Treasurer Wayne Swan speaks to journalists at the 2013 budget lock-up. Image: BRW.

Episode 14: the come-back edition.

The Thought Bubble is back!

We’ve been on a break for the last month or so as Amber has been overseas visiting Spain and Kenya (Ben has been locked in his office churning out a big report).

With Amber back in Australia and the government seemingly on the ropes, we caught up with the events in politics of the last month, from the aftermath of the federal budget to the chronic instability that continues to dog the Australian Labor Party.

This week’s episode also features a couple of short interview from inside this year’s budget lock-up, with AFP’s Amy Coopes and Fairfax’s Jacqueline Maley.

Finally, Amber tells us what everyday life is like in Spain, currently in the grip of a crippling economic downturn.

As always, you can hear the full episode by clicking on the link below, or via subscription through iTunes and Stitcher.

Clive Palmer launches the re-badged United Australia Party. Image: Seven West Media

Episode 13: the Think Tank edition. In the week that Clive Palmer announced his tilt at federal Parliament, Amber and Ben are joined by Miriam Lyons, Director of public policy think-tank, the Centre for Policy Development.

Amber, Ben and Mim talk about right-wing populism in Queensland, the future of the Labor Party, the likely policies of an incoming Abbott government, and the role of think-tanks in a modern democracy.

As always, you can listen to the full podcast by clicking on the link below, or by subscribing to our podcast in iTunes.

Some links:

The Centre for Policy Development

Ben’s article in New Matilda about Clive Palmer and the UAP

The Piping Shrike on Labor’s ideological problems

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell signs the Gonski schools funding agreement with Julia Gillard. Image: Fairfax.

Episode 12: Deficits and Gonski. In the week in which the states and Commonwealth negotiated over schools funding, Ben and Amber interview education academic Bronwyn Hinz on the tricky task of negotiating federal-state schools funding agreements. In a time of structural deficit, can the Commonwealth afford it? And who will pay?

As always, you can listen to the podcast by clicking on the link below or via subscription on iTunes.

Some links:

Ben’s articles in New Matilda on the state of the federation and the difficult politics of Gonski 

Amber’s article in Crikey on Labor’s funding of higher education

Bronwyn Hinz in The Drum on why Gonski is no magic bullet

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy joins other Labor ministers to “switch on” the NBN. Image: Delimiter.

Episode 11: the NBN edition. We interview futurist and technology commentator Mark Pesce to discuss Labor and the Coalition’s competing plans for a national broadband network. Ben and Amber also discuss the politics of infrastructure, in both broadband and high speed rail.

As always, you can listen to the podcast by clicking on the link below or via subscription on iTunes.

Some links: 

Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull launch the Coalition’s broadband policy (courtesy of Delimiter)

Ben’s article in New Matilda on broadband policy

Mark Pesce’s book on politics in a connected world, Hyperpolitics

NSW detective and whistleblower, Peter Fox. Image: ABC.

Episode 10: this week in the Thought Bubble, we examine the Royal Commission into the Institutional Response to Child Sex Abuse, and interview NSW Police whistleblower Peter Fox. Following on from Labor’s internal conflict and cabinet reshuffle, Ben and Amber also discuss the government’s proposed changes to superannuation policy.

As always, you can listen to the podcast by clicking on the link below or via subscription on iTunes.

Some links:

Peter Fox interviewed by Tony Jones on Lateline, 9th November 2012.

Amber’s article in Crikey on the scene at the Victorian County Court.

Ben’s article in New Matilda on the class war in superannuation policy that the rich are winning.

Simon Crean calls on the spill, 21st March 2013. Image: Fairfax.

Episode 9: The spill edition. In the week that the federal Australian Labor Party tore itself apart, we talk to former Victorian arts minister, Mary Delahunty, who was following Prime Minister Julia Gillard around in an extraordinary week in Australian politics.

Amber and Ben try to unpick the strange events in Canberra, critique the role of the media in encouraging leadership instability, and wonder about the health of our democracy.

As always, you can hear the podcast by clicking on the link below, or via subscription on iTunes.

The Daily Telegraph’s reaction to Labor’s media reforms. Image: News Limited.

Episode 8: The media and culture episode. In the week that the Gillard government unveiled two major pieces of media and cultural policy, we talk to Griffith University academic Susan Forde about Labor’s proposed media reforms. Ben and Amber also discuss Arts Minister Simon Crean’s new national cultural policy, Creative Australia.

As always, you can hear the podcast by clicking on the link below, or via subscription on iTunes.

https://thoughtbubblepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/thoughtbubble15march2013_mono160.mp3

Some links:

Ben’s article on the national cultural policy in Crikey

Susan Forde’s article on Communications Minister Stephen Conroy’s media reforms in The Conversation

A round-up of the media reaction to Conroy’s proposals by Bernard Keane in Crikey

Wendy Bacon’s analysis of the media reforms in New Matilda

Julie Owens MP at the Westmead Millennium Institute, getting stuck into journalists. Image: YouTube

Episode 7: This week in The Thought Bubble, we go deep into the idea of western Sydney, in the wake of Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s campaign swing through the outer suburbs of Australia’s largest city. We interview a local member from the area, Parramatta MP Julie Owens, and ask her about the issues affecting her constituents in this election year.

Ben and Amber also discuss the surprising fall of Victorian premier, Ted Baillieu.

As ever, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and by clicking the link below:

The Thought Bubble 8th March 2013

Some links:

Ben’s article in New Matilda on infrastructure in western Sydney

Ben’s article on the downfall of Ted Baillieu

Julie Owens at the Westmead Millennium Institute press conference

Sydney merchant banker David Gonski, chair of the government’s review of schools funding. Image: Fairfax.

Episode 6: This week in The Thought Bubble, we take a closer look at the education debate, as the conflict between the Gillard government and the states hots up over the Gonski schools funding reforms. We’re joined by education expert Chris Bonnor to discuss the state of play on Gonski.

Also up for discussion this week: Julia Gillard’s campaign in western Sydney, and a Defence Department report on post-traumatic stress in the military.

As always, the full podcast is available by clicking on the link below, as well as via subscription on iTunes (link here).

The Thought Bubble 1st March 2013

Some links:

Chris Bonner and Jane Caro’s book, What Makes a Good School?

Ben’s article in New Matilda about the politics of Gonski

The home page for the Gonski Review

Amber’s article in Crikey about post-traumatic stress disorder in the Australian Defence Force

Greens leader, Senator Christine Milne. Image: Fairfax.

This week on The Thought Bubble we’re joined by columnist and author Martin McKenzie-Murray to discuss the break-up between Labor and the Greens, the thorny issue of whether Labor lacks a narrative, and Martin’s forthcoming book on the murder of Perth teenager Rebecca Ryle.

As always, you can hear the podcast by clicking on the link below, as well as via iTunes subscription.

The Thought Bubble 22nd February 2013

Some links:

Ben’s article on the Greens-Labor split

Waleed Aly on Labor’s lost narrative

Martin McKenzie-Murray’s blog, Feeding The Chooks