Australian Politics

This week Katharine Murphy talks to Senate president Scott Ryan about the impact of Covid on parliamentary sittings, and whether public health officials and executives should determine when parliaments sit. Ryan questions the current impact of restrictions on Victorian residents and looks at their future consequences

Misha Schubert, the chief executive of the peak body Science and Technology Australia, joins the Guardian’s Katharine Murphy to discuss the value of science in today’s world and whether it is being adequately funded in this country

The federal leader of the opposition, Anthony Albanese, joins Guardian Australia’s political editor, Katharine Murphy, for a wide-ranging discussion on how to keep the government honest during the Covid-19 outbreak, climate change policy and what the Labor party needs to do to win the next election

The shadow health minister Chris Bowen joins Guardian Australia political editor Katharine Murphy to discuss the opposition’s role during the coronavirus pandemic and the future of the Labor party. Bowen says the opposition’s strategy has been to concentrate on suggesting ways the government can improve their response while holding the government to account on things they could be doing better, such as the Covidsafe app. He also discusses the need for the party to find a cohesive message at the next election, using an economic agenda to create change and ensure no one gets left behind.

This week Katharine Murphy talks to Peter Lewis, the executive director of Essential, about the changes in polling since surveys failed during the 2019 federal election campaign. What do the changes tell us about the pandemic’s impact on the relationship between Australians and government? And will it change with the rise of the second wave?

Guardian Australia’s environment editor, Adam Morton, joins Katharine Murphy to discuss the recent damning review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The review, led by Graeme Samuel, starkly states the current protection laws are ineffective and have led to an unsustainable environmental trajectory. Could the sweeping changes recommended lead to better legislation? And will the government act?

Katharine Murphy sits down with Guardian reporter Paul Karp and Nine senior economics correspondent Shane Wright to discuss the Australian economy and the government’s various stimulus packages. As conditions remain grim, with 992,300 Australians out of work, and the unemployment rate rising to 7.4% in June, how will the government navigate Australia’s recovery?

Ravaged by the twin crises of the bushfires and pandemic, the seat of Eden-Monaro in the south-east of NSW goes to a byelection on Saturday. If the Coalition wins, it will be the first time in a century the government has won a byelection from the opposition and that will be bad news for Anthony Albanese. Paul Karp takes a look at the contest and explains what the outcomes could mean

Katharine Murphy speaks with Jake Wallis and Tom Uren, analysts from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, about their recent investigation into online disinformation, and China’s increasing employment of it since the outbreak of Covid-19. What are the differences between disinformation peddled by China and the US governments, and what role has it played in Australian politics?

This week Katharine Murphy talks with the Australian trade, tourism and investment minister, Simon Birmingham. They discuss the challenges of economic recovery after the bushfires and coronavirus, and address the escalating trade actions from China. Will Birmingham appease an angered Beijing and reverse China’s tariffs? Or will the relationship see a continued decline in civility?