The Discussion

Is social media compatible with democracy? Across the western world democracies are riddled with division, much of it blamed on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Signing off from his late-night talk show, James Corden lamented: “I've watched divisions grow, and I've seen and felt a sense of negativity grow, and at points boil over.”

So what’s caused this negativity, why the polarisation and can democracies sustain it?

In this episode I speak with retired British politican Alistair Burt.

The Voice is a proposal to give Australian first nations people a constitutionally enshrined right to be heard by government.

It's provoked heated debate: Is the Voice needed? Will it undermine democracy? Will it  improve life for Aboriginal Australians.

Journalist and producer Jason Kerr speaks to Rev. Bill Crews, a long-time advocate for Aboriginal Australians. 

Can the World's economy keep growing, regardless of the impact on natural resources and the environment?

Is long-term economic growth sustainable? Do the wealthy  benefit most from it? Can capitalism survive the 21st century without reform?

In this podcast I speak with international economist and former Australian politician, Prof. John Hewson.

Last year the Worldwide aid budget topped 179-billion US-dollars. It was an all time high, but is it delivering for the World’s poor?

Most of the poorest people on the planet live in subsaharan Africa, yet poverty remains entrenched. Indeed, over a trillion dollars in aid has been provided to Africa over the last 60 years, and critics say it hasn't worked.

In this podcast I ask international aid veteran Tim Costello if the foreign aid model is broken.