Latest Episodes
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Kerryn Phelps on medical transfer numbers
Independent MP Kerryn Phelps, who set the ball rolling for the medical transfers legislation, says its passage is “a remarkable exercise in cooperation”. Phelps says that of the about 1000 people on Manus and Nauru “around 70 people require urgent medical evacuation” and “another couple of hundred will require transfer but not as urgently”. She describes Scott Morrison’s proposal to reopen the Christmas…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Michael McCormack on banks and the bush, and the election battle
Deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack says the banking royal commission report contained a good outcome for farmers. McCormack praised Nationals backbenchers Llew O’Brien, George Christensen and senator John “Wacka” Williams for their role in pushing for the commission, saying he was “really pleased” about major changes recommended in relation to agricultural loans. Acknowledging…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tanya Plibersek on a united Labor
The Labor party has emerged from its three day national conference in Adelaide looking united and projecting itself as “ready to govern”. Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek told The Conversation the ALP wants voters to see the party as “responsible and progressive”. She says a Labor government would “work cooperatively with the trade union movement cause we share the same objective”. “The union movement…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anthony Albanese on Labor's road ahead
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese, a senior minister in the last Labor government and briefly deputy prime minister, is preparing to “hit the ground running” if the ALP wins next year’s election. But meanwhile the opposition is concentrating on staying focused and on message, fully aware that things can always go wrong. Speaking to The Conversation, Albanese wouldn’t comment on Bill Shorten’s unpopularity…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Frydenberg on Liberal troubles
Josh Frydenberg, who became treasurer and deputy Liberal leader in the tumultuous events of August, said the party has “big challenges”. While the party is “disappointed” by this week’s defection of Julia Banks to the crossbench they “remain as a group focused on the challenges ahead. And we have big challenges, there’s no doubt about that.” He said he “absolutely” will be keeping in touch with Banks…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Lowy Institute's Jonathan Pryke on APEC 2018
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) ended with no agreed communique and unresolved tensions between the United States and China on open display. Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands program director, Jonathan Pryke, who observed the forum in Port Moresby, said: “it is distressing for all parties that they weren’t able to find common ground. There is a fear that we’re losing the middle here…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Derryn Hinch on a national ICAC and the Victorian election
The Senate this week passed a motion calling for the government to establish a federal anti-corruption commission. The government is more likely to beef up existing institutions but Justice Party senator Derryn Hinch, who has been a strong advocate for a national ICAC, says “that would be wrong.” “We have to have an independent national body to look into us [politicians] and to public servants and…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Andrew Giles on the growing issue of loneliness
Ahead of the release of the most comprehensive data on loneliness in Australia - by the Australian Psychologists Society - Labor frontbencher Andrew Giles speaks to The Conversation about this “contagious phenomenon”. Loneliness is a growing issue, Giles says. It’s not just among older Australians, as often conventionally thought, but also a problem for young people - with social media, paradoxically…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anne Summers on #MeToo and women in politics
Anne Summers, who has worn many hats during her career - journalist, editor, activist, senior public servant, and prime ministerial advisor - is concerned about the slow progress in Australia in addressing sexual harassment and assault. “I don’t know what it is that is holding [MeToo] back here,” Summers tells The Conversation. She believes there should be more naming of perpetrators, with the proviso…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Satirist Jonathan Biggins on sending up the pollies
Jonathan Biggins, who has been sending up politicians as part of The Wharf Revue for almost two decades, has some sharp words about social media - “the enemy of democracy, not its ally” - and a warning on political correctness. “We are entering an age of a new puritanism that is actually not only driven by the censorious right but by the equally censorious left who are saying this is no longer acceptable…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Barnaby Joyce on facing the drought and rural women
Some in the Nationals would like Barnaby Joyce back in the leadership before the election. Joyce speaking to The Conversation repeats that if the leadership were offered, he would be up for it - though he insists he is not canvassing. But his critics think he would have a “woman problem” - and Joyce acknowledges that to win support back from rural women he “would certainly have a lot of work to do…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Peter Jennings on Morrison's Jerusalem move
Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Peter Jennings, says it would be “silly” to claim - as Scott Morrison does - that there is no connection between this week’s announcement about the possible relocation of Australia’s embassy to Jerusalem and Saturday’s Wentworth byelection. This kind of decision would not have been considered by Malcolm Turnbull, Jennings says and if Julie…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: The battle for Wentworth
The government’s majority is at stake in the October 20 Wentworth byelection, when the Liberals face voters still reeling from the loss of their member Malcolm Turnbull. ABC election analyst Antony Green says there’s likely to be a 10 per cent swing “as a start” - the result of losing Turnbull’s personal vote and a generally more intense battle. He says “the only danger” to the Liberals not winning…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Clare O'Neil on Labor's listening tour for banking victims
Shadow minister for financial services Clare O'Neil, who is leading Labor’s “roundtables” for victims of the banks and other financial institutions, says the ALP exercise will give a voice to people in areas the Royal Commission hasn’t had time to visit. “There’s vast swathes of the country where the commission hasn’t been at all.” she tells The Conversation. “I just utterly reject that this is a political…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Brendan O'Connor on Labor's industrial relations agenda
With Scott Morrison flagging his government will take a hard line on industrial relations, especially the CFMEU, Labor’s shadow minister for employment and workplace relations, Brendan O'Connor will have a tough job ahead of the election. O'Connor says Labor remains totally opposed to the government’s Ensuring Integrity legislation, which the Coalition wants to resurrect. “I can’t see this bill in…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Cathy McGowan and Rebekha Sharkie on the role of community candidates
Independent Cathy McGowan and the Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie share more in common than just sitting on the crossbench. The members for Indi and Mayo respectively have dug in to retain their seats, and they believe there is “a mood” in the community for alternative candidates. McGowan and Sharkie have given the government their confidence until the Wentworth byelection - after which they will…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Judith Troeth on the Liberal party's woman problem and asylum seekers
Former Victorian Liberal senator Judith Troeth is no stranger to speaking out forthrightly on issues, even when that goes against her party’s position. In this podcast, Troeth says the party should adopt quotas to rectify the “abysmally low numbers” of Liberal women in parliament. “We should have quotas, but not forever … to get the numbers up”. One of the group of moderates when she was in parliament…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Barnaby Joyce at his provocative best
Barnaby Joyce has confirmed he could cross the floor on the federal legislation associated with the National Energy Guarantee. “Of course I could,” he says in an interview with The Conversation. Joyce is out on the author’s circuit for his just-released book Weatherboard and Iron, which reprises the personal saga that took him from deputy prime minister to backbencher, as well as canvassing life in…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Wayne Swan on Labor's byelection victories and beyond
Incoming Labor national president Wayne Swan has made it clear he will have an assertive voice in the role, as the party moves towards next year’s election. While many in the ALP would like action on party reform, Swan says bluntly it’s not top of mind for him. “I made it very clear [in campaigning for the presidency] that party reform in the first instance was not my priority,” he says. “My priority…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Dennis Atkins on the Longman byelection
After an eight-week campaign, Super Saturday is finally here. There are five byelections being held, but the race in Longman is one of two nail-biter contests that could go either way. Dennis Atkins, the Courier Mail’s national affairs editor, says the mood in Longman is one of political exhaustion and that the result is anybody’s guess because of preference changes. But Atkins says the LNP and Prime…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Katharine Murphy 'On Disruption'
A recording of a conversation with Katharine Murphy, the Political Editor of The Guardian Australlia about her new book ‘On Disruption’. Murphy’s book is about the dramatic changes that have taken place in the media and their implications, and is published by Melbourne University Press. This conversation was hosted by Australian National University Crawford School of Public Policy and introduced by…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Tanya Plibersek on Labor's taxing times
Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek talks on Anthony Albanese’s Whitlam oration, Bill Shorten’s unexpected announcement on rolling back company tax for medium sized firms, the “tough” Braddon and Longman byelections - and really fires up about mobile phones and over connected children.
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Attorney-General Christian Porter on a crowded agenda
Attorney-General Christian Porter says the response to the consultations for the national apology to victims of child sexual abuse has been very strong with a total of 167 attendees at consultation sessions so far. “There are further consultations coming up in Ballarat, Melbourne, Bendigo, Newcastle and Sydney … it is a very important process and is going very well,” he said. Porter also says there’s…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics Podcast: Brotherhood of St Laurence's Conny Lenneberg on Newstart, poverty and inequality
The Brotherhood of St Laurence has underway a campaign with the slogan “Share the Pie” highlighting the inadequacy of the Newstart allowance. The Brotherhood is also arguing the social safety net more generally is fraying. Executive Director of The Brotherhood Conny Lenneberg spoke to The Conversation about the inequality created by the low level of Newstart, which hasn’t been boosted for many years…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Michael McCormack on Barnaby's future, latte sippers and other matters
With yet another round of the Barnaby Joyce affair distracting the government, the next question will be whether the beleaguered MP runs again in his New England seat at the election. In this interview with The Conversation, Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack pointedly avoids saying Joyce should do so. “That’ll be a matter for him and that’ll be a matter for the National party…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan