We are back for another recap with our co-host Tosh, who you can find online here. 

In this episode we cover plenty of political developments, including the federal election announcement, how Labor in Victoria may impact the outcome, whether we'll get a new Premier by Christmas and as the cherry on top - the VEC confirming voter fraud in some areas from the Council Elections in 2024.

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We're back - with a new (familiar) face!
Welcoming Tosh-Jake Finnigan to the Pollie Bites Podcast as the co-host for 2025.

Weekly recap episodes will be returning, with special guest episodes and new Q+A style segments. 

This week we catch up for an extra long episode to cover what's happened over the last few months; from Pesutto vs Deeming, the new Liberal leader, Victorian election shenanigans starting early and the impeding federal election.

If you'd like to know more about Tosh, you can listen to his old guest episode here.

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We're bringing the podcast back for a special guest episode with arguably one of the most well known figures in Australian politics - Glenn Druery, also known as 'The Preference Whisperer'.

In this episode we go through where politics really started for Druery, some of his biggest headlines in the media, how minor parties go about hiring his services, who he will and won't work with and what he is doing now advising a current Senator. 

Keep an ear out for some hints in this episode on his upcoming book, due for release next year. 

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*Note: This episode is an upload of an Instagram live recording.

In this episode, I am again joined by Dean Hurlston, President of Council Watch, to host an online info session event for people who want to understand their local council operations better and may be thinking about running in the upcoming Victorian council elections in October 2024. 

This online event covered topics such as:

• The structure and function of local councils
• The key responsibilities of a councillor
• The election process and important dates
• Skills and attributes that make an effective councillor
• Resources and support available for candidates.

Whether you’re just thinking about putting your hand up, running for the first time or wanting to just better understand council operations, this event will help provide you with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions.

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In this episode I am joined by Damian Scattini, partner at Quinn Emanuel and the lawyer on record for the Hotel Quarantine Class Action.

In this class action, Damian is representing thousands of businesses that suffered losses because of the months long lockdown following the State of Victoria’s botched operation of hotel quarantine.

In this episode we go through many of the frequently asked questions of the case including; does it cost anything, how does a  class action work, what would settlement look like, why would someone get involved, what are the potential outcomes and why did Quinn Emanual take this on.

This class action goes to mediation on November 14, 2024. If it does not settle at mediation, it will go to trial on September 1, 2025.

The window to join the class action closes on July 8th at 4pm.

For more information on the class action or to sign up, visit:
https://hotelquarantineclassaction.com.au/

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In this episode, Council Watch president Dean Hurlston joins the podcast again to talk about the latest news with councils, the growth of Council Watch as an organisation and most importantly, the upcoming council elections in Victoria in October.

If you want to learn more about Dean and Council Watch you can visit the website www.councilwatch.com.au

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This week I was joined by David Limbrick MP, who sits as a member of the crossbench in the upper house of the Victorian Parliament and became known in recent years for his advocacy of human rights during the lockdown era. 

In this episode we go into his unexpectedly hard-left beginning in politics and how he developed into a Libertarian, what government is like now with soaring debt and a new Premier, his public profile developing during the lockdown years and where to, now that the mania has faded.

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This week's podcast guest is Leo Puglisi, the founder and chief newsreader of 6 News online.
Over the past few years Leo has successfully taken a passion project started in his garage and developed it into a fledgling digital media empire - entirely run by teenagers.
Having interviewed two Prime Ministers and a wide range of high profile guests in business and politics (all before he was old enough to drive a car), Leo has created his own niche in the Australian media landscape and 6 News continues to grow.

In this episode we discuss how 6 News got started, how Leo balances running the platform with attending school, highlights of the journey so far, the latest advancement into running 24/7 news bulletins and what the future may look like.

To follow or support 6 News, you can visit their website here.

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The Pollie Bites podcast is back for 2024 with the first guest episode featuring Victoria's newest member of Parliament, Richard Welch.

Selected by the Liberal Party to fill the upper house vacancy in the North Eastern Metro Region after Matt Bach resigned at the end of 2023, this was a rare 'golden ticket' opportunity to join Parliament mid-term without a by-election being required due to how upper house seats function. 

Welch, who comes from a global business background, was successful from a field of 10 candidates and will be sworn into Victorian Parliament this week.

In this episode we talk about his brief but intense political history, why he chose the Liberal party, if he feels his business background actually helps in politics and what he plans to do with his time as an MP.

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We're closing out 2023 with a catch up episode with Matt Wong from Discernable.
It's been a while since we co-hosted an episode and so we had an informal catch up talking about politics, platforms and what the new year brings.

If you're looking for more from Matt, you can find him at discernable.io.

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