This week on Socially Democratic, Stephen speaks with John Armitage, one of the most respected social researchers and communication strategists on the Australian left.

As recent polls have shown, the political landscape in Australia is rapidly shifting. So what's next? Where to now for the Labor Party, the Liberal Party and One Nation?

They cover:

🔴 How should State Labor and the ALP position themselves if they want to continue being seen as the natural party of government?

🔵 What will become of the Liberal Party? Who are they today, and why have they so badly failed to address voter concerns?

🟠 What drives Australians to One Nation? Of all the minor and fringe political parties to choose from, why them?

🎯 The need for a bold policy change to address economic unfairness and appeal to drifting voters.

🎭 Recommendations for state and federal Labor on developing a clear message of contrast to One Nation - as well as exposing the hypocrisy of their "ordinary person" narrative.

Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. New episodes every Friday.

Todd Pinkerton, Campaign Director for Unions NSW, and Lissie Ratcliff, Managing Partner at FMRS Advisory and fmr Chief of Staff to Premier Daniel Andrews, are back this month to answer your burning mailbag questions.

This episode of Socially Democratic discusses:

📺Prime Minister Albanese’s National Address. What did he do right, and how could he have used that time to bring the nation together in a time of crisis?

⛽Despite the ceasefire, the war in Iran and the resulting fuel crisis aren’t going away any time soon. How are states responding to ease the shock for their constituents? And how can the federal government improve their communication with the public?

⚓The Royal Australian Navy in the Strait of Hormuz? What is Opposition Leader Angus Taylor on about? Plus, how our relationship with the United States and the global order is changing - and why it’s so important that we steer our own ship (pun intended).

⏰Now is the Time! Lissie, Todd, and Stephen discuss why the field is now wide open for the ALP to get serious about tax reform.

This and more listener questions. Listen in to hear them all.

Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. New episodes every Friday.

Happy long weekend, Social Democrats!

In this episode of Socially Democratic, Stephen sits down with economist Adam Triggs, a Partner at Mandala and Non-Resident Fellow at The Brookings Institution and ANU.

They discuss the issues that are top-of-mind for many Australians, including:

⛽The Fuel Crisis - How does the war in Iran impact things like GDP, inflation, and unemployment? What can we do to reduce the demand for oil in Australia?

😫Inflation - Why the Reserve Bank of Australia should not be the first port of call for keeping inflation under control, and how Albanese’s Federal Government can exert downward pressure without triggering a recession.

🐹Productivity - Australia has a problem with low productivity, but what does that mean? Adam shares insights from his time at Jim Chalmers’s Economic Reform Roundtable (i.e. the productivity roundtable).

🔥Tax Reform - Chalmers sought to create a “burning platform” around tax reform, and despite the spectre of elections past 👻, he might now be closer than ever.

💰Regulatory Reform - How small changes in some simple places (like medications and EVs) could make a big difference for working families.

Tune in to find out.

Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. New episodes every Friday.

This week on Australia's favourite Labor politics and campaigns podcast:

🎉 Congratulations to Premier Peter Malinauskas, the entire SA Labor campaign, and the people of South Australia!

🧩 Matt, Hannah, and Stephen analyse the party's historic win, seat by seat.

📈 Plus, we look at the benefits of winning with such a large margin, particularly with regard to campaign funding and the "freedom to lead".

⚠️ But - One Nation has a strong showing, even winning a seat in the lower house. How can Labor ensure they don't gain more ground?

📉 The Liberal Vote sees large negative swings across the state. How will they respond?

Socially Democratic is a Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests and new episodes every Friday.

In this episode of Socially Democratic:

📊 Another landslide Labor victory in South Australia for Peter Malinauskas. What can the rest of us learn from it?

🗞️ Rumours of a leadership challenge in Victoria. The news in Victoria is rife with speculation on the future of the Allan government. Jessie, David, and Stephen break it down.

⚠️ The fragmentation on the right and the rise of One Nation is not a one-off. What can Victorian Labor do to shore up their base in the 2026 election?

🔥 Plus, a robust debate on the Kos Samaras article: The Death of the Brahmin Left. Did he get the diagnosis right?

And much more from David Feeney and Jessie McCrone. 

Socially Democratic is a Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests and new episodes every Friday.

It's time for the annual Socially Democratic mic handover! 

This episode features the return of our favourite stand-in host, Rebecca Thistleton (Executive Director Victoria, The McKell Institute) along with special guests Melissa Donnelly (National Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union), and Benita Kolovos (Victorian State Correspondent, Guardian Australia). 

Together they unpack:

📢  The highs and lows of this year's International Women’s Day: a day which advances meaningful conversation, but also traffics in empty symbolism.

🏛️ How the Federal Government and the Opposition are approaching women’s policy, and why structural challenges don’t get solved overnight.

🧠 This Victorian State election, all the major party leaders are women. What will it mean for campaign commitments and messaging?

👶 Plus, "just have more babies", the minefield of social media, and the year's best policy reforms.

Socially Democratic is a Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests and new episodes every Friday.

In this episode of Socially Democratic:

📉 Are the Liberals about to finish THIRD? They remain stuck below 20% primary vote, with One Nation moving into second place.

📊 New polling shows Labor holding a commanding lead, but are the figures even underselling it?

🧨 Ashton Hurn stumbles on a net zero question in the Leaders debate. But does this matter to voters?

🗳️ Plus, we break down the key seats to watch on election night.

Socially Democratic is a Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests and new episodes every Friday.

In this episode of Socially Democratic:

🫥 How will the Liberals respond to the findings of their 2025 Election Review? Or will they just hide it in a drawer?

💸 If we address the housing crisis by favouring owner-occupiers over investors, where will that investment money go? Does Australia have other attractive assets to keep that money in the lucky country?

🌴 The ACTU is campaigning for 5 week annual leave for all workers, nationwide. Do they stand a chance? 

Plus, we ask: which work perk would you prefer?

🌎 “Social Cohesion” has entered the chat once more, this time on The Rest is Politics. That conversation prompted our listener Paul to ask: 

Should we be concerned that our representatives are taking foreign policy positions based on their constituents, rather than Australia’s best interest?

👔 Finally we discuss Kos Samaras’s latest essay: ‘The Death of the Brahmin Left’. Did Australian Labor intentionally drift away from the working-class outer suburbs in favour of inner-city knowledge workers? The hosts discuss.

Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. 

In this episode of Socially Democratic:

🍎 Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas announces a policy of 150 minutes per week of ‘Active Learning’ for school aged children, plus free school camp and an expansion of sports vouchers.

🧩 South Australia Liberals struggle to get airtime and squander their opportunities with scattered policy announcements. Plus, how is Ashton Hurn’s leadership holding up?

🚑 A man’s tragic death brings renewed attention to the problem of long waits during ambulance ramping. How will it impact the remainder of the campaign?

🫣 How To Vote preferences deals were announced - and we ask, did the Liberals deal away metro Adelaide seats?

🔮 Will we ever see the end of AusPol’s corflute obsession?

🤡 Carston Woodhouse’s outrageous comments on feminism and homosexuality surfaced from a podcast last year, leading Hannah to question - do Liberals even bother to vet their candidates?

Plus all the category nomination you know and love.

Hey Social Democrats. We are back with our first of the 4-part series on the South Australia state elections.

Stephen Donnelly, along with special guests Hannah MacLeod and Matt Clemow, analyse the state of the race, including: 

✅ Peter Malinauskas's record as Premier, 

✅ Political messaging from the major parties, 

✅  The three cornered contests between independents, One Nation, and the Liberals in the crucial regional seats.

✅ The new campaign finance laws that are shaking up the election,

✅  and how South Australian Labor is adapting their strategy to this new climate. 

Plus all the categories you know and love. 

Socially Democratic is a Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests and new episodes every Friday. 

📊 February brought fresh polling, a Liberal leadership shake-up, and renewed questions about where the conservative movement goes next.

With the opposition searching for economic credibility and flirting once again with culture-war politics, what does the path back to government actually look like for the Liberal Party of Australia?

🏗️ We also unpack the CFMEU controversy — including the media’s rush to amplify a back-of-the-envelope $15 billion figure — and what it means politically for the Victorian Allan Labor government. How can Labor get back on the front foot and tell a powerful, persuasive story about the infrastructure Big Build that resonates with voters?

All that, plus the month’s biggest narratives and category nominations.

This week on Socially Democratic, Stephen is joined by policy expert and Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre, Emma Dawson.

Emma joins the show to talk about what Labor's clear majority actually means, what they can still achieve in their second term, and whether this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for structural reform.

Emma brings her wealth of knowledge to the vital questions of 2026, including:

📈 Can we ease the cost-of-living crisis without spiking inflation?

🤏  What is the difference between incremental reform and timid reform?

🧩 How has the fragmented media environment affected our ability to make lasting change?

🍎 🍊  What is the difference between “popular” policy and “populist” politics?

🥸 Does the Albanese government have a coherent political identity, and if so, what is it?

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