Australian Politics
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- Nov 13, 2026
About the podcast
Guardian Australia's political editor Tom McIlroy and team at Parliament House examine what’s happening in Australian politics and why it matters to you
Episodes 299
Bob Carr on the ‘lie’ of Aukus and Trump’s upcoming meeting with Albanese
Donald Trump’s mixed messages about his war on Iran continue in the aftermath of the Democratic landslide in the US midterm elections. As the US president continues to upend global order, the prime minister …
Show notes
Donald Trump’s mixed messages about his war on Iran continue in the aftermath of the Democratic landslide in the US midterm elections. As the US president continues to upend global order, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will have a timely meeting with Trump at their Quad leaders’ summit next week. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks with former Labor foreign minister and NSW premier, Bob Carr, about how Trump is ‘directly opposing’ global order and why the Aukus pact is a ‘diplomatic fig leaf’Bruce Wolpe on what Trump will do after the ‘profound result’ of the US midterms
Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Bruce Wolpe – a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre and a former congressional staffer during the Obama era – about the seismic win by the Democrats in the …
Show notes
Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Bruce Wolpe – a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre and a former congressional staffer during the Obama era – about the seismic win by the Democrats in the US midterms. Wolpe reflects on the candidates who drove the ‘blue wave’ in this cost-of-living election and shares his predictions for the erratic US president’s next steps – and the retribution that could be coming for defence secretary Pete HegsethChris Bowen on how he’ll reach consensus at the UN climate summit Cop31 – Australian Politics podcast
The UN’s climate summit begins in Turkey on Monday, with Australia leading the negotiations for the first time. The challenge of bringing nearly 190 countries to consensus on climate action, when global heating …
Show notes
The UN’s climate summit begins in Turkey on Monday, with Australia leading the negotiations for the first time. The challenge of bringing nearly 190 countries to consensus on climate action, when global heating is already falling short of the Paris agreement goal of 1.5C, will be a pivotal test for climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen. Speaking with Guardian Australia’s climate and environment editor Adam Morton, Bowen responds to criticisms about Labor’s credibility – owing to the country’s huge fossil fuel export industries – and explains the government’s commitment to advocate for our Pacific neighbours at Cop31Guardian Essential report: why doesn’t Labor talk about Trump’s role in our economic problems?
Voters have a lot of negative feedback in this month’s Guardian Essential poll. More Australians than ever believe the country is on the wrong track. Labor’s primary vote is on par with One Nation. But voters …
Show notes
Voters have a lot of negative feedback in this month’s Guardian Essential poll. More Australians than ever believe the country is on the wrong track. Labor’s primary vote is on par with One Nation. But voters aren’t convinced that One Nation or the Coalition would do a better job than the Albanese government. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks with Essential Media chair Peter Lewis about the problems with Labor’s policy narrativeAlastair Campbell on Trump, political violence and why populist politics doesn’t work
It’s election season: the US midterms are just days away and Israel, Brazil and Serbia have all had consequential elections this week. Alastair Campbell from The Rest is Politics podcast speaks with political …
Show notes
It’s election season: the US midterms are just days away and Israel, Brazil and Serbia have all had consequential elections this week. Alastair Campbell from The Rest is Politics podcast speaks with political editor Tom McIlroy about our ‘high-octane political environment’ and why he argues that populist politics began in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Following last week’s alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, Campbell also reflects on how the UK responded to violence towards its own politicians – including Jo Cox, David Amess and Ann Widdecombe. The former journalist and staffer to Tony Blair has just released his 22nd book Persevilience: The Word the World Needs Now, and will be touring Australia in NovemberZoe Daniel on her friend Helen Haines and the alleged attack in Indi
It has been one of the most shocking and horrific weeks in Australian politics. On Monday, the independent MP for Indi, Helen Haines, was struck by a car in what police allege was a deliberate attack outside …
Show notes
It has been one of the most shocking and horrific weeks in Australian politics. On Monday, the independent MP for Indi, Helen Haines, was struck by a car in what police allege was a deliberate attack outside her electorate office. The political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks to Helen Haines’ friend and former parliamentary colleague Zoe Daniel. The previous MP for the Melbourne seat of Goldstein says Haines had a pivotal role in the breakthrough of the teal independents in the 2022 election. Daniel was also a foreign correspondent during Donald Trump’s first term as president. She witnessed the fraying of American political culture on the ground and warns that some of the dangerous forces at play in the US are visible here tooMonique Ryan on Labor’s difficult week and Josh Frydenberg’s possible return
The Albanese government has a lot of unfinished business as the end of the political year fast approaches. This sitting week, Labor struggled to pass its budget saving measure to reduce private health insurance …
Show notes
The Albanese government has a lot of unfinished business as the end of the political year fast approaches. This sitting week, Labor struggled to pass its budget saving measure to reduce private health insurance rebates for over-65s. Independent MP Monique Ryan was a vocal critic of the bill and argues that the government is continually on the ‘back foot’. Speaking with the political editor, Tom McIlroy, she is critical of the way the government has brought a number of key proposals to the parliament. The member for Kooyong also responds to speculation that her former political rival and treasurer in the Morrison government, Josh Frydenberg, is considering a possible return to Canberra – after the launch of his memoir this week This episode was corrected on 19 October 2026. An earlier version included mention of increasing the rate of the GST to 20%. Josh Frydenberg has not called for such a changeWhy does Australia have a productivity problem?
Improving economic productivity is crucial for raising living standards, and Australia’s productivity growth has been sluggish for years. When the Reserve Bank hiked interest rates to a 15 year high last week …
Show notes
Improving economic productivity is crucial for raising living standards, and Australia’s productivity growth has been sluggish for years. When the Reserve Bank hiked interest rates to a 15 year high last week, the governor, Michele Bullock, even described productivity as ‘doing nothing’. The chair of the Productivity Commission, Danielle Wood, speaks with political editor Tom McIlroy about the policy challenges of encouraging AI integration, improving housing affordability and managing the impacts of the climate crisisDavid Shoebridge on his plan to beat One Nation & replace Labor
With a sharp, aggressive strategy, the Australian Greens’ newly elected leader vows to take on corporate power and bring a “red hot fight” to coal and gas approvals. But following a turbulent week and internal …
Show notes
With a sharp, aggressive strategy, the Australian Greens’ newly elected leader vows to take on corporate power and bring a “red hot fight” to coal and gas approvals. But following a turbulent week and internal party room fractures, can Senator David Shoebridge and his polarising approach rally progressive voters without deepening splits? Guardian Australia’s political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks with the new party leader about taking on One Nation, pushing back on Aukus, and his vision for the party’s future.Guardian Essential report: what do Australians really think about immigration?
Immigration is the hot-button issue lighting up this month’s polling. Elsewhere, the Coalition have hit their equal-lowest ever primary vote, despite mounting scrutiny on Labor’s handing of the economy and …
Show notes
Immigration is the hot-button issue lighting up this month’s polling. Elsewhere, the Coalition have hit their equal-lowest ever primary vote, despite mounting scrutiny on Labor’s handing of the economy and inflation, and other dramas dogging the government. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks with Essential Media chair Peter Lewis about how many votes can be won in the bruising and often incendiary brawl over migration policy.Jim Chalmers on how Australia’s economy can survive in an uncertain world
On Monday, Jim Chalmers released Treasury’s economic forecast for the next 40 years – in the Albanese government’s second intergenerational report. The outlook shows major challenges on geopolitics, the AI …
Show notes
On Monday, Jim Chalmers released Treasury’s economic forecast for the next 40 years – in the Albanese government’s second intergenerational report. The outlook shows major challenges on geopolitics, the AI transformation, and for the first time, deaths will overtake births in Australia within a few decades. The treasurer speaks with Guardian Australia’s political editor Tom McIlroy and economics editor Patrick Commins about why he’s optimistic Labor’s policy agenda is preparing the country for an unpredictable futureTony Burke on Labor’s immigration shake-up
Home affairs minister Tony Burke delivered a speech at the National Press Club on Thursday, announcing immigration reforms to achieve Labor’s forecasts for net overseas migration. After being postponed at short …
Show notes
Home affairs minister Tony Burke delivered a speech at the National Press Club on Thursday, announcing immigration reforms to achieve Labor’s forecasts for net overseas migration. After being postponed at short notice six weeks ago, Burke’s speech comes in the same week that One Nation announced its policy to significantly cut the number of temporary migrants in Australia. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Burke about why the government is making the changes, the limitations that come from not successfully securing Coalition support, and why new migrants aren’t to blame for the housing crisisSarah Hanson-Young on big tech’s ‘attack on democracy’
This week, the Albanese government released its draft digital duty of care legislation and announced reforms to allow social media users to opt out of algorithms. The Coalition has ruled out their support, so …
Show notes
This week, the Albanese government released its draft digital duty of care legislation and announced reforms to allow social media users to opt out of algorithms. The Coalition has ruled out their support, so the Greens will be crucial to the changes passing the Senate. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young about why she thinks this will be a ‘battle for our generation’. They also discuss her party’s decision to support Labor’s plans for a new landmark koala national park in NSW. The deal has divided environmentalists and the Greens, with three senators crossing the floor on Thursday, because the proposal will controversially allow big industry to offset their climate pollution under certain conditionsChanel Contos wants to fix our social media algorithms
Consent advocate Chanel Contos is leading a new campaign to push for social media companies to give Australians the choice to ‘opt in’ to the algorithms driving the infinite scroll. Following her speech at the …
Show notes
Consent advocate Chanel Contos is leading a new campaign to push for social media companies to give Australians the choice to ‘opt in’ to the algorithms driving the infinite scroll. Following her speech at the National Press Club this week, she speaks with political editor Tom McIlroy about why this solution addresses the structural forces influencing misogynistic behaviour – particularly in young men. They also discuss harmful misunderstandings about sexual choking, and whether or not a ban on the import of smartglasses would effectively manage pernicious behaviour by some usersGuardian Essential report: does One Nation have a fix for social isolation?
One Nation has had another electoral win, having flipped the Labor seat of Secret Harbour in a Western Australian byelection on Saturday. So what does this signal for the upcoming contest at the Victorian state …
Show notes
One Nation has had another electoral win, having flipped the Labor seat of Secret Harbour in a Western Australian byelection on Saturday. So what does this signal for the upcoming contest at the Victorian state election? Guardian Australia political reporter and live blogger Krishani Dhanji speaks with Essential Media chair Peter Lewis about how Pauline Hanson’s party is tapping into low social engagement, and how Labor can better respond during this time of technological and global uncertaintyWho actually benefits from new datacentres in Australia?
National cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the federal government’s plan for new AI datacentre development. Queensland and the Northern Territory have won a carve-out so that theirs can be powered by coal and …
Show notes
National cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the federal government’s plan for new AI datacentre development. Queensland and the Northern Territory have won a carve-out so that theirs can be powered by coal and gas – rather than renewables. Meanwhile, the fight between the West Australian premier Roger Cook and the Productivity Commission over his state’s generous GST deal persists. And federally, migration arrival numbers continue to spur debate across the political parties. To discuss this week’s mix of politics and policy, political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to the CEO of the Grattan Institute, Dr Aruna Sathanapally, and economics editor Patrick ComminsDavid Pocock on the ‘real betrayal’ of Labor’s deal on gambling reforms
This week, the Albanese government passed major reforms to online gambling advertising and deep cuts to rein in NDIS spending – all with the Coalition’s support. David Pocock has long been a vocal critic of the …
Show notes
This week, the Albanese government passed major reforms to online gambling advertising and deep cuts to rein in NDIS spending – all with the Coalition’s support. David Pocock has long been a vocal critic of the government’s approach to both of these issues. He argues Labor and the opposition have failed to stand up to vested interests on gambling reforms. And while he agrees NDIS cuts are needed, he says major parties have ignored expert evidence on the value of community participation and are handing over important decisions to algorithms with little scrutiny. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to the independent senator about what he thinks this notable week of deal-making means for the nation’s political future – while both major parties continue to be spooked by One Nation’s riseAsk me anything: ‘melon-gate’, One Nation’s media ban and the PM’s ambition
Federal parliament has returned from winter break with a frenetic start to the second half of the political year. There were days of commentary and squirming over ‘melon-gate’ and, with Labor planning to make a …
Show notes
Federal parliament has returned from winter break with a frenetic start to the second half of the political year. There were days of commentary and squirming over ‘melon-gate’ and, with Labor planning to make a deal with the Coalition to pass gambling reforms, there are still doubts about the government’s ambition in its second term. Tom McIlroy, Krishani Dhanji, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales, from Guardian Australia’s Canberra bureau, answer questions from listeners and readersIntroducing: Alan Jones on Trial
The criminal trial of veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has begun, almost two years after he was arrested over multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual touching — charges he strongly denies. What did week …
Show notes
The criminal trial of veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has begun, almost two years after he was arrested over multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual touching — charges he strongly denies. What did week one reveal about the prosecution’s case, and the way Jones treated his alleged teenage victim? Nour Haydar speaks to Guardian Australia’s media correspondent Amanda Meade to unpack opening statements and key evidence from the trial’s first weekCan the government really get ahead of the curve on AI?
On Wednesday, the Labor government announced environmental and energy safeguards on new datacentres in Australia. Our political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks to the assistant minister for science, technology and …
Show notes
On Wednesday, the Labor government announced environmental and energy safeguards on new datacentres in Australia. Our political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks to the assistant minister for science, technology and the digital economy, Dr Andrew Charlton, about the government’s push for national standards on datacentres. The former Rudd staffer and economist speaks about having his own book scraped by Anthropic, low public trust in AI, and how the government wants to use regulation to balance risk and opportunityGovernor general Sam Mostyn on the ‘growing catastrophe’ in our democracy
Two years into her role representing King Charles, Australia’s head of state, governor general Sam Mostyn says she has observed a ‘woeful lack of understanding’ among the adult population about the civic …
Show notes
Two years into her role representing King Charles, Australia’s head of state, governor general Sam Mostyn says she has observed a ‘woeful lack of understanding’ among the adult population about the civic underpinnings of Australia’s democracy – beginning with the constitution. Mostyn speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy at Admiralty House in Sydney about her decision to focus on a wide-ranging civics education for modern Australia, to address the ‘growing catastrophe’ that undermines democratic participationGuardian Essential report: the Labor health check
This month’s Guardian Essential poll shows signs that One Nation’s primary vote continues to plateau. But Labor can’t breathe a big sigh of relief just yet. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler …
Show notes
This month’s Guardian Essential poll shows signs that One Nation’s primary vote continues to plateau. But Labor can’t breathe a big sigh of relief just yet. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks with Guardian columnist and executive director of Essential, Peter Lewis, about the health of the government at the halfway point of Anthony Albanese’s second term as prime ministerSA premier Peter Malinauskas at the ALP national conference
Speaking with political editor Tom McIlroy and chief political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy at the 50th Labor conference in Adelaide, Peter Malinauskas talks about his own state contest with One Nation and …
Show notes
Speaking with political editor Tom McIlroy and chief political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy at the 50th Labor conference in Adelaide, Peter Malinauskas talks about his own state contest with One Nation and why progressives should avoid speaking down to Pauline Hanson’s supporters. And despite the US admitting this week that the production rate of Virginia-class submarines has not increased, the SA premier argues that abandoning Aukus would pose an even greater risk than the controversial agreement’s potential problemsAbbott, Turnbull and Morrison: Paul Kelly on the Liberals’ identity crisis
Paul Kelly speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy about his new book on the turbulent era of the Liberal party under prime ministers Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. In The Twilight of …
Show notes
Paul Kelly speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy about his new book on the turbulent era of the Liberal party under prime ministers Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. In The Twilight of Exceptionalism, Kelly writes about how the Liberal leadership changed hands from a conservative, to a progressive and then a transactional centrist. The Australian’s editor at large argues that this period demonstrated the party was fractured over its values and confused about its identity in a changing worldMeet Darcy Byrne, the Labor mayor taking on pokies reform
Darcy Byrne is the Labor mayor of Sydney’s Inner West Council and he’s helping lead a grassroots movement on curbing gambling harm in the community – including pushing for a reduction in the number of poker …
Show notes
Darcy Byrne is the Labor mayor of Sydney’s Inner West Council and he’s helping lead a grassroots movement on curbing gambling harm in the community – including pushing for a reduction in the number of poker machines in licensed clubs in New South Wales. This momentum comes while the federal Labor party continues to face criticism about the scale of its commitment to online gambling reform. The rising Labor star speaks to Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, about why he compares the poker machine lobby to the US National Rifle Association, and his successful motion at this month’s NSW Labor conference on gambling policy at the next state electionMichelle Grattan and Melissa Clarke on the political year so far
The 2026 political year has already been surprising. Labor passed changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, which they had previously ruled out. The Liberals changed leaders again, and One …
Show notes
The 2026 political year has already been surprising. Labor passed changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, which they had previously ruled out. The Liberals changed leaders again, and One Nation has seen a surge of support in multiple polls. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to press gallery colleagues Michelle Grattan, the chief political correspondent at The Conversation, and Melissa Clarke, political correspondent with ABC Radio National. They discuss their report card on the year so far, and the political contests to watch in the second half of the yearGuardian Essential report: have Pauline’s policies plateaued her support?
It’s the first Guardian Essential poll following Pauline Hanson’s provocative speech at the National Press Club – where she attacked multiculturalism, climate action, the United Nations, and the ABC and SBS …
Show notes
It’s the first Guardian Essential poll following Pauline Hanson’s provocative speech at the National Press Club – where she attacked multiculturalism, climate action, the United Nations, and the ABC and SBS. Her polling numbers have since stalled, and even One Nation supporters are expressing concerns about her policy offerings. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler and the executive director of Essential Media, Peter Lewis, discuss the results of Hanson’s pitch to voters, and ideas on how to respond to the anger that’s driving interest in her partyLarissa Waters on the Greens’ CGT and negative gearing deal with Labor
This week, Labor secured a deal with the Greens to pass its reforms to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing. The Greens were unable to negotiate a more ambitious proposal to remove grandfathering …
Show notes
This week, Labor secured a deal with the Greens to pass its reforms to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing. The Greens were unable to negotiate a more ambitious proposal to remove grandfathering or cap the number of negatively geared properties, but the party’s leader, Larissa Waters, says that the agreement was the best that they could do. The Queensland senator speaks to the political editor, Tom McIlroy, about why the Greens will vote against the government’s cuts to NDIS spending, and what her party is doing to stem the rising tide of support for One NationHas Pauline Hanson’s federal campaign just begun?
For the first time in her 30-year political career, Pauline Hanson fronted the National Press Club this week. It was a blistering address, and a combative question-and-answer round with journalists – with …
Show notes
For the first time in her 30-year political career, Pauline Hanson fronted the National Press Club this week. It was a blistering address, and a combative question-and-answer round with journalists – with Hanson attacking multiculturalism, the climate crisis, transgender rights, Indigenous policy, paid parental leave and the two public broadcasters. Longtime journalist Margo Kingston knows Hanson better than most – having covered the One Nation leader since her first rise to prominence in 1996, and also written a book about her 1998 election campaign. Kingston speaks to Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, about why she thinks Hanson’s incendiary speech is the beginning of her federal campaignWill Labor’s NDIS changes become a reality?
The Albanese government is proposing major changes to the national disability insurance scheme – to cut spending and reduce the number of participants receiving care. Advocates and Australians with disabilities …
Show notes
The Albanese government is proposing major changes to the national disability insurance scheme – to cut spending and reduce the number of participants receiving care. Advocates and Australians with disabilities have heavily criticised the proposals during a three-day Senate inquiry this week. The shadow NDIS minister, Melissa McIntosh, speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy about her concerns about the legislation in its current form. The western Sydney MP also responds to One Nation’s fundraising results this week, her political future in a seat that has been marked as one that could flip to Pauline Hanson’s party, and Tony Abbott’s endorsement of preference deals with the insurgent party Read more: We can’t deliver ‘like-for-like-services’ for people kicked off the NDIS, states warn Albanese government Labor’s NDIS overhaul faces delay as Coalition and Greens consider teaming up to slow bill’s passage
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