Politics with Michelle Grattan

The Conversation

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Michelle Grattan, Chief Political Correspondent at The Conversation, talks politics with politicians and experts, from Capital Hill.

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264 episodes

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Kim Beazley on Kevin Rudd, being an ambassador, and a possible second Trump presidency

Kim Beazley, a former Labor leader and Australia's ambassador in Washington joins us to talk about Donald Trump's denigrating comments about Kevin Rudd, AUKUS and the Australia-Chinese relationship.

20m
Mar 26
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Cyber expert Lesley Seebeck on TikTok’s future in Australia

TikTok has come into the spotlight after the US. congress proposed a bill to force it's sale away from Chinese owned company ByteDance. To discuss this we're joined by Cyber expert Lesley Seebeck.

25m
Mar 20
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Masculinity expert Michael Flood on boys and men behaving badly

We're joined by Michael Flood, professor at the Queensland University of Technology to discuss the harassment against women in boys only schools and what leads to some men and boys to mistreat women.

18m
Mar 14
Politics with Michelle Grattan: John Blaxland on spies, AUKUS, and an unsettled Washington

Today we're joined by Professor John Blaxland, Professor of International Security & Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University. Who gives us an overview of spying in Australia.

43m
Mar 06
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jason Clare on the future of education in Australia

The recently released Universities Accord report featured recommendations for improving education in Australia. Joining us to discuss the government's response is Education Minister, Jason Clare.

35m
Feb 26
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Antony Green, Kos Samaras and Tim Costello on Dunkley contest

The March 2 byelection in the outer suburban Melbourne seat of Dunkley is a challenge for the government. Labor goes in as the favourite but at a time of high cost of living will it's 6.3 margin be enough?

27m
Feb 20
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Assistant minister Malarndirri McCarthy says there's 'no rush' on treaty and truth-telling

To discuss this week's policy announcement, the centrepiece of which is a $700 million jobs program for people in remote areas, we're joined by Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. 

25m
Feb 15
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chris Bowen on fuel efficiency standards and the energy transition

The new fuel efficiency standards regime will move Australia in the direction of comparable countries, but it has its critics. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen joins the podcast to discuss this policy and more.

24m
Feb 08
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Angus Taylor on tax and the economy

In our first podcast of 2024, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor discusses the tax broken promise, where the economy is heading, falling inflation, and more. 

28m
Feb 01
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jim Chalmers says Australians will be better off next year

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, overseer of the government's economic policy, joins us on the podcast to talk us about the latest budget numbers, interest rates, changes to the Reserve Bank board, Australia's debt, cost of living measures and more. 

24m
Dec 15, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Bill Shorten on making the NDIS fit for purpose

Bill Shorten, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Government Services, has released the review of the NDIS, which recommends sweeping changes to the scheme. The reforms to come will see the states take up much of the responsibility for providing services for people with more minor issues, especially children with developmental delays. Shorten joined the podcast to talk about the way ahead for a scheme that has run off the rails and become financially unsustainable. 

20m
Dec 07, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chris Bowen’s struggle to promote consensus on climate action at COP28

Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, next week heads to COP28 in Dubai, leading the Australian delegation. He joins the podcast to talk about the meeting, which he hopes will be easier than last year's was.

25m
Dec 01, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Greens Barbara Pocock on the quest for greater transparency

Greens Senator Barbara Pocock – who has a background in economics and industrial relations and formerly worked at the Reserve Bank, in the federal public service and as an academic – has been in parliament only since the 2022 election, But she has already made a mark. Pocock has been one of the federal parliamentarians who has been holding the big consultancy firms to account this year. PWC especially has felt the heat over its improper use of confidential government tax information for its commercial gain. The behaviour of the other consultancies has also been under strong scrutiny. Pocock and other members of parliament have shown how the parliamentary committee system can be used to great effect to hold big companies accountable when other avenues fail. In this podcast, the Greens senator talks of the need for action to bring greater transparency.

23m
Nov 22, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: James Paterson on the High Court’s decision on detention and rising anti-Semitism

Last week the High Court ruled that holding high-risk asylum seekers in indefinite detention was unconstitutional. As a consequence of the court decision, more than 80 people, some of whom were convicted of serious crimes including murder and rape, have been released. The government is now expected to rush in legislation to deal with the fallout. In this podcast, Liberal senator and Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security James Paterson joins The Conversation to discuss the High Court’s ruling, his concerns about increasing anti-Semitism across the country, the rising cyber risks, and Australia’s future relations with China.

14m
Nov 15, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Former climate minister Greg Combet on Australia’s mission to reach net-zero

As climate minister in the former Labor government, Greg Combet has endured the rigours of the “climate wars”. He oversaw the highly contentious move to put a price on carbon, which ultimately came to grief under the Abbott government. Fast forward a decade: now Combet has been appointed by Anthony Albanese to chair the government’s new Net-Zero Economy Agency. This agency, due later to become a statutory authority, is described on its website as: responsible for promoting orderly and positive economic transformation across Australia as the world decarbonises, to ensure Australia, its regions and workers realise and share the benefits of the net zero economy. Combet joins The Conversation to discuss the enormous challenges of Australia’s transition to renewable energy, its complications, and what is necessary to achieve our 2030 and 2050 commitments.

34m
Nov 08, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Economist Chris Richardson on a likely interest rate rise and the fall in living standards

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report this week calling on Australia to raise interest rates again, adding to the speculation the Reserve Bank will increase the cash rate on Tuesday. If that happens it will be yet another blow to many household budgets, already under strain from the rises in the prices of food, fuel and power. In this podcast, independent economist Chris Richardson joins The Conversation to discuss the expectations about a rate rise, “sticky” inflation, the fall in the standard of living, the difficulty of the government responding to the cost-of-living crisis, and a bleak prospect as we go into 2024, before we reach some light at the end of a long tunnel.

15m
Nov 01, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Don Farrell’s high noon for European free trade deal, and hopes for lobster exports to China

In this podcast, the Minister for Trade and Special Minister of State Don Farrell joins The Conversation to canvass Australia's prospective trade agreement with the EU, relations with China, and electoral reform

22m
Oct 25, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Kim Beazley on Albanese’s US trip, Biden in the Middle East, and the Voice’s defeat

The prime minister heads to Washington next week for a state visit. Talks between Anthony Albanese and President Joe Biden will canvass progress on implementing the AUKUS agreement, Ukraine, China and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, and of course the Middle East crisis. Biden will have just returned from his visit to Israel and will brief the PM on the situation, which has worsened by the day. In this podcast, Kim Beazley, defence minister during the Hawke government, former Labor leader, and former Australian ambassador to the US, joins The Conversation to talk about the Albanese visit and the international situation.

27m
Oct 25, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Middle East expert Ian Parmeter on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict

Hamas' attack on Israel has unleashed a horrific conflict. Breaking out over the weekend, Palestinians murdered Israeli civilians and are threatening to execute many hostages. Israel countered with mass aerial bombing and has cut off electricity, water and food going into the Gaza Strip.  Even against the history of the conflict ridden Middle East, the atrocities we've seen are beyond appalling. The coming days are unpredictable and alarming. In this podcast, expert on the Middle East and former Australian ambassador to Lebanon Ian Parmeter joins The Conversation to analyse the conflict so far; explaining its background and ramifications. 

24m
Oct 10, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Greens Jordon Steele-John on the disability royal commission and Bill Shorten’s NDIS reforms

The federal government last week released the report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/, which painted a confronting picture and recorded the calls of disabled people “for a more inclusive Australia”. The commission made more than 220 recommendations, and was conducted at a cost to the taxpayer of $600 million. But commissioners split on the key issues of special schools and group housing for people with disabilities, causing immediate controversy. In this podcast, the Greens spokesman on disability, Jordon Steele-John, who campaigned for the royal commission, joins The Conversation to discuss the report, and also to canvass the NDIS, which is under review in another inquiry.

19m
Oct 06, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Treasurer Jim Chalmers on jobs and work

Treasurer Jim Chalmers released his White Paper on employment this week. Its aim is for everyone who wants a job to be able to get one without having to search for too long. The paper says that a surprisingly large number of people are looking for work or for more hours of work, some three million, and that’s when unemployment is at a low 3.7% and we have labour shortages in multiple sectors. In this podcast, Chalmers also canvasses inflation, migration, the cost of living pressures on households and concerns about China’s economy.

26m
Sep 29, 2023
Word from The Hill: Assessing Daniel Andrews, the extraordinary Pezzullo story, senators give Qantas chiefs a hard time

As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics editor Amanda Dunn discuss Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’ exit, as well as the revelation of extraordinary texts from leading public servant Mike Pezzullo promoting his views to the Coalition government through a Liberal insider. They also canvass the Senate inquiry into the Qatar Airways saga, with Qantas chairman Richard Goyder and its new CEO Vanessa Hudson given a very hard time by committee members at a hearing on Wednesday.

8m
Sep 27, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: ANU Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt on the challenges universities face

Australia’s higher education sector is under heavy scrutiny. Still recovering from the impact of COVID and criticised for its treatment of staff, it faces strong pressures to step up its performance. The government launched a broad review of the sector https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-could-see-the-most-significant-changes-to-australian-unis-in-a-generation-194738 in late 2022 to inform a Universities Accord. The interim report was released in July https://theconversation.com/the-job-ready-graduates-scheme-for-uni-fees-is-on-the-chopping-block-but-what-will-replace-it-209974, with the full report coming in December. Professor Brian Schmidt, is one of Australia’s most eminent academics, an astrophysicist who shared a Nobel Prize in 2011. Schmidt has been Vice-Chancellor at the Australian National University since 2016, a role he leaves at the end of the year.

37m
Sep 21, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Asia expert Richard McGregor on Anthony Albanese’s coming visit to China

Anthony Albanese has now confirmed he’ll be heading to China before the end of the year. He is the first Australian prime minister to visit since 2016, and it is the culmination of an improvement in China-Australia relations since the change of government. In this podcast, we’re joined by Richard McGregor, an expert on China and senior fellow at the Lowy Institute.

22m
Sep 13, 2023
Word from The Hill: Danielle Wood to head Productivity Commission, Alan Joyce bows to public anger, PM jets off again

As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss the latest national accounts and Jim Chalmers’ announcement that Grattan Institute CEO Danielle Wood will take over as head of the Productivity Commission. The appointment came as a surprise, after Chris Barrett, chosen for the position only recently, decided he had a better offer – he will become head of the Victorian Treasury. They also canvass the QANTAS saga, which has seen its now former CEO Alan Joyce step down earlier than scheduled. The news came amid public anger over its poor customer service, and after the national carrier was taken to court by the consumer watchdog for selling more than 8000 tickets on flights already cancelled. And finally, they discuss Anthony Albanese’s trip to Indonesia for the ASEAN summit, followed by a visit to the Philippines, before he attends the G20 meeting in India.

7m
Sep 06, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Battle of The Voice - Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin and former deputy prime minister John Anderson

October 14, is the day Australians will head to their polling booths to vote for or against an Indigenous Voice being enshrined in the Constitution. Anthony Albanese announced the date in a speech in Adelaide on Wednesday, as politicians across the spectrum and Indigenous “yes” campaign leaders rallied around the country. In this podcast, we are joined by the campaign director for Yes23, Dean Parkin, and former deputy prime minister John Anderson, who sits on the no campaign’s advisory board. We spoke with each of them on the eve of Albanese’s announcement.

20m
Aug 30, 2023
Word from The Hill: Date for Voice referendum to be announced on Wednesday

As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss the news that the Prime Minister next Wednesday will reveal the date for the Voice referendum. They also canvass the Intergenerational Report, which gazes into the 2060s, as well as Labor's national conference, that endorsed AUKUS. During the conference Anthony Albanese emphasised the importance of the party staying in office to bed down a long term agenda, with the message to the rank and file not to rock the boat.

7m
Aug 23, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor president Wayne Swan on the party’s coming national conference

Next week the Labor Party will hold its national conference in Brisbane. It’s the first face-to-face conference in five years. These conferences don’t have anything like the bite they once did, but there’s still a chance for the party’s rank and file to have a shout about issues. More than 400 delegates will be there. Most of the delegates are aligned to a faction, and for the first time in decades the left will have the largest slice of the numbers. AUKUS and the Stage 3 tax cuts are expected to be among the hot topics, but the conference will be carefully managed – there will be no defeats for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Ahead of the conference, we have already seen the government change its stance on Palestine, a sensitive subject among the left and right factions of the party. In this podcast we talk with Wayne Swan, the Labor Party National President. Swan was treasurer and deputy prime minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments.

20m
Aug 10, 2023
Word from The Hill: Double dissolution hot air, PM dodging Treaty question, Morrison hit with counter punch after Robodebt speech

As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss whether there’s much in the PM’s double dissolution threat, and his defensiveness when pressed on Treaty in an ABC interview. As well, they canvass the Reserve Bank’s reprieve for mortgage holders, which will be only small comfort to those coming off fixed rates. Meanwhile in parliament, Scott Morrison’s rejection of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings against him just sparked fresh attacks on him from the government.

7m
Aug 02, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: ‘yes’ campaigner Thomas Mayo and ‘no’ advocate Derryn Hinch on the Voice

The Garma Festival is being held over the next few days in Arnhem Land. There will be a great deal of talk this year about the Voice. Anthony Albanese will speak on Saturday, but he won’t announce the date for the referendum. Peter Dutton isn’t attending. Meanwhile in parliament this week the opposition has sought to turn the discussion of the Voice to the issue of treaty, also a feature of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. But the government wants to keep the debate strictly to the Voice, dodging questions about treaty where it can. In this podcast Thomas Mayo, a signatory of the Uluru Statement and one of the leaders of the yes campaign, and Derryn Hinch, former prominent broadcaster and a former crossbench senator, join us to argue for the yes and no sides respectively.

26m
Aug 02, 2023