits to MPs who invite him. Speaking with Michelle Grattan, he plays up being part of the team. He admits staunch Liberals have issues with the superannuation changes but says "the point I keep making to them is that we cannot avoid tough decisions", and does not expect the policy…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Election podcast: the Greens' fight for Batman and Wills
The Greens, who already hold the seat of Melbourne, are making a big play for two nearby Labor-held seats – Batman, held by David Feeney, and Wills, where the popular Kelvin Thomson is retiring. Labor is especially worried about Batman, where Feeney's failure to declare his A$2.3 million house added to his already embattled position. This week The Conversation spoke to Greens leader Richard Di Natale…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Election podcast: the Indi project
The battle for the Victorian seat of Indi is shaping up as a three-way contest. Independent Cathy McGowan is trying to fend off the former member Sophie Mirabella and the Nationals' Marty Corboy. McGowan tells Michelle Grattan the election will come down to preferences. "I’m hoping that the National Party people will consider giving me their second preference and I’m hoping that Liberal Party people…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Election podcast: Sam Dastyari on the 'Bill Bus'
The Labor Party has been driving a campaign bus from Cairns to Canberra. On Sunday night senator Sam Dastyari, leader of the "Bill Bus", told supporters at a Canberra pub they had raised enough money to extend its journey through to Melbourne and would be leaving the next morning. After giving a speech to the faithful, Dastyari tells Michelle Grattan they have been getting a lot of local media in small…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Election podcast: the battle for New England
This is The Conversation’s first election podcast, where we visit the New South Wales seat of New England. The electorate is held by deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, who is under challenge from former independent member Tony Windsor. Joyce predicts the government will "take a haircut" at the election, and talks about New England becoming a net exporter of renewable energy in…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Andrew Leigh on Labor's budget reply
In response to the government's pre-election budget, Labor's Shadow Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh, a former professor of economics, describes an alternative economic plan. Leigh tells Michelle Grattan that a Labor government would have delivered a budget that faced down Australia's big economic challenges. "They include declining living standards: income per capita in real net terms has declined…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: In Conversation with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
On the cusp of calling the election, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sat down with Michelle Grattan to talk about the budget. When the discussion turned to political trust, Turnbull said it’s critical to be very upfront about issues, to explain what the problems are, and to explain how you propose to resolve them. "I think there is a gotcha culture in the media and perhaps in the political discourse…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Budget podcast: Mathias Cormann on the government's economic plan
Sleep is at a premium in Canberra this week. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann is one of those doing the post-budget heavy lifting, with 22 media interviews on Wednesday. He sat down with Michelle Grattan to discuss the government's long-term economic plan.
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Budget podcast: John Daley on the big picture
From the Parliament House lockup, Grattan Institute CEO John Daley joins Michelle Grattan to give an overall picture of the government’s pre-election budget.
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Robert Simms on the evolution of the Greens
The future of senator Robert Simms, one of the freshest faces in the Greens team, may hang on whether he is first or second on his party's ticket. In his home state of South Australia, where the Nick Xenophon Team looks to be strong, the Greens face a particularly tough battle. But Simms tells Michelle Grattan he thinks the Greens have a chance of retaining their two seats. "There's no question it's…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Sarah Ferguson on The Killing Season uncut
In 2015, the ABC aired a gripping documentary series covering the tumultuous Rudd-Gillard era. This week, the series’ writer and interviewer Sarah Ferguson has released a book developed from the documentary. Ferguson tells Michelle Grattan she longed for a single villain or a single narrative that she could pursue to the ends of the earth. The widely acclaimed journalist talks about the difficulties…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Angus Taylor on cities and digital transformation
In his ministerial reshuffle earlier this year, Malcolm Turnbull made Angus Taylor, an up-and-coming Liberal MP, the assistant minister for cities and digital transformation. Taylor tells Michelle Grattan there needs to be agreement across all three levels of government to meet the challenges of jobs growth, transport and housing affordability faced by the nation's cities. "We have already said we're…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Hugh White on Turnbull's China visit
Malcolm Turnbull will visit China this week in his first time there as prime minister. The two-day trip, including Shanghai and Beijing, will juggle trade and political issues. ANU professor of strategic studies Hugh White tells Michelle Grattan that Turnbull will be primarily focused on the economic agenda. "Turnbull is one of those who remain bullish about China. He thinks its economic prospects…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Peter Whish-Wilson on the need for a royal commission into banks
The global scandal surrounding the release of the Panama papers and Malcolm Turnbull's criticism of Australian banks have put the spotlight on the often murky world of banking and finance. Greens finance spokesman Peter Whish-Wilson, who had a pre-parliamentary career on Wall Street, tells Michelle Grattan one reason he walked away from the banking industry was because of its culture. "You're only…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan