Keep the Bastards Honest: Recent Episodes
Australian Democrats
Keep the Bastards Honest is the podcast of the Australian Democrats political party. KTBH is where we join the political conversation in #auspol, and explore not just our policy positions and values, but with relevant experts the science and evidence that underpins possible policy solutions for the challenges facing Australia today.
In June Peter Dutton finally unveiled the Coalition’s widely spruiked and much anticipated policy on nuclear energy for Australia. But is it a feasible solution to Australia’s energy woes, or is it just a climate change denying fantasy? Steve and Elana review the Coalition’s plans against the current state of the energy transition, and the regulatory, technical, commercial and political hurdles that Dutton needs to overcome to realise his nuclear powered vision. Show Notes National Vice President Dr Grahame Elder’s drill down into SMRs, plus Elana’s podcast of the Drill, with added commentary and context An article on the estimated ...
Elana is back with an article she wrote in response to the recent decision by the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC) not to open an investigation into the referrals made to it by the Robodebt Royal Commission of six officials involved in the Robodebt scheme. This story continued to unfold after our article was published, so Elana has additional updates and commentary on this story. Show Notes:Robodebt Officers off the Hook articleThe NACC’s decision on RobodebtThe NACC regulator’s decision to investigateGeoffrey Watson interviewed by Philip Adams on the NACC’s decisionThe Dutch child care rebate scandal
Rejoice budget nerds, it’s that time of year again! An episode in which Elana is cranky about what not’s in the budget, Leonie is in search of a narrative for the budget, Steve does a better job of selling the budget than Jim Chalmers did, and all three lament the budget’s missed opportunities. Show Notes Podcasts featured in this episode:Dollars and Sense: The Budget and Why Your Wages are Lagging 14 Years Behind7AM Podcast: The Jim Chalmers InterviewThe Guardian’s Politics Live: Jim Chalmers on his Budget Balancing Act Additional coverage:Dollars and Sense: Poverty is a Policy ChoiceFollow the Money: Jess ...
It took a little while for Heath, Leonie and the rest of the campaign team to crawl out from under all the life admin that piled up while they were contesting the Dunkley by election, but Elana managed to sit down with Heath and Leonie and have a chat about the results and their experiences on the campaign trail.
Are you wondering just what a small modular nuclear reactor is, and why we’re having a ‘debate’ on nuclear power? Dr Grahame Elder has you covered. He’s done the research so you don’t have to. In this first instalment of The Drill, Dr Elder does a deep dive into the questions of: what are small modular nuclear reactors, are SMRs being used successfully elsewhere, and if so, do they have a future in Australia’s energy transition and mix? Host Elana Mitchell provides context and commentary as we drill into the issue of SMRs. Show Notes The Drill with all of ...
The by election in the Victorian electorate of Dunkley was triggered by the very sad passing of Labor MP Peta Murphy in December of 2023. We pay our respects to Peta, and extend our condolences to her family and friends on what must be a devastating loss. Our parliament, and Dunkley, are poorer for her absence. Heath McKenzie is a long time resident of Seaford, situated in the electorate of Dunkley. He is a qualified landscape gardener, has managed a large client portfolio for a major paint manufacturer and is now a business development manager for a major producer of ...
Elana and Steve are back, with lots to catch up on as they look back at the year that was 2023, and look forward to the year that will be 2024. Show Notes Listen to Greg Jericho’s Dollars and Sense podcast, where he explains how the Australian economy works. Elana recommends his episode on the Reserve Bank
One of the interesting stats that’s come out of the current referendum polling is that a surprisingly large number of Australians didn’t know that we even have a constitution, never mind what it is and why it’s important. If you’re one of those Australians, or you’re not sure what the deal is with the constitution, that’s ok! As I covered in our referendum explainer, it’s been quite a while since we had to look at amending the constitution, so if your civics education has been lacking, that’s not your fault. But we’re here to help plug the gaps in your ...
This is a story about colonisation, racism, and genocide. It’s a story about erasure, not just of a culture, but of an entire people. But it’s also a story of survival. And it’s a story about love. It’s a story about a woman who abandons her people, flees her home, her ancestors, her culture, and her heritage, who denies her own identity, right down to her own name, in order to protect her child from the government of her own country, a government that had an official policy to erase her people. It’s also a story about her descendent. And ...
Too young to have never voted in a referendum before? Old enough that it’s been some time since the last time you voted in one? In this episode we explain what a referendum is, why changing the constitution shouldn’t be a big deal, and what you, as a voter, have to do on the big day. Show Notes Here’s all the references used to build this episode, with some useful links if you’re after more information on the 2023 referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice: Referendums and plebiscites – Parliamentary Education Office Chapter VIII: Alteration of the ...
It shouldn’t come as any surprise to our regular listeners that the official position of the Australian Democrats is to support the Voice to Parliament. Part of the policy platform we took to the 2022 federal election on standing with First Nations people was whole hearted support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Since the Albanese government has chosen to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, starting with a Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution, our National Executive officially endorsed support for this back in April 2023. In the face of the increasingly ugly public ...
Women for Election is an organisation whose mission is to inspire, equip and sustain women to successfully stand for, and thrive in, public office in Australia. On this episode Elana ...
Listener questions answered! This is a new listener requested segment where we answer your questions about Australian politics, government or even the Australian Democrats that you really wanted to know ...
Chris Simpson is former builder and building project manager, who was part of the team that ran for the Senate in Queensland in 2022, and was our spokesperson on housing. ...
It’s budget time again, and Elana Mitchell and Steve Baty are joined by Young Democrat Rhiannon Kernot (no relation) to discuss the budget. While this episode was delayed by events, ...
Governments use the budget process to establish spending priorities and identify revenues to pay for those activities. The size and scope of those decisions make the budget process one of ...
Join National Vice Presidents Elana Mitchell and Steve Baty as they discuss the challenges facing the Albanese Government in its first major (but technically second) budget, and their wish list ...
When Speaker of the House Milton Dick scheduled the Aston by election for April 1st we’re sure that April Fools Day was the furthest thing from his mind. He made ...
It’s just as well Elana and Steve committed to completing their review of the NSW state election after the results were finalised, because their second thoughts on the NSW state ...
This episode was recorded the day the Albanese government and the Greens came to an agreement on the implementation of the safeguard mechanism, originally developed by Tony Abbott’s government, and ...
Elana and Steve agreed very firmly that they would not discuss the NSW state election until after the count was finished and they had a clear understanding of the make ...
Ever wondered how something about Australian government or politics worked, or saw a hot button topic on the news that you wanted to know more about? Along with our regular ...
Tim Dunlop is a writer, researcher, speaker and thinker, who’s written extensively on grassroots democracy and the role of the media, as well as technology and the future of work. ...
Victoria went to the polls for the second time this year, returning the Andrews government with an increased majority, and the slow motion collapse of the Liberal party continues. Steve ...
Budget nerds got a second Christmas this year, with the Albanese government fulfilling their election promise of holding another budget if they were elected. National Vice Presidents Elana Mitchell and ...
The Queen is dead. Long live the King of Australia. It felt like the world came to a stop for a number of days with the passing of her majesty ...
National Vice Presidents Elana Mitchell and Steve Baty take a look at the Albanese Government’s jobs summit, the Stage 3 tax cuts (and the government’s weird determination to die on ...
The revelations that Scott Morrison had himself appointed as minister to five other portfolios without telling the incumbent ministers or the Australian public, and the ramifications of this trashing of ...
And we’re back! We had an inadvertent hiatus after the election due to various illnesses and commitments getting in the way, but Elana and Steve are back in the podcast ...
Meet our lead Senate candidates for Victoria and South Australia (and the ones for Western Australia and New South Wales, but they’ll be pretty familiar!), as they discuss our Accountability, ...
On the eve of an election, Steve and Elana find themselves with questions about the Senate, and how it works. Luckily, former Senator and National President Lyn Allison is on ...
Young Democrat Rhiannon Kernot joins us to conduct an autopsy on the final budget of the 46th Parliament of Australia. It’s a budget that’s political, short term, and not really ...
Greg Wah, science communicator extraordinaire and co-host of the immortal-in-podcast-years Smart Enough to Know Better podcast joined Elana and Steve to yell at them about science, why it’s awesome and ...
Aaand we’re back! We didn’t mean to drop one episode about the bin fire of 2021 and then have a hiatus for a few weeks, but Steve and Elana got ...
On this first episode for 2022 Vice Presidents Elana Mitchell and Steve Baty are joined by Young Democrat Rhiannon Kernot as they look back on the bin fire that was 2021, including its greatest hits like the pandemic and its impact on young people, Federal Parliament’s #MeToo reckoning, reconciliation with First Nations, and the many and varied catastrophes that befell the government through its own making, before they look forward to what 2022 The Year Of the Federal Election will bring us.
Show Notes
Tim Dunlop’s Engineered Neglect
Andrew P Street’s This Mess We’re In (Because Scotty Needs NSW)
Donate to us and help us fund our election campaign!
On our final episode for 2021, National President Lyn Allison joins National Vice Presidents Steve Baty and Elana Mitchell to discuss COP26, electric vehicles and how the government isn’t… governing.
Show Notes
Peter Martin’s article on the simple policy change that could transform the Australian EV market
Our Decade of Climate Action, Sustainable Agriculture and Recycling and Waste policy platforms
Want to help us contest the next election? We need $32,000 simply to register two senate candidates in every state and territory, never mind things like corflutes, how to vote cards, volunteer t shirts and hats, advertising and all the other things that are required for a successful campaign. We do not receive taxpayer funds, and we don’t have big corporate donors like the major parties, so every dollar counts. If you’d like to donate to our election campaign fund you can do so here.
Dr Anika Molesworth is a farmer, an author, a newly minted PHD in agriculture and environmental science, and a champion for agro-ecological systems resilience, which is a fancy way of saying she’s committed to helping create sustainable and vibrant farming landscapes, and building the capacity for farmers to respond to climate change.
Thanks to her work on raising awareness of the impact of climate change on farms and what action can be taken to reduce emissions and adapt to changing conditions, Anika is a sought after speaker and educator, and she very kindly joined national vice presidents Elana Mitchell and Steve Baty to talk about the challenges facing farmers in Australia and around the world.
Show Notes
Dr Anika Molesworth’s website, where you can buy her book ‘Our Sunburnt Country’.
Or buy it direct from her publisher here or from Readings, Booktopia, or have a look at your local independent bookshop to see if they have it or can get it for you.
Have a look at our Sustainable Agriculture policy platform, our Decade of Action on Climate Change policy platform, our Waste and Recycling policy platform and where we stand on other issues. We have more in development.
Want to help us contest the next federal election? Join us for free in less than a minute, and help us keep the bastards honest!
On this episode we welcomed our first guest! Stilgherrian is a freelancer writer who’s been covering internet policy and all the cyber things for a decade and a half, primarily for tech news site ZDNet and before that Crikey. He also produces and presents the podcast The 9pm Edict.
He joined us to talk about a bunch of cyber security and, well, general security legislation that’s either recently been passed or is in the process of being debated, and that might have slipped under everyone’s radar with everything else that’s been going on.
Show Notes:
If you enjoyed listening to Stil, you can get more of him at the 9pm Edict. Elana strongly recommends episode 145 of the 9pm Edict, where Stil discusses Antarctic geopolitics with Dr Liz Buchanan. Three words: Antarctic Nazi Bunker.
Here’s the 1990 election ad from then Democrats leader Janine Haines that Stil played for us in the episode.
And here’s the article from Andrew P Street that Elana quoted.
And to save our younger listeners having to Google the Australia Card, here’s a quick explainer.
On this episode National Vice President and podcast host Elana Mitchell talks to Young Democrats Rhiannon Kernot (no relation) and Bianca Hogeveen about what politics means for young people, and particularly young women, in Australia, and the issues that young people are passionate about. Hint: it’s much more than climate change.
They also break down what’s involved with being a Young Democrat, the importance of bringing young voices to the table, and why youth representation matters at all levels of government.
Do you know someone who should become a Young Democrat, or would you like to become one? If you’re aged between 16 and 24 you can join the Young Democrats and help advise the party on the things that are important to your generation.
If you’re older than 24 you can become an “older” Democrat! Join us here
Show Notes:
Want to keep up with our events? Our next event will be National President Lyn Allison in conversation with former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Charles on the issue of accountability in politics, which, given the current shenanigans in federal politics, should be fascinating and timely. Keep an eye on our What’s On page for dates and to purchase tickets.
In the wake of Parliament’s #MeToo moment in March 2021, Bianca Hogeveen wrote a powerful piece on the dichotomy of calls for more women to enter politics and make politics more representative, even as the inherent hostility to women within our politics was revealed. You can read it here.
On Friday 1st October 2021 NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian suddenly resigned both from her role as Premier and as a member of the NSW parliament after the Independent Commission against Corruption announced that they were opening an investigation into whether she had breached the public trust during her dealings with her then secret boyfriend and corrupt former MP Daryl Maguire.
National vice presidents Steve Baty and Elana Mitchell got together to discuss what led to Berejiklian’s downfall, and the different standards of accountability between state and federal governments that her resignation has revealed.
Show Notes:
Accountability platform – more than just an ICAC!
Want to vote for us in the upcoming election? Help us retain our registration by joining us
Former Attorney General Christian Porter has somehow managed to weather being accused of an historical rape (which he vehemently denies), suing the ABC for defamation and then settling the case without requiring the ABC to accept responsibility or apologise, and has now resigned his cabinet position because he accepted an anonymous donation from a blind trust to pay his presumably hefty legal bills, rather than reveal his donors or how much was donated to him.
Join Elana Mitchell and Steve Baty as they pull apart the latest jaw dropping antics of one of the most corrupt and incompetent governments in Australia’s history, and discuss how allowing a sitting MP to keep an anonymous donation threatens the very foundations of a fair and free democracy.
Show Notes:
Andrew P Street’s Patreon article “Christian Porter’s finally done, right? RIGHT??”
Michael Bradley in Crikey “Christian Porter’s blind luck a blow to political accountability and transparency”
Elisa Resce for the Australian Democrats “What is a Bastard?”
Do your bit for democracy and join us
On the 26th of August a bill was passed that had fairly large ramifications for the 40 odd minor parties that don’t currently have a representative in the federal parliament. The Party Registration Integrity Bill, or as Twitter has named it, the Party Pooper Bill (#PartyPooperBill) will triple the minimum membership numbers required for minor parties to either maintain their federal registration, or for new parties to become registered.
And while much of the focus at the moment is quite rightly centered on the immediate threat to all the minor parties who have been getting ready to contest the upcoming federal election, there’s more at stake here than just the number of parties running in that election or whether the senate ballot paper is the size of a table cloth or just a placemat.
Join former Australian Democrats senator and current national president Lyn Allison, and national vice presidents Steve Baty and Elana Mitchell to discuss the Party Pooper Bill and what it means for politics in Australia.
Show Notes:
Do your bit for Australian democracy and join us!
www.democrats.org.au/membership
Otherwise you can search for all registered political parties on the Australian Electoral Commission website and find the party that aligns with your values:
https://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/party_registration/Registered_parties/
Read the AEC’s announcement on the Party Pooper Bill
https://www.aec.gov.au/news/electoral-laws.htm
Accountability in politics is more than a federal ICAC. Have a look at how our accountability platform will keep the bastards honest
https://www.democrats.org.au/accountability-campaign/
Want to know more about the Australian Democrats Rorts Watch project? View the disturbingly long list of rorts here: Rorts watch – Australian Democrats
Have we missed a rort? (There’s so many it’s hard to keep track!) Let us know at info@democrats.org.au and we’ll add it to the list.
Join Communications Team Leader Elana Mitchell, Campaigner Steve Baty and Young Democrat Rhiannon Kernot (no relation) as they pull apart the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2021 Federal Budget so you don’t have to.