Latest Episodes
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jim Chalmers on the budget Labor can't oppose
The opposition is criticising the government's "giveaway" budget but, predictably, with the election close, is not opposing its cost of living package, which includes a temporary cut in full excise and billions of dollars for low and middle income taxpayers, pensioners and welfare recipients. Jim Chalmers is shadow treasurer, and he tells this podcast, "It's a vote seeker budget in the sense that it's…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Sarah Ferguson on reporting from Ukraine
As the devastating war in Ukraine continues, Michelle Grattan speaks with ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson about her experiences in reporting her Four Corners episode Despair and Defiance – how she was able to capture this story – and her views on where the conflict is likely to go from now. Sarah and her team presented a raw portrayal of the conflict and its human toll in Kyiv and elsewhere. "[In reporting…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor will give human rights award in memory of Kitching
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. In this podcast, Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn talk about Anthony Albanese's handling of the bullying allegations mounted by friends of the late senator Kimberly Kitching, Labor's sweeping…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Stay calm, petrol is headed down, budget is improving – economist Chris Richardson
Australia's budget situation has been quietly improving. Deloitte Access Economics director Chris Richardson says the remarkable strength of the Australian economy means it no longer needs the emergency support it has been getting from the government and the Reserve Bank. Government spending fell by a record 10% in the year to January. He counsels against emergency measures to protect Australians from…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Be careful what you say about your opponent's 'makeover'
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. This week Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn talk about the continuing "blame game" after the floods, the pressure on the government over petrol prices, the coming weekend's South Australian…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Mark Maund on improving our resilience to deal with flood crises
Catastrophic floods have devastated large areas of NSW and Queensland. More than 20 people have lost their lives and Scott Morrison moved for the declaration of a national state of emergency in response to this disaster. Mark Maund is from the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle. He has qualifications in environmental science, urban and regional planning and…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Subs, floods and people saying it's 'time to give someone else a go'
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. This week Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn talk about the government's proposal for a new east coast submarine base and the politics of that in an election Scott Morrison wants to frame…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Russia specialist Matthew Sussex on Putin's potential to start wider war
As the West watches appalled at Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine, attention is increasingly turning to the question of Vladimir Putin's longer term ambition, and the potential for this conflagration to turn into a wider war. Matthew Sussex, associate professor at the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University and an expert on Russia, believes Putin won't want to stop at subjugating Ukraine. "Putin…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Assistance for Ukraine and Peter Dutton's fundraising
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. This week Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss Australia's response to the war in Ukraine which now includes more than $100 million for lethal and non-lethal assistance and humanitarian…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Australian politics in an uncertain world
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. This week Michelle speaks with politics + society editor Amanda Dunn about the escalating crisis in Ukraine as Russia sends in troops to rebel regions and Australia and other countries are set to announce…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor defence spokesman Brendan O'Connor on China and Ukraine
Ahead of the election, Scott Morrison is trying to wedge Labor on national security generally and China in particular. Opposition defence spokesman Brendan O'Connor tells this podcast: "National security is the the greatest priority of any federal government in order to protect the interests of the country and citizens. But we should not be politicising national security for base political purposes…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Government's 'shock and awe' assault on Anthony Albanese
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. This week she and politics editor Amanda Dunn discuss the government's torpedoed religious discrimination legislation. Scott Morrison thought he could press the issue and hopefully get the package through…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Trent Zimmerman has no regrets on Religious Discrimination rebellion
Trent Zimmerman is one of the five Liberal moderates who crossed the floor to vote to amend the religious discrimination package to protect trans children. Scott Morrison's response was to abandon his legislation. Asked whether he regrets his decision to vote against the government Zimmerman, who crossed the floor on some other proposed amendments, says he was "standing up on a couple of points of…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: On Scott Morrison's battle for Religious Discrimination Bill
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. This week Michelle and politics editor Amanda Dunn discuss the imbroglio over Scott Morrison's religious discrimination bill, approved by the Coalition on Tuesday after extensive debate but with dissidents…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anthony Albanese on his ‘legacy’ – so far
Critics say Anthony Albanese is still an unknown quantity, but in this podcast the opposition leader insists he already has a "legacy" and connections with communities around the country. "I have a relationship going back [from his time in government] to communities right around Australia during that period and relationships with the business community and with people in electorates from east to west…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: On Scott Morrison admitting some regrets
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. This week Michelle and Amanda Dunn discuss Scott Morrison's Press Club performance, when he spoke about "resilience" and faced some difficult questioning. Knowing how hostile many voters have become towards…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Peter Dutton on US combat assets in Australia, China, and Vladimir Putin
Defence Minister Peter Dutton says he would like to see more American combat capability based in Australia. Speaking on the "Politics with Michelle Grattan" podcast, Dutton says: "I'd be very open to it. I would be very, very happy to have that discussion with the US if they saw a strategic advantage in doing so." He says there is significant visiting by US airforce, navy and army forces (together…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tanya Plibersek on parents' role in reducing violence against women
As election year opens, Michelle Grattan speaks with Tanya Plibersek, Labor's spokeswoman on education and women, about the opposition's agenda in these two critical areas. Violence against women is one of our society's most pressing and intractable issues, and front and centre for Plibersek, who says there is a way to do better. "We do know so much about what we can do to reduce risks of violence…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anthony Albanese's challenge is to define himself to voters
As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. In this episode, politics + society Senior Deputy Editor Justin Bergman and Michelle canvass Anthony Albanese's address to the National Press Club this week, billed as the opposition leader seeking to outline…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: A very bad start to 2022 for Morrison, but can Albanese win?
In addition to her regular interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where Michelle discusses the news of the week with The Conversation's politics team. This week, Politics + Society senior deputy editor Justin Bergman and Michelle discuss the eventful start to the election year. With massive surges in COVID cases in most of the country…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Frydenberg 'thinking about the budget' over Christmas
In her last podcast for the year, Michelle Grattan speaks with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg about the mid-year budget update, his optimism about the economy, and the election. Although Scott Morrison has the option of a March poll, Frydenberg says he is working on the assumption he'll deliver a budget on March 29, which would put the election in May. Frydenberg says he'll be "spending my Christmas period…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Government and Labor end 2021 on tenterhooks
As well as Michelle Grattan’s usual interviews with experts and politicians about the news of the day, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where all things political will be discussed with members of The Conversation’s politics team. This week they look back at 2021 and forward to 2022, which will see an election by May. They discuss how the government and opposition are…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Sean Kelly and Anne Tiernan on election year
In this podcast Michelle Grattan speaks with Sean Kelly and Anne Tieran about where the political battle stands as we look to the 2022 federal election. Kelly, a former staffer to then prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, has just written The Game: A Portrait of Scott Morrison. Anne Tieran, adjunct professor at Griffith University, has co-edited the newly-released book The Oxford Handbook…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Adam Bandt on hopes for a dozen Greens senators and a 'power-sharing' parliament.
Greens leader Adam Bandt is hopeful his party could have 12 senators in the next parliament. Only three of the party's nine senators are up for re-election (in Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania). So, assuming they hold their seats, with possible wins in South Australia, Queensland and NSW there is the opportunity to bring the total to a dozen, he says. Bandt says that in 2019, 10% of Australians…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor's climate policy and the Liberals' fight for Warringah
As well as Michelle Grattan’s usual interviews with experts and politicians about the news of the day, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes "Word from The Hill", where all things political will be discussed with members of The Conversation’s politics team. This week Michelle and politics editor Amanda Dunn discuss Labor's newly announced climate policy, with its target of 43% emissions reduction…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan