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Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, just became the mayor of New York City. He energised the working class over material issues including cost of living, housing and wealth inequalities, and overcame opposition from the ‘old school’ Democratic elite to show the party how to really scare Donald Trump.
Will Mamadani’s win inspire (or force) the Democrats to pick up the pace in the fight against Trump? And how is the Australian left planning to apply Mamdani’s campaign tactics in the next 12 months?
Crikey reader’s editor Crystal Andrews and reporter-at-large Charlie Lewis unpack what this singular mayoral campaign changes about the politics of the left, and who remains unmoved.
(00:00) Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York City
(02:11) What Mamdani's win means for the Democratic Party
(25:24) What Mamdani's win means for the Australian left
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On November 11, 1975, Governor General John Kerr dismissed Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam — creating the biggest scandal in modern Australian history.
The dismissal offered plenty of lessons for the nation about political secrecy, the manipulation of democratic rules, how power hungry figureheads can override public will, and Australia’s ultimate deference to the British monarchy. How many have been learned?
Professor Jenny Hocking joins the podcast to explain why the political weaknesses exposed by the Dismissal still exist, 50 years later. Plus, does she think the CIA had anything to do with it?
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We are currently witnessing the death throes of the Liberal Party. To a good chunk of the electorate that voted for the current government, that doesn’t matter,except that it leaves Labor in full power with no meaningful opposition. Ten years ago former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser predicted this moment would come, and he spent his final years working on the answer: a new political party, built on traditional liberal values but without the now-toxic name.
Bernard Keane joins the podcast to revisit Fraser’s plan to replace the Liberal party. The detailed ‘Renew Australia’ manifesto remains remarkably relevant, and takes a surprisingly progressive stance on issues like immigration, our relationship with the US, intergenerational equity and a post-carbon economy.
In 2025, could Fraser’s new party accelerate what the community independents movement already started?
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What counts as ‘lobbying’? That’s the central question at the core of the Australian Parliament Sports Club saga, the company organising social sport at Parliament House — paid for by sponsors, who in turn get to play alongside politicians and political staffers, building vital relationships during sitting weeks.
According to the government’s definition, the Club is not a lobbying organisation and has been removed from the lobbyists register. CEO of the Club Andy Turnbull provided Crikey with a lengthy statement defending his operation… after kicking out former Wallabies captain and Senator David Pocock for questioning the legitimacy of the Club at senate estimates.
So does it pass the pub test? Crikey’s media reporter Daanyal Saeed joins the podcast to unpack the Parliament Sports Club lobbying saga, from beginning to end.
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It’s been a terrible year for corporate incompetence, misdeeds and thievery. But amongst all this bad business behaviour, is there a way to objectively determine which company is the worst of them all? Yes, according to politics editor Bernard Keane. So he devised a scoring system and applied it to 58 of Australia’s biggest corporations.
This week we awarded the Alan Bond Award for Corporate Misconduct to [SPOILER!]
Keane joins the podcast to explain the logic behind his scoring system, the rationale for Crikey’s final ranking, and why Australia’s economy is so vulnerable to these toxic oligopolies.
With Qantas, News Corp, Woodside, Google, Crown, Optus, PWC, Hancock Prospecting and Lockheed Martin all jostling to be the best of the worst, listen to find out exactly how we split the hairs.
*According to Crikey!
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Tony Blair wants to give Larry Ellison the full NHS data set, to “power AI”. Donald Trump is making trade and tariff threats on behalf of American tech billionaires. And when Mark Zuckerberg wanted changes made to Australian policies, he just called then treasurer Josh Frydenberg direct. Big tech is now inextricable from politics. How did it happen?
Crikey's politics reporter Anton Nilsson joins the podcast to discuss his part in the global investigation uncovering exactly how big tech shapes legislation, litigates against governments, and deploys its influence to avoid regulation.
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Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert cancelled. Journalists fired by right-wing media oligarchs. A president — and the institutions that support him — silencing political dissent. The US has indeed returned to the 1950s, when McCarthyism became a nationwide witch hunt for communists and “subversive” ideology.
And it’s catching: the Red Scare-esque hysteria over political speech is evident in Australia, with campaigns against critics of Israel, climate activists and progressive voices supported by government crackdowns.
Crikey’s reporter-at-large Charlie Lewis joins the podcast to explain the striking parallels between McCarthyism and the fraught political discourse of 2025.
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What if we told you that US politics is more transparent than Australian politics? Case in point: we know that Gina Rinehart donated money to Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s legal defence fund. But how much? The Senator doesn’t have to say.
Sean Johnson, founder of Open Politics and author of this week’s Rinehart donation scoop, joins the podcast to explain the many ways politicians can hide assets and keep potential conflicts off the register of interests. With so many loopholes, exemptions and no consequences for failing to disclose, the system is best summed up as, “trust me, bro” — but Johnson has ideas for how we can fix it.
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After a two year battle, the Murdoch family has settled the biggest question about its future: who gets control of daddy's media empire. Three of Rupert Murdoch's adult children, Prudence, James and Elisabeth have agreed to get out of the game, selling their shares in the family trust for US$3.3 billion. Favoured son Lachlan will buy them out and maintain the legacy of staunch conservatism in News Corp and Fox, just as Rupert planned.
Crystal Andrews is joined by Crikey founder Stephen Mayne to unpack who gets what in the deal, and what Lachlan plans to do with the media empire. But the feuding is far from over. If a disgruntled James Murdoch wanted to mess with his estranged father and brother, what are his options now? Mayne has some ideas.
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The “media-baiting” tactics of neo-Nazi groups was on brutal display at the March for Australia rallies last Sunday, with many traditional and new media outlets suckered in to amplifying their hate-filled agenda. How can journalists do responsible reporting without falling into the trap?
Cut Through host Crystal Andrews and contributor Scobie McKay discuss the complexities of reporting on the far right and how Australian tabloid media’s obsession with the “freedom movement” is helping neo-Nazis recruit new members.
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In just four months, social media platforms will be forced to ban kids aged 16 and under. How will that work? No-one actually knows.
Crikey associate editor and tech journalist Cam Wilson has been closely following the progress of the teen social media ban – from the push for a ban by commercial radio host Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, to the rushed legislation, aggressive lobbying by the tech giants, and, now, a trial of age-verification technology that’s not quite going to plan.
He joins Cut Through host Crystal Andrews to explain what the hell is going on, and what you can expect when the results from the tech trial are made public.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers held his much-hyped Economic Reform Roundtable this week, with politicians and a selective list of experts, leaders and business executives discussing solutions for the challenges facing the Australian economy. Boring? Yeah. But given this three-day meeting will shape the next three federal budgets, it deserves your scrutiny.
Economist Jason Murphy joins readers’ editor Crystal Andrews to explain what ‘productivity’ means, why the roundtable was so fixated on this concept and to talk through some of the proposals on housing, tax reform and Centrelink.
But patience is the name of this game: Murphy thinks any “success stories” from this roundtable won’t be seen for 10 years or more.
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For years the Labor government has insisted Palestinian statehood could only come “at the end” of a peace process with Israel. This week, Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong announced an abrupt change: the time to recognise the state of Palestine is, apparently, now.
Readers’ editor Crystal Andrews and politics editor Bernard Keane discuss what caused the Labor government to shift its position on Palestine. Will Australia ever go beyond symbolic gestures to impose meaningful penalties on Israel? Sanctions aren’t completely off the table — but there’s a reason we won’t lead the way.
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In the first episode of our new weekly podcast, we’re addressing the biggest criticism of Crikey: that we’re too hard or too soft on Labor… and the Coalition. And the Greens, the independents, One Nation. You get the picture.
Cut Through host Crystal Andrews speaks to editor-in-chief Sophie Black and politics editor Bernard Keane about how Crikey plans to cover the 48th Parliament, and how journalists and news publishers should be adapting to Australia’s new political landscape. What does it mean to truly scrutinise the people in power, who decides what is “newsworthy”, and why does the media seem to focus on political antics rather than analysis of policy proposals?
Plus is the Coalition now so politically irrelevant that the media should ignore it altogether?
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In the final episode of Electioncast for 2025, Crystal Andrews and political editor Bernard Keane dissect the latest political plot twist: the end of the Coalition. While it’s not the first time the Nats and Libs have been on-again, off-again, the effects will be felt by everyone – even those who have never, and would never, vote for them.
Plus, Bernard reflects on his journalistic process in the aftermath of a result that proved many commentators’ theories wrong.
Make sure you subscribe to this feed for more Crikey podcasts coming soon!
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Surprise, Electioncast is back! In this bonus episode, Crystal Andrews and associate editor Cam Wilson dissect the campaign antics of right-wing lobby group Advance, who spent millions in advertising against progressive MPs like the Greens’ Max Chandler-Mather and independent Zoe Daniel.
Advance is celebrating the loss of key Greens seats as proof of its influence, but how much of an impact did it really have? We analyse the group’s strategy and spend against the election result.
Read all of Cam’s analysis of the Advance campaign:
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Well, that sure was something! In this post-election episode, Crikey politics editor Bernard Keane and readers editor Crystal Andrews discuss why this resounding Labor win by Anthony Albanese is so unique in Australian politics, review what the polls (and Electioncast!) got wrong, and speculate about what’s next for a dazed and confused Coalition.
Then Anton Nilsson shares the insights he gleaned from voters in Dickson and the deflated Liberal HQ party in Brisbane after witnessing Peter Dutton’s farewell speech, and Rachel Withers takes stock of how the new crossbench is shaping up.
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We’re at the pointy end now, and an astonishing poll is predicting a whopping Labor majority. Can that really be right?
Crikey politics editor Bernard Keane and readers’ editor Crystal Andrews discuss the final YouGov poll of the campaign, and what the growing support of Pauline Hanson and One Nation means for the next parliament – and the future of Australian politics.
Then, media reporter Daanyal Saeed catches us up on some juicy tips from Dutton’s campaign bus.
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Underneath the noisy narratives of the big election fight between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, there are individual, very tight contests taking place in battleground seats. It’s in these electorates that Australia’s next government could be decided.
Crikey associate editor Cam Wilson and readers’ editor Crystal Andrews reveal how major parties use your personal data in highly-targeted political ads to sway the election result.
Then editor Alisha Rouse and politics reporter Anton Nilsson discuss what’s at play in three key seats: Curtin in Perth, a litmus test for teals and Liberals; Gilmore in NSW, Labor’s most marginal; and the unexpected fight for Berowra, proving there is no such thing as a safe seat.
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Labor and the Coalition agree with voters: this is the housing election. But despite making headline-grabbing housing policy a focus of their official campaign launches, both parties' plans have been criticised by... pretty much everyone.
Crikey politics editor Bernard Keane and readers editor Crystal Andrews unpack the policy promises, and ask why politicians refuse to address the problem at the heart of Australia’s housing crisis (no, it’s not immigration).
Then editor-in-chief Sophie Black reveals why Crikey is running for parliament alongside 'Crikey for PM' campaign manager, our own Charlie Lewis. Plus, will women, once again, hold the deciding vote on May 3?
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