It’s the end of the month and Feeney Files with Jessie McCrone is back.

We’ve got a lot to cover this month, including:

✈️ Albanese's trip to China. Did he bring enough treats back for all of us?

🟢 The Greens Party’s internal fracas.  What hill are they prepared to die on and why are they so bad at dissent?

🚄 The Age’s single-handed crusade against the Suburban Rail Loop. Why so mad?

🗳️ The Tasmanian election results. In keeping with the theme, Jessie and David just can’t agree on the best way forward.

And much more. Take a listen.

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“If not us, then who? And the answer is no one. So you kind of find the other gear that you didn't know you had and you just keep going no matter how hard it gets.”

This week, Stephen Donnelly sat down for an exclusive with Lissie Ratcliff, former Chief of Staff to Daniel Andrews, for her first-ever public interview. 

With 14 years of experience in Labor government and opposition, Lissie shares her candid reflections on political strategy and communication, crisis management, and what it feels like to lose. 

From the key foundation stones that took Victorian Labor from opposition to government in 2014, to the relentless grind of implementing Victoria’s Covid response (complete with 120 daily press conferences in a row), Lissie takes us behind the scenes of the three-peat election winning Andrews government in its most crucial moments.

You may never have heard the name Lissie Ratcliff, but after this episode, you won’t forget it. 

Mentioned in the episode:

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson https://tr.ee/fgjAt9

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Meet the man challenging the Libs for the leadership of Tasmania: Dean Winter.

It’s been only 15 months since Jeremy Rockliff was re-elected the Premier of Tasmania, but last month a nail-biting, nearly-tied no-confidence vote in the government threw the state into political uncertainty. 

Opposition Leader Dean Winter was behind that motion. Now Tasmanians are returning to the polls on Saturday 19 July. This week he speaks to us about why he did it, how the Liberals have bungled the budget, and what he envisions for the future of Tasmania.

Donate here: https://taslabor.org.au/donate/donate/

Volunteer here: https://taslabor.org.au/get-involved/volunteer/

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On May 8, 2025, Vatican reporter Colleen Dulle was in Rome, covering the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor. Her days were long, spent trawling through international coverage, meeting with sources inside the Vatican and other journalists, as well as attending daily Vatican press conferences. 

But once the conclave began, the flow of information screeched to a halt. Millions of eyes watched their only source: the chimney on the Sistine Chapel. 

In this stillness, the air hung with anticipation, Colleen thought she had time for a quick bathroom break in the press office. That’s when she heard the shouts: “Bianca! Bianca!” White smoke! White smoke!

Follow this story and more in our latest episode with the captivating Colleen Dulle. And congratulations to her on her new promotion to Vatican Correspondent at America Media!

Mentioned in the show:

Colleen’s Book Struck Down, Not Destroyed - Available on Pre-Order
Colleen at America Magazine
IG: @colleendulle
Twitter: @colleendulle

Father James Martin on IG: jamesmartinsj

Elise Ann Allan at Crux

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Show Start
02:08 Meet Colleen
13:25 Reporting on a Closed Process
21:50 Factions in the Catholic Church
31:34 Pope Leo
40:32 Scandals in the Church
59:57 Wrap Up

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Changes are afoot at Socially Democratic HQ - namely, the addition of Jessie McCrone as a regular guest to the Feeney Files.

Which does mean we need a new name. If you have any brilliant suggestions, let us know in the comments. 

This month: 

Why is serious policy reform so difficult in Australia? We ponder the frenzied reaction to Labor’s relatively modest super tax reforms. 

Clare O’Neil thinks we could solve the housing crisis by making it easier to build new homes. Is she being too optimistic?

And of course, we can’t have an episode without talking about Iran. Definitely not with David on the show.

If you’ve had your fill of election coverage and are keen for some policy and foreign affairs chat - this wide-ranging conversation is for you.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Show Start
02:38 David Complains
05:07 Dorinda Cox Defects
13:09 Clare O'Neil Insists
23:22 Jim Chalmers Pledges
33:21 Trump Flakes
40:21 Iran Equivocates
52:46 Vic Liberals Fall Apart
59:25 Albo Goes to the Vatican

Mentioned in the episode:
Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson https://tr.ee/5oSsjK

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The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au

Between 😷Covid, 💸cost of living pressures and the 🤖 proliferation of AI, life as a university student looks a lot different than it did even six years ago.  

✊ The National Union of Students [NUS] is the peak body representing around 1 million students in Australia in all areas of education, policy, and student welfare. It’s also a training ground for the future leaders of Australia. 

☀️ NUS President Ashlyn Horton joins Stephen Donnelly to discuss the organisation’s biggest concerns, the necessity of student consultation in university governance, and a few time-honoured traditions which take Stephen down memory lane.

📸 Stay updated with the National Union of Students by following their Instagram @nationalunionofstudents

Mentioned in the episode:

NUS EdCon 2025 (https://tr.ee/RuB0lh)

CHAPTERS:

03:10 Introducing Ashlyn

09:49 Campus Life Pre and Post Covid

12:53 Impact of the Voluntary Student Union

25:29 Current Campaigns

30:09 The Fight for Student Consultation 

36:03 EdCon 2025

42:30 NUS Traditions

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You’ve probably seen it on the news - a shakeup in the Tasmanian Parliament. So what’s really going down in the Apple Isle?

Jack Milroy joins Stephen Donnelly to unpack the events and actors surrounding the no-confidence vote in Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff. 

Was it the new AFL Stadium, the budget, or simply the Opposition spotting an opportunity? 

And in a system where major parties increasingly cede ground to crossbenchers - are snap elections the new normal?

Since recording, an election has been called for July 19, and Michelle O’Byrne has announced that she will retire from politics at the next election.

Mentioned in the show: 

The Hare Clark System 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Episode Start
03:12 Background
16:15 Day of the Vote
35:10 What Happens Next?

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At the end of all our exploring, we arrive back where we started and know the place for the first time.*

Jessie McCrone and Stephen Donnelly cover the last marginal seats of the election - some of which they did not even know were marginal - in their home state of Victoria. 

What went down in Kooyong? Why are the Liberals losing the Eastern suburbs? What went wrong for the Greens in the seat of Melbourne?

We cover this and more, plus turn our eyes toward the Victorian state election, where we reflect on lessons learned from the federal results. Because once again, demographics are not destiny, and campaigns matter. 

Enjoy.

*Apologies to T.S. Eliot

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Victoria
10:14 Eastern Suburbs
22:19 Liberal Held Seats
24:27 Inner City Melbourne
31:37 Wills
35:09 Macnamara
40:33 Western and Northern Burbs
48:11 Calwell, Bendigo, Ballarat, Corangamite
53:46 Implications for the State Election

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#auspol #labor #progressivepolitics #campaign #podcast #politics #expertguests #Melbourne #analysis #Victoria

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What better way to celebrate our 300th episode than in front of a LIVE audience?

Stephen Donnelly. Jessie McCrone, David Feeney,Benita Kolovos and Reed Fleming all bring their A-game - and a few iconic media grabs - to this celebration of Labor’s cracking campaign and decisive victory.

Between the witty repartee and a bit of tea-spilling from these campaign veterans, the live show panel covers key topics like:

🔥 The Australian Labor Party’s dramatic turnaround after a narrow victory and a late-term slump in the polls.

🟢 The Greens’ reaction after being walloped on the national stage - and how they have seemed reluctant to engage in self-reflection.

🥶 How the Coalition fumbled the ball - over and over again - and what they could learn from this. 

🙋 Tales from the trail - what it’s really like being a journo on the campaign bus, plus some highlights of star reporting.

👉 Looking ahead - what to expect from the next three years of an ALP Government.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Raph and Fergus

09:34 Show Introduction

19:07 Campaign Overview

52:33 Benita Kolovos

01:05:20 Reed Fleming

01:21:53 Categories

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This week, Stephen Donnelly covers election results in Queensland and South Australia.

In Queensland, Evan Moorhead covers the massive shakeup in Brisbane, where key seats were snatched from both the Greens AND the Coalition. Including, of course, Peter Dutton’s long-held seat of Dickson.

In South Australia, Matt Clemow breaks down where Labor made inroads to win the traditional blue ribbon Liberal seat of Sturt. After touching on other battleground seats, they wrap up with a broader reflection on Labor’s evolving voter base and what that means for the future of the party in the Festival state.

Our tour of the state by state battleground seats is nearly at an end - but it ain’t over yet. 

Keep an ear out for next week’s LIVE Show episode, coming to you from The Toff in Melbourne!

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