The Age of Loneliness
Even before Covid-19 arrived, a quarter of us were feeling lonelier than most. Now the pandemic is cutting us off from our communities, our workplaces and each other.
Loneliness is predicted to be the next public health epidemic of the 21st century. We’re interacting online more than ever, but our sense of isolation is growing. On the flipside, some now crave solitude, desperate to escape the noise of overcrowded households , bad news and social media chatter.
So will this pandemic force us to deal with loneliness, on a personal and political level?
What sort of politics could make us feel more connected? Does technology bring us together or keep us apart? Are we losing our ability to have an inclusive democracy? And how do we regain a sense of community during an epidemic which demands social distancing?
Monday 14 September at 9:35pm
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Gus Worland, Men’s mental health advocate; Gus Worland is a television and radio host and founder of the Gotcha4Life Foundation which campaigns for men’s mental health.
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Sarah Wilson, Author and TV presenter; Sarah Wilson is the author of two New York Times bestsellers including First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, which Mark Manson described as “the best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read”.
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Hugh Mackay, Psychologist and author; Hugh Mackay is a social psychologist, researcher and bestselling author of 21 books.
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Michelle Lim, Scientific Chair, Ending Loneliness Together; Dr Michelle Lim is a Clinical Psychologist and Scientific Chair of Ending Loneliness Together, a national network made up of universities and industry partners.
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Rosemary Kayess , Associate Director, Disability Innovation Institute UNSW; Rosemary Kayess has devoted her career to disability policy and reform and was appointed to the Australian Government delegation responsible for drafting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2018.
US Election 2020: Four More Years?
Monday, September 21 at 9.35pm AEST
Six weeks out from the US Presidential Election there’s one question on everyone’s mind - will Donald Trump be in office for four more years?
His handling of COVID-19 has been widely condemned and racial tensions have sparked protests in many American cities.
Polls suggest Democratic nominee Joe Biden is leading the race, but President Trump has form when it comes to defying predictions.
Joining host Hamish Macdonald - key figures who’ve worked inside the White House on both sides of the political divide.
How serious is the threat of civil war? What would a second Trump term look like? And how would it affect us in Australia and the long term power struggle with China?
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Kim Hoggard, Former advisor to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush; Kim Hoggard is a non-resident fellow at the United States Studies Centre and a former US government official who has worked for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush.
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Barbara Heineback, Former First Lady White House Press Officer; Barbara Heineback served in two White House administrations, as staff press officer to a First Lady, and as contractor to other White House presidential administrations.
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Cole Brown, Author; Cole Brown moved from the US to Sydney in February 2020, and has since contributed commentary on American politics to a variety of national outlets.
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John Ruddick, Author and Liberal Party insider; John Ruddick has been active in and around the NSW Liberal Party for 25 years as a campaigner for democratic reform.
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Kylie Morris, Journalist and former Washington D.C. correspondent; Kylie Morris is an award winning Australian journalist and broadcaster who has covered the rise of Donald Trump, Black Lives Matter and the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
Road to Recovery
Monday 28 September at 9:35pm
After the devastating impact of bushfires and COVID-19, what should our economic recovery plan look like?
The Government has unveiled its Technology Investment Roadmap, and reaffirmed its commitment to a gas-led recovery out of the coronavirus recession. The Opposition however describes it as a “Road to Nowhere” and wants renewables to be the focus. So where should our priorities lie when it comes to jobs and growth post-pandemic?
Our relationship with China remains in the spotlight, with tit-for-tat deportations of journalists, bans on Aussie agricultural exports and an announcement by President Xi Jinping that China will reach net zero emissions by 2060.
All as Australia braces for the next bushfire season.
Mike Cannon-Brookes, Co-founder and co-CEO of Atlassian ; Mike Cannon-Brookes is the co-Founder and co-CEO of Atlassian, a collaboration software company that helps teams organise, discuss and complete shared work.
Darren Chester, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel; Darren Chester was sworn-in as the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of Anzac in 2018.
Mark Butler, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy; Mark Butler is the Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy and Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House.
Marian Wilkinson, Investigative journalist and author, The Carbon Club; Marian Wilkinson is a multi-award winning journalist with a career that has spanned radio, television and print.
Yun Jiang, Editor, China Story blog at the Australian National University; Yun Jiang is the director at China Policy Centre, an independent research organisation, and the editor of the new China Story blog, which publishes analysis and commentary on China issues.
With a musical performance from Alex the Astronaut
Budget Special
Monday 5 October at 9:35pm
Next week’s budget will be unlike any other. Our gross debt has now soared past a record-breaking $800 billion, and somehow the Government must support the economy and plan a recovery amidst a pandemic still throwing up unknowns.
It’s one of the most important budgets in our history, similar to finding a way out of war and back to peace time.
So how will the Government meet the challenge? How long will financial support remain in place? What is the plan to get Australia working again?
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Naomi Simson, Founder, RedBalloon; Naomi Simson founded RedBalloon in 2001 and co-founded the Big Red Group in 2017. She is a vocal commentator on small business and the start up community.
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Jane Hume, Assistant Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation; Jane Hume was first elected to the Senate in 2016 and was appointed to the Morrison Government Ministry in 2019.
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Jim Chalmers, Shadow Treasurer; Jim Chalmers, as Shadow Treasurer, is tasked with taking the fight on economic management to the Government and formulating the economic policies that Labor will take to the next election.
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Jane Halton, Health expert and former head of Australia’s Finance Department; Jane Halton is the chair of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and co-chair of the COVAX initiative.
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Nicki Hutley, Economist, Deloitte Access Economics; Nicki Hutley is a senior partner at Deloitte Access Economics, whose work has encompassed issues as wide as modern slavery, housing affordability, and climate change.
Last night’s show finished with a tribute to the late Helen Reddy, with Mahalia Barnes and band performing I Am Woman.
Anthony Albanese
Monday 12 October at 9:35pm
Next week on Q+A, a one-on-one special with the man who wants to be Prime Minister - Anthony Albanese.
It’s a tricky time to be in Opposition, while we’re consumed by the pandemic and those leading us through it.
But now Labor’s leader has pledged to change tack and start providing an alternative.
It’s now or never for the Labor Leader – and next Monday night he’ll face the Q+A audience to take your questions on how he’d lead Australia out of the pandemic.
Social Disconnect
Monday 19 October at 9:35 pm
We post, we tweet, we like, and we share - but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media?
Tech designers have control over how billions of us think and act, and some of them have started sounding the alarm on their own creations.
Reports show higher social media use is now linked to a decline in mental health.
Political disinformation campaigns on social platforms are on the rise, undermining democracy in some countries.
So how do we stop social media from reprogramming our lives and take back control? Is government regulation the way to go?
How do we retain the positive aspects of connectivity and people power that social media offers?
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Tristan Harris, Former Google Design Ethicist and star of “The Social Dilemma”; Tristan Harris is a former Google Design Ethicist, and features in the Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma.” He spent three years developing a framework for how technology should “ethically” steer the thoughts and actions of billions of people from screens.
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Marc Fennell, Tech Reporter and Author; Marc Fennell is an award-winning interviewer, journalist and author, who has worked with the BBC, Audible, Showtime, Monocle, triple j, Network Ten, ABC, SBS, Beyond Blue, Red Bull and The Sydney Opera House.
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Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner; Julie Inman Grant is Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, leading the world’s first government agency committed to keeping its citizens safer online.
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Matt Ford and Jack Steele, The Inspired Unemployed; South Coast larrikins, Jack Steele and Matt Ford, have been creating videos for fun since their high school days.
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Sally Rugg, Executive Director, change.org; Sally Rugg is the Executive Director of campaign platform Change.org, supporting ordinary Australians to make the changes they want to see in the world through collective, online action.
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Jocelyn Brewer, Cyberpsychologist; Jocelyn Brewer is a Sydney-based registered psychologist with a special interest in the psychology of technology and staying human in a digital age.
The Guardian Australia has speculated that the show could move to Thursdays next year, to improve the channel’s flagging ratings on that night.
That would be quite interesting. Monday night ABC-viewing has been a staple of mine for many years but I would also tune in on Thursdays to the ABC if it were to air then.
An Ethical Australia?
Monday 26 October at 9:35 pm
Accountability, ethics and leadership in the time of the pandemic.
In these challenging times, who holds the powerful to account? Are the standards of our political leaders slipping as we grapple with the COVID crisis?
The Premiers of two of our key states are both under mounting pressure. In NSW, Gladys Berejiklian faces questions over her relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl McGuire, while Victorians are demanding greater accountability from Daniel Andrews over the hotel quarantine debacle. Is a federal anti-corruption body the answer?
And with public trust in our politicians and institutions like the banks at an all-time low, how do we achieve a more ethical Australia? Could we embed ethics into all levels of society? What are the principles you try to live by, and do you see them reflected in national institutions?
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Ken Henry, Former Treasury Secretary; Dr Ken Henry held senior policy advising positions in the Australian Treasury from late 1984 until early 2011.
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Dave Sharma, Liberal Member for Wentworth; Dave Sharma is the Liberal Party member for the seat of Wentworth, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
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Tanya Plibersek, Shadow Minister for Education; Tanya Plibersek is the Shadow Minister for Education and Training and Federal Member for Sydney.
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Simon Longstaff, Executive Director, The Ethics Centre; Dr Simon Longstaff AO is Executive Director of The Ethics Centre, a not-for-profit dedicated to bringing ethics to the centre of everyday personal and professional life.
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Dani Larkin, Lawyer, Uluru Dialogue Leadership Group; Dani Larkin is a public lawyer, a representative of the Senior Dialogue Leadership group for the Uluru Statement From The Heart, and the Director of Higher Degree Research and the Indigenous Law Centre at UNSW .
US Election: Trump vs Biden
Monday 2 November at 9:35pm
It’s the contest that’s captivating the world, Donald Trump versus Joe Biden.
Who will win and what will the result mean for us here in Australia?
America is bitterly divided, the economy is in trouble and COVID-19 is still ravaging the population.
The polls and history are against Trump, voters tend to punish sitting presidents during recessions but there’s never been a presidential race quite like this one.
Will Trump once again defy his critics and the predictions and secure a second term?
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Kim Hoggard, Former senior Republican White House staffer; Kim Hoggard is a non-resident fellow at the United States Studies Centre and a former US government official who has worked for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush.
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Damien Cave , Australian Bureau Chief, New York Times; Damien Cave is the Australian bureau chief at The New York Times .
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Salvatore Babones, Political sociologist, University of Sydney; Salvatore Babones is a political sociologist at the University of Sydney and an elected member of the National Committee on US-China Relations.
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Lydia Khalil , International Security Expert; Lydia Khalil is a Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute and a Director of Arcana Partners, a political and security consulting firm.
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Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor, The Australian; Greg Sheridan is The Australian newspaper’s foreign editor and is one of Australia’s most respected and influential analysts of domestic and international politics.
Monday 9 November at 9:35pm
Coming up on Q+A: Former PM Malcolm Turnbull returns to the panel along with the Australian historian who took on Buckingham Palace and won, Professor Jenny Hocking.
They’re joined by former NSW Premier Bob Carr, political editor Paul Kelly and one of our youngest and most forthright commentators Jan Fran.
On the agenda: the US election, implications of the Queensland election, the 45th anniversary of Gough Whitlam’s dismissal, the Integrity Commission proposal, and national secrets.
Jenny Hocking’s long campaign finally forced the National Archives to release correspondence between Sir John Kerr and Buckingham Palace, letters the Queen had intended be kept secret. Her book The Palace Letters raises questions about the role of the monarchy in Australia, and the public’s right to know our own history. Time for a Republic?
The Government has released draft legislation for a new federal anti-corruption commission. It brings the creation of a federal ICAC a step closer, but does the proposal have teeth? And with the return of Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk to office in Queensland, will Federal Labor now respond to pressure to back the Government’s gas-led recovery?
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Malcolm Turnbull, Former Prime Minister of Australia; Malcolm Turnbull was the 29th Prime Minister of Australia. Prior to entering politics, he enjoyed successful careers as a lawyer, investment banker and journalist.
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Bob Carr, Former Labor Foreign Minister; Former Foreign Minister Bob Carr is also the longest continuously serving Premier in New South Wales history.
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Jenny Hocking, Author, The Palace Letters; Jenny Hocking is an award-winning biographer, Emeritus Professor at Monash University and the inaugural Distinguished Whitlam Fellow with the Whitlam Institute at Western Sydney University.
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Paul Kelly, Editor-at-large, The Australian; Paul Kelly is editor-at-large on The Australian . He was previously editor-in-chief of the paper and he writes on Australian politics, public policy and international affairs.
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Jan Fran, Media Commentator and Broadcaster; Jan Fran is the creator, writer and presenter of the online opinion segment, The Frant, and her videos have been viewed more than 20 million times.
Monday 16 November at 9:35pm
It’s been a big week - allegations of sexual misconduct and a toxic culture for women in Canberra, Donald Trump clinging to power in a bizarre post-election campaign, Labor spats over climate policy, and a potential vaccine breakthrough.
Plus - a guest appearance from popular Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, famous for his speech on tax avoidance at Davos, his push for a UBI and his unrelenting belief that, especially in times of crisis, we show our best selves. “We get this explosion of altruism and cooperation. This happens again and again after natural disasters, after earthquakes and after floodings. And I think that, if you zoom out a little bit during this pandemic, you see the same phenomenon.” Is he right?
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Barnaby Joyce, Nationals Member for New England; Following the Federal Election on 18 May 2019, Barnaby Joyce was re-elected as the Member for New England with an increased primary vote.
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Helen Haines, Independent Member for Indi; Helen Haines was elected as the Member for Indi in May 2019, becoming the first Independent federal parliamentarian to succeed another in the same electorate since Federation in 1901.
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Emma Husar , Former Labor MP; Emma Husar is a fierce advocate for gender equality, Aboriginal reconciliation and universal accessibility for people with a disability.
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Rutger Bregman, Historian and author, Humankind and Utopia for Realists; Rutger Bregman is one of Europe’s most prominent young historians. His books Humankind and Utopia for Realist s were both New York Times bestsellers and have been translated in more than 40 languages.
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Kate Mills, CEO of Property Industry Foundation and business commentator; After 20 years of print journalism including a stint as the editor of Business Review Weekly, Kate Mills left journalism to set up her own business finding jobs for skilled women looking to return to work.
2020 final is Monday 30 November
Live from Penrith
Western Sydney is booming, thriving on population-driven industries and boasting the third largest economy in Australia. But COVID has hit hard and exposed the area’s weakness – the labour market. With heavy reliance on construction, retail and hospitality, thousands of jobs have disappeared, and unemployment levels in some pockets are now expected to reach double the national rates.
Despite this, Greater Western Sydney maintains a strong identity, with community links strengthened by the pandemic and many businesses adapting in ways never imagined. But what of the immediate future with thousands reliant on Centrelink through to Christmas and beyond?
Government departments, industry and the arts are moving their headquarters west and there’s a new airport on the way. Will this be enough to create jobs for the future?
It’s a scenario faced by outer suburbs in all Australian cities, where population booms but infrastructure lags. COVID has hit Australia’s poorest the hardest, and young people are struggling to find work in the coronavirus recession. Yet Labor struggles to hold onto its grassroots heartland in these areas, and the NSW Liberal party faces questions over secret land deals and thwarted plans for a light rail extension. Who has the answers for areas like these so crucial to our national COVID recovery?
Monday 23 November
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Matt Kean, NSW Minister for Energy and Environment; Matt Kean is the NSW Minister for Energy and Environment, a portfolio that was first combined after the Berejiklian Government’s re-election in March 2019.
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Richard Marles, Deputy Opposition Leader; Richard Marles is currently the Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence and the Federal Member for Corio.
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Dai Le, Fairfield City Councillor; Dai Le serves as an Advisory Board Member to Multicultural NSW, a Government statutory body, and is elected to Fairfield City Council, one of the most culturally diverse Councils in Australia.
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Amani Haydar, Artist, lawyer and writer; Amani Haydar is an award-winning artist, advocate and writer who brings her legal background and leadership skills to community programs, consulting projects and creative initiatives.
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Amanda Rose, Founding Director of Western Sydney Women; Amanda Rose is Australia’s foremost Strategic Connector, Founder of Small Business Women Australia, Publisher of Business Woman Media and Founding Director of Western Sydney Women.
ABC has confirmed Q&A will be moving to Thursday nights in 2021 at their upfront event.
Finally. Hopefully they can find something in 2021. It’s become very missable.