Inside Politics

It’s been a year since Liberal MP Andrew Hastie quit Sussan Ley’s frontbench to speak his mind on migration.

His decision fractured the Coalition and Ley’s ambition to woo back multicultural communities with a more moderate stance. How things change in a year.

But through it all, migration has become a more heated political issue. On Tuesday, Angus Taylor announced the Coalition’s long-awaited policy, promising the biggest cut to immigration in Australia’s history.

So what are the merits and the pitfalls of the Coalition's plan?

Former deputy secretary of immigration Abul Rizvi – who is today's special guest – and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal pull apart the policy and the politics before Rivzi answers a number of listener and reader questions on migration.

Today's host is federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos before regular host Jacqueline Maley returns to the chair next week.

Further reading:

• The cost of cutting foreign workers: Fares spike in Taylor’s migration gamble
• International student cuts risk ‘very significant hole’, universities warn

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Anthony Albanese is back from the United Nations in New York to a slump in his approval rating and more economic pain.

On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank raised interest rates to a 15-year-high due to continued inflation pressure. So what's driving inflation? How much is government spending contributing to this issue?

Also this week, the Greens elected a new leader. NSW senator David Shoebridge is far more confrontational than former leader Larissa Waters and comes from the party's hard-left faction.

His election may signal a shift in strategy from the party, which wants to replicate the success of left-wing figures such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal hosts today's conversation with senior economics correspondent Matt Wade and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos.

Further reading

• To avoid another rate rise, things might have to get worse
• The Greens need to let the sunshine in or risk stagnation 

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Today we’re going international to talk about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s trip to New York for the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

It’s been an eventful few days for the PM who has, among other things, spoken about Australia’s attempts to crack down on social media, met with US President Donald Trump and given a speech in which he declared the world order in place since World War II "no longer fit for purpose”.

But all of that was nearly forgotten when Albanese stood up in what was very early on Thursday morning our time to announce an OpenAI agent infiltrated a Medicare website in June, accessing public and private files.

Joining guest host Stephanie Peatling in Canberra today is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and, live from New York where he is travelling with the prime minister, national correspondent Rob Harris.

Further reading

• Rogue agent or human error? What OpenAI’s Medicare breach means for you

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Today we’re hot off the press, to use an old newsroom cliche, to talk about the federal government’s new plan for migration. Immigration Minister Tony Burke gave a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday where he announced significant changes.

These changes included curtailing visa hopping, targeting international students, implementing a ballot system for backpackers, and ramping up the deportation of unlawful non-citizens.

If these aims are achieved, what will the consequences be? Will demand for housing drop? Will there be labour shortages in agriculture, or aged care? What about deportations – does that signal ICE-esque raids? And what about the broader questions around Australian culture?

Joining national deputy editor Stephanie Peatling today is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal on Inside Politics, from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, every Friday.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods. 

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This week we’re joining the dots between two different stories: the fight over superannuation, and the colourful past of One Nation’s leader in Victoria, Warren Pickering.

On Monday, Pauline Hanson told voters her party would allow renters and prospective home buyers to withdraw their superannuation early. The policy was scant on details, but it had the desired effect of controlling the national debate.

The same thing happened with the Pickering press conference.

Normally, a leader of a right-wing political party admitting to taking drugs would not be good for electoral prospects. But, as Victorian political editor Chip Le Grand argues, the mea culpa had the opposite effect.

Le Grand joins senior economics correspondent Shane Wright for Inside Politics. Today’s host is deputy national editor Stephanie Peatling, filling in for Jacqueline Maley.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal on Inside Politics, from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, every Friday.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

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In this week’s episode, we dissect Labor’s brutal loss to One Nation in a supposedly safe seat in Western Australia.

Does this byelection really signify, as victor Luke Herdegen put it, that no MP is safe from the “orange tsunami”?

One Liberal MP who is worried is Andrew Hastie. Liberal strategists have been telling us his stance against accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith may cause voters in his electorate to defect to One Nation.

Also, this week One Nation leader Pauline Hanson claimed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s rhetoric was fuelling violence towards her.

Is this a bit rich coming from someone who is so divisive? Or should we be looking at threats to politicians more seriously?

Today’s episode is hosted, as usual, by Jacqueline Maley with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal. Today's guest is WAtoday state political reporter Hamish Hastie.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal on Inside Politics, from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, every Friday.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

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This week we reported on some interesting polling that grappled with what makes One Nation voters tick, and one issue stood out.

There’s also been an argy-bargy in the party this week over immigration numbers, the net result of which being, perhaps, that One Nation is not totally against migration. 

Meanwhile, the Labor government is yet to announce its migration plan and which visa classes it may cut, but the early talk of deportation of migrants sent shockwaves through some communities.

Finally, we also talk about the AI data centres cropping up in Australian communities. Are they worth the investment and the energy drain?

Today’s conversation is hosted by Jacqueline Maley, with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

Background reading: 

• 1000 One Nation voters said why they were voting for Hanson – and what it would take to switch
• Albanese tells Queensland to get with the program on AI revolution

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

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Today we have something special and a little bit different because Tony Wright, one of the stalwarts of Australian political writing, is stepping back from daily newsroom duties after 50 years in journalism.
For about 30 of these years, Tony reported on federal politics. Bob Hawke was the first prime minister he covered, while Paul Keating often rang Tony at home in the mornings to, at first, berate, and then debate, the stories he had written.

He witnessed great moments - such as the apology to the stolen generations - and the fracturing of Australian politics from the Rudd-Gillard era.

Today, Tony talks to Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

Background reading

• ‘Hawkie would like to see you’: Lessons, power and nostalgia from 30 years in the press gallery

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

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We’re back to talking about melons and the podcast interview that continues to cause dramas for the prime minister.

Six weeks ago, Anthony Albanese appeared on a podcast called ‘Bush Deep’ and was asked about the worst gift he received. Melons, he replied, gifted to him by Japanese prime minister.

What was said, and not said, has become the focus of attacks from the media, the Coalition and One Nation this week.

So why has the issue reared its head again? And is it affecting Albanese’s reputation or are the Coalition and co over-egging it?

While all this was going on, the main game for the government was economic management.
Rates were placed on hold, but the Reserve Bank boss Michelle Bullock reminded everyone that she’d raise them if she had to. It comes as all the big banks forecast further drop-offs in house values – aren’t more affordable homes what we want? Or are the government's tax changes wreaking havoc on our struggling economy?

Today’s episode is hosted by Jacqueline Maley, with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

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This week on Inside Politics, we take a look at some of the major policy challenges facing the Albanese government – from migration numbers, to gambling-advertising reform and the news media bargaining code between Australian media and big tech companies.

Joining host Jacqueline Maley are chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, please rate, review & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

Background reading:

• Coalition will force Albanese to cede ground on gambling reforms
• Needs work: Burke’s plans for migration overhaul delayed due to cabinet questions
• ‘Publicity-seeking extremists’: V’landys weighs in as gambling inquiry gets personal

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