Historian Frank Bongiorno and political scientist Marija Taflaga join Democracy Sausage to look back on 2024 and ahead to upcoming election year.  

After a turbulent year for democracy, does incumbency offer an advantage anymore? What does this say about the Albanese government’s chances next year? 

And what is Peter Dutton’s vision for Australia (and what are his policies to achieve it)? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Frank Bongiorno and Dr Marija Taflaga join Professor Mark Kenny to reflect on the year that was and make some forecasts about the political future ahead of us. 

Frank Bongiorno is a Professor at the ANU School of History. He is President of the Australian Historical Association and the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Whitlam Institute Distinguished Fellow at Western Sydney University. 

Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Teen journalist Leonardo Puglisi and youth justice expert Faith Gordon join Democracy Sausage to discuss social media bans. 

How can we manage the very real harms of social media – for young people and society? Is the youth social media ban the first step towards safer social media or purely performative? And can large tech and social media companies be regulated?  

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny is joined by Leonardo Puglisi, managing director of 6 News Australia, and Associate Professor Faith Gordon to discuss the blunt instrument of youth social media bans. 

Leonardo Puglisi is Chief Anchor and Managing Director of 6 News Australia – a channel to reflect young people’s voices.  

Faith Gordon is an Associate Professor and Deputy Associate Dean of Research at the ANU College of Law. She has expertise in areas including youth justice, children’s rights, criminal law, digital technologies, media regulation, and young people and politics. 

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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga discuss the final sitting week of 2024, what drives political deal making and how politicians interpret public opinion.  

With the last sitting week upon us, how long until an election is on the horizon? What do the politics behind the Greens’ shift to back Labor’s housing policy say about the current political climate? And what does the science say about how public opinion sways and influences a politician’s decisions?  

On this episode, Dr Marija Taflaga joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the end of the year, deal making and how politicians interpret (or ignore) your opinions. 

Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Independent MPs Kate Chaney and Zali Steggall join Democracy Sausage to talk campaign finance reform and how it impacts your choice at the ballot box. 

Will Labor’s election finance reform bill strengthen democracy or give major parties an unfair head start? What do the details of the bill look like? And what does this tell us about major parties and their willingness to adapt to the rise of the teals? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Independent MPs Kate Chaney and Zali Steggall discuss Labor’s proposed reforms to campaign donations and spending caps. 

Kate Chaney is the Independent Federal Member for Curtin. 

Zali Steggall is the Independent Federal Member for Warringah.   

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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Marija Taflaga and Elise Stephenson return to Democracy Sausage to discuss the ripple effects of a new Trump era. 

What influenced Trump’s decisive win in the US presidential election? Does this signal another global shift toward populist, strongman leaders? And what will this mean for the upcoming election in Australia? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Marija Taflaga and Dr Elise Stephenson return to discuss Trump mark two, the desire for change through populist leaders, and why Australian pollies should be taking note. 

Elise Stephenson is the Deputy Director of the ANU Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and a Fellow at the ANU National Security College. She is the author of The Face of the Nation. 

Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre 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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Former climate change envoy Howard Bamsey joins Democracy Sausage to talk about the expectations and challenges of COP29 post the U.S. election. 

The climate emergency is at its tipping point as world leaders prepare to meet in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29). 

But with time for change melting away as quickly as the glaciers, what impact will this year’s negotiations actually have? Do developed countries have a greater responsibility to meet targets and mobilise climate finance? And will progress towards a fossil-free future take a step backwards as the US election heats up? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Howard Bamsey joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss the upcoming COP29 summit. 

Howard Bamsey is an Honorary Professor at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance. He is a member of the boards of the Climate Policy Initiative and Climate Works Centre. He has served as Australia’s Special Envoy on Climate Change, Special Adviser on Sustainable Development to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Special Adviser on Green Growth to AusAID. He will be attending COP29.  

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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Peter Greste joins Democracy Sausage to talk press freedom — what happens when it's taken away and how to protect it. 

In a world where journalists have their homes and workplaces raided under national security rounds, how can we preserve the public's right to know? With no explicit constitutional right to freedom of expression, how can Australia protect press freedom? And how do we tackle the declining levels of trust in journalism? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Peter Greste joins Professor Mark Kenny to reflect on his detention in Egypt, the ethical responsibilities of media and the perilous state of being a modern-day journalist. 

Peter Greste is an award-winning journalist, author and academic. He has been a foreign correspondent with the Reuters, CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Macquarie University and the executive director of the Alliance of Journalists' Freedom. 

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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Julianne Schultz joins Democracy Sausage to talk about understanding ourselves, wrestling with the past and creating a more inclusive future.  

What’s behind the silence and lack of post-Voice analysis? How can Australia confront its true history? And how can we modernise our democracy and constitutional processes? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Emerita Julianne Schultz joins Professor Mark Kenny to talk about the Voice and what Australia could be.

Julianne Schultz is Emeritus Professor of Media and Culture at Griffith University and columnist for The Guardian. She was the publisher and founding editor of Griffith Review. Her most recent book is The Idea of Australia: A search for the soul of the nation.

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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Valerie Cooms, Virginia Marshall and Shireen Morris join us to reflect on the Voice campaign. 

As we pass the one-year anniversary of the Voice campaign, we reflect on whether Australians ever truly understood what they were voting for? 

What derailed the Yes campaign? 

And how do we grapple with continued the flow-on effects of this failed referendum? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Valerie Cooms, Dr Virginia Marshall and Associate Professor Shireen Morris join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss the Voice and truth telling.  

Valerie Cooms is a Quandamooka woman and the Director of the ANU Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research.   

Virginia Marshall is a lawyer and research fellow at ANU School of Regulation & Global Governance. She was the Inaugural ANU Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellow (2017-2022).  

Shireen Morris is an Associate Professor at Macquarie University Law School and Director of its Radical Centre Reform Lab. She formerly worked at Cape York Institute as a senior adviser on Indigenous constitutional recognition. She is the author of Broken Heart: A True History of the Voice Referendum. 

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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Brendan Coates and Peter Martin join Democracy Sausage to discuss fixing the housing crisis, negative gearing and capital gains tax. 

There has been plenty of media coverage about the Labor government asking Treasury to review negative gearing and capital gains tax rules. So how did we get here? What are the political sensitivities and missed opportunities in tackling these housing tax concessions? And would the doom and gloom predictions become reality if changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax were made?  

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Brendan Coates and Peter Martin join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss housing policy. 

Brendan Coates is the Housing and Economic Security Program Director at Grattan Institute. 

Peter Martin AM is a Visiting Fellow at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and the Business and Economy Editor of The Conversation.   

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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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

Bruce Wolpe joins us to talk about the US election, October surprises and the strategy and expectations shaping this month on the campaign trail. 

Can we expect a continuation of the ‘October surprise’ tradition in the US election? How will foreign policy conditions, including rising tensions in the Middle East and ongoing war in Ukraine, influence votes? And which way will the swing states swing? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Bruce Wolpe returns to give us the latest from the US election campaign. 

Bruce Wolpe is a Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He worked with the Democrats in the US Congress during President Barack Obama’s first term, was a senior advisor for Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and the author of Trump’s Australia. 

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 [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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