Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

Former Foreign Minister and New South Wales Premier Bob Carr joins us to talk about the recent stabbing attacks in Sydney, escalating tensions in the Middle East and Penny Wong's move to recognise Palestinian statehood. What can leaders do to achieve calm and social cohesion following the recent stabbing incidents in Sydney? How likely is an interstate war in the Middle East?&

Elise Stephenson from the ANU Global Institute for Women’s Leadership joins us to ask who gets to represent Australia on the world stage? Governor-General has caused backlash in some quarters of the media, which raises the question, who gets to be the face Australia presents to the world? As we break down barriers in representation, how do inequalities evolve in institu

Demographer Liz Allen and migration expert Alan Gamlen are talking migration and population, and the fear-based discourse that often surrounds it.Last week we saw an attempt at rushing through immigration legislation, but creating a sense of panic around immigration and population issues has long been a staple of the political playbook. So why is it effective? Where does&

Independent member for Warringah, Zali Steggall discusses her unusual path to politics and election integrity. Among all the commentary about the ‘teal wave’ in the 2022 federal election, how has the presence of more independent candidates in Australia’s chambers of power changed the status quo of politics? And what more needs to change? In the face of scare ca

International relations scholar Charles Miller joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the conflict in Ukraine and Putin’s ‘re-election’. Are Ukraine’s international supporters in the United States and Europe losing hope in holding off Russia’s advances and achieving peace? If Trump is elected, where will Ukraine source much needed aid? And, after Putin has been re-e

Dennis Quinn and Paul Pickering join us to cast their early predictions on the 2024 US election. What can Australia expect from this year’s US election, and how may their campaigns infiltrate our own political landscape? What do economic polling models suggest and how will other key issues impact the way people vote? And, most importantly, can we already forec

Strategic studies expert Hugh White talks Australia's defence situation, arguing our political leaders are out of step with the rest of the region.How can we best spend our tax dollars to ensure that Australia's defence capabilities are 'fit for purpose'? What politics internationally and closer to home, are impacting Labor's decisions on shipbuilding and defence? And with the rece

Mark and Marija discuss Scott Morrison's exit from politics, before housing affordability campaigner Maiy Azize joins us to propose solutions to Australia's housing crisis.Will Australia's political leaders have the ambition and ability to sell substantial housing policy changes to the public? What might a fairer system look like? And how will Scott Morrison fashion his career post

Middle East expert Ian Parmeter joins Mark Kenny to explain what is going on in Gaza – including the context for the current conflict and where to next? In light of the recent Israeli declaration of a 10 March deadline for the return of all hostages, how can negotiations looking to de-escalate the violence in Gaza move forward? What would a strategic victory look like for an

Historian Paul Pickering joins Mark and Marija to break down what can be learnt from the leadership merry-go-round of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison years. What do the insider accounts from the Coalition governments of 2013 to 2022, captured in the ABC series Nemesis, reveal about the realities of federal politics? How can ambitious policy be delivered amidst the soap opera of l