Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, political correspondent Karen Middleton, diplomacy and Afghan politics expert William Maley, and gender equity advocate Virginia Haussegger join Mark Kenny to discuss Australia’s nearly two decades in Afghanistan.Two years into the war in Afghanistan, United States President George W Bush said it was “mission accomplished”. But nearly two decades after the September 11 attacks, the Taliban has negotiated a favourable agreement with the United States and Australia has closed its embassy, citing security concerns amidst the withdrawal of Australian and international forces. So what was it all for? And, crucially, what does this mean for the Afghan people? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, journalist and author of An unwinnable war: Australia in Afghanistan Karen Middleton, scholar of Afghan politics Emeritus Professor William Maley, and gender equity advocate Virginia Haussegger join Mark Kenny to look back on Australia’s time in Afghanistan and discuss what the future may hold for the country.Karen Middleton is Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper.William Maley AM is Emeritus Professor at The Australian National University, where he served as Professor of Diplomacy at the Coral Bell School of International Affairs from 2003 to 2021, and Foundation Director of the university's Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy.Virginia Haussegger AM is an award-winning television journalist, writer, and commentator, whose extensive media career spans more than 25 years. She is Chair of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation and Chief Editor of BroadAgenda at the University of Canberra.Mark Kenny is a Senior Fellow 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, Scott Ludlam, former Greens Deputy Leader and author of the new book Full Circle: A search for the world that comes next, joins Mark Kenny to discuss what he learnt from his time in politics and Australian climate policy.What role do corporate and private interests play in shaping Australian policy-making? Will the country make changes to political donation rules to make the system more transparent? And how can Australia make meaningful progress on climate policy? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny speaks with former Greens Senator Scott Ludlam about Australian politics, his new book, and Section 44 of the Constitution.Scott Ludlam was Senator for Western Australia in the Australian Senate from 2008 to 2017, and served as Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens. In May 2021 he authored Full Circle: A search for the world that comes next, published by Black Inc.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 special episode of Democracy Sausage for National Reconciliation Week, Virginia Marshall, Peter Swanton, and Tahlia King from The Australian National University join us to discuss why Australia needs to have uncomfortable conversations about its past in order to achieve genuine reconciliation.Are there examples internationally Australia can look to as it goes through its own truth-telling process? Should all Australians be given the opportunity to learn Indigenous Australian languages? And how are some young Aboriginal scholars working to decolonise their fields? This week on Democracy Sausage, lawyer and legal scholar Dr Virginia Marshall, astrophysicist Peter Swanton, and psychology student Taliah King share their personal stories and professional insights in this special National Reconciliation Week episode. Listen now:  Virginia Marshall is the Inaugural Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellow with The Australian National University (ANU)’s School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) and the Fenner School of Environment and Society.Peter Swanton is an astrophysics graduate from ANU and Gamilaraay/Yuwaalaraay man from Mackay, Queensland.Taliah King is a final-year psychology student at The Australian National University and a proud Aboriginal woman from the Yuin and Waanyi people.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.Peter Swanton’s Sky Stories discussion from 2020 is available on YouTube.In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. 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, former Surgeon General of the Australian Defence Force Tracy Smart and economist Quentin Grafton join Mark Kenny to discuss Australia’s vaccine strategy.The Australian Government messaging of ‘stay home, save lives’ in the early days of the pandemic proved to be highly effective, with Australians by-and-large complying with unprecedented nationwide lockdown measures. But with the country’s vaccine rollout hitting a series of speed bumps in recent months and the vast majority of the population still unvaccinated, has the government messed up its messaging? How can federal and state governments get the program back on track to ensure the Australian community is protected? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy’s Professor Quentin Grafton and Professor Tracy Smart AO, retired Air Vice-Marshall and former Surgeon General of the Australian Defence Force, join Professor Mark Kenny to examine Australia’s vaccine rollout.Tracy Smart AO is an Australian physician, medical administrator, and retired Surgeon General of the Royal Australian Air Force. Tracy is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, the Australasian of College of Aerospace Medicine, the Aerospace Medicine Association, and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies.Quentin Grafton is Director of the Centre for Water Economics, Environment and Policy, Professor of Economics at Crawford School, an ANU Public Policy Fellow, and Editor-in-Chief of Policy Forum.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.

Governance expert Mark Evans joins Mark Kenny this week at the Democracy Sausage hotplate to discuss achieving change in Australia’s policy and political landscape, plus Keir Starmer’s struggles as British opposition leader. Has Australia missed an opportunity to adopt a more shared, decentralised decision-making structure through the National Cabinet? Why hasn’t the country seen a stronger push for major policy change in the wake of the pandemic? And after a major by-election loss, why is United Kingdom Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer struggling to cut-through in British politics? On the new Democracy Sausage, Director of the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis at the University of Canberra Professor Mark Evans joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss these questions and more.Mark Evans is Director of Democracy 2025 at the Museum of Australian Democracy and Professor of Governance at University of Canberra.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 special post-budget episode of Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny speaks to former Federal Opposition Leader John Hewson and tax expert Miranda Stewart.Who are the winners and losers in the federal government’s new budget? What do its assumptions, especially around border closures and the COVID-19 pandemic, suggest about what the future might hold for Australia? And is this a budget that sets the government up for an election this year? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, former Liberal Party leader Dr John Hewson and Director of the University of Melbourne’s Tax Group Professor Miranda Stewart join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss the new federal budget.John Hewson AM is an Honorary Professorial Fellow at Crawford School of Public Policy. He is an economic and financial expert with experience in academia, business, government, media, and the financial system.Miranda Stewart is a Professor at University of Melbourne and Honorary Professor at the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.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, Peter Martin and Marija Taflaga join Mark Kenny to discuss religion, politics, and the upcoming federal budget.Should national leaders leave their faith ‘at the door’ when making decisions while in office, or is it more important that those leaders articulate how their faith influences their decision-making? What role has religious identity played in Australian politics in contemporary history? And how does the Australian Government plan to achieve its unemployment targets? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, pod regulars Peter Martin and Dr Marija Taflaga join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss religion, identity politics, and the federal budget.Peter Martin AM is a Visiting Fellow at Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University (ANU) and the Business and Economy Editor of The Conversation.Marija Taflaga is Director of ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Her major research is on political parties and particularly the Liberal Party of Australia.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 special episode of Democracy Sausage, recorded live as part of the ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author series, academic, author, and journalist Peter van Onselen joins Mark Kenny to discuss the prime minister’s performance and his new book, How Good is Scott Morrison?What was life like behind the scenes in Australian politics in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis? How has the political system and in particular Prime Minister Scott Morrison engaged with experts and expertise amidst both the bushfire crisis and the pandemic? And with the pandemic dragging on, what challenges lie ahead for the government? On this live episode of Democracy Sausage, academic, author and journalist Dr Peter van Onselen joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss Australia’s 30th prime minister and his new book, co-written with Wayne Errington, How Good is Scott Morrison?Peter van Onselen is Network Ten's Political Editor, co-host of The Sunday Project, and author of the book How Good is Scott Morrison? He is also a professor of Australian politics and foundation chair of journalism at the University of Western Australia.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.

In the wake of the Biden climate summit, researchers Emma Aisbett and Frank Jotzo join Mark Kenny to discuss climate policy in Australia and around the world on this episode of Democracy Sausage.What does growing ambition to reduce carbon emissions in the United States and elsewhere mean for Australia? How concerned should Australian policymakers be about the prospect of the imposition of carbon tariffs? And how can the Australian Government support communities to transition away from the carbon-intensive industries they’ve traditionally relied on? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) Dr Emma Aisbett and Professor Frank Jotzo join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss Australia’s climate policies in the context of President Joe Biden’s recent climate summit. Frank Jotzo is Professor of Environmental Economics and Climate Change Economics at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, where he directs the Centre for Climate and Energy Policy.Emma Aisbett is a Fellow at ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) and Associate Director, Research for ANU Grand Challenge - Zero Carbon Energy for the Asia Pacific.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, acclaimed journalist and author Stan Grant joins Mark Kenny live at The Australian National University to discuss the major challenges facing the world and his new book, With the Falling of the Dusk.What does China’s trajectory mean for Australia and other countries in the region? Will President Joe Biden be able to address the deep structural challenges facing the United States? And why was 1979 such a watershed year in contemporary history? Recorded live as part of the ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author series, Stan Grant joins Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage to discuss a world in crisis and his new book, With the Falling of the Dusk.Stan Grant is the Vice Chancellor’s Chair of Australian-Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University and the ABC‘s International Affairs Analyst.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.