Our podcasting politicians

Political campaigning is no longer just about billboards, speeches, and TV debates as our politicians look to reach out to engage voters through podcasts, Instagram and Tik Tok.

Hero or zero?

Do Australian parties win general elections because of their leaders, or in spite of them? History shows that either case can happen, and sometimes it’s a bit of both.

How the west will be won

Labor’s chances of holding majority government hinge on holding seats in WA, which explains why both major parties are spending a lot of time out West.

Back to the future

The left leaning votes of women and young people helped swing the last Federal election to Labor, so will this trend continue this time around?

Get the party started

The history of Australia’s political parties is both fascinating and turbulent, but a political system dominated by mass parties shaped by industrial society may now be a thing of the past.

More than a gesture required

Higher penalties for violence and bans on Nazi gestures must be accompanied by broader action to deal with the underlying social, political and cultural conditions that have enabled groups like the NSN to emerge.

Truth in political advertising

Misleading political advertisements in the lead-up to an election campaign are perfectly legal and already being used to shape the outcome of the coming federal election.

All aboard the caravan

The battle to contain antisemitism in Australia has seen some swift changes of political opinion as new laws are passed to punish antisemetic incitement and violence.

Presidentialism is a fly in the ointment of 21st century democracy

A comparison of performance between countries with Presidential, Parliamentary and Hybrid political systems suggests that any constitutional change in Australia should absolutely preserve Parliamentary predominance, and avoid any possibility of electing a president by popular mandate. Follow the German, rather than the American, model.

Albanese on the back foot on antisemitism

Anthony Albanese points to the array of measures his government has taken to tackle the scourge of antisemitism but he can’t escape the impression of seeming perennially on the back foot and often lacking adequate empathy and sensitivity in dealing with the issue.

Preparing for Trump

How should Australia react to the likely geo-political priorities of Donald Trump’s second term in power?

Oligarchy in the USA

Outgoing US President Joe Biden warned “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy” in his farewell address.