Latest Episodes
Politics podcast: Dennis Richardson on telling it like it is
Dennis Richardson, one of Australia's most respected federal public servants, has just retired after an illustrious career. He served as head of the foreign affairs department, the defence department, and ASIO, and was Australian ambassador in Washington. He was also once chief-of-staff to then-prime minister Bob Hawke. Richardson was never afraid to tell ministers what he believed they should hear…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Mathias Cormann and Anna Bligh on the new bank tax
Despite the hefty tax imposts in Tuesday’s budget, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann still insists the fiscal problem was a spending rather than a revenue one. Cornman says the problem was clearly "on the spending side", but while the government had made significant progress it couldn’t get all the savings measures through the Senate. "We’ve made some judgements that to the extent that we couldn’t…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Andrew Giles on schools funding
The shadow assistant minister for schools, Andrew Giles, says the strong opposition from Catholic schools to the government's education package is because they were given "almost no notice" of the funding changes. "What’s different in the Catholic system from the independent sector is the practice of making systemic decisions. And that’s something that has been fundamentally ignored by the minister…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Simon Birmingham on the government's education reforms
This week, the government made big announcements about the future funding of schools and universities. Haunted by the unpopular 2014 budget, it is treading more carefully with its new education policies. Education Minister Simon Birmingham says one of the challenges of the 2014 budget was that there were "a lot of different pieces of policy reform all announced simultaneously". Birmingham – who took…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: John Hewson on the budget climate
John Hewson, a former Liberal leader and chair in the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at the Australian National University, describes the uncertain economic climate into which Treasurer Scott Morrison will deliver next week's budget. "I think it's an occupational hazard for treasurers that they're always optimistic – always try to put a better gloss than is the case," Hewson says. "I've been analysing…
2 Hosts: Michelle Grattan and John Hewson
Politics podcast: Jane Halton on how to make a federal budget
Jane Halton, a former finance department secretary and an adjunct professor, appeared at cabinet's expenditure review committee over nearly 30 years. Halton describes the inner workings of the federal budget in what's known as "the razor gang". The razor gang, comprised of the treasurer, the finance minister and then a couple of senior ministers, scrutinises the government's spending and savings in…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Peter Jennings on North Korea's aggression
As North Korea continues to antagonise the US and its allies, the prospect of war hangs in the air. But Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, says he doesn't think we'll see armed conflict with North Korea any time this year. "I think the US has now resolved that it's going to exhaust all diplomatic options first before it thinks about pre-emptively striking…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Jenny Lambert on the 457 visa scrapping
This week, the government announced it would abolish the 457 visa and replace it with a new temporary skill shortage visa program. The change has met a mixed response from businesses. Jenny Lambert, director of employment, education and training at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says the key issue for the business community is to "try and reset the button on confidence in the temporary…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Gareth Evans on Australian self-reliance
In a speech to the National Press Club on Thursday, former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans lambasted US President Donald Trump and called on Australia to become more self-reliant. Evans described Trump as "manifestly the most ill-informed, under-prepared, ethically challenged and psychologically ill-equipped president in US history". Evans, who is chancellor of the Australian National University…
2 Hosts: Michelle Grattan and Gareth Evans
Politics podcast: Matthew Sussex on Russia's long game
A cloud continues to hover over Russian interference in the US presidential election. Associate professor Matthew Sussex, academic director at the Australian National University's National Security College and a specialist in Russian foreign and strategic policy, says Russia's meddling has been "exceptionally damaging". "I think that the Kremlin was really dreading having a Hillary Clinton White House…
2 Hosts: Michelle Grattan and Matthew Sussex
Politics podcast: David Marr on Pauline Hanson's star power
In his latest Quarterly Essay, journalist David Marr delves into why Pauline Hanson attracts so much attention. Looking at figures from the last election, Marr also paints a portrait of those voting for One Nation. "The principal characteristics of her followers are this: they're white, they're at least third-generation Australians, they are – unlike most Australians – pessimistic about their own prospects…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Michaelia Cash on union misconduct
The government this week introduced a bill that aims to put a stop to secret agreements between employers and unions without the knowledge of union members. The next hurdle will be the Senate, although it's possible Labor may support the legislation. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says she is always in discussion with the Senate crossbenchers about the implementation of the recommendations from…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Richard Di Natale on the future of work
Greens leader Richard Di Natale is calling for a reimagining of the way Australians approach work. "What we're saying is: let's have a look at some of the models around the world," he says. "It's absolutely possible, as we've seen in places like Sweden, where in the aged-care sector people are working a six-hour day rather than an eight-hour day, but they're actually delivering a productivity dividend…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: WA election – Mark McGowan accuses Turnbull of bluffing
The end of the mining boom has hit many people in Western Australia hard, and this has flowed strongly into the election. Debt and deficit are besetting the state budget. In this final podcast from Perth, we talk to economist Alan Duncan about the challenges for the state’s economy and for whoever forms government after Saturday, as WA undertakes a vast transition. We also interview Opposition Leader…
2 Hosts: Michelle Grattan and Alan Duncan
Politics podcast: WA poll – Kim Beazley on One Nation
In our second podcast from the Western Australian election, we talk to Kim Beazley, especially about One Nation. Beazley was federal Labor leader during Pauline Hanson's first political phase. He sees her as a national security threat and believes she should be opposed in the strongest terms. "We [in WA] are probably more conscious of southeast Asia. We do more trade with southeast Asia ... with Indonesia…
3 Hosts: Michelle Grattan, Kim Beazley, and William Bowe
Politics podcast: election report from the West
In the first of three Conversation podcasts on the Western Australian election, we talk to Natalie Mast at the University of Western Australia, Premier Colin Barnett and ABC election analyst Antony Green. Saturday's election potentially carries a hefty national punch. The polls are running strongly against the Liberal government. If Colin Barnett loses, the federal Liberals will become even more jittery…
2 Hosts: Michelle Grattan and Natalie Mast
Politics podcast: former ambassador Jeff Bleich on the shocks of the Trump presidency
Australia got a taste of US President Donald Trump's approach to diplomacy in a sensational phone call with Malcolm Turnbull, details of which were leaked to the Washington Post. But the former US ambassador to Australia during the Obama years, Jeff Bleich, says the reaction in the US was "very helpful" to Australia. "Because one person after another, myself included, was called onto TV to talk about…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Ken Coates on the future of higher education
With university graduates finding it harder to find jobs, questions have been raised about the merits of a typical tertiary qualification. Dr Ken Coates, Canada research chair in regional innovation at University Saskatchewan Campus, says by 2050 we're going to have hundreds of more specialised, boutique institutions. "We'll have a smaller number of what we call these 'multiversities' - the large scale…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Hugh Saddler on Australia's energy crisis
As politicians debate the causes of South Australia's power failures, separating fact from rhetoric has become difficult. In this episode of The Conversation's politics podcast, Michelle Grattan interviews energy expert Hugh Saddler. Saddler explains the complex mix of factors behind the power failures in South Australia and the stresses on the electricity systems elsewhere, and canvases what can be…
2 Hosts: Michelle Grattan and Hugh Saddler
Politics podcast: Anthony Albanese on Labor's approach to infrastructure
Labor's edge over the government in the polls has seen the party stay united. But it has not stopped speculation about whether frontbencher Anthony Albanese would be a better fit as leader of the party. Albanese dismisses Coalition jibes about him being the alternative leader. He tells Michelle Grattan it's the government who has internal issues. "The government are I think more divided than I've seen…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Barnaby Joyce on a year at the top
Celebrating his one-year anniversary of becoming National Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce is well aware of the challenge posed by One Nation. Joyce tells Michelle Grattan he knows "there's a battle on", as the Queensland election looms. He agrees regional seats in that state are particularly vulnerable to falling to Pauline Hanson's party. "I take every political vote seriously…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Cory Bernardi on why he spurned the Liberals
A day after moving to the crossbench, Cory Bernardi is feeling the heat. The media, former Liberal colleagues and South Australian voters all have a view on his defection, especially coming only months after he was re-elected under his then party's banner. "People will say what they're going to say. And I've tried to be consistent. I've been accused of many things in my time in politics but I've looked…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Arthur Sinodinos on the government's headwinds
At the beginning of the parliamentary year, the government is beleaguered on several fronts. But Arthur Sinodinos, one of the Coalition's most experienced operators and the newly appointed minister for industry, innovation and science, is determined to be optimistic. "You can't rule any possibilities out, including the possibility that the government actually goes from strength to strength as we go…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Chris Richardson on the state of the Australian economy
Ahead of next week's mid-year economic and fiscal outlook, the government has been hit with the sobering news that real GDP shrank in the September quarter. Deloitte Access Economics' Chris Richardson offers some context to the gloomy figures. "Perhaps a better way to describe it is the numbers have been artificially good for a while and now they're looking artificially bad. The bottom line is that…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan
Politics podcast: Nick Xenophon on working the new parliament
As the curtain falls on the year, one of the most powerful players in the new parliament looks back on his successes. Nick Xenophon nominates whistleblower protections and procurement law changes negotiated alongside the government's industrial relations legislation as major achievements. "The government has agreed to sweeping changes to whistleblower protections in this country. Compensation for whistleblowers…
1 Host: Michelle Grattan