Is It On?

Alice and Lane are shook by Nick Xenophon’s announcement that he’s quitting federal politics. US academic David Smith joins us to explain why Americans continue to love guns in the wake of another mass shooting in Las Vegas. Also Bill Shorten rapped to 50 Cent and honesty… it wasn’t that bad.

Alice is horrified to discover Lane is going to the NRL football grand final to investigate who this Macklemore character is, and why he is getting involved in the postal survey. Also, we find out if life as we know it will be over if Australia legalises same-sex marriage, with a history lesson from a real life New Zealander: gay Labour politician Louisa Wall.

Kia ora! Alice and Lane chat to the woman behind the ‘Jacindamania youthquake’ — the new leader of New Zealand’s Labour party, 37-year-old Jacinda Ardern — ahead of NZ’s national election. We get some frank advice from National education minister Nikki Kaye on how Australia should get on with marriage equality. And DJ Max Key, son of former NZ PM John Key, drops by to throw down a DJ challenge (and decorate some pavlova). Choice, bro!

Lane goes head-to-head with Australian Christian Lobby boss and spokesperson for the “no” camp Lyle Shelton. Is Australia really homophobic? And should people be able to refuse service to gay couples? Oh! And Olivia Newton John came to parliament this week to talk about medicinal cannabis. Plus ~ gallery whispers ~ is back.

Alice and Lane are triple-parked with guests this week! Greens senator Janet Rice reacts to the High Court decision against her legal challenge to the same-sex marriage postal survey, and Labor senator Murray Watt thinks the government is ignoring expert evidence on the harms of the welfare drug-testing trial. Meanwhile, Liberal senator Linda Reynolds spoke to the podcast about WAXIT - WA’s move to become financially independent from Australia. Yup.

Alice and new co-host Lane (!!!) phone a friend to find out exactly WTF is going on with all these High Court challenges — the dean of law at the UNSW and constitutional law expert George Williams! He talks through Section 44 (Derryn Hinch…hello), the same-sex marriage postal survey, and just how out-of-date the Australian Constitution is. Also, you can legally call Tony Abbott the c-word because it’s so damn Australian; and producer Nick Wray goes to a Trump rally and stands next to The Mooch.

Alice and Mark learn all the secrets and fun facts about Parliament House with politico and host of the new ABC documentary The House, Annabel Crabb — including the time Tony Abbott got so drunk he slept through a night of voting. The Labor frat house is back for an unhinged edition of ~gallery whispers~. Chris Bowen, Jason Clare and Ed Husic dish the dirt on each other and it gets…pretty loose. And it's Mark’s last episode. Sad!

Alice and Mark replace the flag above Parliament House with a circus big top, because that’s the only way to portray how cooked this week was. Pauline Hanson in a burqa. The deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce is/was a Kiwi. The deputy Nationals leader Fiona Nash is a Scot. Oh, and Eric Abetz told us same-sex marriage could lead to people marrying the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Go home #auspol, you’re drunk.

This week Alice and Mark get the lowdown on what’s happening with the same-sex marriage postal survey (plebiscite) from the minister in charge, Mathias Cormann. Lane chats to Liberal MP Andrew Laming, who holds a postal vote in his electorate each year. Also - Australian Financial Review journo Phil Coorey serves a warning from the 1999 Republic referendum on what not to do.
P.S. YOU ONLY HAVE UNTIL AUGUST 24 TO ENROL/UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS WITH THE AEC SO YOU CAN VOTE. DO IT ONLINE NOW!

Mark, Lane and a special guest all the way from Europe (it’s just Alice) are back for one final pop-up podcast before we launch into Season Two. It’s got everything you might have missed in Australian politics in the past month: rogue MPs, shock resignations, and leadership rumblings! Plus, a bonus discussion about bunga bunga parties.