Latest Episodes
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Michele Bullock's appointment as Reserve Bank Governor
For months, speculation has swirled about the appointment of a new governor of the Reserve Bank, a key position in the management of the Australian economy. The present governor, Philip Lowe, has faced sharp criticism, especially over his prediction interest rates would be held steady until 2024, which proved wrong. It always seemed unlikely he would get another term. Now the government has named his…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Bill Shorten on Robodebt report's sealed section, and progress on NDIS reform
The Robodebt royal commission's report has excoriated a raft of former ministers, especially Scott Morrison, who was a main instigator of the program, as well as public servants who were involved. What we don't know is who has been referred for prosecution or other action, because the names are in a sealed section of the report. When in opposition, Bill Shorten pursued the scandal, mobilising a class…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Author Bruce Wolpe on the "shocking" consequences for Australia of a Trump 24 win
Next year's American presidential election is shaping up to be extraordinary. Donald Trump is favoured to be the Republican candidate, despite facing multiple charges over removing classified documents. President Joe Biden has indicated he intends to run again, despite the fact he'll be 82 at the time of the poll and 86 if he completed another four-year term. In this podcast, author Bruce Wolpe - a…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Word from The Hill: A wild and badly behaved parliamentary fortnight
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss the free-for-all between Coalition, government and Greens in the final sitting fortnight before the winter break. The Coalition's…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Special Minister of State Don Farrell wants donation and spending caps for next election
The next federal election could be conducted under dramatically reformed electoral laws, with caps on spending and donations, and a much lower disclosure threshold for the disclosure of donations. The changes, being worked up by Special Minister Don Farrell, would also trim the wings of third parties, such as Simon Holmes à Court's Climate 200. Farrell tells The Conversation's Politics Podcast he is…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Community Independent Dai Le on what voters are saying
For most voters, the cost of living is their major current concern. Rising interest rates and high prices for power, groceries and other necessities are hurting in particular lower and middle income people. Nowhere is this more the case than in Sydney's western suburbs. Independent Dai Le, who holds the seat of Fowler in Sydney's west, managed to pull off the unthinkable at last year's federal election…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Word from The Hill: Coalition attacks on Katy Gallagher, Voice losing traction, future fund holdout
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss the opposition's attack on Finance Minister Katy Gallagher for allegedly misleading parliament in 2021 about what she knew of Brittany…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Industry minister Ed Husic on the artificial intelligence revolution
Artificial intelligence is a challenging policy area that's moving towards the centre stage of public and government attention. Some experts emphasise the immense potential of AI, while others are deeply troubled about the ramifications the technology may have on humans. AI has the potential to open up employment opportunities, but also to replace many jobs. The Albanese government has recently begun…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Liberal MP Bridget Archer urges other moderates to speak up as she presses for party change
The Coalition's decision to oppose the Voice to Parliament has put its moderate members in a jam. Some moderates are active yes advocates, while others are trying to keep low profiles. Bridget Archer, the outspoken Liberal MP for Bass, is a vocal yes campaigner. More generally, she is also taking a lead in urging the Liberal party to undertake root-and-branch reform. Archer is pushing for extensive…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Word from The Hill: PwC scandal, McGowan quitting politics, PM's trip to Singapore and high inflation figure
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss the PwC scandal, where the consulting firm broke a confidentiality agreement relating to planned taxation legislation by the Abbott…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor's Julian Hill on employment, AI, Julian Assange and TikTok
The federal budget gave a much-needed, but very modest, increase to those on JobSeeker and associated payments. However, it didn't address that other important issue of the unemployed: how to help as many JobSeekers as possible to get into work, whether full- or part-time. This will be canvassed in the government's coming white paper on employment. It's already, however, before a parliamentary inquiry…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Word from The Hill: On the Voice, the Quad, and Indian PM Modi's visit
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss whether Labor needs to panic about a polling decline in support for the Voice, the Quad meeting on skates, and Indian Prime Minister…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Greens' Max Chandler-Mather on the housing fund, rent freezes and migration
The government's planned Housing Australia Future Fund has hit a roadblock. Legislation for the $10 billion fund – the returns on which would be used to build social and affordable housing – is being blocked by an unusual alliance of the Coalition and the Greens. Max Chandler-Mather, who won the seat of Griffith in Brisbane from Labor's Terri Butler, has been under personal attack by the government…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
The day after the night before - Chalmers and Taylor on the budget
Will the budget make inflation worse? Are its boosts to welfare payments just the first step for the Labor government? Could the projected one-off surplus be followed by another one or more? What (if any) of the budget measures will the Coalition oppose? There's quite a bit about this budget that, as the saying goes, "only time will tell". In this podcast, Treasurer Jim Chalmers defends his budget…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: NDIA chair Kurt Fearnley on 'fundamental' reform of the disability scheme
The federal government is trying to contain the exploding cost of the landmark National Disability Insurance Scheme – especially difficult given the fears of vulnerable people who rely on it. National cabinet's decision last week to aim to reduce the cost increase from the current 14% annually down to 8% by 2026 received a sharp reaction from disability advocates. This financial year the NDIS will…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Word from The Hill: Another rate rise, higher tax on cigarettes, and likely JobSeeker boost for over-55s
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss the Reserve Bank’s Tuesday interest rate rise (this time 25 basis points), the 11th increase in a year. They also canvass a likely…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor MP Marion Scrymgour on the Voice and the need for a new NT jobs program
With the Liberal Party formally opposing the Voice, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last week kicked off his no campaign in Alice Springs. His claim that child sexual abuse is rife was quickly under attack from the government and others who accused him of politicking, using the issue as a political football. Marion Scrymgour, a former deputy chief minister in the Northern Territory, is the federal Labor…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Professor Marcia Langton on the Voice's powers and potential
Professor Marcia Langton holds the Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne, and was co-author (with Professor Tom Calma) of the Indigenous Voice Co-design Process report to the Morrison government. She has been a fighter for rights and progress for Indigenous Australians for decades, and she's one of those at the centre of the yes campaign for the Voice. Her…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Simon Birmingham on the Voice, Aston, the Liberals, Uranium
The Liberals have formally decided to oppose the Voice. Peter Dutton has declared he will campaign against it, a high risk strategy when polls are showing a majority of Australians currently support a "yes" vote. Noel Pearson was scathing of the Liberal Party, calling the decision not to support the Voice "a Judas betrayal of our country". Moderate Liberal MP Bridget Archer will campaign for the "yes…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Word from The Hill: Interest rate pause, Aston, Liberals looking for their voice on the Voice, Yunupingu, TikTok
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and Amanda Dunn, politics + society editor, discuss the Reserve Bank's pause (but for how long?) on interest rate hikes, the Aston byelection, the Liberals grappling with the Voice…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Lambie urges return of former employment program for Indigenous communities
Senator Lidia Thorpe's defection from the Greens changed the power dynamic in the Senate. Now the government needs two crossbenchers (and the Greens) to pass legislation opposed by the Coalition. Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie and her colleague Tammy Tyrrell can provide those two votes, which puts them in a potentially strong bargaining position. Lambie has never been afraid to call things how she…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Michael Brennan on Australia's parlous productivity growth
The Productivity Commission's nine-volume report has a tough central message. It says productivity policy has to focus on the areas that have proven the hardest in the past, rather than those where previously progress has been most readily achieved. One key take from the report is that Australia is performing poorly in growing its productivity. The commission makes recommendations across the policy…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Word from The Hill: Reactions to AUKUS, next steps on the Voice, NSW election
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn canvass the reactions, inside and outside Labor, to the AUKUS submarine agreement; the government and Coalition reaching a deal on the Voice…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Antony Green, Professor Andy Marks and Ashleigh Raper on the NSW election
Voters in New South Wales are heading to the polling booths on March 25. For both Premier Dominic Perrottet and Labor leader Chris Minns, it is their first election as leader. The Coalition government has held power since 2011. Labor needs to gain a net nine seats to form majority government. If Labor wins, the party will be in power in every state and territory except Tasmania. There are 10 seats…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chair of Retirement Income Review, Mike Callaghan, on reforming superannuation
Treasurer Jim Chalmers sparked a political row when he announced a tax hike on superannuation concessions for accounts with balances over $3 million, from 15% to 30%, to begin in 2025. Polling indicates the move has broad support from the public, although any change to super is always controversial. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has promised the change would be reversed by a Coalition government…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan