Education is possibly the third pillar of the cost of living crisis, in that it impacts young people and their families at almost every stage of life before the age of 30.  Elana going to take you through the suite of policies we’ve developed for each stage of education, and then, because she's nothing if not a completionist, she's going to add art, science, and civics to the curriculum.

Show notes

Our early childhood education and care platform

Our schooling platform

Our higher education platform

Our arts platform

Our science platform

Our platform on reforming the constitution

Article on the S44 problems a Greens candidate ran into in Tasmania

Our platform on lowering the voting age to 16

6 News Australia WA Senate Debate

Picking up from our last episode, Elana will take you through what is essentially the other half of the cost of living crisis - health, and access to healthcare.  The growing inequality in Australia is exacerbated by the increasingly difficult access to quality healthcare that the electorate is experiencing.  Poor physical, mental and dental health has profound impacts on people’s economic security and ability to live productive and fulfilling lives.  So let’s explore the suite of policies that the Australian Democrats have developed to address these increasingly urgent issues facing Australia.

Content warning: several of the policies in this episode reference suicide, anxiety, depression, and violence. Listener discretion advised. You can contact LIfeline on 13 11 14.

Show Notes

Our good health policy platform

Our youth mental health platform

Our platform to reduce gambling harm

Our platform to address family violence.

Credit to the redoubtable @gomichild on X for the episode quote.

Show notes

Our policy platforms on the cost of living and a fair economy

Income support

Housing security

Subscribe to our substack, Radically Sensible.

See how to vote for us in this election

Elana is back, and is joined by co-host Steve Baty and Victorian Senate candidate Heath McKenzie to review the 2025 budget, in the wake of the 2025 federal election finally being called. Thanks to the election rendering the budget yesterday's news, there's a fair bit of reviewing the budget through an election lens, which is unavoidable with one previous and two current candidates having the discussion.

Show Notes

"A deficit is just money the government has invested in the economy that they haven't taxed back yet." The TikTok on the US economy that Elana referred to.

Our policy platforms on income support and housing security, in the wake of Elana's rants on both issues.

Greg Jericho’s excellent Dollars and Sense episode on Australia’s sick housing joke.

The Democracy Sausage podcast episode with Marija Taflaga’s housing renovation analogy.

Oh wait, we’re getting an update…

Show notes:

The very disappointing fact check about the Danish Government’s response to Donald Trump’s offer to buy Greenland

The current iteration of our defence platform, which thanks to current events is now in need of an update.

Keep the Bastards Honest is one of the top 100 accountability podcasts for 2025, according to Million Podcasts!

The Australian Democrats now have a Substack: subscribe to Radically Sensible for free.

Show Notes

Tim Dunlop’s Engineered Neglect

Andrew P Street’s This Mess We’re In (Because Scotty Needs NSW)

Donate to us and help us fund our election campaign!

On our final episode for 2021, National President Lyn Allison joins National Vice Presidents Steve Baty and Elana Mitchell to discuss COP26, electric vehicles and how the government isn’t… governing.

Show Notes

Peter Martin’s article on the simple policy change that could transform the Australian EV market

Our Decade of Climate Action, Sustainable Agriculture and Recycling and Waste policy platforms

Want to help us contest the next election? We need $32,000 simply to register two senate candidates in every state and territory, never mind things like corflutes, how to vote cards, volunteer t shirts and hats, advertising and all the other things that are required for a successful campaign. We do not receive taxpayer funds, and we don’t have big corporate donors like the major parties, so every dollar counts. If you’d like to donate to our election campaign fund you can do so here.

Thanks to her work on raising awareness of the impact of climate change on farms and what action can be taken to reduce emissions and adapt to changing conditions, Anika is a sought after speaker and educator, and she very kindly joined national vice presidents Elana Mitchell and Steve Baty to talk about the challenges facing farmers in Australia and around the world.

Show Notes

Dr Anika Molesworth’s website, where you can buy her book ‘Our Sunburnt Country’.
Or buy it direct from her publisher here or from Readings, Booktopia, or have a look at your local independent bookshop to see if they have it or can get it for you.

Have a look at our Sustainable Agriculture policy platform, our Decade of Action on Climate Change policy platform, our Waste and Recycling policy platform and where we stand on other issues. We have more in development.

Want to help us contest the next federal election? Join us for free in less than a minute, and help us keep the bastards honest!

He joined us to talk about a bunch of cyber security and, well, general security legislation that’s either recently been passed or is in the process of being debated, and that might have slipped under everyone’s radar with everything else that’s been going on.

Show Notes:
If you enjoyed listening to Stil, you can get more of him at the 9pm Edict. Elana strongly recommends episode 145 of the 9pm Edict, where Stil discusses Antarctic geopolitics with Dr Liz Buchanan. Three words: Antarctic Nazi Bunker.

Here’s the 1990 election ad from then Democrats leader Janine Haines that Stil played for us in the episode.

And here’s the article from Andrew P Street that Elana quoted.

And to save our younger listeners having to Google the Australia Card, here’s a quick explainer.

They also break down what’s involved with being a Young Democrat, the importance of bringing young voices to the table, and why youth representation matters at all levels of government.

Do you know someone who should become a Young Democrat, or would you like to become one? If you’re aged between 16 and 24 you can join the Young Democrats and help advise the party on the things that are important to your generation.

If you’re older than 24 you can become an “older” Democrat! Join us here

Show Notes:

Want to keep up with our events? Our next event will be National President Lyn Allison in conversation with former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Charles on the issue of accountability in politics, which, given the current shenanigans in federal politics, should be fascinating and timely. Keep an eye on our What’s On page for dates and to purchase tickets.

In the wake of Parliament’s #MeToo moment in March 2021, Bianca Hogeveen wrote a powerful piece on the dichotomy of calls for more women to enter politics and make politics more representative, even as the inherent hostility to women within our politics was revealed. You can read it here.

National vice presidents Steve Baty and Elana Mitchell got together to discuss what led to Berejiklian’s downfall, and the different standards of accountability between state and federal governments that her resignation has revealed.

Show Notes:

Accountability platform – more than just an ICAC!

Want to vote for us in the upcoming election?  Help us retain our registration by joining us

Join Elana Mitchell and Steve Baty as they pull apart the latest jaw dropping antics of one of the most corrupt and incompetent governments in Australia’s history, and discuss how allowing a sitting MP to keep an anonymous donation threatens the very foundations of a fair and free democracy.

Show Notes:

Andrew P Street’s Patreon article “Christian Porter’s finally done, right? RIGHT??”

Michael Bradley in Crikey “Christian Porter’s blind luck a blow to political accountability and transparency”

Elisa Resce for the Australian Democrats “What is a Bastard?”

Do your bit for democracy and join us

And while much of the focus at the moment is quite rightly centered on the immediate threat to all the minor parties who have been getting ready to contest the upcoming federal election, there’s more at stake here than just the number of parties running in that election or whether the senate ballot paper is the size of a table cloth or just a placemat.

Join former Australian Democrats senator and current national president Lyn Allison, and national vice presidents Steve Baty and Elana Mitchell to discuss the Party Pooper Bill and what it means for politics in Australia. 

Show Notes:

Do your bit for Australian democracy and join us!
www.democrats.org.au/membership

Otherwise you can search for all registered political parties on the Australian Electoral Commission website and find the party that aligns with your values:
https://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/party_registration/Registered_parties/

Read the AEC’s announcement on the Party Pooper Bill
https://www.aec.gov.au/news/electoral-laws.htm

Accountability in politics is more than a federal ICAC. Have a look at how our accountability platform will keep the bastards honest
https://www.democrats.org.au/accountability-campaign/