The Long-Read Essay: Democracy, Power and Australia at the Crossroads

The Long-Read Essay: Democracy, Power and Australia at the Crossroads

2025 was the year the comforting myths finally fell away. In this long-read essay, we trace how democratic institutions – globally and in Australia – proved far more fragile than many assumed, as misinformation, authoritarian politics and media failure reshaped the political landscape. From Trump’s return and Elon Musk’s political interference, to the catastrophic war on Gaza and Australia’s own shallow election campaign, the year exposed a deep crisis of leadership, media courage and moral clarity. Yet amid the disillusionment, there are faint but real signs of renewal: growing scepticism of mainstream media, the rise of independent voices, and a questioning of Australia’s place in a changing world. This long-read episode asks a simple but urgent question: at the crossroads revealed in 2025, will Australia choose to continue to drift, or seek a democratic renewal? #AUSPOL

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Song listing:
  1. ‘La Femme d’Argent’, AIR.

Episoder(311)

Managing Trump, not Closing the Gap, dirty election deals

Managing Trump, not Closing the Gap, dirty election deals

This episode examines Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s phone call to President Donald Trump over looming US steel and aluminium tariffs, the AUKUS agreement and its US$500 million payment, and the po...

14 Feb 202547min

The ABC of Peter Dutton and the sacking of a journalist

The ABC of Peter Dutton and the sacking of a journalist

We examine the return of Parliament in 2025, the government’s shelving of the Environmental Protection Agency, and stalled gambling advertising legislation that may never advance. There’s a lot of ann...

7 Feb 202546min

Australia’s culture wars, Trump’s mayhem, and a fragile ceasefire

Australia’s culture wars, Trump’s mayhem, and a fragile ceasefire

In this first New Politics podcast episode of 2025, we examine conservative calls to celebrate Australia Day (Invasion Day) despite widespread ambivalence, Sussan Ley’s bizarre comparison of the First...

31 Jan 202556min

2025 election countdown: the battle for Australia’s future

2025 election countdown: the battle for Australia’s future

In this episode of New Politics, we explore the key issues that will shape Australia’s 2025 federal election, from economic challenges and leadership struggles to the growing influence of independents...

20 Des 202429min

2024: The Review of a Big Year in Politics

2024: The Review of a Big Year in Politics

In this episode, we explore the key issues that shaped Australian federal politics throughout 2024, examining the highs and lows, the moments that truly mattered, and those that didn’t. The state of t...

13 Des 202454min

Labor leadership disinformation and an environmental fail

Labor leadership disinformation and an environmental fail

In this episode, we explore the media's exaggerated reports of a rift between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek—a conflict that appears more fiction than fact th...

6 Des 202446min

The End of Parliament and Chasing War Criminals

The End of Parliament and Chasing War Criminals

We explore whether the Australian Greens have learned some tough political lessons on housing policy, reflect on the conclusion of the federal parliamentary year with many critical issues still unreso...

29 Nov 202443min

Money, power and politics: Who really wins in Australia’s democracy?

Money, power and politics: Who really wins in Australia’s democracy?

We explore the proposed reforms to Australia’s donation laws and ask: who really benefits from these changes? The climate wars rage on, with the latest battle centred on the government’s delayed 2035 ...

22 Nov 202450min

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