Podcasts about Quarterly Essay

Defence analyst Hugh White says Australian leaders are in denial about how dramatically the world has changed, and need to get a grip on the deep, troubling forces propelling us into a new order of world power.The balance of global power has changed dramatically over the last 25 years.Even in the last five years, so much has happened - the pandemic, AUKUS, the war in Ukraine, a change of government here in Australia, Donald Trump's return to the White House, and all the tumult that has followed over the past six months.According to defence analyst Hugh White, we are quickly heading into a post-American world.However, Australia's defence assumptions remain based on a world which America built for us, where the United States is still a predominant world power that is heavily invested in Asia, and in us.Hugh says political leaders in Australia are in denial about all of this, and need to get their heads out of the sand, accept the the world as we knew it is passing away, and redefine our relationships with powerful nations including the United States and China in order to make our way in this new world.We've done it before, with the United Kingdom in the post-World War II years, and we need to do it again, Hugh says.Further informationYou can read Hugh White's essay, Hard New World: Our Post-American Future, in the June issue of the Quarterly Essay.If you're interested in more episodes like this one, have a listen to Richard's recent conversation with Marcel Dirsus about tyrants and dictators on the ABC Listen App, or wherever you get your podcasts.Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode was produced by Jennifer Leake and presented by Richard Fidler.This episode of Conversations explores nuclear war, Russian expansionism, Ukraine, Putin, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Los Angeles protests, riots, political landscape, Lauren Tomasi, ANZUS, Asia-Pacific, Xi Jinping, Taiwan, invasion, California, the decline of the West, National Guard, law enforcement, ICE.

Lech Blaine’s debut book Car Crash, told the gripping story of his life in the aftermath of a horrendous road accident that killed several of his friends. Since then he’s written political essays and thoughtful journalism for The Monthly, the Quarterly Essay and beyond. On this week’s episode of Read This we’re bringing you Michael’s conversation with Lech at Canberra Writers’ Festival, where they discussed his latest book Australian Gospel: A Family Saga. The book details the outrageous true story of the tangled fates of two couples and the children trapped between them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lech Blaine’s debut book Car Crash, told the gripping story of his life in the aftermath of a horrendous road accident that killed several of his friends. Since then he’s written political essays and thoughtful journalism: for The Monthly, for the Quarterly Essay and beyond. This week, we’re bringing you Michael’s conversation with Lech at Canberra Writers’ Festival, where they discussed his latest book Australian Gospel: A Family Saga. The book details the outrageous true story of the tangled fates of two couples and the children trapped between them. Reading list: Car Crash, Lech Blaine 2019 Australian Gospel: A Family Saga, Lech Blaine 2024 Gunnawah, Ronni Salt, 2024 You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter Guest: Lech BlaineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support us on Patreon... Tennant, Luke and Frankie are calling all Summerupperers to come join the expanded LMSU universe and support our Patreon! Sign up today for access to coveted BoCo like extra subscriber-only episodes, including the recently released Dungeons and Dragons play-though episode. What's not to love here? Head on over to https://www.patreon.com/LetMeSumUp.The 2024 Wonkies! We are back, one last time in 2024, with our THIRD ANNUAL BUMPER HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR! That's right Summerupperers, ‘tis the season for the Highly Anticipated and Much Sought After awarding of the third annual Wonkies! And we have ourselves a Godzilla vs Kong vs Mothra situation on our hands, as DITRDCA faces off against CCA and DCCEEW for the best climate and energy paper we talked about on the podcast in 2024. It was a lengthy and somewhat contentious debate this year (in which actual real world impact on emissions reduction was mystifyingly discounted), but ultimately consensus was achieved and DCCEEW and Carbon Leakage Review lead Frank Jotzo triumphed with the Carbon Leakage Review Second Consultation Paper! If you are wondering why this paper was such a corker you can hear our thoughts on it, at length, back on Episode 61.Congratulations must also go to the runner-ups in this hard fought category, the CCA's 2024 Issues Paper, Targets, Pathways and Progress (Episode 46) and  Cleaner, Cheaper to Run Cars: The Australian New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (Episode 42). And if you want to truly appreciate the profound import of that last paper for breaking the karmic policy cycle, why not check out Developments in Australian fuel quality and vehicle emissions standards: a chronology from the Parliamentary Library!Princess Mononoke!!And while the Wonkies are great, what LMSU Holiday Special would be complete without discussion of a movie? And this year we take on an absolute banger, Princess Mononoke, a historical fantasy set in feudal Japan directed by acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. This film has everything! Stunning anime! Giant animal gods! Wolf princesses! Feminist industrialists! Long suffering proto-centrists that wish everyone would just stop fighting and talk it out! TL;DR we vibe with this movie. So great.You can watch it on Netflix in Australia. Also have a read of this interview with Miyazaki himself, which we reference several times in our chat.One more things – annual pop culture edition!!!Tennant's One More Thing is a highly inaccessible film: Orson Welles classic F for Fake. While there isn't a good Australian link, if you are inspired by Tennant's endorsement and wish to go on this particular spirit quest you could start here!Frankie likes recommending podcasts and quarterly essays, and she doesn't disappoint this year, giving her tick to design podcast 99% Invisible and a provisional tick (not having read it yet) to George Megalogenis' latest Quarterly Essay, Minority Report, The New Shape of Australian Politics. Which Luke reminded us is also available as an audiobook read by the author himself, if that is your thang!Luke's One More Thing is a couple of video game recommendations: acclaimed indie platformer Celeste, with a side helping of first party family fun in Super Mario Wonder!Special bonus post show song!!!!And we close out the year with one final treat; the latest offering from the NEMchat Singers, Everybody Wants to Change the Rules, a reflection on the deep and abiding dissatisfaction with our electricity market regime, set to the tune of ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World' by 80s pop icons Tears for Fears. Thanks to NEMchat Singers Dean Lombard, Mark Henley and the mysterious ‘Gen Taylor' for letting us share this with you. And if you enjoyed the song be sure to check out their other 2024 offering, Stake it on the Atom!Catch you next year!!!!!And that's all from us in 2024 Summerupperers! We are taking a break in January but will be back with ever more reports in February 2025. In the meantime, happy holidays to you all, and while you rest up, send your hot tips, suggestions for papers and climate-themed pop culture to mailbag@letmesumup.net, and catch us over on Bluesky at @lukemenzel.bsky.social @tennantreed.bsky.social and @frankiemuskovic.bsky.social

David Ritter is the chief executive officer of Greenpeace Australia Pacific. He is also an adjunct professor in the Sydney Democracy Network at Sydney University; an affiliate of the Sydney Environment Institute; an associate of the Sydney Policy Lab at Sydney University and an honorary fellow of the Law Faculty at UWA.  A few weeks ago we published a conversation I had with David back in 2020, at the height the pandemic lockdowns. The world had seemingly turned on its axis, but in David's view was already spinning prior to covid19 sweeping the planet. As David last month began a new conversation with Greenpeace people and supporters, a monthly letter with love, I thought it was timely to chat again and check in with him post pandemic, but still very much in urgent crisis. David is a widely published writer, including three books, The Coal Truth, Contesting Native Title and the The Native Title Market, his insights into the climate emergency have been published in The Guardian, The Griffiths Review, Independent Australian and The Quarterly Essay. A frequent and highly regarded keynote speaker, David uses his platform to take audiences on a journey; through the wonder and awe of the natural world, the powers that threaten it and his profound belief in the human capacity for good.  David also wrote a wonderful essay for the book, Living with the Anthropocene, a powerful anthology of writing from some leading writers, thinkers and doers.     Growing Your Business and Impact Talk to us today about how we can grow your capacity to level up your business and impact with our fully trained and managed outsourced marketing solutions - delivered by our digital heroes armed with good strategy, the latest tech and big smiles.  Learn more at humansofpurpose.com Promotional Partnerships Like what we are serving up on Humans of Purpose? Our promotional campaigns have delivered great marketing and sales outcomes and ROI for our partners to date.  Whether you're seeking a 1-month, 2-month or season sponsorship, follow the flow below to become a partner before we run out of our remaining promotional slots for 2024.  Click Here to learn more about collaborating on a custom campaign package. Ready to partner? Just complete this short Partner Enquiry Form and we'll be in touch. Gold Membership Want a premium listening experience that directly supports us to keep making the podcast?  Join current members Michael, Pravati, Noel, Kathy, Andrew 1, Andrew 2, Chris, Nikki, Margaret, Ben, Misha, Sarah and Geoff and enjoy our range of member benefits:  Premium dedicated podcast feed Removal of all three ads per episode Early access to all episodes Full transcripts of all episodes Brokered intros to all podcast guests Ask me anything page access To take up this great offer, just head to our Gold Member page today. CREDITS Music intro and outro on this podcast was written and performed by Keyo Rhodes, with Harrison McGregor on drums and percussion. Sound engineering and mastering by Lachlan McGregor.

In this updated edition of the bestselling Quarterly Essay, Alan Kohler tells the story of how we got into the Australian housing mess, with added material on homelessness, what is now an affordable house price, and lessons from overseas. 

David Ritter is the chief executive officer of Greenpeace Australia Pacific. He is also an adjunct professor in the Sydney Democracy Network at Sydney University; an affiliate of the Sydney Environment Institute; an associate of the Sydney Policy Lab at Sydney University and an honorary fellow of the Law Faculty at UWA.  Greenpeace has launched and executed a number of highly successful and deeply collaborative campaigns during David's time as CEO, including most recently: - Stopping big oil companies from drilling in the Great Australian Bight, wholly preventing the opening of a new oil frontier. - Persuading Australia's worst climate polluter, AGL Energy, to agree to early coal closures - which will result in roughly an 8-10% drop in annual domestic emissions, and; - shifting 21 major Australian corporations to adopt 100% renewable energy electricity commitments by 2025 - shifting around 5% of the National Electricity Market from fossil fuels to renewable energy. A widely published writer, including three books, The Coal Truth, Contesting Native Title and the The Native Title Market, his insights into the climate emergency have been published in The Guardian, The Griffiths Review, Independent Australian and The Quarterly Essay. A frequent and highly regarded keynote speaker, David uses his platform to take audiences on a journey; through the wonder and awe of the natural world, the powers that threaten it and his profound belief in the human capacity for good.  This conversation took place back in 2020, in the midst of Covid lockdowns. We've been reflecting on it and its potency still to this day and hope you enjoy it.  David's essay referred to in the episode is from the book, Living with the Anthropocene, a powerful anthology of writing from some leading writers, thinkers and doers.     Growing Your Business and Impact Talk to us today about how we can grow your capacity to level up your business and impact with our fully trained and managed outsourced marketing solutions - delivered by our digital heroes armed with good strategy, the latest tech and big smiles.  Learn more at humansofpurpose.com Promotional Partnerships Like what we are serving up on Humans of Purpose? Our promotional campaigns have delivered great marketing and sales outcomes and ROI for our partners to date.  Whether you're seeking a 1-month, 2-month or season sponsorship, follow the flow below to become a partner before we run out of our remaining promotional slots for 2024.  Click Here to learn more about collaborating on a custom campaign package. Ready to partner? Just complete this short Partner Enquiry Form and we'll be in touch. Gold Membership Want a premium listening experience that directly supports us to keep making the podcast?  Join current members Michael, Pravati, Noel, Kathy, Andrew 1, Andrew 2, Chris, Nikki, Margaret, Ben, Misha, Sarah and Geoff and enjoy our range of member benefits:  Premium dedicated podcast feed Removal of all three ads per episode Early access to all episodes Full transcripts of all episodes Brokered intros to all podcast guests Ask me anything page access To take up this great offer, just head to our Gold Member page today. CREDITS Music intro and outro on this podcast was written and performed by Keyo Rhodes, with Harrison McGregor on drums and percussion. Sound engineering and mastering by Lachlan McGregor.  

Lloyd meets Annabel on the couch to ask some crunchy questions. Including but not limited to: What makes a good leader? And to what extent is journalism responsible for partisan attack politics?Annabel CrabbAnnabel Crabb is an Australian political journalist, commentator and television host who is the ABC's chief online political writer. She has worked for Adelaide's The Advertiser, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald, and won a Walkley Award in 2009 for her Quarterly Essay, "Stop at Nothing: The Life and Adventures of Malcolm Turnbull". She has written two books covering events within the Australian Labor Party, as well as The Wife Drought, a book about women's work–life balance, and two cookbooks with her friend and collaborator, Wendy Sharpe. She has hosted ABC television shows Kitchen Cabinet, The House, Back in Time for Dinner and Tomorrow Tonight. Annabel is the co-founder of the hit podcast Chat 10 Looks 3, which she co-hosts with Leigh Sales, now in its 10th year.CREDITSYour hosts are Lloyd Vogelman and Emile Sherman This podcast is proud to partner with The Ethics CentreFind Lloyd @LloydVogelman on Linked inFind Emile @EmileSherman on Linked In and XThis podcast is produced by Jonah Primo and Sabrina OrganoFind Jonah at jonahprimo.com or @JonahPrimo on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The inimitable Annabel Crabb joins us for this special spotlight episode where we shine a light on the changing impact of journalism in a shifting media landscape. In a world where truth is increasingly contested, can the fourth estate still be trusted to deliver reliable information which brings us together into some sort of shared reality? Or has our trust in journalism been irrevocably broken by the ‘democratisation' of information - the relentless immediacy of self-selecting delivery platforms - as well as the unabating attacks of all political sides, who too often claim that it's just a front for power or an opinion, or even worse, a home for misinformation. How can we rebuild trust in the news, recognising its limitations while understanding its critical role in a well-functioning society?As to disagree productively, we need a shared reality as our foundation.Annabel CrabbAnnabel Crabb is an Australian political journalist, commentator and television host who is the ABC's chief online political writer. She has worked for Adelaide's The Advertiser, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald, and won a Walkley Award in 2009 for her Quarterly Essay, "Stop at Nothing: The Life and Adventures of Malcolm Turnbull". She has written two books covering events within the Australian Labor Party, as well as The Wife Drought, a book about women's work–life balance, and two cookbooks with her friend and collaborator, Wendy Sharpe. She has hosted ABC television shows Kitchen Cabinet, The House, Back in Time for Dinner and Tomorrow Tonight. Annabel is the co-founder of the hit podcast Chat 10 Looks 3, which she co-hosts with Leigh Sales, now in its 10th year.CREDITSYour hosts are Lloyd Vogelman and Emile Sherman This podcast is proud to partner with The Ethics CentreFind Lloyd @LloydVogelman on Linked inFind Emile @EmileSherman on Linked In and XThis podcast is produced by Jonah Primo and Sabrina OrganoFind Jonah at jonahprimo.com or @JonahPrimo on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author and former speechwriter Don Watson joins us to discuss political violence, America's deep divisions and whether Kamala Harris can turn the country around. Don Watson joins Dr Emma Shortis on this episode of After America to discuss the cult-like support Donald Trump has manufactured, the “mad” AUKUS agreement, and his latest Quarterly Essay, ‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink'. This discussion was recorded on Friday 20 September 2024 and things may have changed since recording. Join President José Ramos-Horta at 6pm AEDT, Tuesday 8 October for an evening of conversation at the Sydney Opera House, presented by the Australia Institute as part of its 30 Years of Big Ideas. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Don Watson, author of ‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink' Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis Show notes: ‘High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink' by Don Watson, Quarterly Essay (September 2024) American Journeys by Don Watson (January 2018) ‘Enemy Within: American Politics in the Time of Trump' by Don Watson, Quarterly Essay (September 2016) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy Mullins chats with Don Watson, acclaimed author and former speechwriter to Paul Keating, about his Quarterly Essay, 'High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink.' In this historically rich and incisive account, Watson explores Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and a nation approaching its democratic high noon. As part of his research, Don travelled across the U.S. earlier this year, exploring the question: Is the United States disintegrating? Key themes of his essay include voter suppression, the rise of fascist politics, Australian parallels, and deeply rooted systemic racism, with his queries capturing a critical juncture in history. Furthermore, he says: “The core of the problem lies in their founding documents — the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, as they never began resolving the race debate.” Broadcast 17 September 2024.

On the 5 November this year, the American people will go to the polls to make a choice, the impact of which will be felt around the globe.  Will Republican nominee and now convicted criminal, former President Donald Trump, topple Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris?? How did America reach this point, and how will either candidate's victory impact Australia's relationship with the US and the global political landscape?  Don Watson, celebrated Australian writer and former political advisor to Paul Keating, unpacks these questions and more at a special Fifth Estate event with host Sally Warhaft, live at The Wheeler Centre.  This event was recoded on Thursday 5 September 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.Don Watson's Quarterly Essay is available from The Paperback Bookshop here. Featured music is 'Different Days' by Chill Cole. The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders past and present, as the custodians of the world's oldest continuous living culture.Disclaimer: If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, the transcript was automatically generated by Apple's AI and is not affiliated with The Wheeler Centre. AI transcripts may contain errors.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don Watson joins Democracy Sausage to discuss updates from the US election in this live recording. From debates and assassination attempts to celebrity endorsements, a lot can happen in a short amount of time in politics. What explains the performance-like aspects of this US election campaign? How can Americans come together to mend divisions? And what is the likely outcome of the presidential race? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, author and speechwriter Don Watson joins Professor Mark Kenny to talk about the world's so-called greatest democracy and his new Quarterly Essay, High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the brink. This episode was recorded as part of the ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author series. Don Watson was Prime Minister Paul Keating's speechwriter and adviser between 1992-1996. He is the author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed books, including Caledonia Australis, Recollections of a Bleeding Heart, American Journeys, The Bush and The Passion of Private White. He is the author of a new Quarterly Essay entitled High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the brink. Mark Kenny is the Director of the 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, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au. This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Mullins chats with Don Watson, acclaimed author and former speechwriter to Paul Keating, about his Quarterly Essay, 'High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink.' In this historically rich and incisive account, Watson explores Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and a nation approaching its democratic high noon. As part of his research, Don travelled across the U.S. earlier this year, exploring the question: Is the United States disintegrating? Key themes of his essay include voter suppression, the rise of fascist politics, Australian parallels, and deeply rooted systemic racism, with his queries capturing a critical juncture in history. Furthermore, he says: “The core of the problem lies in their founding documents — the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, as they never began resolving the race debate.”

Don Watson, acclaimed author and former speechwriter to Paul Keating, speaks in-depth about his Quarterly Essay, High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the Brink, on the 2024 US Presidential Election and whether the United States of America is disintegrating. He travelled around the country as part of his research for the essay earlier this year.Amy will also be joined by a special panel with Daniel Boetker-Smith (CCP Director), Catlin Langford (outgoing CCP Curator), Jessie Norman, and Christopher Sutherland, to talk about a brilliant photography prokect and book co-published by Perimeter Editions and the Centre for Contemporary Photography. Auto-Photo: A Life in Portraits tells the story of Alan Adler, a Melbourne man who is likely the the most photographed person in Australia, and is also perhaps the oldest and longest-serving photobooth technician in the world. Alan maintained a suite of photobooths across Melbourne/Naarm for over 50 years – most notably, at Flinders Street Station – and would undertake weekly testing and servicing on each photobooth across his network. Adler would take a seat in the booth and produce a test strip of photographs – these photos from the 1970s to the 2010s – form the basis of the book and a forthcoming exhibition in 2025. In 2018, with the booth at Flinders Street Station facing imminent closure, Christopher Sutherland and Jessie Norman – whose operation later became known as Metro-Auto-Photo – began working with Adler to generate interest in his work and to successfully save his photobooth. It's Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as Moon Festival) on Tuesday 17th September. Joey Leung, founder of Joy Jaune, an artisan patisserie and dessert shop at the Preston Market, and author and Sinologist Linda Jaivin talk about the significance of Mid-Autumn Festival in China and to many other Asian cultures, including Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. They talk about the story of the Moon Goddess Chang'e, the traditions around mooncakes, family reunion, and more! Joey sells her beautiful mooncakes every Moon Festival – check out her Instagram!

Support us on Patreon... Tennant, Luke and Frankie are calling all Summerupperers to come join the expanded LMSU universe and support our Patreon! Sign up today for access to coveted BoCo like our recent bonus episode on brat summer and US election implications for climate, as well as other savoury morsels like our notes on papers read, alternate paper titles and so so many custom memes. Head on over to https://www.patreon.com/LetMeSumUp.—After shamelessly spruiking our latest subscriber-only bonus content – LMSU speculation on the US election and its implications for mitigation – we pop across the pond to pick over the scraps of the recent UK election. Did the Tories' flirtation with an anti-green agenda cost them or was the prospect of warm homes and nationalising energy with GB Energy too tantalising to turn down? Maybe it was just time for the Tories to go! Our main paperHaving foreshadowed our curiosity about the current Quarterly Essay on our last pod, your intrepid hosts came for the excellent climate science but might have left before the policy diagnosis in Joëlle Gergis' HIghway to Hell: Climate Change and Australia's Future. It turns out that straying from your lane can be fraught and plagued with pesky potholes like politics and diplomacy, which are, like, totally simple and not at all riddled with their own peculiar complexities. Alas, they tried to make Japan go to rehab and Australia said “no, no, no.” One more thingsLuke's One More Thing is: Listener feedback! The folks from RE-Alliance took issue with a hypothesis floated on our last pod that folks from the regions may feel a sense of pride in the nation-building hosting of renewable energy infra. That's a big fat NO according to research done by the RE-Alliance crew. Well then.Tennant's One More Thing is: HumeLink has been approved (economically, by the AER). Next: EPBC and NSW planning!Frankie's One More Thing is: A shout out to now-former Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Jenny McAllister, who was promoted in the recent reshuffle. From her work leading on early adaptation plans, energy performance and securing a billion-dollar fund for home energy upgrades, the LMSU crew salute you, and congrats on the new gig!And that's all from us Summerupperers! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/LetMeSumUp, send your hot tips and suggestions for papers to us at mailbag@letmesumup.net and check out our back catalogue at letmesumup.net.

Support us on Patreon... Tennant, Luke and Frankie are calling all Summerupperers to come join the expanded LMSU universe and support our Patreon! Sign up today for access to coveted BoCo like bonus episodes and other savoury morsels like our notes on papers read, alternate paper titles and so so many custom memes. Head on over to https://www.patreon.com/LetMeSumUp.—This week your intrepid hosts feast on the veritable smorgasbord of actions and progress contained in the communique out of climate and energy ministers' most recent gathering! The acronym soup - CER, FMIA, MEPS, GEMS, Oh MY! - might have been a touch too much for most, the LMSU crew dined with delight. Yes please for home energy ratings! Yummo on MEPS for hot water heat pumps! Please Sir, I Want Some More regulation of crappy LEDs! Our main paperAndrew Dyer unpacked the dire state of community engagement in his review, which was the main course for this week's pod and was yet another item that received a formal response from climate and energy ministers last week. Tennant was sick in bed this week so naturally he penned an ode to the Dyer Review set to the tune of Girl from Ipanema. It may turn up on the Patreon one day but suffice to say that ♪ short and sharp and smart and concrete, the recs from Andrew Dyer are all agreed ♪Including but definitely not limited to the idea of an energy spokesperson/hype machine (probably not zombie John Monash but someone like that) to explain why all this infrastructure is necessary! Is Matt Kean that the man for the job?! Maybe not as crazy as it sounds!!! Luke spoke to Matt about his aspirations in the new gig. You know, on his other podcast

Writer Lech Blaine on Peter Dutton, the former policeman who became the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia

Peter Dutton is a lot of things: a right-wing firebrand, a former Queensland cop and a champion of what he believes are simple Australian values. But he's also a multi-millionaire who colleagues describe as pleasant, shy, but fiercely ambitious. Lech Blaine spent months studying Peter Dutton's past and political ascendency to discover who the leader of the opposition really is and what's underneath his “bad cop” exterior. Today, the author of the latest Quarterly Essay: Bad Cop, Lech Blaine, on what's driving Peter Dutton's strongman politics. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Author of the latest Quarterly Essay, Lech Blaine

Each year Grattan selects its best books of the past 12 months as recommended reading for the Prime Minister and all Australians over the summer holidays. In this summer series, we discuss some of the works on the list with the people who wrote them. In this special podcast, Hannah Orban and Alastair McEwin discuss the Quarterly Essay, Lifeboat: Disability, Humanity, and the NDIS, with author Micheline Lee. The essay explains what it's like to live with disability in Australia, the big improvements that the National Disability Insurance Scheme has brought about, and the challenges that remain in accessing and using the NDIS. Read the essay: https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/lifeboat Read the Prime Minister's Summer Reading List: https://grattan.edu.au/news/prime-ministers-summer-reading-list-2023/

Buckle up for a ripper episode of The Money Café this week, with Alan Kohler discussing his Quarterly Essay on the state of Australia's housing market, Stephen Mayne mulling over the busiest day of AGM season, plus lots of listener questions on superannuation, interest rates, tax, and much, much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia has one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, with values soaring much faster than wages. This has altered Australian society, increased inequality and profoundly changed the relationship between generations. So, where did things go so wrong, and can we ever go back to normal? Today, finance journalist and author of the latest Quarterly Essay, ‘The Great Divide on Australia's housing mess and how to fix it', Alan Kohler. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Finance journalist, Alan Kohler.

It was the Australian dream to own a home and a block of land.But while that was once very achievable, it's not anymore. So why did that change and can it be reversed?Today, the ABC's Alan Kohler explains why anyone born after 1980 is in a tricky position. He's written a Quarterly Essay about the housing market and says it'd take an 18 year freeze in house prices to return to an income to house price ratio that he and his parents enjoyed.Featured: Alan Kohler, ABC finance presenter

Barely a decade ago the NDIS, the scheme to support Australians living with a disability, was called the social reform of a generation. Last week it was called out the Disability Royal Commission report as a system in desperate need of attention.  Disability advocates say that despite its good intentions, the NDIS isn't living up to its bold vision.  Today, writer of the latest Quarterly Essay, ‘Lifeboat: Disability, Humanity and the NDIS', Micheline Lee on what's wrong with the NDIS and how we can fix it.  Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Writer and former human rights lawyer who has lived with a motor neurone disability since birth, Micheline Lee

The Politics' Rachel Withers joins Amy to talk federal politics, including the latest developments on the Voice referendum campaign. Micheline Lee delves into the issues raised in her Quarterly Essay, Lifeboat: Disability, Humanity and the NDIS. Micheline explains that the NDIS, for all its good intentions, has not understood people with disabilities well enough. While government thought the market could do its job, a caring society cannot be outsourced. Dr Adrian Marshall of the Grassy Plains Network and North West Alliance talks about Geelong's native grasslands and their endangered inhabitants, which are under threat from land development and urban expansion. Adrian will detail the Council's Geelong Strategic Assessment and its impacts on grasslands, Growling Grass Frogs, Striped Legless Lizards, and Golden Sun Moths. Submissions are due 5pm on Monday 25 September 2023.

Author and former human rights lawyer Micheline Lee delves into the issues raised in her Quarterly Essay, Lifeboat: Disability, Humanity and the NDIS. Micheline explains that the NDIS, for all its good intentions, has not understood people with disabilities well enough. While government thought the market could do its job, a caring society cannot be outsourced.

In our first guest interview episode for Bad Diaries Podcast, Jenny talks with Sarah Krasnostein.On a May morning in Melbourne, Sarah and Jenny sink into Succession, narrative structure and shaping a story, research stepping stones, stationery, and Sarah talks about reading her early spy diaries (hello, Harriet the Spy) at a Bad Diaries Salon in Melbourne in 2018.Sarah reads from her 2022 book The Believer (Text Publishing, Australia; Tin House, US).Sarah Krasnostein is the multi-award winning author of The Trauma Cleaner, The Believer and the Quarterly Essay, Not Waving, Drowning. She holds a PhD in criminal law and is admitted to legal practice in New York and Victoria. A regular contributor to The Monthly and The Saturday Paper, she was awarded the 2022 Walkley Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism. Her latest work, On Peter Carey, is out this year from Black Inc Books.Find full show notes for this episode on the Bad Diaries Salon website baddiariessalon.com, or get in touch via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook – we're @baddiariessalon everywhere.Thanks for joining us for Bad Diaries Podcast! Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us, wherever you get your podcasts.Bad Diaries Podcast is recorded and produced in Naarm Melbourne, Australia, on the lands of the Kulin Nation; and in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, on the iwi lands of Taranaki Whānui, and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. We pay our respects to Mana Whenua, and to Elders past, present and emerging, of these lands.

Voice of Reason Quarterly Essay here II an excerpt from Australia Institute webinaire The Voice of Reason on Recognition & Renewal where Prof Mark Kenny talks with Prof Megan Davis about her recent essay published at the Quarterly Essay about the Yes vote campaign for the Voice referendum and some of the more strange no campaign utterances from the LNP.Song Cycle for Peace here II We speak with Brunswick Composer Alan Griffiths about his song cycle 'Such A Fine, Sunny Day' inspired by and dedicated to 21-year-old Munich university student pacifist Sophie Scholl who defied Hitler. This anti-war Libretti will have its Australian Premiere on Nov 25th when opera star Paul Whelan appears in one concert at St Paul's Cathedral. For ticket infoThis is the week that was here II Kevin Healy slices & dices the week.Campaign Against Racism & Fascism here II We catch up with Jasmine Duff from the Campaign Against Racism & Fascism (CARF) who have seen the postponement of the Trump jnr/ Farrage Speaking Tour and the continued monitoring of the Nazi Gym in Sunshine.Loving Grasslands here II Filmmaker Brendan Guerin talks to us about his webseries Loving Grasslands which highlights restoration and land management in harmony with Nature in the Hume Council Green Wedge on the periphery of Melbourne. Showing online now on the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival website.

This episode features the recording of an online conversation focused on the newest edition of The Quarterly Essay, The Wires That Bind: Electrification and Community Renewal, penned by Saul Griffith. In this edition, inventor, engineer and visionary Saul Griffith reveals the world that awaits us if we make the most of Australia's energy future. Griffith was interviewed by Simon Holmes A Court, an Australian business and political activist, and the convenor of Climate 200.

Chair: Jonathan Green Full session title: "We Gasp for Air Among People Who Believe They Are Absolutely Right" Can democracy survive contempt? In their Quarterly Essay 87: Uncivil Wars, Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens argue that mutual contempt and intractable political enmity undermine the condition of democratic culture and truly free speech. They talk with Tom Ballard, Tim Dunlop, Sumeyya Ilanbey and Bernard Keane about the forces that have shaped contemporary political life and the possibility of recovering meaningful public debate. Event details: Sun 05 Mar, 1:15pm on the West Stage

Recovered from epic Egyptian adventures your intrepid hosts begin by revisiting the final outcomes of the formal negotiations at COP27. That's not the only thing we revisited though! This video of Tennant's Beat Saber antics in the ruins of the Australia pavilion as he and Luke waited until the bitter end of COP is well worth a watch. You're welcome ;-)This week we unpack the Albanese Government's first Annual Climate Change Statement, tabled by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen in the Parliament last week, as required under the recently passed Climate Change Act. This One-Climate-Statement-to-Rule-Them-All wasn't the only present under the climate christmas tree though! We also had a look at the Climate Change Authority's First Annual Progress Report, Australia's Emissions Projections for 2022 and the latest National Greenhouse Gas Inventory quarterly update, all released with the statement. A veritable feast of climate delights Summerupperers! Aaand, if you enjoyed this week's Numbers Talk with Frankie, is it because it recalled fond memories of the BBC's Shipping Forecast? Shout out via the socials!Frankie's One More Thing is a just released report from the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC), ‘Unlocking the pathway: why electrification is the key to net zero buildings' which finds electrification is the lowest cost, fastest emissions reduction pathway for building operations and would save $49 billion out to 2050 compared to BAU. Boom!Tennant's One More Thing is a movie he's crushing on in which Michelle Yeoh and her fists of fury go on a rollicking adventure through the multiverses exploring lives she could have led. If you need an escape from the heavy heaviness of climate policy land for a bit go check out Everything Everywhere All at Once!Luke's One More Thing is Katharine Murphy's excellent new Quarterly Essay, ‘Lone Wolf: the making of Anthony Albanese', an account of his formative years, rise to the Labor leadership and the journey through the 2022 Federal election to victory, including the internal machinations over what Labor's climate policy should be. A fascinating read for climate policy nerds!VERY IMPORTANT PODCAST MATTERS: Summerupperers, we need your vote on what climate-related movie we should watch and discuss for our very first holiday special and last episode of the year before the xmas break. Should it be Soylent Green, The Day After Tomorrow or Don't Look Up? Make your vote count RIGHT HERE.And that's all from us this week Summerupperers! We shall see you next time and until then, please keep tweeting your thoughts to us at @LukeMenzel, @TennantReed and @FrankieMuskovic and if you would like to weave some golden threads through our back catalogue, give us your feelpinions or suggest papers to read we are always here for that - hit us up at mailbag@letmesumup.net.

Global Policy Watch: Tu Cheez Badi Hai Musk, Musk (umm, sorry)Insights on global policy issues — RSJOne of the great problems of policy, or even philosophy, is who should own things that are or that behave like public utilities. For instance, who should own news broadcasting services? Suppose you prepare a case study explaining what's news broadcasting, the perils that someone abuses such a service to spread fake news and propaganda, and the damage they do to society. Now hand over this case to a bunch of well-meaning people and ask them: how would they frame a policy on ownership of such a service? What do you think the answer will be? I don't have any empirical evidence to back this, but I think in most scenarios, you will find a group of well-meaning people supporting some kind of ownership by the state or a distributed set of individuals. They might suggest a set of tightly regulated norms on what should be broadcast, and they could also throw in a stringent penalty regime for violations. It is unlikely that any group will come up with the answer that it should be owned by a megalomaniac rich man who believes in free speech, flips the bird to regulators on most occasions and has a penchant for poop emojis. A public utility cannot be left to such unstable people regardless of their genius, is what most would say. Twitter is the equivalent of a global public square where news stories are broken, and opinions and trends are generated. Should it be owned widely by the public with a governing board that regulates the platform, its content and its algorithm? Or should it be owned by the state, which can run it like a public utility without a profit motive? Or should Elon Musk own it? What do you think?Twitter Is DifferentBefore I venture to write about the options, it will be useful to lay out the unique character of Twitter as a platform. During the week, I reached out to Amit Varma (doesn't need an introduction to readers here), who always has a clear-eyed view of things, to understand what he makes of the happenings at Twitter. His views helped me articulate my thoughts better. Read his insightful piece on Twitter here. First, unlike broadcasting services of the past, Twitter is exceptionally quick because it is a hyperconnected network of people. Events unfold in real-time on it, and trends catch on fast. Mobilisation on Twitter is faster than the speed of response of any state. It plays an outsized role in shaping the discourse because speed is a feature in today's age. Two, the incentive architecture of Twitter is designed to reward extreme positions. The ‘retweet' or ‘quote' button, the notion of having ‘followers' and the constraint of the 280 characters all mean there's more purchase for broad generalisations, provocative positions and performative behaviour to pander to your own tribe. Three, Twitter is a monopoly in a very unique sense. Granted, there are other platforms that take a share of our attention, but there's only one platform that richly rewards us for our attention with the dopamine hit in the manner Twitter does. Social media platforms tend to be ‘winner takes all' plays because, as a user, once you build a certain kind of network and reach that's unique to that platform, there's little incentive to start building it all over again for the same benefits in another. The switching costs are just too high. #OwningTwitterThink of these features of a broadcasting service together - hyperconnected and quick, rewarding fringe behaviour and a natural monopoly. How should we think about its ownership? Now look at the three options of its ownership - a) the state (or a group of states), b) a widely-held listed public company or c) a Musk-like figure. One way to think through this is to understand the natural incentives of these respective owners, how they will use the platform to achieve those and what will be the net societal outcomes of those actions. Take the state first. All good intentions aside, as we have demonstrated over and over again on these pages, the primary incentive of the state is to perpetuate itself. Or, the party that runs the state to continue being in power forever. While to many in India who are brought up to think of the state as the mai-baap, it seems like a fair arbiter of how a public utility should be managed, the evidence all around us should go against that intuition. A public utility like Twitter controlled by a state that's benign and fair can be a tremendous aid for the welfare of the community. But in public policy, you must consider the ‘corner cases'. You must ask, what if a utility like Twitter is in the hands of the politician you dislike the most? Will they be fair and benign? And then think about ownership and governance of such a utility and its consequences. So, the argument that a global public square like Twitter should be owned by a state or a group of states and managed like a global public good appears pious and workable on paper but is fraught with the risk of a bad faith actor with sovereign power taking it over. That will mean only one kind of fringe taking over. Bad things will follow.  Next, let's consider the ownership by a publicly held company which is how Twitter used to be till Musk bought it out. The management of such a company is the shareholders' agent, and its incentives are aligned with what's best for the shareholders. The management, therefore, works to maximise shareholder returns which get tracked every quarter based on the company's performance. Regardless of how visionary the management team is, they are toast if they do not deliver every quarter. There's no avoiding short-termism here. What's the incentive for any manager to fundamentally retool this company, take short-term hits for many quarters and live in the hope that the strategy will pay off in the long term? Nada. Shunya. Nobody has seen the long-term, and the shareholders have other places to invest than to wait for so long. Twitter has dug itself into a hole where outrage and fringe positions bring in engagement, and that engagement is monetised for advertisers. Even if you had an enlightened management team that knew the damage this ad-dependent business model was doing to society, it would find it impossible to junk the model and change the engines mid-air, so to speak. Because any change in course will need to be dramatic, meaning significant short-term pain. That would understandably test the time and patience of the shareholders. You would need a Steve Jobs-like reality-distortion capability to convince them otherwise. There aren't many Steve Jobs around to run a public company as professional CEOs. The best that Twitter, in its public company avatar, could do is to be managed efficiently. That's it. That efficiency on its current model however would mean it would only get better in coarsening our discourse and widening cultural chasms. I think this is what is called irony. Lastly, let's consider the option of a Musk-like figure buying out Twitter and doing what he pleases with it. What happens here? While it was somewhat easier to appreciate the incentives that drive the state or the shareholders of a public company, we can only speculate on Musk's incentives. There's no academic research done (yet) on Musk's behaviour and actions. So, we can only think in terms of scenarios here. Scenario 1 is what I call the ‘Matt Levine view of Musk'. Levine is a modern-day Plato. The most lucid interpreter of capital and economy in the world today. His newsletter is quite simply the best chronicle of our times. And it's free. What a legend! He has built a theory of Musk's purchase of Twitter in many delightful editions. In this theory, to Musk, Twitter is a video game he loves. Ordinary people, like you and me, play a game, get addicted to it and then, over a period of time, get bored with it. We start hating a feature, or a new upgrade isn't to our liking, or we see too many people playing it. Whatever. We move on. But Musk is not any of us. He's the world's richest man. He is also the world's most addicted user of Twitter. He loves to troll people there, responds with poop emojis to the tweets of others and originates many meme cycles. He's the shahenshah of all Twitter super users. So he buys up the video game company. Now he can play around with features as he fancies so that he can continue to enjoy the game. He placed a bid for it that was high. Then as the tech stocks and the markets crashed, that bid looked worse. Like any rational actor, he tried to get a better deal by threatening to pull out of the deal. Eventually, he bought it because a) he always wanted to buy it or b) maybe, because legally, he couldn't opt out of it. Whatever. It is his now. Is there a reason to believe this theory of Levine? The answer is yes. Musk is rich enough to throw $44 billion for his favourite toy. In any case, he's not paying everything from his own pocket. Maybe about half of the $44 billion. Nothing in how Musk has used Twitter so far suggests he has any great vision for the platform. In fact, he enjoys and leverages all the toxic features of the platform. Musk will play with this for some more time, and during that time, he will keep it running with some mix of charisma and his unique gift to meme-ify things. He will then hand it over to a sucker and walk out with a tidy profit. Twitter will then collapse in a heap. Or maybe it will collapse under his watch itself. An expensive way to amuse himself? Sure. But does he care? Either way, he'd have had his fun. That was his only incentive. Scenario 2 is the alternative that I want you to consider. I don't necessarily believe in it, but it has equal merit to exist as the Levine scenario. Think of it as the RSJ scenario. For a moment, consider that Musk is an incredibly rich man because he makes things that people pay a nice premium to own. In short, he's not a Sam Bankman-Fried. His businesses that are live offer genuine products with real software running within. People die if he gets them wrong. He has often mentioned in his interviews (listen to him speaking to Lex Fridman or Seth Rogen) that his primary concern is the survival of the human race. Therefore his preoccupation with autonomous cars, clean energy and finding an alternative to Earth as a home for our species. He doesn't think about them like a scientist. He isn't interested in the theory beyond a point. He wants to build products that will use science to solve these problems. He's an innovator. In this scenario, he views Twitter in its current form as a net negative for the race. He sees it going only from bad to worse. It is worth his time and money to intervene. To innovate. This is hard work. Remember, he doesn't need to work for a single day in his life. He can donate a tiny fraction of his wealth to build museums and libraries and earn all the praise and fame for posterity. His problem is there won't be any posterity. He isn't interested in delaying the inevitable. He wants to build an alternative for the inevitable. He doesn't want to tweak Twitter for it to be a net positive. He is certain it won't help. The old Twitter has to be changed at its foundation. That's why he is at the Twitter HQ working long hours (and occasionally tweeting). This is a different frame to look through. If you consider this scenario, Musk's incentives are to build a platform for good that doesn't have to cater to extreme positions for engagement and ad revenues. He has no short-term pressure to show better numbers, no shareholders to answer to, and no sword hanging over his head to show instant results. He is his own man. He will change Twitter for it to be a force of good at his own pace and time. $44 Billion is important even for as rich a man as he is. He could have put it anywhere to make more wealth. He's sinking it into a platform he thinks can do enormous good for humanity if it is changed. That's the only incentive that matters to him. Now consider how things will play out if you take the Levine and RSJ scenarios together. In both, Musk will behave based on his incentives. One of the two results is only possible then. Twitter will die in short order or turn itself around and be a force of good. In either case, we will be better off from where we are now with Twitter. Stacking It All UpSo, let me summarise this ownership and consequences thing here. a) The state(s) could own Twitter, and their incentive will mean they will weaponise it further to perpetuate themselves. This will be bad for everyone. It will be worse than where we are today. b) Or Twitter could continue being a widely-held public limited company with incentives that will dig a deeper hole for itself. It will mean ever-spiralling toxicity forever. Again a worse outcome. c) Or, Twitter could be owned by someone like Musk. Here, it will either die quickly or become a force for good. Either scenario will be an improvement on Twitter in its current form. Which ownership option from among the three would you choose?     Applications for the re-awesomed Post-Graduate Programme in Public Policy are now open. Check details here.Matsyanyaaya: Managing China the Aussie WayBig fish eating small fish = Foreign Policy in action— Pranay KotasthaneAnthony Albanese, the new Australian PM, had a tough couple of days this week. Asked about Taiwan's candidature for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) — a regional trade pact of 11 countries — he said, “The CPTPP is a relationship between nation-states which are recognised”. Since the statement came just three days after Albanese met Xi Jinping, it ruffled quite a few feathers. Did the statement mean Australia was trying to build bridges with China again? Was Australia changing its position concerning Taiwan as a result? In any case, the Australian government swung into action, clarifying that Canberra remains open to Taiwan joining the CPTPP. Albanese, too issued an explanation:“Our position has not changed. We will deal with applications that are dealt with by consensus for economies applying to join the CPTPP. At the moment, they're dealt with one at a time.”So, it's pretty likely that the Australian PM misspoke. There doesn't seem to be any change in the Australian position on Taiwan or China. However, this incident provides a window into the debate in Australia on its China policy.Australia, in recent years, has been the most vocal opponent of Chinese expansionism and authoritarianism. The surfacing of a case of Chinese interference in Australian domestic polity in 2017 was an inflexion point in Australia's China policy. Since then, it has actively tried to counter China's aggression unilaterally and balance China's power multilaterally. It is also the most enthusiastic participant of Quad 2.0. There is a bipartisan consensus that Australia needs to partner with the US and other powers to counter China, even if it means significant economic setbacks. And yet, there are some in Australia who oppose this consensus. Hugh White is one of them. In a recent Quarterly Essay, White opposes Australia's current China policy. He locates his opposition in realism and not idealism or liberalism. Some of his arguments echo the voices in India who are opposed to a closer collaboration with the West. For this reason, it's worth studying it in some detail. Here's my summary of the essay.BackgroundHugh White is a well-known Australian professor of strategic studies. He wrote Australia's Defence White Paper 2000. A constant theme in his writings has been that Australia should not overly rely on the US. It should instead learn to co-exist with a powerful China by drawing a few red lines. Essentially, he makes what we know in India as the “strategic autonomy” argument.TL;DRWhite argues that the US will “abandon” Australia as the costs to the US for meaningfully challenging China in East Asia are far higher than the benefits. The stakes for the US are far lower, unlike in Europe. In contrast, the stakes for China are much higher, and it will be willing to sacrifice a lot more to oust the US. Australia must therefore chart an independent strategy towards China, India, and Indonesia.Highlights from White's Essay* White admits that his view is out of the Overton Window. Both the Liberal and Labour parties of today consider China the paramount strategic threat and consider the alliance with the US vital.* He says Australian leaders thought they could “swing” between the US and China until 2017. They underestimated China's “ambition to push America our of East Asia and take its place as a leading regional power”.* Three factors led to Australia becoming the most strident anti-China country in the region within three years: Trump's China position, Xi Jinping's grip on power in Beijing and evidence of repression, and Malcolm Turnbull's premiership.* He takes Obama's China policy to the cleaners when he says: “They were deeply committed to the idea of preserving US primacy in Asia… but were reluctant to acknowledge, address and accept the costs and risks of doing so against a rival as formidable as China was turning out to be. They were in denial.”* The US, under Trump, declared China to be its rival for Asia but didn't do anything material. There was no significant increase in military capability in the Western Pacific and no enhancement of diplomatic or economic heft in the region.* Biden's policy that “America only reform at home to triumph abroad is deeply delusional. It is a delusion based on exceptionalism.” However, just as economic productivity and population made America a great power earlier, the same forces are now working for China. The exceptionalism mindset implies that the US doesn't have to make any hard choices or sacrifices to defeat China.* Both the Democrats and Republicans agree that America's policies abroad shouldn't cost voters at home. And so, no American leader will compete effectively with China.* White then goes on to analyse all the reasons why the US might want to confront China in East Asia and counters each of them. He reasons that the US forsakes isolationism only when there's a power strong enough to dominate the entire Eurasian continent. In the current scenario, China is nowhere near subjugating other Eurasian powers such as Russia, Europe, and India. For this reason, the US would be disinclined to commit its resources against China.* On the dimensions of a possible US-China conflict, White says that the US cannot match China's economic dynamism, its proximity, and the opportunities it offers. And the failed Trans-Pacific Partnership talks show that the US is not even trying. He trashes the diplomatic counter —the Quad — as a talk shop. He then says that the most important dimension is the military, as both sides explicitly threaten war if the other makes a wrong move.* Since China's stakes are higher, it would be willing to go to any length over questions such as a war over Taiwan. The US won't. Taiwan should be left for China.* He assumes a multipolar order is likely, where India, China, Europe, and Russia will have their spheres of influence. And so, he regrets that:“Instead of helping America to manage the strategic transition in Asia wisely, we are encouraging Washington to confront Beijing in a contest it cannot win”.* Australia must chart an independent policy towards India, Japan, and Indonesia.* Finally, he believes that China will not necessarily be a ruthless and bitter enemy with which Australia cannot do business. It is possible but unlikely. What's the Takeaway?White represents a view that's politically out-of-fashion in Australia. Yet, it is an analysis founded on realism. But some of his underlying assumptions are contestable. For one, Biden's current policies on China (like the semiconductor export controls) indicate that the US is willing to incur costs on its own companies and citizens to counter China. While it is true that the US cannot decouple from China in most fields, there is definitely a willingness to counter China in economic areas that the US considers core to its national security interests. This is a significant commitment that the Biden administration has made. It doesn't seem like the US will give China a walkover in East Asia.Secondly, it is unclear how a shaky outreach to China will be better for Australia than one in which China's powers are restrained because of a partnership with the US. If the US does back out from the region, it would indeed make sense for Australia and others to make peace with China — even if it is on the latter's terms. But we are far away from that happening.Thirdly, the fact that White's view is not acceptable to both political formations in Australia is proof of Xi Jinping's failed foreign policies. China is the most important trade partner for perhaps every country in its neighbourhood, and yet it has managed to put itself into a situation where many of these trade partners have reached a domestic consensus on standing up to China politically.Fourthly, I agree with White that the US does need to demonstrate its commitment to the Quad and IPEF quickly. If the US cannot commit itself to a trade arrangement with China's adversaries, its effectiveness as the paramount power in East Asia will decline. Countries will start cutting their own deals with China.And finally, India's position in this game differs from Australia's. While it is tempting to draw lessons for India from White's fear of depending on the US, that would be to miss a fundamental determinant of international relations: power. To the extent that the future prospects of a country of India's size keep growing, we need not fear about the loss of “strategic autonomy”. India's engagement with the US will be very different from the Australia-US partnership. And so, it doesn't look like Australia is changing its position on China after all. But there are no finalities in international relations. This space is worth watching.Not(PolicyWTF): A Perfect TakeoffThis section looks at egregious public policies. Policies that make you go: WTF, Did that really happen?— Pranay KotasthaneThis week marked a milestone for India's space sector. Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched India's first privately developed rocket into space. There's a lot left to be accomplished, but today is a good day to reflect on a rather-interesting story of policy reform. Aap Chronology Samajhiye…Until 2020, the space sector was effectively a government monopoly. Yes, a few private companies developed satellites or supplied materials and equipment to ISRO, but more ambitious projects were out-of-bounds for private companies. In this sector, liberalisation seemed particularly challenging because the government umpire and player — ISRO — was doing a far better job than other public sector organisations. So why reform something that's not broken? Why invest political capital in liberalisation and not double ISRO's budget instead? That would have been the starting position for politicians and bureaucrats. Many papers arguing for the liberalisation of the sector had been written earlier. As late as Jan 2020, there was no indication that a big reform was on the government agenda. My Takshashila colleagues had also put out a policy brief proposing a policy and regulatory structure to develop India's nascent private space sector. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic began. The horrendous lockdown was announced in March. The future looked scary. On 5th May, the border clashes in Ladakh began. On June 15th, the Galwan clash claimed the life of 20 Indian soldiers (and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers). The satellite imagery displayed in the public domain came from constellations of private companies in the West. And on June 24th, the union cabinet “approved” private sector participation in space activities. These connections are merely speculations, as we have no idea about the internal decision-making process of the government. Nevertheless, a few things are instructive.The government was searching for success in various domains after the botched lockdown. As for the space sector, the government could well have chosen a “big bang” reform to double the ISRO budget to improve India's presence in the space domain. The PM would have announced it on Twitter, and people would have cheered. Crucially though, the government had other policy solutions to choose from when the crisis hit. And it is praiseworthy that the government chose the option to liberalise rather than expand ISRO's mandate. By 2021, the government also had de-regulated geospatial information collection and dissemination. And by 2022, the first private-sector rocket had been launched.A lot more remains to be done in this sector. The role of ISRO and the new regulatory body needs clarification. But the key lesson for policy analysts is to be ready with well-articulated solutions before a crisis hits. While the crisis provided urgency, it could have also made the situation worse had the liberalisation option not been internalised by policy entrepreneurs in the government. Congratulations to SkyRoot. And thanks to the government for getting out of the way.HomeWorkReading and listening recommendations on public policy matters* [Newsletter] "What do Joe Biden's harsh Chinese chip controls mean for India?" Rohan Venkataramakrishnan and Pranay discuss this question in Rohan's excellent India Inside Out newsletter.* [Paper] Internal Drivers of China's External Behaviour by Shivshankar Menon is a must-read.* [Article] Nitin Pai explains why the opening up of India's space sector is a big reform.* [Podcast] On Puliyabaazi, historian Aashique Ahmed Iqbal gives an account of aviation in India. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpolicy.substack.com

In this episode Darren picks up on a comment Allan has made several times on the podcast (including the previous episode) about the need for the Australian government to make a formal statement on China. To Allan this is a statement of the obvious, but the two find a surprising amount to disagree upon on the merits of the Prime Minister or Foreign Minister giving a major speech on Australia's relationship with China. Allan outlines the benefits and how a speech might be structured, while Darren worries about the risks, and contrasts different approaches in speeches from the US Secretary of State and the Singaporean Prime Minister. The episode concludes by noting the death of Australia's Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II, and some thoughts on the role of the monarch in Australian foreign policy. We thank Atikah Mekki for audio editing and Rory Stenning for composing our theme music. Relevant links OHCHR Assessment of human rights concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, 31 August 2022: https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ohchr-assessment-human-rights-concerns-xinjiang-uyghur-autonomous-region Penny Wong, “Human rights concerns in Xinjiang”, Ministerial Statement, 1 September 2022: https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/statements/human-rights-concerns-xinjiang Chinese Embassy Spokesperson's Remarks on the Ministerial statement on human rights in Xinjiang by DFAT, 6 September 2022: http://au.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/sghdxwfb_1/202209/t20220906_10762674.htm Stuart Doran, “Australia refused to endorse China's claim to Taiwan in 1972 because it foresaw a time like this”, ASPI Strategist, 7 September 2022: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australia-refused-to-endorse-chinas-claim-to-taiwan-in-1972-because-it-foresaw-a-time-like-this/ Secretary Blinken Speech: The Administration's Approach to the People's Republic of China, Washington DC, 26 May 2022: https://au.usembassy.gov/secretary-blinken-speech-the-administrations-approach-to-the-peoples-republic-of-china/ PM Lee Hsien Loong at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2019, 31 May 2019: https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/PM-Lee-Hsien-Loong-at-the-IISS-Shangri-La-Dialogue-2019 European Commission and HR/VP contribution to the European Council, “EU-China – A strategic outlook”, 12 March 2019: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/communication-eu-china-a-strategic-outlook.pdf Scott Morrison, “Speech at Chinese-Australian Community Event”, 4 October 2018: https://china.embassy.gov.au/bjng/181005pmspeech.html Andrew Sullivan, “An icon, not an idol”, The Weekly Dish (Substack), 10 September 2022: https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/an-icon-not-an-idol-71f The rest is politics (podcast): https://shows.acast.com/the-rest-is-politics Mark Harrison, “Correspondence: Sleepwalk to war - Quarterly Essay”, 10 September 2022: https://twitter.com/mhar4/status/1568467164616871937?s=12&t=KFYS6frsFPq3VstL5iW0iQ Rory Medcalf, “Correspondence: Sleepwalk to war - Quarterly Essay”, 8 September 2022: https://nsc.crawford.anu.edu.au/department-news/20571/sleepwalk-war-correspondence Kevin Rudd, “Correspondence: Sleepwalk to war - Quarterly Essay”, 8 September 2022: https://www.kevinrudd.com/media/correspondence-sleepwalk-to-war-quarterly-essay   Sam Lim MP, First Speech to Parliament, 6 September 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gEYwSAjaeM Dai Le MP, First Speech to Parliament, 6 September 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORkHpdYZezY Keith Wolahan MP, First Speech to Parliament, 6 September 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iCPnV2sIw4

Taiwan represents possibly the most intractable issue in international affairs, but also one of the most important. Arguably, no theory or opinion on the biggest questions Australian foreign policy can be complete, or maybe even credible, until it grapples with the Taiwan issue. And so on this episode Allan and Darren use the occasion of US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to the island to sort through their views. Be warned, this is a long and wonkish episode! But more so than perhaps anything else discussed on the podcast, Taiwan requires the time and space to lay out one's views and have them challenged. The episode concludes with a quick update on Australia-China relations, given the Chinese Ambassador's recent speech at the National Press Club. We bid farewell Annabel Howard and thank her so much for all her help, and welcome Atikah Mekki and thank her for audio editing today, and thanks also to Rory Stenning for composing our theme music. Relevant links James Fearon, “Rationalist explanations for war”, International Organization, Volume 49 Issue 3 (1995): https://web.stanford.edu/group/fearon-research/cgi-bin/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Rationalist-Explanations-for-War.pdf Hugh White, “Sleepwalk to War: Australia's Unthinking Alliance with America”, Quarterly Essay, 27 June 2022: https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/sleepwalk-war Michael Beckley, Zack Cooper, and Allison Schwartz, “Deterring Coercion and Conflict Across the Taiwan Strait”, American Enterprise Institute: https://www.defendingtaiwan.com/deterring-coercion-and-conflict-across-the-taiwan-strait/ James R. Holmes and Toshi Yoshihara, “Taiwan's Navy: Able to Deny Command of the Sea?”, China Brief Volume 10, Issue 8 (2010): https://jamestown.org/program/taiwans-navy-able-to-deny-command-of-the-sea/ Bonnie Glaser and Zack Cooper, “Nancy Pelosi's Trip to Taiwan Is Too Dangerous” New York Times, 28 July 2022: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/28/opinion/china-us-taiwan-pelosi.html Ben Herscovitch, “Australia's shifting statements on Taiwan, China's changed tone, and coal exports”, Beijing to Canberra and Back” (newsletter), 4 August 2022: https://beijing2canberra.substack.com/p/australias-shifting-statements-on Ambassador Xiao Qian, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Speech to National Press Club (video), 10 August 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXeHRtmWJ68 China's ambassador to Australia addresses National Press Club ⁠— as it happened (Live Blog), ABC News, 10 August 2022: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-10/live-updates-xiao-qian-addresses-national-press-club/101318252 Ben Herscovitch, “Beijing (re)embraces one-China disinformation plus aggregate leader-level meetings”, Beijing to Canberra and Back” (newsletter), 31 August 2022: https://beijing2canberra.substack.com/p/beijing-reembraces-one-china-disinformation Gatra Priyandita, Dirk Van Der Kley and Ben Herscovitch, “Localization and China's Tech Success in Indonesia”, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 11 July 2022: https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/07/11/localization-and-china-s-tech-success-in-indonesia-pub-87477 Kevin Rudd, The Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict between the US and Xi Jinping's China (Hachette, 2022): https://www.hachette.com.au/kevin-rudd/the-avoidable-war-the-dangers-of-a-catastrophic-conflict-between-the-us-and-xi-jinpings-china Jessica Chen Weiss, “The China Trap: US foreign policy and the perilous logic of zero-sum competition”, Foreign Affairs, Sep/Oct 2022: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/china-trap-us-foreign-policy-zero-sum-competition The Sandman (TV): https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81150303

This week your intrepid hosts return some friendly fire from esteemed peer and friend of the pod Erwin Jackson! Despite Erwin's commentary on the positive role IAMs have played aligning the finance sector around rallying support for a 1.5C scenario, one currently immuno-compromised T. Reed refused to de-escalate and doubled down on the critique. Frankie weighed in on guard rails and it all went south quickly. We await further commentary from Erwin and others to populate our newly minted IAM CRISIS CORNER section of the pod :-)  Our deep dive this week sees us wade into controversial waters to tackle the most talked about paper in town, the Commonwealth's “Safeguard Mechanism Reforms consultation paper”, currently open for comment until Tuesday 20 September.Helping us unpack the fraught history of this Steven Bradbury of climate policies and ‘last fire in the forest' is a very very special guest: none other than the battle-hardened, climate politics guru of note, the inimitable Katharine Murphy! We were super chuffed and not a little starstruck that Katharine, political editor at Guardian Australia, took time out from her writing sabbatical (look out for her Quarterly Essay at the back end of this year) to talk all things Safeguard with us.In the course of the pod we also flag another, related and ongoing policy review that will have implications for the Safeguard and is also not without a level of controversy: the independent review of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) being led by former Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb. The panel led by Chubb is yet to begin public consultation but that is due to kick off imminently so stay tuned!Luke, Tennant and Frankie's collective One More Thing for this week was appreciation to the marvelous Katharine Murphy for taking the time out to join this pod. We hope her writing sabbatical goes well and on the off chance you're not already following her on socials, you can find her on twitter @murpharoo.  That's all folks, see you next time! Please keep tweeting your thoughts to us at @LukeMenzel, @TennantReed and @FrankieMuskovic and email us your suggestions for papers to read at mailbag@letmesumup.net!

Sarah Krasnostein was born in America and is based in Australia. She's got a PhD in criminal law and is the award-winning author of The Trauma Cleaner, The Believer and her new work is the latest in the brilliant Quarterly Essay series.Not Waving, Drowning: Mental Illness and Vulnerability in Australia is an intense exploration into the lives of three women and their treatment by the State when they were at their most vulnerable.Twitter @delasarahIG @sarahkwritessarahkrasnostein.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Allan and Darren begin this episode by stepping back from a very busy first two months of foreign policy for the new government. If one were to build a model of the making of Australian foreign policy, what could we learn from from this particular case study and how would it stand out? Turning to events, the analysis begins with PM Albanese's trip to Europe for the NATO summit, then turns to the travels and speeches of FM Wong and DM Marles, including Wong's important meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Bali. Next they turn to the recent Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Suva and the withdrawal of Kiribati from the grouping, and finish with a discussion of the latest Lowy Institute Poll. We thank Annabel Howard for audio editing and Rory Stenning for composing our theme music. Relevant links Penny Wong, “Keynote address in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia”, 29 June 2022: https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/speech/keynote-address-kuala-lumpur-malaysia Penny Wong, “Special lecture to the International Institute for Strategic Studies - A shared future: Australia, ASEAN and Southeast Asia”, 6 July 2022: https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/speech/special-lecture-international-institute-strategic-studies-shared-future-australia-asean-and-southeast-asia Penny Wong, “Meeting with China's State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi”, Media release, 8 July 2022: https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/meeting-chinas-state-councilor-and-minister-foreign-affairs-wang-yi “Wang Yi Meets with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC”, 9 July 2022: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202207/t20220710_10718115.html Press Conference (Transcript), Prime Minister and Treasurer, 11 July 2022: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/press-conference-parliament-house-canberra Jocelyn Chey, “When words matter: Reviewing the Wong-Wang meeting”, Pearls and Irritations, 13 July 2022: https://johnmenadue.com/when-words-matter-reviewing-the-wong-wang-meeting/ Richard Marles, “Speech: National Defence College New Delhi, India”, 22 June 2022: https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/rmarles/speeches/speech-national-defence-college-new-delhi-india Richard Marles, “Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)”, 12 July 2022: https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/rmarles/speeches/address-center-strategic-and-international-studies-csis Lowy Institute Poll: https://poll.lowyinstitute.org/ Bruce Miller, “For all his nationalism, Abe was a true globalist and statesman”, Australian Financial Review, 10 July 2022: https://www.afr.com/world/asia/for-all-his-nationalism-abe-was-a-true-globalist-and-statesman-20220710-p5b0g4 Hugh White, “Sleepwalk to war: Australia's Unthinking Alliance with America”, Quarterly Essay 86, June 2022: https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2022/06/sleepwalk-to-war “Gurrumul - Bayini ft. Sarah Blasko” (youtube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yDrbbNF89E “Reimagining and realising our future”, Youth National Security Strategy: https://strategy.ynss.org/ Victor Ferguson, Scott Waldron and Darren Lim, “Market adjustments to import sanctions: lessons from Chinese restrictions on Australian trade, 2020–21”, Review of International Political Economy, 7 July 2022: https://doi.org/10.1080/09692290.2022.2090019

In this gripping essay, Australia's leading strategic thinker, Hugh White explores Australia's fateful choice to back America to the hilt and oppose China. What led both sides of politics to align with America so absolutely? Is this a case of sleepwalking to war? What tests might a new government face? White assesses America's credibility and commitment, by examining AUKUS, the Quad, Trump and Biden. He discusses what the Ukraine conflict tells us about the future. And he argues that the US can neither contain China, nor win a war over Taiwan. So where does this leave our future security and prosperity in Asia? Is there a better way to navigate the disruption caused by China's rise? “Canberra's rhetoric helps raise the risk of the worst outcome for Australia: a war between China and America, in which we are likely to be involved. Over the past decade, and without any serious discussion, Australian governments have come to believe that America should go to war with China if necessary to preserve US primacy in Asia, and that Australia should, as a matter of course, go to war with it.” —Hugh White, Sleepwalk to War Quarterly Essay 86, Sleepwalk to War: Australia's Unthinking Alliance with America was released 27 June 2022. To obtain a copy visit https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2022/06/sleepwalk-to-warHUGH WHITE is the author of The China Choice and How To Defend Australia, and two acclaimed Quarterly Essays, Power Shift and Without America. He is emeritus professor of strategic studies at ANU, former Deputy Defence Secretary for Strategy, and was principal author of Australia's Defence White Paper 2000. Further Listening – Our previous interview with Hugh White - Episode 314 - Reality Check - Taiwan cannot be defended https://blubrry.com/mysecurity/84123792/episode-314-reality-check-taiwan-cannot-be-defended/#hughwhite #sleepwalktowar #quarterlyessay #nationalsecurity #indopacific #uschinarelations #mysecuritytv

Australia has a strong alliance with America, one that has remained unwavering through changes of leadership and turbulent international developments. While agreements such as AUKUS and the Quad have strengthened our position in the region, it has come at the cost of relations with other states and could in the future draw us into conflict. Guest: Hugh White (Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at Australian National University) Hugh's new Quarterly Essay is Sleepwalk to War: Australia's unthinking alliance with America. Recorded on 30 June, 2022.

Australia has a strong alliance with America, one that has remained unwavering through changes of leadership and turbulent international developments. While agreements such as AUKUS and the Quad have strengthened our position in the region, it has come at the cost of relations with other states in the region and could in the future draw us into conflict. Where does this leave our future security and prosperity in Asia? Is there a better way to navigate the disruption caused by China's rise? A Melbourne event to discuss Sleepwalk to War, a new Quarterly Essay by Hugh White. Panel: - Professor Hugh White (Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University) - Dr Emma Shortis (School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT) - Professor Andrew O'Neil (Acting Dean, Griffith Graduate Research School, Griffith University) - Associate Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) (Chair) Recorded at the La Trobe University City Campus on 30th June 2022.

Leading Australian defence expert Hugh White argues that the AUKUS agreement - and our faith in America's willingness and ability to come to our aid - is giving us a false sense of security. His Quarterly Essay "Sleepwalk to War: Australia's Unthinking Alliance with America" is out today.

I have been wanting to talk blokedom for a very long time: How and why it defines so much about Australia; how it excludes and masks the existence of class inequalities; and how it holds us back as a nation. The myth of the larrikin bloke is something writer Lech Blaine has been studying for some time. Hailing from a very working class background in Toowoomba, Queensland, he went on to be the first person in his extended family to go to university. He wrote a Quarterly Essay in September last year titled Top Blokes: The larrikin Myth, Class and Power (which I highly recommend reading). And in this month's Monthly magazine he has written an epic overview of the election, which assesses Scott Morrison's demise as a reflection of the need to move on from the "top bloke" trope. The wild idea on the table this episode: Might it be time to kill off this sexist, racist myth...and move forward to better and fairer and kinder? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Host Amelia Phillips goes behind the scenes, giving an insight into each episode, what went well, what didn't and helps us get to know the guests a little better. This ep goes behind domestic abuse expert Jess Hill and Gastroenterologist Dr B, and their interviews.  About the guests: Jess Hill is an investigative journalist who has been writing about domestic violence since 2014. Prior to this, she was a producer for ABC Radio, a Middle East correspondent for The Global Mail, and an investigative journalist for Background Briefing. She was listed in Foreign Policy's top 100 Women to follow on Twitter, and her reporting on domestic violence has won two Walkley awards, an Amnesty International award and three Our Watch awards. Jess authored See What You Made Me Do, a book about the phenomenon of domestic abuse and coercive control. Her book won the 2020 Stellar Prize and was adapted into SBS's documentary series See What You Made Me Do. She has recently released a Quarterly Essay on how #MeToo has changed Australia, titled 'The Reckoning' and regularly conducts training and education for groups  from magistrates,  to high school students, and workplaces. She is an absolute wealth of knowledge on this very complex but important issue. Dr B: NY Times best selling author Dr Will Bulchewiz, otherwise known as Dr B, or the Gut health MD on instagram. Dr B is a gastroenterologist, a researcher with over 40 medical publications, and regularly gives sold out keynotes on gut health. Dr B has just released a brand new book; the Fibre Fuelled Cookbook not only filled with delicious gut healing and mood boosting recipes, but also groundbreaking new research on gut health.  About the host: Amelia Phillips is an exercise, nutrition, parenting and business expert with a career spanning 26 years in health. She's a registered exercise scientist, nutritionist and researcher (with a masters of human nutrition). She is the co-founder of health tech company 12WBT which grew from start-up to over 250k members. After a successful exit, she now consults to health companies, presents and appears in the media. Amelia had four kids in five years and is dedicated to empowering women to build a life after kids on the foundation of health (mental and physical), love and purpose.  If you have a question for Amelia, reach out via Insta @_amelia_phillips, email ap@ameliaphillips.com.au or text an audio question to: 0417458772 Find out more at www.ameliaphillips.com.au Brought to you by Drop Bio Health - Know your body and own your health. To access free, live and on-demand events with leading health specialists such as Amelia Phillips, visit  https://www.dropbiohealth.com/healthyher CREDITS Host: Amelia Phillips                                                                                                        Guests: Jess Hill and Dr B Audio Producer: Darren Roth Music: Matt Nicholich                                                                                                      Production Partner: Nova Entertainment Pty Ltd Healthy Her acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not all abusive relationships are as violent as the ones we hear about in the news, yet they can still be devastating for those involved. Many women may be questioning if their relationship or maybe a close friend's relationship constitutes domestic abuse. Maybe they just ‘fight passionately' or he just really ‘loves her so much he cares about her every move'. But how can we tell if a relationship has crossed that line into coercive control or domestic violence. And as parents to boys how can we raise them into men who will not only never do this but also be the person who calls out disrespectful behaviours of their male peers.   About the guest: Jess Hill is an investigative journalist who has been writing about domestic violence since 2014. Prior to this, she was a producer for ABC Radio, a Middle East correspondent for The Global Mail, and an investigative journalist for Background Briefing. She was listed in Foreign Policy's top 100 Women to follow on Twitter, and her reporting on domestic violence has won two Walkley awards, an Amnesty International award and three Our Watch awards. Jess authored See What You Made Me Do, a book about the phenomenon of domestic abuse and coercive control. Her book won the 2020 Stellar Prize and was adapted into SBS's documentary series See What You Made Me Do. She has recently released a Quarterly Essay on how #MeToo has changed Australia, titled 'The Reckoning' and regularly conducts training and education for groups  from magistrates,  to high school students, and workplaces. She is an absolute wealth of knowledge on this very complex but important issue. Listen to Jess' podcast The Trap Watch Rowan Baxter's rough play video About the host: Amelia Phillips is an exercise, nutrition, parenting and business expert with a career spanning 26 years in health. She's a registered exercise scientist, nutritionist and researcher (with a masters of human nutrition). She is the co-founder of health tech company 12WBT which grew from start-up to 56 staff. After a successful exit, she now consults to health companies, presents and appears in the media. Amelia had four kids in five years and is dedicated to empowering women to build a life after kids on the foundation of health (mental and physical), love and purpose.  If you have a question for Amelia, reach out via Insta @_amelia_phillips, email ap@ameliaphillips.com.au or text an audio question to: 0417458772 Find out more at www.ameliaphillips.com.au CREDITS Host: Amelia Phillips                                                                                                        Guest: Jess Hill Audio Producer: Darren Roth Music: Matt Nicholich                                                                                                      Production Partner: Nova Entertainment Pty Ltd Healthy Her acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah Krasnostein in conversation with fellow author Chloe Hooper about Krasnostein's recent Quarterly Essay on mental health and vulnerability in Australia.

For a long time, we've known Australia's mental health system is overwhelmed and under-resourced.  As a result, those who need help can end up trapped in the criminal justice system.  These outcomes aren't new; they can be traced back to colonisation.  Today, author of a new Quarterly Essay on the mental health system Sarah Krasnostein on how Australia's history of incarceration and shame informs the current crisis.  Guest: Writer and criminal lawyer, Sarah Krasnostein. Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram

Politicians don't lead average lives, so why do they portray themselves as average people? 

Article Reference: Riseman, Noah. "A history of transgender women in Australian Sports, 1976–2017." Sport in History (2021): 1-28. Caroline Layt Caroline's a Trans Woman who advocates for Transgender people in sports and wider society, as she was bullied and had her own rights questioned when she played women's [club and representative] rugby union and rugby league in the early 2000s. Despite prejudices she experienced when she was outed in 2005, she had positive people support her and she still managed to eke out a good career and represent NSW in Women's State of Origin in 2007-08 and win four Rugby Australia National Championships as a member of Sydney First XV 2004-05 and 2007-08. In 2004 she was nominated as one of six finalists for the prestigious Sydney Morning Herald Women's Rugby Player of the Year Awards prior to her being outed as Transgender to all and sundry by her representative coach the following year. Caroline's a former Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor and she's now a Freelance Journalist who recently produced an award winning documentary. Her other sport is track and field and she's won 4 silver and 2 bronze medals [sprint relays and throws] at World Masters Athletics Championships and World Masters Games she's competed in overseas and in Australia. https://universalcinema.ca/review-is-this-queensland-in-the-20s/ https://universalcinema.ca/is-this-queensland-in-the-20s-caroline-layt/ https://thewomensgame.com/author/caroline-layt-1203054 https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/national-news/aged-care-equality/168555 https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/playing-experience-a-missing-piece-in-transgender-players-debate-20200819-p55nac.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMxlUqWW6SE&t=10s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rSIP2haDjk&t=1s Noah Riseman Noah Riseman is a professor of history at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, where he specialises in Australian histories of gender, sexuality and race. He has recently completed a project on the history of LGBTIQ+ people in the Australian Defence Force and has also done research on the history of Indigenous Australians in the armed forces. This podcast and the Sport in History article derive from his current project researching the history of transgender people in Australia. Listeners interested in that broader topic may wish to read this report Noah recently authored on Victoria's transgender history: Victoria's Transgender History Report | TGV. Some of the publications Noah mentioned in the podcast which may be of interest are: Noah Riseman. "Representing Transgender in the 1970s Australian Media." Gender and History 33, no. 1 (2021): 227-248. Noah Riseman. "Transgender Inclusion and Australia's Failed Sexuality Discrimination Bill." Australian Journal of Politics and History 62, no. 2 (June 2019): 259-277. Benjamin Law. Moral Panic 101: Equality, Acceptance and the Safe Schools Scandal. Quarterly Essay 67. Carlton, VIC: Schwartz Publishing Pty Ltd, 2017.

Journalist Katharine Murphy explains her new Quarterly Essay,The End of Certainty; Melbourne comedian Prue Blake talks sleepovers and whistling; Actor Lucy Fox of ‘The Travelling Sisters' chats about new mockumentary web-series Meet The Mullets; Anthony Amis talks about threats facing koalas in the Strzelecki Ranges & Gippsland; Gez has a regional Victoria adventure; And to wrap things up, it's the end-of-week 'Breakfasters Breakdown' Quiz. With presenters Sarah Smith, Daniel Burt, and Geraldine Hickey. Website:  https://www.rrr.org.au/explore/podcasts/breakfastersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Breakfasters3RRRFM/Twitter:     https://twitter.com/breakfastersInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/breakfasters/?hl=en

Zan backs up after the ARIA Awards with minimal sleep but maximal stories about Australian music's night of nights. Knickers the giant cow has everyone talking and we're here for it. And a long long read about Lena Dunham has us questioning our own reactions to this divisive creator. Meanwhile Melania Trump has decked the halls once again and oh boy, it's gonna be a bloody Christmas. Show notes: ARIA snaps: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvQtg3AE5u/ Knickers the giant cow: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/28/knickers-the-cow-why-australias-giant-steer-is-so-fascinating Lena Dunham comes to terms with herself: https://www.thecut.com/2018/11/lena-dunham-comes-to-terms-with-herself.html Melania's Christmas decorations: https://www.vox.com/2018/11/27/18113451/melania-trump-white-house-christmas-decorations-meme-2018 Net Loss: The Inner Life in the Digital Age: https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2018/11/net-loss My Brilliant Friend: https://www.hbo.com/my-brilliant-friend Email us: bangon.podcast@abc.net.au