if they are going to have him on, lets have Jordan Shanks as well
Once again ABCs hamfisted attempts at “balance” on display.
Time to bring this back to Mondays.
Thursday 14 April | Live from Sydney
Stan Grant hosts Q+A live from Sydney on Thursday, April 14 at 8.30pm AEST.
This week on Q+A, the race for the nation. Election 2022 is officially underway and Australians head to the polls on May 21. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is urging voters to stick with his “tried and tested” government for another term, while challenger Anthony Albanese says his pitch is about “building a better future”.
Both candidates have begun their campaigns in marginal electorates, launching the opening salvos in a 41-day race set to be defined by close contests in a series of seats. The latest Resolve poll shows voters deserting the Coalition in parts of Queensland and WA where it once thought it was safe, highlighting the challenge that Scott Morrison faces to secure victory. But it’s not a clear path to the Lodge for Anthony Albanese either, with a campaign-eve Newspoll showing that the contest between the two major parties has tightened to its closest margin this year.
Labor has entered the water wars in a bid to woo South Australian voters – with Anthony Albanese promising to uphold the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and deliver SA’s share of water. But the Coalition says its opponent is just chasing a few votes in Adelaide. What role will water play in the poll? Has climate change fallen off the election agenda of both major parties?
Indigenous leaders have issued an urgent call for a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, saying the Australian people are ready to say yes to constitutional recognition for a First Nations voice and that “history is calling”. Labor has pledged to hold a referendum if it wins government while the Coalition hasn’t made such a commitment. Why has the process taken so long?
We’ll unpack the political spin and hold candidates to account over the next six weeks of what’s set to be a bitter battle. What are the issues that you care most about? How do you feel about the choice that’s being offered? And just what impact will independent candidates have on this year’s election?
All this, plus the news of the week – join us for an important discussion.
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Osher Günsberg is one of Australia’s most recognisable media personalities and has been a guest in the living rooms of Australians for nearly two decades.
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Professor Megan Davis is a professor of constitutional law and holds the Balnaves Chair in Constitutional Law and is Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous at UNSW Sydney.
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Kate McBride is a fifth-generation grazier from Western NSW. In 2021 Kate joined the independent thinktank The Australia Institute as an Anne Kantor Fellow, researching water and rural issues.
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Andrew Bragg is a Liberal Senator for New South Wales. He was elected to the Senate in the 2019 federal election…
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Chris Bowen entered Parliament in 2004 and has held a wide range of portfolios including serving as Treasurer, Minister for Human Services, and Minister for Immigration.
The show will broadcast from Queensland in the next two weeks.
To an end
Thursday, April 21 | Live from Gladstone, QLD
Q+A is hitting the road this week, broadcasting live from Gladstone in central Queensland. As we head into the second week of the campaign, the contest between the major parties appears to be tightening. Leaders continue to zigzag across the country attempting to capture votes, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison heading to Western Australia and Labor leader Anthony Albanese in Queensland, ahead of the first leaders’ debate in Brisbane on Wednesday night.
Queensland is a critical state for both sides, and this week in the battleground seat of Flynn, we discuss the opportunities and challenges Australia is facing in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. It’s a key economic issue for voters in the electorate and comes amid reports the next federal government will decide if three new coal mines will go ahead in Queensland’s massive Galilee Basin. Locals are looking at new ways to replace coal-fired power stations with wind and solar power into the future. Do you support new coal mines being built? How important is the move to renewable energy to you?
Youth unemployment is another key issue for the Sunshine state. Local community leaders are calling on both sides of politics to take more action to help young job seekers, with the unemployment rate almost double the national average in some parts of central Queensland. Is this a challenge you face? What other issues do you want addressed in regional Queensland?
All this, plus the news of the week – join us for an important discussion.
David Speers hosts Q+A live from Gladstone, Queensland on Thursday, April 21 at 8.30pm AEST.
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Bob Katter is the Independent MP for the Queensland seat of Kennedy which he has held since 1993. Bob follows in the footsteps of his father, Bob Katter Sr, who held the seat for 24 years.
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Keith Pitt was sworn in as Minister for Resources and Water in 2020.
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Murray Watt was elected as a Senator for Queensland in 2016.
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Amanda Cahill is the CEO of The Next Economy, a non-profit organisation that supports regional communities across Australia to build more resilient, climate safe and socially just economies.
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Amanda is the CEO of The Next Economy, a non-profit organisation that supports regional communities across Australia to build more resilient, climate safe and socially just economies.
Thursday, April 28 | Live from Brisbane
As we near the halfway point of the election campaign, this week Q+A is live from Australia’s fastest growing city, Brisbane. Thirteen people lost their lives in the devastating February floods and record-breaking rains impacted tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the city, with the final clean up bill still not yet known. How is the city recovering and what more needs to be done to help residents and businesses get back on their feet?
National security remains a key campaign issue. The White House says it would have “significant concerns and respond accordingly” if China were to establish a military presence in the Solomon Islands. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says such a move would be crossing a “red line”. What would the consequences be for Australia and the world? How much does this issue matter to you?
Meanwhile the debate over transgender athletes raised by Liberal candidate Katherine Deves is not going away either. The Prime Minister remains steadfast in his support of the Warringah candidate who has revealed in a weekend media interview she’s received deaths threats about her controversial social media comments. Do you think the issue of transgender athletes is important?
And after contracting COVID last week, Opposition leader Anthony Albanese is expected to re-join the campaign trail in person later this week. How has Labor fared without their leader?
All this, plus the news of the week – join us for an important discussion.
Q+A is live from Brisbane Powerhouse on Thursday, April 28 at 8.30pm AEST.
https://twitter.com/QandA/status/1519436226746478594?s=20&t=zlvEtHtQll8gsP-OOUae_Q
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Stuart Robert has been the Federal Member for the northern Gold Coast seat of Fadden since November 2007.
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Anika Wells became the youngest woman in the House of Representatives when she took over the seat of Lilley from Wayne Swan following his retirement at the 2019 Federal Election.
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Campbell Newman, AO is the Liberal Democrats Senate Candidate for Queensland, the Chairman of Arcana Capital, and a Director & adviser to a number of start-up technology companies.
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Larissa Waters is the Greens Senator for Queensland, co-deputy leader of the party and leader of the party’s Senate team.
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Professor Caitlin Byrne is Director, Griffith Asia Institute and Faculty Fellow of the University of Southern California’s Centre for Public Diplomacy (CPD).
I have a ticket for this. if anyone has any questions they would like me to submit feel free to post below
thanks
hopefully with his partner coming back to Australia to host 7.30 Tony Jones might be convinced to return as host of Q and A
Anthony Albanese on Q+A
Thursday 5 May 8:30 PM
This week on Q+A, a one-on-one special with Anthony Albanese – does he have what it takes to be Australia’s next Prime Minister?
Voters head to the polls in just over a fortnight – and it’s still anyone’s game. Labor needs to pick up seven seats for an outright victory, but is the Opposition Leader doing enough to ensure success? The polls are showing he may have the edge over the Prime Minister – but Scott Morrison defied the polls in 2019, will he do it again?
Anthony Albanese is urging Australians to vote for “a better future” under his government, but with the nation facing some big challenges, just what is Labor’s plan? How would an Albanese Government tackle the rising cost of living? What would Labor do to repair our fractured and fractious relationship with China? And how can the party assure fossil fuel workers they won’t be left behind in the energy transition?
The Opposition Leader’s pitch includes a pledge to act on the gender pay gap, a national electric vehicle charging network and billions of dollars on a “made in Australia” trade policy. He’s also promising a helping hand for first homebuyers and bigger subsidies for medicine. Just how much of this can he actually deliver? And what will it mean for the nation’s mounting debt?
With interest rates on the rise, inflation soaring and stagnant wage growth, Australians are looking to our leaders for guidance. This is Anthony Albanese’s opportunity to answer questions from you about the issues you care about and make his case for why he should be the nation’s 31st Prime Minister.
Q+A also hopes you can put your questions to Scott Morrison and has extended a standing invitation to the Prime Minister for a one-on-one special at any time during the campaign.
We’ll also have a live performance from the ABC’s own Sammy J, casting his satirical eye over the voting process.
Join us for this crucial discussion.
David Speers hosts a special Q+A with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese live from Sydney on Thursday, May 5 at 8.30pm AEST.
https://twitter.com/QandA/status/1521972947249991681?s=20&t=Wawn2gdsfzSF6BM0V9T9eQ
Thursday, May 12 | Live from Sydney
Stan Grant hosts Q+A live from Sydney on Thursday, May 12 at 8.30pm AEST.
Undecided voters will play a key role this election and this week Q+A gives them the chance to shape the discussion. Early voting is now underway, and millions of Australians are expected to cast their vote ahead of election day. Last election more than a quarter of voters were yet to lock in their vote in the final weeks of the campaign and leaked Liberal party polling indicates the same number of the voting public are still unsure. What are the most pressing issues that will determine their choice?
Almost one million Australians tuned in to the second leader’s debate on Sunday night which was combative and at times, descended into a shouting match. There are now less than two weeks to go and the latest polls show Labor remains ahead of the Coalition, who are losing ground.
Cost-of-living concerns and climate change remain top of mind for young voters, many of whom are still making up their minds. Meanwhile, professional women are expected to be another influential voting bloc this election. Youth Researcher Intifar Chowdhury says young people don’t vote along party lines but on the issues that matter to them. How important will the votes of these two groups be in the final election result?
Meanwhile, unrest is continuing within the Liberal party, with former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urging voters to back “teal Independents”. The female candidates are targeting blue-ribbon seats including Kooyong, Goldstein, North Sydney, Wentworth and Curtin. How serious a threat are they posing to the moderate wing of the Liberal party? Do they stand to disrupt the two-party political system?
And as the pointy end of the campaign approaches, voters can expect to be bombarded by political advertisements. Current ad laws don’t prevent parties from telling lies and disinformation campaigns are becoming increasingly common in Australia. And the Australian Electoral commission is investigating who is responsible for a series of doctored posters that incorrectly linked independent candidates to the Greens. Advertising guru Siimon Reynolds created the famous grim reaper ad campaign in the 1980’s. Are the major parties cutting through? How does political advertising influence undecided voters now?
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Paul Fletcher is the Minister for Communications and the Arts in the Morrison Government.
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Catherine King, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, was first elected to Parliament in 2001 to represent the Victorian electorate of Ballarat.
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Caroline Di Russo is a practising lawyer with approximately 15 years experience, an online retail business owner, and a political commentator.
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Siimon Reynolds is one of the world’s leading high performance coaches for CEO’s and entrepreneurs.
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Intifar Chowdhury is a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University’s School of Politics and International Relations. Her research tackles the question of whether young people are turning away from democracy.
With a live performance from: Vika and Linda
Melbourne’s Bull sisters have been singing together their entire lives. After three classic albums with The Black Sorrows, Vika & Linda have released six studio albums, two live albums and a chart-topping anthology.
I had my tweet about hung parliaments broadcast last night. It was a good episode.
Thursday, May 19 | Live from Melbourne
This week, Q+A is live from Melbourne dissecting the final countdown to the election. With just days to go, Scott Morrison has described himself as “a bit of a bulldozer” and promised to change his leadership style if his government is re-elected at this weekend’s election. Anthony Albanese has called the move “desperate” and says if voters want change, then “change the government”. The Prime Minister’s admission is being likened to Julia Gillard’s 2010 promise to show Australians “the real Julia”. Is Scott Morrison committed to doing things differently or is he telling voters what he thinks they want to hear to win government?
Housing is emerging as a defining issue of the campaign with both parties trying to win votes with promises to make it easier for people to buy their own home. The Prime Minister has announced a new scheme allowing first home buyers to withdraw up to $50,000 from their super fund to put towards their purchase. Are you in favour of this idea? Meanwhile Labor is hoping its shared equity housing scheme will help secure an election victory. Will these schemes help make housing more affordable in Australia or will they push prices up? And what about the growing number of renters, who are facing rising rents across the country? Renters are emerging as a powerful voting bloc in key marginal seats – are they being ignored?
And the “architect” of the modern independent movement Cathy McGowan will join this week’s panel. The former member for Indi made history nine years ago when she defeated sitting Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella. Now retired from politics, Cathy McGowan has become the so-called “godmother” of grassroots democracy campaigns in Australia, helping current Independent candidates across the country to get elected. This week it emerged Independent candidate Monique Ryan’s decision not to allocate preferences on how-to-vote cards is leading to invalid votes in Kooyong. Will it hurt her chances of election? Is transparency around preferences important to you?
All this, plus a live music act from Australian music icon Paul Kelly.
David Speers hosts Q+A live from Melbourne on Thursday, May 19 at 8.30pm AEST.
Panel
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In 2013, Cathy McGowan became the first independent member for the north-east Victorian electorate of Indi, and the first female independent to sit on the parliamentary crossbench.
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First elected aged 28, James Paterson has spent his professional career fighting for free markets, individual freedom and the preservation of Australia’s constitutional framework.
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Josh Burns is Labor’s Federal Member for Macnamara, after being elected in 2019.
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Gigi Foster is a Professor with the School of Economics at the University of New South Wales, having joined UNSW in 2009 after six years at the University of South Australia.
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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.
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With a live performance from: Paul Kelly is not just Australia’s greatest songwriter. His songs dig deep into the country itself: how it feels, looks, tastes, sounds.
Live from Melbourne
Thursday 26 May 8:30 PM
It’s an election result unlike any other – a change in government coinciding with a shift away from the major parties and an overwhelming endorsement of female ‘teal’ independents, driven by disillusioned female voters. After three terms in Opposition, Labor is now in government, led by Anthony Albanese who has swiftly been sworn in as the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says “the Australian people have voted for change" and his government will build a “better future for all Australians”. Labor is expected to form an outright majority government and the full ministry will be sworn in next week. What do you think a Labor government mean for Australia’s future? Will they succeed in changing politics in Australia? What sway will a larger-than-ever crossbench have in shaping national policy?
Meanwhile conservative Liberal Peter Dutton is set to replace Scott Morrison as party leader with former Environment Minister Sussan Ley emerging as the front runner for deputy. The soul searching for the party has begun after it lost a swathe of seats, many held by moderates in traditional Liberal heartland. Now it’s been revealed a group of Liberal MPs urged former deputy Josh Frydenberg to challenge Scott Morrison for the leadership last September. The former treasurer lost his seat to independent Monique Ryan. What direction will the party take with Peter Dutton at the helm? How will this new leadership lead the party on key election issues like climate change, the treatment of women and the establishment of a federal anti-corruption commission?
Voters also punished Labor by giving their vote to independent candidates in safe Labor seats and for the first time in history, a major party won the federal election with less than a third of the national vote. More than a dozen women and a record number of MPs from diverse backgrounds will make up the next parliament and the Greens are also expected to increase their representation in the lower house. How will more independents and minor parties influence the next parliament? Will they support the new Labor government’s policy platform?
Anthony Albanese and newly installed Foreign Minister Penny Wong have wasted no time getting to work, attending the Quad meeting in Tokyo this week, along with leaders from the United States, Japan and India. Climate change, China’s increasing assertiveness in the region and the war in Ukraine were all on the agenda, as well as the government’s $470 million foreign aid package. While China has congratulated the new Labor Prime Minister on his election victory signalling a thawing relationship between the two countries going forward, Mr Albanese has called on China to lift trade sanctions on Australia. What will Australia’s foreign policy look like under an Albanese government? What will it mean for our relationship with China?
All this, plus a live music act from award-winning singer songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke.
David Speers hosts Q+A live from Melbourne on Thursday, May 26 at 8.30pm AEST.
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Amanda Rishworth was elected to the Federal Parliament for the South Australian seat of Kingston in 2007. Amanda was Labor’s Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education in Opposition.
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Andrew Bragg is a Liberal Senator for New South Wales. He was elected to the Senate in the 2019 federal election.
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Dr Mehreen Faruqi is a Greens Senator for New South Wales. Mehreen is a career engineer and an activist for social and environmental justice.
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Dr Monique Ryan is the new Independent member for Kooyong. She was formerly the Director of the Neurology Department of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
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Alexander Downer is Executive Chair of the International School for Government at King’s College London.
With a live performance from:
Kate Miller-Heidke is an award-winning singer-songwriter who traverses the worlds of contemporary pop, folk, musical theatre and opera.
Live from Sydney
Thursday 2 June 8:30 PM
This week on Q+A, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the historic Mabo decision, we reflect on what’s been achieved since the High Court recognised Indigenous land rights. Gail Mabo’s father changed Australia and this week she joins the panel as we look ahead to how an Indigenous voice to parliament will be formally recognised…
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to hold a referendum to enshrine a Voice for First Nations people in the Constitution and major faith groups have declared their support. The former government went to the election supporting a legislative option, but it remains to be seen if the Coalition’s position on the Uluru Statement from the Heart will change under its newly elected leader Peter Dutton. Will the Opposition back Labor’s plans for a referendum and will we see support for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians during the next term of government?
After a brutal election loss, the Liberal party has chosen Queensland conservative Peter Dutton to replace Scott Morrison and appointed former Environment Minister Sussan Ley as deputy. In his first press conference as Opposition leader, Mr Dutton says he will work with the new Labor government but his party’s policies will be squarely aimed “at the forgotten Australians in the suburbs”. He’s also admitted his boycott of the Stolen Generations apology was “a mistake”. Ms Ley says the Liberal party has “heard” women at the election and was “determined to earn back” their trust and faith.
Meanwhile the Nationals have also appointed a new leadership team, with Queenslander David Littleproud replacing Barnaby Joyce and NSW Senator Perin Daley voted in as deputy. Mr Littleproud has paid tribute to his predecessors and says his deputy represents the future of the party. Will the departure of Barnaby Joyce see the Nationals shift their position on climate policy? How co-operative will the Liberal-National Coalition be under the new leadership teams?
Stan Grant hosts Q+A live from Sydney on Thursday, June 2 at 8.30pm AEST.
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Gail Mabo is a multi-disciplinary artist, who was born in Queensland in 1965 to revered land rights activist Eddie Mabo and Bonita Mabo.
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Linda Burney was first elected federal member for Barton in 2016, following a 13 year career in the NSW Parliament as Member for Canterbury.
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Julian Leeser is the Member for Berowra. He sits on several parliamentary committees including as the chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs, and was was previously co-chair (with Senator Patrick Dodson) of the Joint Committee on Constitutional Recognition relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
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Chris Kenny is one of a handful of non-Indigenous appointees to the federal government’s co-design process for an Indigenous voice. He contributed to the Senior Advisory Group which reported to government in December last year.
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Dr Shireen Morris is Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School. She is a senior lecturer and expert in constitutional law, specialising in constitutional reform.
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Frank Brennan is a Jesuit priest, professor of law at the Australian Catholic University, and a member of the Voice Co-Design Senior Advisory Group.
Never thought he would appear on Q&A or even the ABC considering how much he bashes it daily.