On this episode, our panel of political scientists - Carolyn Hendriks, Shirley Leitch and Marija Taflaga - join Mark Kenny to discuss the unprecedented success of independent candidates in the federal election.

How important was grassroots community engagement to the success of independent candidates in the recent federal election? What might the future hold for regional candidates who, despite not being elected to parliament like many of their metropolitan counterparts, picked up a significant proportion of the first preference vote? And how will the new independent members of the crossbench fare in parliament without the logistical and organisational support of a political party? Professor Carolyn Hendriks and Emeritus Professor Shirley Leitch from The Australian National University join Dr Marija Taflaga and Professor Mark Kenny to discuss Australia’s so-called ‘teal wave’ on this episode of Democracy Sausage.

Shirley Leitch is Emeritus Professor and Professorial Fellow at The Australian Studies Institute at The Australian National University.

Carolyn Hendriks is Professor of Public Policy and Governance at Crawford School of Public Policy. Carolyn’s work examines the democratic aspects of contemporary governance, particularly with respect to participation, deliberation, inclusion, and representation.

Marija Taflaga is the Director of ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a Lecturer at ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

Mark Kenny is a Professor at ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.

Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

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