On this episode of Democracy Sausage, journalist Bernard Keane and political scientists Judith Brett and Marija Taflaga join Mark Kenny to discuss truth in politics, cynicism in the electorate, and what it all might mean at the next federal election.Is there a growing sense among voters that ‘all politicians lie’, and what does that mean for faith in Australia’s democracy? And how will the global COVID-19 situation affect the upcoming federal election? Crikey political editor Bernard Keane, La Trobe University’s Emeritus Professor Judith Brett, and regular podleague Dr Marija Taflaga join Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage to explore these questions and more.Judith Brett is Emeritus Professor of Politics at La Trobe University. Her books include Doing Politics: Writing on Public Life, Robert Menzies’ Forgotten People, The Enigmatic Mr Deakin, From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage, and four Quarterly Essays.Bernard Keane is Crikey’s Political Editor. Before that, he was Crikey’s Canberra press gallery correspondent, covering politics, national security, and economics. He is also author of several books, including the recently released Lies and Falsehoods: The Morrison Government and the New Culture of Deceit.Marija Taflaga is the Director of ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga discuss the week that was in federal politics, before Glyn Davis and Liz Allen join the show to discuss the Australian myth of the ‘fair go’ and breaking cycles of disadvantage.Will Scott Morrison be able to connect with voters despite claims he is untrustworthy, as John Howard once did? Or will the prime minister’s claims that his government is handling the economy well fall flat? And do the Australian welfare and tax systems need a major overhaul to ensure Australia doesn’t keep people stuck in cycles of disadvantage? Professor Glyn Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the Paul Ramsay Foundation and co-host of Life’s Lottery, and Dr Liz Allen, demographer at The Australian National University (ANU), join Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga on this Democracy Sausage.Glyn Davis is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, Chair of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Research Committee, CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation, and co-host of Life’s Lottery.Liz Allen is a demographer and social researcher with quantitative and qualitative expertise at ANU, and author of The Future of Us: Demography gets a makeover.Marija Taflaga is the Director of ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group and COP26 attendee Sophia Gaston joins Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga to discuss the ‘last chance’ climate conference, European and British politics, and the Morrison-Macron fracas.What’s life like on this inside of the ‘circus’ that is an international climate change negotiation? What are the prospects for serious commitments on emission reduction before COP26 ends? And with Angela Merkel stepping down as German Chancellor after 15 years at the helm, what does the future hold for European Union politics? Sophia Gaston from the British Foreign Policy Group joins Dr Marija Taflaga and Professor Mark Kenny to share her insights from COP26 in Glasgow and on British and European politics.Sophia Gaston is Director of the British Foreign Policy Group, an independent think tank focusing on advancing knowledge and debate around Britain’s international affairs.Marija Taflaga is the Director of The Australian National University (ANU) Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is a Professor in 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, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this Democracy Sausage, columnist and former political advisor Sean Kelly joins Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga to discuss Scott Morrison, political performance, and Sean’s new book, The Game.What does the way Scott Morrison has crafted his political image reveal about his leadership style? While it’s been politically effective thus far, will the prime minister’s performance of a ‘flat character’ ultimately damage his chances at the next election? And what will the current diplomatic spat between Morrison and French President Emmanuel Macron mean for Australia on the international stage? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Sean Kelly, columnist for the Nine papers and former advisor to Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, and Dr Marija Taflaga from ANU School of Politics and International Relations join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss these questions and Sean’s new book, The Game: A Portrait of Scott Morrison. Sean Kelly is a weekly columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, a former adviser to Australian prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, and author of The Game: A Portrait of Scott Morrison, published by Black Inc in November 2021.Marija Taflaga is the Director of The Australian National University (ANU) Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.Mark Kenny is a Professor in 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, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd joins Mark Kenny on this week’s episode of Democracy Sausage to discuss the country’s climate policy ahead of COP26 and why the Australian government might be underestimating the public when it comes to reconciliation.How is the Australian prime minister likely to be received at the upcoming United Nations climate conference in Glasgow? What might the AUKUS arrangement mean for Australian national security policy in the decades to come? And might there be more public support for reconciliation efforts than governments think? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny speaks with former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd about these questions and more.Kevin Rudd served as Australia’s 26th Prime Minister. He is currently President of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York.Mark Kenny is a Professor in 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, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny speaks with Craig Reucassel - formerly of The Chaser and director of the new two-part ABC film Big Deal - about the flaws in Australia’s political donation laws and what needs to happen to fix the system.Does Australia need to introduce a cap on political donations? What can be done to provide an impetus for the major parties to come together to introduce real-time reporting and transparency? And can policymakers end the ‘arms race’ for donations in political campaigning? Craig Reucassel, director of Big Deal - a new documentary about Australia’s political lobbying industry - joins Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage.Craig Reucassel is an Australian writer, comedian, and journalist best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser. In 2021, he directed the two-part ABC documentary Big Deal: Is our democracy for sale?Mark Kenny is a Professor in 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.Big Deal premieres on ABC iview and ABC TV at 8.30pm, Tuesday 19 October.Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this Democracy Sausage, journalist David Crowe and political accountability expert Yee-Fui Ng join Mark Kenny to discuss how a federal integrity commission might work and the political obstacles to ensuring such an institution is strong and effective.Following the resignation of former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, debate has raged around the need for a federal integrity commission and how strong such a commission should be. Despite committing to its creation as an election promise, the Morrison government’s proposal has fallen short of the expectations of many in the community. So how could such a body be designed so that it’s robust and effective? What lessons can be learned from integrity commissions at the state level? And will this debate be used by the federal opposition as an election issue? Chief Political Correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age David Crowe and Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation Associate Professor Yee-Fui Ng join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss these questions on this episode of Democracy Sausage.Yee-Fui Ng is an Associate Professor and the Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation at Monash University.David Crowe is Chief Political Correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and a regular commentator on national affairs on the ABC’s Insiders program. In a career spanning 25 years, he has covered federal politics as the national affairs editor of The Australian and the Chief Political Correspondent of The Australian Financial Review.Mark Kenny is a Professor in 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, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Australia bureau chief for The New York Times Damien Cave joins us to discuss Australia’s attitude to risk, the importance of positive messaging in the vaccine rollout, and the progress of the Biden administration.Is there an Australian ‘way of risk’? How can policymakers do more to encourage more Australians to get vaccinated? And what does the performance of the Biden administration reveal about the realities of US politics after the Trump presidency? Damien Cave, journalist for The New York Times and author of the new book Into the Rip, joins Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage.Damien Cave is Australia bureau chief for the The New York Times. His new book Into the Rip was published in September 2021.Mark Kenny is a Professor in 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 Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, The Australian National University’s Matthew Gray joins Mark Kenny to discuss the impact of the pandemic on Australian attitudes and how data can help us better understand ourselves. Has the pandemic affected the views of Australians about migration? How do young people in the country feel about the direction the country is heading in? And are governments missing their chance to permanently improve economic and environmental outcomes in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis? Professor Matthew Gray, Director of the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, joins Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage to discuss the What Australia Thinks project, a nation-wide public conversation that provides a comprehensive and continually evolving outlook on Australian attitudes.Matthew Gray is Professor in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences and Director of the Centre for Social Research and Methods.Mark Kenny is a Professor in 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 Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Frank Bongiorno and Chris Wallace join us to discuss ministerial standards and the new Australia-United States-United Kingdom security arrangement.How significant is Australia’s decision to torpedo its submarine deal with France in favour of a new arrangement with the United States and the United Kingdom? Is the federal government's habit of front-running in opposition to China in Australia’s long-term strategic interests? And what does the handling of Christian Porter’s departure from the ministry reveal about Scott Morrison’s leadership? Associate Professor Chris Wallace from the University of Canberra and Professor Frank Bongiorno from The Australian National University (ANU) join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss this and more on the new episode of Democracy Sausage.Frank Bongiorno AM is Professor of History at ANU and an Australian labour, political, and cultural historian.Chris Wallace is an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra and author of How To Win An Election.Mark Kenny is a Professor in 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 Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.