The Lucky Country

Schwartz Media's new daily podcast 7am launched a few weeks ago. Search for 7am in your favourite podcast app to subscribe and keep listening. Sacking Scott Morrison Before entering parliament, Scott Morrison ran Tourism Australia. He was sacked by the minister, but the details of what happened have never been made public. Karen Middleton on the clearest picture yet of his time in the office. Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton. For more information on today's episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Schwartz Media's new daily podcast 7am launches today. Search for 7am in your favourite podcast app to subscribe and keep listening. Surprise: the status quo election Scott Morrison's surprise win last weekend was the status quo election no one saw coming. The vote was actually a repeat of 2010, and the country has been stuck on that divide ever since. George Megalogenis on how Australia was fractured and what to do next. Guest: Author and journalist George Megalogenis. For more information on today's episode, visit 7ampodcast.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Dennis, host of The Lucky Country, introduces Schwartz Media's new podcast, 7am. Hosted by Elizabeth Kulas, 7am is a daily news show from the publisher of The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. Hear the country's best reporters, covering the news as it affects Australia. This is news with narrative, every weekday. Subscribe in your favourite podcast app to hear the first episode on Monday, May 27. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the final episode of season two of The Lucky Country, chief economist at The Australia Institute Richard Denniss and Canberra-based lobbyist Chris Fry chew the economic fat of the complex relationship between Australian citizens, their elected representatives and the policies that determine the winners and losers. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The public messaging regarding recent occurrences of the rape and murder of women has predominantly been that women need to try harder to stay safe in public. Is this the right message? This week, Richard Denniss talks to journalist Chris Kenny about the way violence against women is reported in the media, and Ebony Bennett, deputy director at The Australia Institute, discusses research into why women are angry about the tone that has been taken with this issue. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do corporate investments and political interests so often take priority over the long-term viability of our common resources? Should more Australians be encouraged to vote to secure the nation's future, or is it okay to prioritise this generation's wants over the next generation's needs? This week, former Greens leader Bob Brown joins Richard Denniss to discuss why the greater long-term good should have precedence over short-term interests that only serve the few. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do people embark on careers in politics, and what does the uncivilised behaviour we see on Question Time achieve? In this episode, former trade minister Craig Emerson joins Richard Denniss to discuss why democracy is the worst political system there is - except for all the others. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, Australians have been told that they have no choice but to support free trade, but now it seems that even Coalition MPs support restricting the market for the export of live sheep. In this episode, Richard Denniss and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young discuss the realities of exporting live sheep and the politics of calls for the trade to be restricted. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does Australia spend so much time and money commemorating the wars we've fought in? And why do corporate sponsors' logos at the Australian War Memorial often overshadow the people and events being commemorated? In this episode, Richard Denniss and ANU historian Frank Bongiorno discuss why we remember war the way we do, and the level of investment in commemoration. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does corruption occur in federal politics? How will we know, and, importantly, how will it be prosecuted, without a federal corruption watchdog? In this episode, Richard Denniss and former NSW premier and now federal senator Kristina Keneally discuss the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption's impact on politicians' and public servants' behaviour, and the case for a similar mechanism on the federal level. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do the cogs of government turn when preparing a federal budget? In this episode, The Lucky Country takes a behind-the-scenes look at the budget with former treasurer Wayne Swan. Swan and Richard Denniss discuss what is in the budget, and what decision-makers take into account when they decide who wins and who loses. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does class exist in Australia? And if so, does it matter? In this episode, Richard Denniss and ANU political scientist Jill Sheppard discuss class in Australia, its impact on individuals' lives and its influence on politics. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does wealth "trickle down"? Or does society benefit more when wealth "trickles up"? The Lucky Country's first episode of the year features Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, who was recently awarded the 2018 Sydney Peace Prize for his work addressing global inequality. Stiglitz and Richard Denniss discuss what the Turnbull government's proposed corporate tax cuts mean for ordinary Australians. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What impact might a banking royal commission have on the economy, or a cut in corporate tax rates or the legalising of same-sex marriage? To answer these and other questions, Richard Denniss is joined by senior economist at the Australia Institute Matt Grudnoff. News audio courtesy of the ABC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the citizenship crisis plays out, the government is reaping the lack of trust that it itself has been sowing for years. Voters don't trust politicians because politicians have trained voters not to trust anybody. Throughout this series the issue of shame has come up again and again. To explore its effect on public debate and the economy, Richard Denniss talks to Jim Stanford from the Centre for Future Work about union membership and wage stagnation, broadcaster Jeremy Fernandez about the courage of speaking up about a racial attack and Chris Fry on what's needed to change the gun debate in the US. News audio courtesy of the ABC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Politicians like to talk about the alleged value of mateship and sticking together and fairness, but many of those same politicians are quick to turn on vulnerable sections of the community the minute they think it will win them popular support. Luckily, we live in a country of laws where those in power are subject to checks and balances and accountability. Luckily, we have a constitution that defends our rights. Or do we? Richard Denniss asks law professor George Williams about why Australia is the only democracy without a bill of rights, and Simon Sheikh about why the government is attacking GetUp!, the organisation he once led. Economist Chris Fry joins to ask whether Australia is living beyond its means. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's easy to convince yourself, or be convinced by others, that the decisions we make as individuals or at a community level don't really matter when there are 7.5 billion other people on the planet and a global economy worth more than $100 trillion per year. But what if I told you there was no such thing as the "global economy"? We're often made to feel as if the global economy shapes us; in reality, we get to shape it every time we take a job, quit a job, spend a dollar, invest a dollar, or decide to keep chickens rather than buy eggs. Not everyone has the same capacity to shape the global economy, but everyone's decisions count. This week, Richard Denniss talks to broadcaster Indira Naidoo about how the community garden is an act of political rebellion, and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr about making coalition governments work. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australians are some of the most indebted people in the world. But we have been told again and again that government borrowing is evidence of mismanagement. How can it be? Treasurer Scott Morrison talks about "good debt" and "bad debt", but what does this mean, and who gets to decide "good" and "bad"? Richard Denniss talks to Karen Middleton about sexual harassment in politics and the economic cost of shame and silence, Jane Caro about the inequality of Australia's education policy, and Chris Fry on his views on private and public school funding in the Sensible Centre. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The politicians that rage against the greed of the unemployed are often the same ones who preach about the importance of keeping families together. But despite all the talk, we have designed a welfare system that does little to help the hundreds of thousands of families families that are hit by job loss each year. In this episode Dr Jim Stanford describes the impact robots and automation will likely have on the Australian economy, and Richard Denniss and Chris Fry debate what a fair welfare system should look like. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The right wing of Australian politics is becoming increasingly confused about what they are for and what they want. While they talk about the importance of letting individuals make their own decisions, they rage against the idea that adults should be able to decide who they want to marry. This week Richard Denniss looks at the opportunities arising from this confusion. Journalist Nina Funnell and ASU secretary Natalie Lang join to discuss the government's defunding of sexual assault support services, and what this means for the 60,000 people who use the 1800 RESPECT service annually. News audio is courtesy of the ABC. Email us at: theluckycountry@schwartzmedia.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.