For this post-budget special, Elizabeth Ames and Peter Martin join us to break down whether this budget will allow a soft economic landing to cost of living and inflationary pressures. As the government has thrown the switch to spending in this budget, what will the impact be on our economy? How does this budget set up for an upcoming election year? And what are some of the policy inclusions (and exclusions) that are baffling economic experts? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Peter Martin and Elizabeth Ames join Professor Mark Kenny to cut through the quibbles and get to the story behind the new federal budget.Peter Martin AM is a Visiting Fellow at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and the Business and Economy Editor of The Conversation.  Elizabeth Ames is Chief Executive Officer at advocacy firm Atalanta, Board Director of the Britain-Australia Society, and Chair of the Menzies Australia Institute at King’s College London.   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 democracysausage@anu.edu.au.  This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historian Frank Bongiorno discusses Scott Morrison's autobiography, the portrayal of government, unions, and religion in Australian politics, and the history and future of the Labor Party with Mark Kenny on a podcast episode. They delve into the intersection of religion and politics, the evolution of the Australian Labour Party, and the Catholic influence on Australian politics.

Journalist Lech Blaine joins us to talk Peter Dutton’s Coalition, moving working class voters, and his new essay, Bad Cop. How did Peter Dutton’s experiences growing up in Queensland influence his politics and his conservatism? How successful will he be in his strategy to win outer-suburban and regional seats from Labor? And does he have the political judgement needed to pull the strategy off? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, recorded live, journalist Lech Blaine discusses what makes Peter Dutton and his new Quarterly Essay Bad Cop: Peter Dutton's Strongman Politics.  This episode was recorded as part of the ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author series. Lech Blaine is an award-winning writer and journalist from Queensland. He was the 2023 Charles Perkins Centre writer in residence. His writing has appeared in Good Weekend, Griffith Review, The Guardian and The Monthly.  Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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 democracysausage@anu.edu.au.  This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sociologist Mike Savage and Mark Kenny discuss wealth disparity, taxation policies, and racial wealth gaps in the UK and Australia. They explore the impact of elite private school backgrounds on British politics and the challenges in creating a more even playing field. The podcast delves into societal discontent over wealth disparities, racialized wealth gaps, and the implications for social mobility and democracy.

Former Foreign Minister and New South Wales Premier Bob Carr joins us to talk about the recent stabbing attacks in Sydney, escalating tensions in the Middle East and Penny Wong's move to recognise Palestinian statehood. What can leaders do to achieve calm and social cohesion following the recent stabbing incidents in Sydney? How likely is an interstate war in the Middle East? And following Penny Wong’s ANU speech, which floated the idea of recognising a Palestinian state, what are the next steps towards a two-state solution? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, former NSW premier and foreign minister the Hon Bob Carr joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss Australian foreign policy, and how voters may respond to it, and the possibility of two state solution. The Hon Bob Carr is a former Australian foreign minister, former New South Wales premier and Industry Professor (Business and Climate Change) at the University of Technology Sydney.  Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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 democracysausage@anu.edu.au.  This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elise Stephenson from the ANU Global Institute for Women’s Leadership joins us to ask who gets to represent Australia on the world stage? Governor-General has caused backlash in some quarters of the media, which raises the question, who gets to be the face Australia presents to the world? As we break down barriers in representation, how do inequalities evolve in institutions, online environments and even space? And how does backlash against political actors impact the quality of our policy, democracy and discourse? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Elise Stephenson joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss her new book The Face of the Nation and remaining gender inequalities in our institutions. Elise Stephenson is the Deputy Director of the ANU Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and a Fellow at the ANU National Security College.  Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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 democracysausage@anu.edu.au.  This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Demographer Liz Allen and migration expert Alan Gamlen are talking migration and population, and the fear-based discourse that often surrounds it.Last week we saw an attempt at rushing through immigration legislation, but creating a sense of panic around immigration and population issues has long been a staple of the political playbook. So why is it effective? Where does the common sense lay in how our political class handle the complexities of this debate? And, as we are busy arguing about borders and immigration, what are the key social trends that are missed? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, demographer Liz Allen and migration expert Alan Gamlen join Mark Kenny to talk ‘population panics’ and immigration politics. Alan Gamlen is the Director of the Migration Hub at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance.  Liz Allen is a demographer and social researcher at the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods.  Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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 democracysausage@anu.edu.au.  This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Independent member for Warringah, Zali Steggall discusses her unusual path to politics and election integrity. Among all the commentary about the ‘teal wave’ in the 2022 federal election, how has the presence of more independent candidates in Australia’s chambers of power changed the status quo of politics? And what more needs to change? In the face of scare campaigns from both major parties, how can we make sure claims made on the campaign trail by candidates or third-party campaign groups are based in truth? And how can we reform campaign financing laws in ways that ensure transparent donations – for both independents and candidates from the major parties? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Independent MP and the “OG Teal” joins frequent guest Professor Paul Pickering and Professor Mark Kenny to discuss her journey as an independent candidate and how to make Australian elections fairer and more transparent. Zali Steggall is the independent member for Warringah.  Paul Pickering is an Emeritus Professor and Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute.Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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 democracysausage@anu.edu.au.  This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

International relations scholar Charles Miller joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the conflict in Ukraine and Putin’s ‘re-election’. Are Ukraine’s international supporters in the United States and Europe losing hope in holding off Russia’s advances and achieving peace? If Trump is elected, where will Ukraine source much needed aid? And, after Putin has been re-elected for another six years, why do autocrats bother with elections at all? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Charles Miller from the ANU School of Politics and International Relations joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss the dangerous new era in the conflict in Ukraine. Charles Miller is a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations with a focus on military conflict.  Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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 democracysausage@anu.edu.au.  This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dennis Quinn and Paul Pickering join us to cast their early predictions on the 2024 US election. What can Australia expect from this year’s US election, and how may their campaigns infiltrate our own political landscape? What do economic polling models suggest and how will other key issues impact the way people vote? And, most importantly, can we already forecast the winner at the end of the long campaign? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dennis Quinn, visiting from Georgetown University in the United States, and Emeritus Professor Paul Pickering join Professor Mark Kenny to pick apart and predict what’s ahead for the 2024 US elections. Dennis Quinn is a Visiting Fellow in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University and the Powers Professor of International Business at Georgetown University.  Paul Pickering is an Emeritus Professor and Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute.  Mark Kenny is a Professor at 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 democracysausage@anu.edu.au.  This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.