This week on Q+A we cover the big issues, including reconciliation, equality and conflict in the Middle East. After eleven days of fighting and the deaths of more than 250 people, Israel and the Palestinians have put down their down weapons in the name of peace. But how long will the ceasefire last? And can mediators cement the truce in the hope of achieving a long-term solution?
As Australia marks Reconciliation Week, we’ll discuss the country’s journey towards Indigenous recognition and ask what action needs to be taken to amplify the voices of First Nations people? Almost three decades on from the formal reconciliation process, how can we achieve better outcomes for Indigenous Australians?
As the government continues to grapple with vaccine hesitancy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will take a plan to National Cabinet, allowing people to move around the country freely if they’ve been vaccinated. Will the states and territories agree? With a federal election due within a year, the government is under pressure to get more Australians vaccinated and open the borders. Health Minister Greg Hunt says the government expects to have two million doses of Pfizer supplied each week from October. Will it be enough to restore confidence in the vaccination program?
Jennifer Robinson, Human Rights Lawyer; Jennifer Robinson is a human rights lawyer, best known for her role as a long-standing member of the legal team defending Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.
Mitch Tambo, Singer and songwriter; Renowned for his didgeridoo playing, actor, presenter and performer Mitch Tambo is one of Australia’s most talented entertainers.
Dave Sharma, Liberal Member for Wentworth; Dave Sharma is the Liberal Party member for the seat of Wentworth, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Ed Husic, Labor Member for Chifley; Based in Western Sydney, Ed Husic was elected to the House of Representatives as the Federal Member for Chifley in 2010.
Randa Abdel-Fattah, Author and academic; Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian Egyptian Muslim writer, academic, anti-racism and Palestine advocate and the multi-award-winning author of 11 children and young adult novels published in over 20 countries.
This week Q+A heads to the Illawarra, looking at all the big issues of the week including the latest Covid-19 crisis unfolding in Victoria.
More than 50 cases have now been linked to the latest outbreak, including three at an aged care facility in Melbourne’s north west. So what have we learned from the last twelve months? And will the current pace of the vaccine rollout be enough to prevent more outbreaks?
The latest lockdown in Victoria is another blow for many businesses, without JobKeeper, will they survive?
We’ll also explore the challenges facing our universities, with international borders likely to remain closed for at least another year and foreign students choosing to study elsewhere.
We’ll look at whether the ALP can reinvent itself in NSW following the resignation of Opposition Leader Jodi Mackay. The recent Upper Hunter by-election result caused discontent within Labor’s ranks, raising questions about how the political landscape is changing in communities outside the big cities.
And as more people move out of our major metropolitan centres, what does the growing urban sprawl mean for rural and regional towns when it comes to infrastructure, jobs and property prices?
Q+A is live from Wollongong on Thursday, June 3 at 8.30pm AEST.
Live From Canberra with Stan Grant - The COVID Endgame
Thursday 10 June at 8:30 pm
As frustrated Victorians endure their fourth lockdown, businesses across the country are hurting and many are now asking if we’ve lost the bigger picture.
We’re told the vaccine is our best form of protection but is Australia being left behind? As a nation, we’ve managed the health and economic challenges well, but is it time we learnt to live with COVID long term rather than put all our efforts into eliminating it? The prevention of coronavirus outbreaks in remote Indigenous communities is considered one of the success stories of Australia’s pandemic response, so how can we protect other vulnerable communities?
As we assess what risk we’re prepared to live with, are there lessons we can learn from other countries? Prime Minister Scott Morrison will meet with global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, at the G7 summit in the UK this week.
Plus, we take a look at the latest trade war tensions with China and Australia’s place in the region, and the big changes to Medicare rebates that may see us paying thousands more for standard procedures. How will you be affected?
Remember this is your show and your chance to set the agenda – so send us any questions we should be asking!
Omar Khorshid; Dr Omar Khorshid was elected President of the Federal AMA on 1 August 2020, and is a past President of AMA WA.
Kamalini Lokuge; Epidemiologist, Australian National University; Associate Professor Kamalini Lokuge, OAM, HOSM, leads the Humanitarian Health Research Initiative at the Australian National University.
Peter Hartcher is the political editor and international editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, the papers’ main commentator on national politics and international affairs.
Sally Scales; APY Art Centre Collective Regional Programs Coordinator and Uluru Statement Leadership; Sally Scales is a Pitjantjatjara woman from Pipalyatjara in the far west of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in remote South Australia.
Cameron Murray ;Economist and Research Fellow; Cameron Murray is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Henry Halloran Trust at the University of Sydney.
This week Q+A broadcasts live from Melbourne with guest host David Speers.
As Melbourne slowly emerges from its fourth heartbreaking lockdown, we check the nation’s pulse on job security and business confidence in the COVID recovery, plus the impact of Victoria’s recent devastating floods.
We’ll also discuss the latest developments in the plight of the Biloela Tamil family, allegations of misogyny in the Olympic swim team culture, and Israel’s new Prime Minister.
The Hon Darren Chester MP is the Member for Gippsland, in Victoria. Born and educated in Sale, Darren lives in Lakes Entrance with his wife Julie and their four children. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel
Clare O’Neil was first elected as the member for Hotham (previously held by Simon Crean) in 2013, and after re-election in 2016 she was promoted to Labor’s front bench. Shadow Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services
Hana Assafiri has dedicated her professional and private life to removing barriers that prevent women from living prosperous lives.
Susan Alberti is one of Australia’s pre-eminent philanthropists, having raised in excess of $250 million for medical research and other charitable causes over her successful business career.
Tom Elliott is the host of radio station 3AW’s Drive Program. He is also Investment Committee Chairman of wealth management firm Choice Capital.
This week, Hamish Macdonald returns to the Q+A host chair as we talk disability, autism, and the big stories of the week.
The NDIS is moving to a new model of eligibility testing called independent assessments which has spread fear and distress among Australians with disabilities. Is the original intent of the NDIS being undermined?
In politics, Barnaby Joyce returns as Deputy Prime Minister, after beating Michael McCormack in a National Party leadership spill.
A Ugandan athlete has tested Covid positive in Tokyo and been barred entry to Japan, in the first detected infection among athletes arriving for the Tokyo Games. Should we be holding the Olympics and Paralympics in the midst of this pandemic? The International Olympic Committee and Japanese government insist the Games can be held safely, but are the risks too great?
We’ll also look at the latest NSW COVID cluster and the Prime Minister’s trip to Cornwall.
Q+A is live from Sydney on Thursday, June 24 at 8.30pm AEST.
Jayden Evans resides in the town of Gympie in the Wide Bay – Burnett region of Queensland.
After a series of stunning gold medal performances in 2018 and 2019, Madison de Rozario continues to prove why she is one of the most promising young athletes in wheelchair racing.
Nicole Rogerson is one of the nation’s leading spokespersons for the awareness and understanding of autism. She is the founding Director of Autism Awareness Australia.
Hollie Hughes was elected to the Senate for NSW in 2019. She has a first-hand understanding of regional Australia’s limited social and health services, especially disability services after her son was diagnosed with autism in 2012.
Andrew Leigh is the Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities, and Federal Member for Fenner in the ACT.
Up to 12 million Australians are in lockdown, or heading that way, as four states now race to contain outbreaks of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
South East Queensland, Magnetic Island and Townsville have gone into a three day snap lockdown. Perth and the Peel region have entered a four-day lockdown. And the Northern Territory has extended its stay-at-home orders until Friday. In New South Wales, the Sydney outbreak shows no sign of ending quickly - with another 19 cases identified today - and Treasurer Dominic Perrotet has unveiled a business rescue package.
Confusion has followed the Prime Minister’s announcement that Australian adults aged under 40 will finally be allowed to request the AstraZeneca vaccine, even though Pfizer is the preferred option for that age group. Scott Morrison has also announced mandatory vaccinations for aged care workers and plans to indemnify doctors against the very rare risk of blood clots. A revamped quarantine scheme will now mandate quarantine workers be both vaccinated and tested, and domestic travellers will be separated from higher-risk international travellers.
Meanwhile, when it comes to vaccinations, it seems we have fallen to the very last of all OECD countries, with only 4.75% of Australians vaccinated, as compared 45.76% in the United States.
And we’ll look at what else is making news this week including Barnaby Joyce copping a $200 fine for not wearing a mask.
Annastacia Palaszczuk was sworn in as Premier of Queensland on 14 February 2015 following the state election on 31 January 2015.
Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah is a doctor in infectious diseases and general medicine at a major Melbourne hospital.
Stephen Duckett is Director of the Health and Aged Care Program at Grattan Institute.
Jennifer Hewett is the National Affairs Columnist for The Australian Financial Review , specialising in coverage of business and politics and writing a daily column.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has unveiled a four-stage plan to lead us out of the COVID pandemic, but without any clear targets or timelines attached, how effective will it be?
Meanwhile, the Coalition Government faces fresh accusations of sexism from former Liberal MP Julia Banks who alleges she was subjected to an unwanted sexual advance at work from a cabinet minister. And a recent report shows the Government splashed $660 million on car parks, overwhemingly located in Liberal seats in the lead up to the last election. Is this worse than the so-called ‘sports rorts’ affair?
Plus, with world renowned ethicist Peter Singer on the panel, we’ll take a look at the global issue of vaccine equity, and Singer’s new Journal of Controversial Ideas – in which authors have the option of publishing under a pseudonym. Will this create a safe space for bold ideas, or simply enable shirking of accountability?
Q+A is live from Melbourne with guest host David Speers on Thursday, July 8 at 8.30pm AEST.
Peter Singer’s work on ethics and altruism has led to journalists labelling him as the “world’s most influential living philosopher”.
Katie Allen is the Federal Member for Higgins in Melbourne’s inner east. She has lived in Higgins for 40 years after growing up in Albury NSW.
Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is Labor Senator for the Northern Territory and a Yanyuwa woman from the Gulf country in the Northern Territory.
Santilla Chingaipe is a journalist, filmmaker and author, whose work explores colonialism, slavery and post-colonial migration.
Cameron Stewart is an Associate Editor of The Australian. He was previously The Australian’s Washington correspondent, covering the Donald Trump era from late 2016 to early 2021.
Sydney’s lockdown is set to be extended after an alarming increase in daily recorded cases, with some health experts tipping it could go on for another four weeks. The NSW and federal governments will announce support payments to businesses struggling to survive in lockdown. The situation is deteriorating rapidly, with more than 60 patients in hospital, and growing numbers in ICU, many of whom are young people.
South West Sydney is being targeted by the NSW government and police, as the area records the most new cases, but many locals say the focus is unfair and discriminatory.
Victoria is also on high alert after three positive cases were identified in a family returning from NSW. Separately, two removalists from Sydney have also tested positive, sending an apartment block in Melbourne’s north-west into immediate quarantine. Meanwhile Queenslanders and Territorians in NSW are being advised to go home as soon as possible.
In a major change to the vaccine rollout in NSW, Astra Zeneca will now be offered to anyone aged over 40, and the Government has released a dramatic new ad depicting a young woman with Covid, on a ventilator struggling to breathe, in an effort to encourage people to get vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Former PM Kevin Rudd says he contacted the Pfizer boss in America, to ramp up arrival of vaccine supplies, and while the Government disagrees, there is growing frustration with their problematic vaccine procurement strategy.
Marylouise McLaws is an epidemiologist with expertise in hospital infection and infectious diseases control.
With over three decades of industry experience and some highly opinionated commentary, current affairs commentator and talk show presenter Steve Price has become an Australian household name.
Dr Mukesh Haikerwal is a Melbourne-based doctor who has been on the front line of the COVID-19 response in Victoria.
Meshel Laurie is a television, radio, and podcasting broadcaster, and the author of five books.
Alison Pennington is Senior Economist at the Centre for Future Work, associated with The Australia Institute.
