Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

Latest Episodes:

Money talks Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny speaks with Craig Reucassel - formerly of The Chaser and director of the new two-part ABC film Big Deal - about the flaws in Australia’s political donation laws and what needs to happen to fix the system.

Does Australia need to introduce a cap on political donations? What can be done to provide an impetus for the major parties to come together to introduce real-time reporting and transparency? And can policymakers end the ‘arms race’ for donations in political campaigning? Craig Reucassel, director of Big Deal - a new documentary about Australia’s political lobbying industry - joins Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage.

Craig Reucassel is an Australian writer, comedian, and journalist best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser. In 2021, he directed the two-part ABC documentary Big Deal: Is our democracy for sale?

Mark Kenny is a Professor in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.

Big Deal premieres on ABC iview and ABC TV at 8.30pm, Tuesday 19 October.

Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holding government to account Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

On this Democracy Sausage, journalist David Crowe and political accountability expert Yee-Fui Ng join Mark Kenny to discuss how a federal integrity commission might work and the political obstacles to ensuring such an institution is strong and effective.

Following the resignation of former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, debate has raged around the need for a federal integrity commission and how strong such a commission should be. Despite committing to its creation as an election promise, the Morrison government’s proposal has fallen short of the expectations of many in the community. So how could such a body be designed so that it’s robust and effective? What lessons can be learned from integrity commissions at the state level? And will this debate be used by the federal opposition as an election issue? Chief Political Correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age David Crowe and Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation Associate Professor Yee-Fui Ng join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss these questions on this episode of Democracy Sausage.

Yee-Fui Ng is an Associate Professor and the Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation at Monash University.

David Crowe is Chief Political Correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and a regular commentator on national affairs on the ABC’s Insiders program. In a career spanning 25 years, he has covered federal politics as the national affairs editor of The Australian and the Chief Political Correspondent of The Australian Financial Review.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Into the rip with Damien Cave Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Australia bureau chief for The New York Times Damien Cave joins us to discuss Australia’s attitude to risk, the importance of positive messaging in the vaccine rollout, and the progress of the Biden administration.

Is there an Australian ‘way of risk’? How can policymakers do more to encourage more Australians to get vaccinated? And what does the performance of the Biden administration reveal about the realities of US politics after the Trump presidency? Damien Cave, journalist for The New York Times and author of the new book Into the Rip, joins Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage.

Damien Cave is Australia bureau chief for the The New York Times. His new book Into the Rip was published in September 2021.

Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Australia thinks Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, The Australian National University’s Matthew Gray joins Mark Kenny to discuss the impact of the pandemic on Australian attitudes and how data can help us better understand ourselves.

Has the pandemic affected the views of Australians about migration? How do young people in the country feel about the direction the country is heading in? And are governments missing their chance to permanently improve economic and environmental outcomes in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis? Professor Matthew Gray, Director of the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, joins Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage to discuss the What Australia Thinks project, a nation-wide public conversation that provides a comprehensive and continually evolving outlook on Australian attitudes.

Matthew Gray is Professor in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences and Director of the Centre for Social Research and Methods.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In deep water Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Frank Bongiorno and Chris Wallace join us to discuss ministerial standards and the new Australia-United States-United Kingdom security arrangement.

How significant is Australia’s decision to torpedo its submarine deal with France in favour of a new arrangement with the United States and the United Kingdom? Is the federal government's habit of front-running in opposition to China in Australia’s long-term strategic interests? And what does the handling of Christian Porter’s departure from the ministry reveal about Scott Morrison’s leadership? Associate Professor Chris Wallace from the University of Canberra and Professor Frank Bongiorno from The Australian National University (ANU) join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss this and more on the new episode of Democracy Sausage.

Frank Bongiorno AM is Professor of History at ANU and an Australian labour, political, and cultural historian.

Chris Wallace is an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra and author of How To Win An Election.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The accidental prime minister with Annika Smethurst Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, journalist and author Annika Smethurst joins Mark Kenny to discuss political accountability and her new biography of Scott Morrison, The Accidental Prime Minister.

Not expected to win the 2019 election, Scott Morrison has been Australian Prime Minister during a time of great uncertainty. But how did he come to be selected, then elected, for top political office? Might an aversion to scrutiny come to be his Achilles’ heel? And what does his ‘daggy dad’ persona reveal about his leadership style, but also about what the Australian public expects of their political figures? Annika Smethurst, state political editor at The Age and former member of the federal press gallery, joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss her new biography of Australia’s 30th prime minister.

Annika Smethurst is state political editor for The Age newspaper in Melbourne and a Director on the Board of the National Press Club.

The Accidental Prime Ministerby Annika Smethurst is available from Wednesday 15 September.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Afghanistan Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, journalist Karen Middleton and foreign policy specialist Gorana Grgić join Mark Kenny to discuss the 20-year war in Afghanistan, the prospects for the country with the Taliban back in power, and the damage done to the United States’ reputation.

With the departure of American and allied troops, the nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan - the longest in United States history - is over. But what does the future now hold for the country and its people, who are now back under the control of the Taliban? What are other global powers making of the manner of the Biden administration’s withdrawal? And what impact will the decision have on the credibility and reputation of the United States in the years ahead? Author of An Unwinnable War: Australia in Afghanistan Karen Middleton and Dr Gorana Grgić from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney join Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage.

Karen Middleton is Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper.

Gorana Grgić is a jointly appointed Lecturer at the Department of Government and International Relations and the United States Studies Centre at University of Sydney.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pandemic planning and political plasticity Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Insiders host David Speers and regular podleague Marija Taflaga join Mark Kenny to talk about the federal government’s COVID-19 recovery plans and how pandemic politics might play out at the next federal election.

In a time of great uncertainty, is the Australian Government unnecessarily locking itself into a COVID-19 recovery strategy that may need to be revised? Is the federal opposition falling behind or doing a good job with a difficult hand? And will the popularity of the Labor state governments in Queensland and Western Australia pose a major challenge for the federal government at the next election? Journalist David Speers and political scientist Dr Marija Taflaga join Professor Mark Kenny at the barbecue hotplate for this week’s episode of Democracy Sausage.

David Speers is an Australian journalist. He has been the host of PM Agenda, The Last Word, and Speers, and is currently host of ABC’s Insiders.

Marija Taflaga is Director of ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Her major research is on political parties and particularly the Liberal Party of Australia.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The justice so deserved Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

On this Democracy Sausage, guest host Virginia Marshall has a yarn with Yawuru man Peter Yu, who reflects on his 40 years in Indigenous development and advocacy.

What responsibility do universities have to ensure research contributes to advancing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians? And while sporting codes have taken a role in condemning racism, what more can governments do to tackle the issue? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Yawuru man and inaugural Vice-President (First Nations) at The Australian National University Professor Peter Yu AM joins guest host Dr Virginia Marshall to discuss his experiences of racism growing up in Western Australia, societal and institutional change, and the importance of education.

Peter Yu is a Yawuru Man from Broome in the Kimberley region in North West Australia with 40 years experience in Indigenous development and advocacy, and is inaugural Vice-President (First Nations) at The Australian National University.

Virginia Marshall is the Inaugural Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellow with The Australian National University’s School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) and the Fenner School of Environment and Society. She is a Wiradjuri Nyemba woman from New South Wales.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belonging to Country Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, guest host Virginia Marshall takes over the tongs, fires up the barbie, and speaks to community pastor and advocate Ray Minniecon.

How can Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander conceptions of truth-telling inform global reconciliation efforts? And why haven’t Australian governments and society fully acknowledged the history and the damage of the frontier wars in the country? On this Democracy Sausage, guest host Dr Virginia Marshall speaks with Pastor Ray Minniecon, who reflects on life under Queensland’s Aboriginal Protection Act, recognising the sacrifices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women, and what it means to belong to Country.

Ray Minniecon is a community Pastor at St John's Anglican Church, Glebe and Director of Bunji Consultancies, which supports Aboriginal leadership and business initiatives.