Podcasts: Democracy Sausage

The success of the National Cabinet has shown politicians the value that Australians place on political cooperation. But can the government use this changed landscape to tackle the policy challenges facing the country and disarm the weaponised political disagreement of the climate wars? Mark Kenny talks to Annabel Crabb of the ABC about how the country’s politics has changed as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

On this Democracy Sausage we take a look at tackling the climate crisis as Australia is still battling the coronavirus. Mark Kenny is joined by Kieran Gilbert, Frank Jotzo, and Marija Taflaga. (more…)

In the decade to 2018, 106 local and regional newspapers closed in Australia. As a consequence, 21 local government areas are now without a local newspaper. On this episode Mark Kenny talks to Associate Professor Kristy Hess about the high price of losing local newspapers, and how communities are responding.

Are the government’s changes to university degree funding about getting graduates job-ready, or hostility towards the humanities? (more…)

From white settlement of Australia and the massacres of Indigenous peoples that followed, to statues commemorating slave traders, around the world protesters are starting important new conversations on history. Joining Mark Kenny to discuss the lessons we really should be learning from the past are journalists Stan Grant and Julia Baird, and historian Professor Paul Pickering. (more…)

The coronavirus crisis has thrown the rule book out on what it means to be a better economic manager. On this Democracy Sausage we take a look at what it will take to chart an economic road to recovery with The Australia Institute’s Dr Richard Denniss. (more…)