For 15 years, successive governments have kicked the Indigenous Voice to Parliament can down the road. A referendum to enshrine a Voice into the constitution has been shown time and time again to be the most important first step to closing the yawning - and growing - gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Three quarters of Australians say they want it…and yet here we are again! Today Prof Megan Davis, a Cobble Cobble Aboriginal woman, human rights lawyer and co-architect of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, joins us to explain the importance of voting for candidates who support the Voice. My friends, it's time. As Megan says in our chat, this election is a sliding doors moment.Please do read the Uluru Statement From the Heart and support the cause https://ulurustatement.org/the-statement/And if you'd like to contribute to the indigenous women's ranger program I'm involved with, please donate here https://womenrangers-sarahwilson.raisely.comFind out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s looking very possible that this election will result in a hung parliament, where one of the parties must form a minority government with a bunch of independents. The implications of this are huge (and exciting!) and it’s worth knowing how it would work (and how it could be the right kind of shake-up we need). Former independent Tony Windsor was one of the crossbenchers who famously had to form government last time this happened in 2010. He talks us through the behind the scenes stuff and the scare campaign tactics that are being flung about the place.Find out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia has become a country with one of the worst records for gender equality in the world. A picture worsened by the misogyny we've witnessed from within Parliament in the past 18 months. And so women are rallying this election according to many polls. This ep we cover the policies and commitments to look out for that will change the system for all women and finish by answering your questions regarding the public v private school funding fiasco. I also provide a few widgets and hacks for navigating your vote.Find out more about Jane Caro’s Senate campaign https://www.janecaro4reason.com.auFollow Cheekmedia https://www.instagram.com/cheekmediaco/This is the Fair Agenda site where you can get the score on your candidates https://voteforsafety.com.auYou might also like to check out https://www.safetyrespectequity.com.auFind out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate is the #1 issue this election for Australian voters. And yet politicians are making a meal of it and hiding their lacking climate policies in misinformation. This ep I outline each party’s climate policy (or lackthereof in the case of the Liberal National Party) and I invite The Australia Institute’s climate director Richie to sift through the classic climate lines/lies that are bandied about so that we can all navigate things more clearly, you know the ones, that we’re meeting our commitments “at a canter”, that EVs can’t tow a boat, that renewable energy kills jobs…You can learn more about the Richie’s work The Australia Institute https://australiainstitute.org.au/expert/richie-merzian/Here’s the ACF report I mentionhttps://assets.nationbuilder.com/auscon/pages/20278/attachments/original/1651099093/The_truth_about_jobs_creation_-_ACF_report.pdf?1651099093Find out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here, all your granular questions about voting answered in one spot. A great 101 for first timers or a primer for everyone who would like to be on top of things this year.What’s voting above vs below the line? How do I make my preferences work best? How do I know if my #1 vote won’t be passed onto another party? Are How To Vote cards dodgy? What if no one wins a majority of seats?Evan Ekin-Smyth from the Australian Electoral Commission joins me to nut it all out and I share all the best hacks and links for getting the information you need.Find out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is “Albo"? The Labor leader has been in politics for 26 years and yet many Australians struggle to name the guy or pick him in a line-up. His opponents capitalise on this and paint him as meek and not upfront, even “not on the ball”. In this chat with Karen Middleton, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper who also wrote Albanese’s biography, we get a very different picture of a sensitve but gritty and strategic operator who “operates 10-steps ahead of anyone else”. We talk his childhood growing up in a council flat, That Gaffe, his relationship with, and policies for, women and why Labor is not banning fossil fuel projects (it’s a strategy). This ep runs a little longer, but it covers other issues many of you have been asking about and Karen is a font of political information…I figured you’d enjoy the lot!Read Karen’s columns in The Saturday Paper https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/contributor/karen-middletonHer biography of Anthony Albanese is called Albanese: Telling it StraightFind out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a lot we don’t know about our current Prime Minister. And what we do know - daggy dad, makes curry on the barbecue, Sharkies fan - is crafted by the ex-marketing man himself, the bloke who gave himself the moniker “ScoMo”.His biographer the Nine newspapers’ Sean Kelly joins me to talk through our PM'S past; the Hungry Jacks ad; how he left all previous jobs “under a cloud”; where his slogans and tactics came from; as well as his love of the Pentecostal church, whose followers believe that “end times” are nigh (but don’t worry, the believers will be saved while the rest of us…get to burn in the climate crisis hell left behind).Sean explains how Morrison's faith and the fact that he uniquely treats politics as a game has shaped the political landscape and landed us with a leader who lies and bullies. Sean also unpacks what it likely says about Australia if we “buy into” Morrison's marketing and slogan-making for another term on May 21.I think many of you will find this ep particularly revealing!Follow Sean https://twitter.com/mrseankellyAnd read his columns https://www.smh.com.au/by/sean-kelly-h1d26aGrab hold of his wonderful book The Game, A Portrait of Scott Morrisonbooktopia.kh4ffx.net/n1vEx7Find out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s ep we pull apart the corruption, lies, the removal and defunding of crucial bodies that hold governments to account, the stacking of boards with fossil fuel executives and the dead crook behaviour that has defined the current Government.Mike Seccombe is the national correspondent for The Saturday Paper and has covered this descent into what some political commentators have described as the worst era in Australian politics. It all explains why 81% of Australians want a federal anti-corruption body (or ICAC).And, I guess, why some candidates and parties are pushing for one ...and some are not. If you’re baffled by it all, join us as we thrash the whole sorry issue out…as well as the best solutions for voters.You can check out Mike’s columns at The Saturday Paper https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/contributor/mike-seccombeFind out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is where things get a bit fun! And, actually, this episode explains WHY i decided to do this election series.So. The policy and ideas gridlock is real. And there’s a reason for it. But there’s also a solution and policy think tank The Grattan Institute has mapped it out with research. It’s to vote in a number of climate-focused MPs who do not belong to either of the major parties. As it happens, there are about 30 running across Australia this election, and if three of them (give or take) get voted in May 21, then they will hold the balance of power. And thusly Australia has the best chance of moving forward on those 5 Pillars of Care I keep banging on about: climate policy; a federal corruption body; women's equality; an indigenous voice to parliament; and addressing the growing divide between the haves and have nots. It might sound wonky and complex, but the Institute's Danielle and I break the whole thing down into simple - and super hopeful - terms.That Gridlock report we talk about? It’s here https://grattan.edu.au/institutional-change-needed-to-reignite-policy-reform/You can learn about the independents, and see if there’s one running in your electorate, here https://www.climate200.com.auI mention a few “teal indies” I follow on Instagram:Dr Monique Ryan for Kooyong https://www.instagram.com/mon4kooyong/Allegra Spender running in Wentworth https://www.instagram.com/allegra.spender/Zoe Daniel for Goldstein https://www.instagram.com/zoedaniel/Kylea Tink for North Sydney https://www.instagram.com/kyleatink/Hannabeth Luke in Page https://www.instagram.com/hanabethluke/Kate Chaney for Curtin in WA https://www.instagram.com/chaneyforcurtin/David Pocock in Canberra (senate) https://www.instagram.com/davidpocock/Find out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we lay out where things are at as we head into the election campaign proper. Consider it a primer (if you’re just starting to get engaged in all this election guff). I’m joined by cofounder of @TheDailyAus Zara Seidler and Walkley Award-winning journalist, comedian and activist Jan Fran to chat through the frustration and fatigue (why we’re feeling it), as well as what is actually mattering to us…particular policies and issues to look out for (they’re not what you expect). We also answer a question about how polls work.Find out more about Sarah Wilson Subscribe to Sarah's Substack newsletter Get your copy of Sarah's book, This One Wild and Precious LifeConnect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.