Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

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Politics remastered Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

National Affairs journalist, Jason Koutsoukis joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the year that was, an historic election victory, the vexed question of political authority, and declining trust in major parties.

Will Albo develop a significant reform agenda in 2026 or will he stick to the modest election promises that delivered him a landslide election victory? Can Labour effectively manage a progressive Senate and will Democracy Sausage LIVE return in 2026?

Jason Koutsoukis is a highly experienced and well-regarded Australian journalist with a strong background in both political and foreign correspondence.

Marija Taflaga is the Director of the Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a senior lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

Mark Kenny is the Director of the Australian Studies Institute. He came to the Australian National University after a high-profile journalistic career culminating in 6 years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.

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

Albo's conservative ambition Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

Historian and author Frank Bongiorno joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the year that was, a landslide federal election victory, the rise of Teal and independent politicians and the split in the conservative Coalition.

Will Labour grasp the reform ‘nettle’ and tackle complex structural issues facing Australia or will Albo take a small C approach to governing? Can the Liberal party survive in a new political landscape and are Australians getting the democratic system they deserve?

Frank Bongiorno AM is an Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, Donald Horne Professor and inaugural Director of the Centre of Public Ideas (COPI) at the University of Canberra.

Dr Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

Mark Kenny is the Director of 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.

Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

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

Fighting the good fight? Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Political journalist and author Sean Kelly joins Democracy Sausage to discuss his Quarterly Essay examining the Albanese government and asks what today's Labor actually stands for.

Why has Labor become a graveyard of lost futures, discarding reform policies after political failures? Can Anthony Albanese's vision of 'kindness' translate into material policy? And has Labor's 94-member caucus become toxically obedient, failing to provide the internal opposition necessary for good government?

Sean Kelly is a political journalist, author and former adviser to prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. His Quarterly Essay The Good Fight: What Does Labor Stand For? is the landmark 100th essay in the series, published by Black Inc.

Dr Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

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

Gas, gambling and governance Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

Independent ACT Senator David Pocock joins Democracy Sausage to challenge both major parties on climate policy, gambling reform and political transparency.

Have gas companies captured both major parties on energy policy? Why won't Labor ban gambling advertising when 80% of Australians support it? And why do universities have governance structures that lack basic accountability mechanisms found in well-run companies?

Senator David Pocock is an independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory, elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2025.

Dr Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

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

Fifty years on from the Dismissal Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

In this special live recording from the 2025 Whitlam Symposium, Mark hosts a star-studded panel discussing the 50th anniversary of the Dismissal.

Was Sir John Kerr's decision to dismiss Gough Whitlam constitutionally correct but politically catastrophic? Did Malcolm Fraser's blocking of supply in the Senate represent an abuse of power, or legitimate opposition tactics? And has the Dismissal left lasting scars on Australia's public trust in democratic institutions?

Distinguished Professor George Williams AO is Vice-Chancellor of Western Sydney University and one of Australia's leading constitutional lawyers.

The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP is the Member for Isaacs and former Commonwealth Attorney-General.

The Hon Justice Michael Lee serves on the Federal Court of Australia.

Julia Baird is an ABC journalist, broadcaster, and author.

Troy Bramston is a journalist with The Australian and author of the new biography Gough Whitlam: The Vista of the New.

The Hon Amanda Vanstone AO is a former Liberal Senator for South Australia and Howard Government minister.

Recorded live at ANU in partnership with the Whitlam Institute (whitlam.org).

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

The vista of the new Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

Political journalist and author Troy Bramston joins Democracy Sausage to discuss his new biography of Gough Whitlam and asks how a government could be so transformative yet so chaotic.

How did Whitlam's government profoundly change Australia in less than three years despite being shambolic and scandal-prone? Could Whitlam have avoided the Dismissal if he'd passed supply in the House of Reps? And did the hostile media environment contribute to the government's downfall, or simply report on its dysfunction?

Troy Bramston is a political journalist with The Australian and author of Gough Whitlam: The Vista of the New, published by HarperCollins to mark the 50th anniversary of the Dismissal.

Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

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

Barnaby's gambit Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Jason Koutsoukis joins Democracy Sausage to examine Barnaby Joyce's political future and asks whether One Nation is really a viable option for the former Nationals leader.

Will Barnaby Joyce defect to Pauline Hanson's One Nation party? Why did David Littleproud allegedly tell Joyce he wasn't wanted in Parliament? And is Sussan Ley's Coalition giving Labor too easy a ride on AUKUS and foreign policy?

Jason Koutsoukis is a Special Correspondent with The Saturday Paper covering politics and national affairs.

Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

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

The elephant on meth Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

Political scientist Feo Snagovsky joins Democracy Sausage to explore the uncanny valley between Canadian and Australian politics and ask whether Mark Carney can govern while sleeping next to an 'elephant on meth'.

How did Trump's annexation threats unite Canadians like never before? Why does Alberta want to hold a separation referendum while sitting in the middle of Canada? And what happens when your conservative leader loses his own seat but still gets the highest vote share in party history?

Dr Feo Snagovsky is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta, specialising in Canadian politics and comparative political systems.

Dr Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

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

Stonking majorities, weak mandates Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

Political scientists Jill Sheppard and Pat Leslie join Democracy Sausage to ask whether the Albanese government is strategically waiting or simply drifting through its second term.

Why did Labor walk back its modest superannuation tax reform after winning 94 seats? How has Nigel Farage's Reform party overtaken the UK Conservatives with 250,000 members? And what happens when governing parties become so grey and joyless that voters prefer the 'entertainment' of the fringes?

Dr Jill Sheppard is a Senior Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations, specialising in political behaviour and public opinion.

Dr Pat Leslie is a Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations, focusing on comparative politics and electoral systems.

Dr Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

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

Two years after October 7 Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

Former ambassador Bob Bowker joins Democracy Sausage to assess the Middle East two years after October 7 and asks whether the prospect of a Palestinian state has been obliterated forever.

Why did Hamas's military wing launch an attack they knew would unleash catastrophic retaliation? How has Australia's recognition of Palestine exposed an 'iceberg adrift' in our society? And why does Trump's 20-point peace plan have even less chance than Moses's ten commandments?

Dr Bob Bowker is an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. He served as Australia's ambassador to Jordan, Egypt and Syria during his diplomatic career with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.

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

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