Episodes

  • Sussan Ley will stay in her job, says shadow attorney general

    Sussan Ley will stay in her job, says shadow attorney general
    Jan 30 2026
    The messy fallout of the Coalition’s breakup continues this week with Sussan Ley and David Littleproud attempting to weather criticisms of their leadership after the Bondi terror attack. LNP moderate Andrew Wallace speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy about his support for Sussan Ley, and describes her as ‘principled’ and ‘tough’ under very difficult circumstances. The shadow attorney general also says that he is ‘relatively comfortable’ with the hate speech legislation that divided the Coalition, which was passed last week. Politics aside, Wallace talks about volunteering as a surf lifesaver on the Sunshine Coast and is candid about the challenges of being a father of four while serving as a MP
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    27 mins
  • Guardian Essential report: One Nation surges against Coalition drop

    Guardian Essential report: One Nation surges against Coalition drop
    Jan 29 2026
    In the first Guardian Essential poll after the Bondi terror attack, both Anthony Albanese and Sussan Ley have fallen in their approval ratings. Meanwhile, One Nation’s support continues to rise and now disrupts the traditional two-horse race in Australian politics. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks to Essential Media director Peter Lewis about why both major parties need to pay attention to One Nation’s popularity – despite the minor party currently having little policy offerings
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    25 mins
  • Allegra Spender on fear and rushed laws after the Bondi attacks

    Allegra Spender on fear and rushed laws after the Bondi attacks
    Jan 23 2026
    In an eventful start to parliament for 2026, MPs came together with condolences for the victims of the Bondi terror attack and passed hurried reforms on guns and hate speech. And then, on the national day of mourning on Thursday, the Coalition split for the second time and Sussan Ley’s leadership is now all but over. Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks to the independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, whose electorate includes Bondi, about why she thinks politics can often stand in the way of community safety. She also discusses her concerns that migrants could become a political target during this time of fear and grief
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    25 mins
  • A political year in review with Melissa Clarke and Michael Read

    A political year in review with Melissa Clarke and Michael Read
    Dec 12 2025
    In our final episode for 2025, political editor Tom McIlroy speaks with Melissa Clarke from ABC RN Breakfast and Michael Read from the Australian Financial Review. The press gallery colleagues discuss the prime minister’s performance and his seemingly mild ambition for bold reform, and assess the government’s diplomatic balancing act of maintaining relations with the US president, Donald Trump. They also share their political predictions for 2026 – including the future of Sussan Ley’s leadership, the ministers they will be watching closely and the policies that will resonate the most with voters
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    26 mins
  • Guardian Essential report: One Nation support soars - podcast

    Guardian Essential report: One Nation support soars - podcast
    Dec 11 2025
    After the furore over Pauline Hanson’s burqa stunt and Barnaby Joyce’s defection to One Nation, the latest Guardian Essential Poll shows a surge in the party’s primary vote. Essential Media’s executive director, Peter Lewis and Guardian Australia political reporters Josh Butler and Krishani Dhanji unpack whether or not the Joyce factor played a part in One Nation’s uptick. They also pull apart voters’ views of this week’s social media ban for under-16s and discuss criticisms that the Albanese government’s technology measures are more performative than substantive, in the face of AI’s growing influence
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    23 mins
  • Penny Wong on Trump, Putin and reshaping foreign policy

    Penny Wong on Trump, Putin and reshaping foreign policy
    Dec 5 2025
    This week Labor committed additional military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia as part of a Nato-led initiative. The government also announced new sanctions on Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers, which are a source of revenue for Moscow. Amid these announcements and in the last week of Senate estimates, foreign affairs minister Penny Wong speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy about a tumultuous year in international affairs. The senator reflects on attending the second inauguration of Donald Trump and her continued close engagement with Australia’s Pacific neighbours – in an increasingly unpredictable world order
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    21 mins
  • Sussan Ley is 'still up for the job' of opposition leader

    Sussan Ley is 'still up for the job' of opposition leader
    Nov 28 2025
    Ever since she was elected opposition leader, Sussan Ley has faced strong criticisms from within her party and across the parliament. Some commentators even predicted she’d be out of the job already. But she has made it to the last sitting week of parliament for the year. On the other side of the aisle, the Albanese government managed to meet their own deadline to legislate changes to outdated nature laws – by settling on a deal with the Greens. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Ley about her disappointment about the long awaited reforms, Barnaby Joyce resigning from the Nationals and why she thinks ‘it’s never been about me’
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    25 mins
  • Guardian Essential report: Climate doom and AI anxiety

    Guardian Essential report: Climate doom and AI anxiety
    Nov 26 2025
    Just over half of voters say that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll. The same number of voters had the same response more than 15 years ago, so Essential Media’s executive director, Peter Lewis, and political reporter Josh Butler unpack the difference between the science and politics of climate action in Australia. They also explore why self-aware AI – rather than the climate crisis – ranked as our greatest existential threat, and how the overwhelming support for gambling reform exposes the gap between Albanese’s current commitments and the public mood for change
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    26 mins