Australian Politics

Katharine Murphy sits down with Guardian reporter Paul Karp and Nine senior economics correspondent Shane Wright to discuss the Australian economy and the government’s various stimulus packages. As conditions remain grim, with 992,300 Australians out of work, and the unemployment rate rising to 7.4% in June, how will the government navigate Australia’s recovery?

Ravaged by the twin crises of the bushfires and pandemic, the seat of Eden-Monaro in the south-east of NSW goes to a byelection on Saturday. If the Coalition wins, it will be the first time in a century the government has won a byelection from the opposition and that will be bad news for Anthony Albanese. Paul Karp takes a look at the contest and explains what the outcomes could mean

Katharine Murphy speaks with Jake Wallis and Tom Uren, analysts from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, about their recent investigation into online disinformation, and China’s increasing employment of it since the outbreak of Covid-19. What are the differences between disinformation peddled by China and the US governments, and what role has it played in Australian politics?

This week Katharine Murphy talks with the Australian trade, tourism and investment minister, Simon Birmingham. They discuss the challenges of economic recovery after the bushfires and coronavirus, and address the escalating trade actions from China. Will Birmingham appease an angered Beijing and reverse China’s tariffs? Or will the relationship see a continued decline in civility?

This week, Katharine Murphy speaks with Labor senator Pat Dodson about Indigenous deaths in custody and the Black Lives Matter protests being held across Australia. They discuss the underlying causes that give rise to First Nations people dying in custody, Dodson’s work on the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody 30 years ago, and the current movement for change