Politics Now

Episodes

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  An ugly internal Greens war 19.10.2026 29m

  Tensions inside the Greens are boiling over. WA Senator Jordon Steele-John says rumours about his conduct are being weaponised for political purpose - allegations he strongly denies. Now he’s taken to social media to insist he’s “not on leave" - and accused his own party leader, David Shoebridge, of pressuring him to step aside. So with a new leader trying to find his feet, just how damaging is this very public dispute for the Greens? And PK and Jacob has some free advice for Labor following a tense sitting week - is it time for a reshuffle? Patricia Karvelas and Jacob Greber break it all down on Politics Now. Read Senator Jordon Steele-John's full statement here. Read Jacob's latest analysis here. Read PK's column here. Listen to our Victorian election special Question Time with Raf Epstein here. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Is the government losing the trust of small business? | Insiders On Background 17.10.2026 26m

  After prompting an intervention from the Prime Minister over the ATO's controversial credit card ban, ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar unpacks the fallout and the government's impending trust tax changes.
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  Victoria! One Nation! A state election question bonanza 16.10.2026 33m

  It’s Question Time - and not just any Question Time - a Victorian state election special! With one of the most consequential state elections of 2026 fast approaching, Victoria has been on your minds. So PK and Fran enlist friend of the podcast and Victorian political expert Raf Epstein to tackle your questions. What role will the Victorian Greens play in the election? Are party preferences genuinely hard to find - or being hidden? And what’s with all the weird minor party names popping up? Then there’s the One Nation factor. How could preferences translate into seats? Will the result fairly reflect the mood of the state? And could One Nation’s performance reshape Victoria’s electoral system in the future? After a busy sitting week, Patricia Karvelas, Fran Kelly and ABC Radio Melbourne Mornings host Raf Epstein unpack how Australia’s “political epicentre” could unfold on The Party Room: Question Time edition. Got a burning question? The Party Room: Question Time is taking a short break from next week, but keep sending your questions through. Send short voice recordings to PK and Fran at [email protected] and we’ll answer them when Question Time returns. And a reminder - every Friday until the Victorian election, catch Raf Epstein in the Politics Now feed for Politics Now: Victoria.
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  A sitting week with spooks and ghosts 15.10.2026 42m

  It’s been a strange sitting week in Canberra, with the Albanese government trying to push through a packed legislative agenda - only to find itself repeatedly dragged onto political ground it hadn’t planned for. Labor was slow out of the blocks in responding to the Trump administration’s proposed livestream of a US execution. Is the government becoming too reluctant to criticise the president? Back in parliament, the government suffered a significant setback when the Coalition, Greens and Jacqui Lambie teamed up to knock its private health insurance changes off the Senate agenda. Meanwhile, a fight over ATO credit card payments has fuelled fresh questions about the relationship between Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers, as Labor grapples with growing signs of midterm malaise.   The Greens are also testing their new leadership team, with David Shoebridge pushing the party into almost every major debate and trying to squeeze concessions from Labor.  And then there’s Josh Frydenberg - back on the media circuit, promoting his memoir, floating policy ideas and doing very little to dampen speculation about a political comeback. Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly are joined by Tom McIlroy, Political Editor for Guardian Australia on The Party Room. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Got a problem? Just text the PM 14.10.2026 24m

  Are the Prime Minister and his treasurer working together, or are they being played off against one other? Midway through a sitting week, the government has managed to put itself back in the firing line with small business over the ATO’s on-again, off-again credit card ban. That’s led to some performative text messaging, as well as a nasty moment in parliament that’s now taken on a life of its own. If that wasn’t enough, Labor is also staring down another fight over trusts. Patricia Karvelas and David Speers break it all down on Politics Now. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  'Spicy' late night letters about an AI world 13.10.2026 32m

  The political fight is moving more and more online. AI companies want to build, train and expand in Australia, but the welcome mat now comes with conditions - including from a bipartisan committee sending letters pushing for tougher rules and stronger protections for creators, and a warning from Labor that a handful of AI giants could become the economy’s new “toll collectors”. But back in the real world, revealing comments inside Labor caucus are exposing tensions for the government - and warnings of “the penny dropping” for some MPs if things don’t improve. So who is really setting the rules - governments, platforms, or the companies building the technology? And how much political pressure is building offline while Canberra tries to regulate the online world? Patricia Karvelas and Clare Armstrong break it all down on Politics Now. Read Clare's piece here. Read PK's piece here. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Is Josh Frydenberg back? 12.10.2026 29m

  Parliament is back for another sitting week and Jacob Greber is back on the podcast! But as Jacob tells PK, it's already looking like a "tricky" week for the Albanese government, with no clear passage for their legislative agenda. And PK thinks new Greens leader David Shoebridge will also be looking to make his mark. So, will he play "hardball" with Labor? Meanwhile, questions are swirling about whether former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's will return to federal politics. Jacob thinks it's a sure thing, but it's a matter of timing — so with the Victorian election looming, is that time now? Patricia Karvelas and Jacob Greber break it all down on Politics Now. Read PK's analysis here - One Nation threatens major parties as voters turn to AI for information Got a burning question? Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Migration cuts: what's at stake for Australia's universities?  10.10.2026 28m

  Professor Carolyn Evans is the Chair of Universities Australia and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. 
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  The 'raw politics' of immigration 08.10.2026 45m

  While the government faces criticism from all sides over its economic management after the latest RBA cash rate hike, the Coalition is pitching dramatic cuts to immigration as a way to ease voters' economic pain. But can either major party meet the expectations of a frustrated electorate? Plus, Anthony Albanese navigates the tricky optics of another international diplomacy event at the pre-COP in Fiji, as the government fights suggestions the summit was a flop. And what does a major High Court ruling on scope three emissions mean for the future of Australia's coal industry? Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly are joined by Ron Mizen, political correspondent at The Australian Financial Review The Party Room. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Labor doesn't want a fight on immigration 07.10.2026 25m

  Opposition leader Angus Taylor has undertaken a media blitz, as he tries to sell the Coalition's immigration policy. But he's already facing significant backlash from the business sector, who are warning of the implications for economic growth. Labor on the other hand have been giving the Coalition some "clear air" to sell the policy, which David Speers thinks is because the Government doesn't want a fight on immigration. As PK notes, why would the Albanese government prosecute the case, when big business is doing it for them? Meanwhile, OpenAI executives have faced a "bit of a grilling" at a Senate Inquiry. It comes in the wake of the recent Medicare breach and as the Albanese Government prepares to legislation national AI standards. Patricia Karvelas and David Speers break it all down on Politics Now. Got a burning question? Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Angus Taylor tries to 'outbid' Pauline Hanson 06.10.2026 31m

  Opposition leader Angus Taylor has unveiled the Coalition's immigration policy, promising the "biggest cut to immigration in the history of this country". PK tells Raf she sees this as the Coalition attempting to "outbid" One Nation on immigration — but she's not convinced the Opposition (or anyone else for that matter) can. Raf sees the pitch as a response to the "existential threat" facing the Coalition and an attempt to "neutralise" immigration as an issue. But he reckons the lurch to the right could further alienate mainstream voters, and notes the Liberals are sitting on a "a razor wire fence with their rhetoric and their policy". Meanwhile, the Greens' think tank has called for publicly owned supermarkets to break up the Coles and Woolworths duopoly. It's a bold idea that "supercharges" a similar commitment from popular New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. So, is this this kind of "crazy brave" thinking the Greens need to cut through? Patricia Karvelas and Raf Epstein break it all down on Politics Now. Got a burning question? Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Is the 'sensible centre' dead? 05.10.2026 31m

  Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen are in Fiji for pre-COP talks. But back home the Opposition has labelled the high-level climate talks a "farce" and criticised Labor's investment during a cost of living crisis. So, could this critique backfire for the Coalition in the future? Meanwhile, Queensland's crackdown on the tobacco black market is showing some early promise, with legal cigarette purchases increasing by 55 per cent. It's put a "spring" in federal Labor's step and given them a foothold back in the illegal tobacco debate. And is the politics of pragmatism and 'the sensible centre' disappearing as the world becomes more "shouty". PK and Claudia have some big thoughts to share. Patricia Karvelas and Claudia Long break it all down on Politics Now. 📖 Read PK's analysis here: The mood's changed. The Greens and Liberals aren't chasing the sensible centre 🎧Listen to PK's podcast chat with Larissa Waters here: Larissa Waters is a shameless optimist Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]  
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  Should the Greens work with Labor or try to replace it? | Insiders On Background 03.10.2026 28m

  Former Greens leader, Adam Bandt, now chief executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation, says working with the government is key to delivering reform. 
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  Albanese's selfie diplomacy 02.10.2026

  It's Question Time! But first, Fran does a West Wing welfare check on PK (she's in the slump part of the series). And then it's over to your brilliant questions, including: Is it bad for brand for Anthony Albanese to snap selfies with Donald Trump? Are Community Strong a new threat on Labor's right? Why isn't the Coalition's policy return bracket creep cutting through — and what does that say about the party leader Angus Taylor? Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly answer your clever queries on The Party Room: Question Time edition. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Inflation is up. Labor's mojo is down 01.10.2026 37m

  The economy has been the key story of the political week, with an interest rate rise and some less than rosy inflation figures compounding Labor's economic woes. A war over words emerged over a discrepancy in the "emphasis" RBA Governor and Treasurer Jim Chalmers placed on the war in the Middle East. Labor struggled to land a message that connected with voters and they also lost some of their political mojo along the way. So, is this just a run of the mill midterm slump? And it's not just the Opposition holding the Albanese Government's feet to the fire over cost-of-living, with new Greens leader David Shoebridge focusing his stump speech on the economy and vowing to replace Labor. But not everyone in the Greens is fully behind the new leadership, with NSW Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi making her disappointment known. Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly are joined by Charles Croucher, Chief Political Editor for 9News on The Party Room. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Are the Greens shifting further left? 30.09.2026 26m

  NSW David Shoebridge has emerged as the new Greens leader, using his first pitch to hammer economic messages and vow to "replace Labor". And while he signalled the Greens would fill the policy vacuum left by Labor, are the minor party united around his leadership? Meanwhile, the economic blows keep rolling in for Labor, with the latest CPI figures handed down today painting another bleak picture for inflation. Treasurer Jim Chalmers and RBA Governor Michele Bullock aren't necessarily saying different things about what's fuelling inflation, but PK and David agree there's a big difference in "emphasis". So, as the Government struggles to find a path through the economic malaise, is Opposition leader Angus Taylor capitalising? Patricia Karvelas and David Speers break it all down on Politics Now. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Who will lead the Greens? 29.09.2026 33m

  The Greens are looking for a new leader, after Larissa Waters stepped down from the top job for health reasons. It comes as the Greens languish in the polls, while One Nation capitalises on the anti-establishment vote.So, as populism surges, will the minor party's next leader be able to seize the momentum? And the RBA is widely expected by economists and financial markets to raise interest rates today. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has undertaken a media blitz to try and manage expectations ahead of the decision. But is acknowledging persistent inflation enough for voters? Patricia Karvelas and Clare Armstrong break it all down on Politics Now. 🎧Listen to PK's podcast chat with Larissa Waters here: Larissa Waters is a shameless optimist Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  Does Labor have the ‘midterm blues’? 28.09.2026 29m

  PK is back from her break! And she's got some big thoughts about how the political "argy bargy" around the OpenAI Medicare data breach is playing out. The Coalition is pushing back on consequences for OpenAI over the breach, while the Greens have called for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to appear before a Senate inquiry over the matter. It comes as Finance Minister Katy Gallagher flags legislation on AI guardrails could be introduced to parliament before the end of the year. But as Raf tells PK "it's just gesture politics but voters want the gesture". Meanwhile, as voters brace for another interest rate rise tomorrow, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been talking up a $6billion improvement to budget bottom-line. But are they paying attention, or is this about Labor trying to gain some traction in the "attention economy"? And PK tells Raf she thinks the Albanese Government is experiencing the "mid-term blues" as they struggle with a difficult series of challenges. Patricia Karvelas and Raf Epstein break it all down on Politics Now. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]
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  What's the bigger threat to humanity: climate change or AI? 26.09.2026 26m

  Fortescue founder Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest warns uncontrollable AI could decide the best way to stop climate change is to get rid of humanity.
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  A big week for existential dread 24.09.2026 43m

  Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dropped an "AI bomb" in the middle of UN week, announcing that an Open AI agent hacked into a Medicare portal. So, as debate rages at the UN General Assembly over the need for AI safeguards, do the optics of the situation help Anthony Albanese's case? It's been a big week on the global stage for the PM, as he brushes shoulders with leaders of fellow middle powers and even managed to snap a selfie with US President Donald Trump. But back home, are voters taking notice? Meanwhile, Treasurer Jim Chalmers whipped out his crystal ball and delivered a forecast on what Australia will look like in 40-years and it's not a rosy picture for younger generations.(Clare and Ryan have some serious existential dread to share) It comes as the Opposition has vowed to "take a chainsaw" to Labor's climate and energy agenda, promising to repeal a swag of climate and energy policies within 30 days if elected. So, is this just a response to One Nation? And speaking of One Nation, Barnaby Joyce suggested partnership talks between the minor party and Coalition were back in frame. Coalition MPs quickly lined up to shoot that idea down, but, could it become a political and mathematical reality for the parties of the right? Fran Kelly and Clare Armstrong are joined by Ryan Heath, Launch Editor of Politico Australia on The Party Room. Read PK's analysis here The economy needs migration and data centres. Voters hate both Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]