New Politics: Australian Politics, News, Analysis & Commentary

Australian democracy isn’t broken, but political power is increasingly concentrated among wealthy donors, corporate lobbyists and party powerbrokers. From Anthony Albanese’s $10,000-a-head fundraiser to divisions within Labor and the Liberal Party, we examine how vested interests shape Australian politics – and the reforms needed to return democratic power to the public. #AUSPOL

• Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au

Support New Politics: 

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics
• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Jacinta Allan’s resignation ends the Daniel Andrews era and leaves Victorian Labor confronting the political cost of its ambitious Big Build agenda. Despite the achievements  on major infrastructure, housing and an Indigenous Treaty, project delays, cost overruns, rising state debt and allegations involving the CFMEU shifted attention towards integrity and public trust. New Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has announced a royal commission into the construction sector, but with the 2026 Victorian election approaching, can he restore Labor’s credibility – or will the divided Victorian Liberal Party under Jess Wilson fail to capitalise on the government’s troubles? #AUSPOL

• Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au 

Support New Politics: 

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics
• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Andy Burnham’s arrival as British prime minister will test whether a modern Labour government can finally break with Thatcherism and neoliberalism by tackling the cost-of-living crisis, expanding social housing, rebuilding public services and confronting corporate power. His agenda – and a potential shift on Gaza and Palestine – also presents a challenge for Anthony Albanese and Australian Labor: if Burnham can deliver meaningful economic reform, Labor’s cautious incrementalism will become harder to defend. As members gather for the party’s 50th National Conference, demanding stronger action on Gaza, AUKUS, gas exports and gambling advertising, both countries face the same question: can labour governments deliver genuine change, or will powerful interests continue to protect the status quo? #AUSPOL

• Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au 

Support New Politics: 

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics
• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com  

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

One Nation’s falling support is exposing the gap between Pauline Hanson’s media profile and electoral credibility. Her European roadshow offered culture-war attacks on multiculturalism, migration, transgender people and net zero, but no solutions to Australia’s housing crisis, stagnant wages or rising cost of living. Hanson cannot indefinitely pose as the champion of Australian battlers while keeping company with the billionaire class – and voters may finally be seeing through the contradiction. #AUSPOL

• Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au 

Support New Politics: 

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics
• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com  

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

The Federal Court might have ended pianist Jayson Gillham’s legal battle with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, but the controversy raises broader questions about artistic freedom, political censorship and Palestine advocacy in Australia. After Gillham dedicated Connor D’Netto’s Witness to Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza, the MSO cancelled his performances, revealing how quickly free expression can become conditional when donors, boards and commercial reputations are involved. We examine the court ruling, apparent double standards within Australia’s cultural institutions and the chilling message it sends to artists: political expression is tolerated – until it challenges the wrong interests. #AUSPOL

• Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au 

Support New Politics:

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics
• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Australia’s Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was created to confront genuine antisemitism, but is it instead silencing criticism of Israel and deepening division? We examine the uneven treatment of Zionist, progressive Jewish and pro-Palestinian witnesses; Jillian Segal’s proposals for scrutinising ABC and SBS coverage; pressure to adopt the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism; and the threat to free speech, editorial independence and legitimate debate about Israel, Palestine and Gaza. Antisemitism must be confronted, but selectively testing evidence and redefining political dissent as prejudice will not strengthen social cohesion – it will erode public confidence and create even greater division. #AUSPOL

• Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au 

Support New Politics: 

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics
• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com  

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

China's latest missile test triggered familiar warnings of an escalating security crisis, but was the reaction driven more by geopolitics than by the launch itself? This episode examines Australia's response, the role of the United States in shaping regional strategy, AUKUS, the growing contest for influence across the Pacific, and why China's primary audience was Washington rather than Canberra. We also explore the legacy of nuclear testing in the Pacific, Australia's relationship with Fiji, media narratives about China, and whether Australian politics has become trapped in a cycle of strategic alarmism instead of sober analysis. #AUSPOL  
Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au  
Support New Politics: 
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics
Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com  
Song listing:
‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

The NSW Labor Conference exposed a deeper question confronting Australian politics: what does the modern Labor Party actually stand for? As delegates debated gambling reform, housing affordability, civil liberties and Gaza, controversy over the removal of members displaying a Palestinian flag highlighted growing tensions between Labor’s leadership and its grassroots. We examine Premier Chris Minns’ warning about the rise of One Nation, Labor’s identity crisis, the widening gap between its platform and its record in government, and whether Australia’s dominant political party is using its electoral success to deliver meaningful reform – or simply to remain in power. #AUSPOL

• Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au 

Support New Politics: 

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics
• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.
• ‘Bagi-la-m Bargan (Fighting Boomerang)’, Birdz.

The politics of outrage has become one of the most powerful business models in modern media, with podcasts, social media and algorithms increasingly rewarding anger, conflict and culture wars over evidence and public interest. We examine how journalism is being reshaped by the creator economy, and how billionaire-backed influence, digital platforms and outrage-driven media are transforming democracy in Australia and around the world. #AUSPOL  
Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au  
Support New Politics: 

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics

• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com  

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.
• ‘Rise’, Public Image Limited

Why is the Liberal Party struggling to reconnect with Australian voters? This week, we examine Angus Taylor’s leadership, the Liberal Party’s identity crisis, and why rebranding cannot reverse decades of political decline. From the loss of moderate and younger voters to the rise of the teal independents and One Nation, we explore how the Coalition lost its political narrative and whether it can redefine its purpose for modern Australia. We also revisit Robert Menzies’ "Forgotten People" speech, assess the future of conservative politics, and ask what the Liberal Party’s decline reveals about the broader state of Australian democracy, political leadership and the future of Australian politics. #AUSPOL

• Subscribe to New Politics for weekly briefings and full analysis: www.newpolitics.com.au 

Support New Politics:

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/newpolitics

• Substack: https://newpolitics.substack.com

Song listing:

• ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.