Philip Martin and Alan Gamlen join Democracy Sausage to talk migration – the politics, narratives and possible solutions. From international student caps to housing, many areas of policy are connected to migration. But what is driving our increasing isolationism post-pandemic – economic factors or powerful narratives about being left behind? How ca…

Crikey’s Eric Beecher and academic Denis Muller join us on Democracy Sausage to ask how media should operate when the lines between news, opinion and political campaigning have blurred. What impact have media moguls throughout history had on our politics and democracy? How can business models and governance structures be adjusted to ensure the Aust…

Nobel laureate and economist Joseph Stiglitz joins Democracy Sausage to talk about the global economy and freedom. In light of the recent court ruling on Google, how can we use economics to drive innovation and efficiencies? Is it possible to make capitalism work better to stop abuses of market power? And how can we allow for freedoms without curta…

Ian Parmeter returns to discuss increasing tensions in the Middle East with Professor Mark Kenny. How can peace talks take place after the assassination of Hamas leader and chief negotiator Ismail Haniyeh? The assassination, dubbed a “grave escalation” by Hamas officials, has been perceived as Israeli action. Has this demonstration of Israeli power…

Allan Behm joins Mark Kenny to discuss the complexities (and oddities) of the US-Australia relationship. What do the US and Australia have in common? How has Australia’s fear of abandonment influenced diplomatic relations with the US? And how should Australia project confidence and advocate for shared interests? On this episode of Democracy Sausage…

Library leaders Marie-Louise Ayres and Cathie Warburton join us to discuss the unique role libraries can play in democratic society. What can libraries do to strengthen democracy? How can libraries democratise access to information across polarised media, and digital and cultural divides? And how can we improve civics education while combating misi…

US experts Emma Shortis and John Hart, along with historian Frank Bongiorno join Democracy Sausage to talk Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the changes in the US election race. Biden has backed out of the presidential race, should he have withdrawn earlier? How will likely democratic candidate Kamala Harris change the campaign, the media narratives aro…

Bruce Wolpe joins us to discuss the Trump assassination attempt, questions about Biden’s leadership and the state of democracy. How will this weekend’s assassination attempt on Trump impact his popularity? Is it game over? With four weeks until the Democratic convention, who do party insiders think is best posed to stop Trump returning to the offic…

Leading international law expert Donald Rothwell joins Democracy Sausage to talk Palestinian statehood, Senator Payman’s resignation from Labor and the moral dimensions of politics. What are the formal and political processes Australia would need to undertake to recognise Palestinian statehood? How would recognition impact Israel’s obligations unde…

Political strategist John McTernan and Atalanta’s Elizabeth Ames join us to talk about the UK election trail – betting scandals, campaign gaffes and all. What is the mood on the ground in Britain? What are the political narratives influencing the upcoming UK election? And with Labour predicted for a landslide win, what are the perils of a decisive …

Security expert John Blaxland and physicist Ken Baldwin join us to discuss Dutton’s nuclear plans, politicised debates and poly-crisis. Is it possible to decarbonise through nuclear energy? Does the debate around these complex issues indicate a failure in public discourse? And what does this say about our ability to govern and manage a ‘poly-crisis…

Journalist and correspondent Nick Bryant joins Mark Kenny to discuss division in the United States of America. What was it like to be in Washington DC after the 6 January insurrection? How did we misinterpret Trump’s narrative? And what are the roots of the conspiracies, division and polarisation that we see in the United States today? On this epis…

Legal and youth justice expert Faith Gordon joins Mark Kenny to discuss young people, social media and democracy. What should the age of criminal responsibility be? With younger generations becoming more politically engaged, should the voting age be lowered? And how can we make social media safe for young people, without causing civic disengagement…

This week we are getting back to the building blocks of politics and democracy with philosopher Philip Pettit. How did states form and are they inevitable? Has globalisation changed our perception of states? And how do different approaches to democracy influence their politics? This week on Democracy Sausage, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, …

Join us for a bonus barbecue, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks with Mark Kenny about his first two years in the top job. What’s it really like being Prime Minister of Australia? What lessons did the PM take from the Voice campaign, his recent budget and other key policy agendas? And how can we improve the often partisan state of political …

Economics professor, Sean Turnell, and writer and surgeon, Ma Thida, join us to discuss their experiences as political prisoners and their hopes for Myanmar’s future. Sean Turnell and Ma Thida have both experienced the terror of being locked up in Myanmar. So how did they survive? What do they think were Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s missteps during leade…

For this post-budget special, Elizabeth Ames and Peter Martin join us to break down whether this budget will allow a soft economic landing to cost of living and inflationary pressures. As the government has thrown the switch to spending in this budget, what will the impact be on our economy? How does this budget set up for an upcoming election year…

Historian Frank Bongiorno joins us to discuss Scott Morrison, religion and politics, and the history of Labor. What does Scott Morrison’s autobiography reveal about his time as Prime Minister? How have Australian political parties tended to characterise the role of government, unions and religion? And what does the history of the Labor tell us abou…

Journalist Lech Blaine joins us to talk Peter Dutton’s Coalition, moving working class voters, and his new essay, Bad Cop. How did Peter Dutton’s experiences growing up in Queensland influence his politics and his conservatism? How successful will he be in his strategy to win outer-suburban and regional seats from Labor? And does he have the politi…

Sociologist Mike Savage joins us to talk wealth, inequality and other issues in UK politics. In the pursuit of a truly egalitarian society, what can we learn from the United Kingdom’s race and class wealth divides? Can politicians implement policies around wealth and taxation without being accused of attacking aspiration? And what impact does the u…

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 inters…

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 inequali…

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 …

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 fac…

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…