On this week’s Looking Forward, Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by IPA Executive Director John Roskam and former Liberal MP John Pesutto. The panel discuss Kevin Rudd’s new essay The Complacent Country and what the role of a politician should be (1:49-20:19), the Hayne Royal Commission and what Royal Commissions say about the democratic process (20:19-39:06), and the closure of Melbourne University Press and what the future of intellectual debate is in Australia (39:06-50:20). They also share what they’ve been reading and watching recently, including the podcast The Dropout, Richard Nixon: The Life by John Farrell, Political Reality Meets Economic Reality by Howard Marks and Victor Davis Hanson’s new podcast ‘Can Higher Education Be Saved’.

Show notes:

The Dropout: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dropout/id1449500734?mt=2

Richard Nixon: The Life by John Farrell: https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Nixon-Life-John-Farrell/dp/0385537352

Political Reality Meets Economic Reality by Howard Marks: https://www.oaktreecapital.com/docs/default-source/memos/political-reality-meets-economic-reality.pdf

‘Can Higher Education Be Saved’ by Victor Davis Hanson: https://www.hoover.org/research/classicist-victor-davis-hanson-can-higher-education-be-saved