Australian politics, pressed for specifics.
Politics with Michelle Grattan treats Australian politics as a system of pressures, incentives, and consequences. It moves through elections, budgets, security fears, fuel shocks, party factionalism, and corruption claims with a steady interview format.
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Politics with Michelle Grattan is a serious Australian politics program from The Conversation, shaped around interviews rather than panel argument. Its centre of gravity is practical power. Episodes begin with a live political or economic problem, then work through the policy settings, institutional constraints, and electoral risks behind it. Recent editions have examined the fuel crisis prompted by war in Iran, refinery uncertainty, inflation pressure, and the government's May 12 budget preparations. The economic conversations stay close to household effects without losing sight of oil markets, interest rates, and central bank judgement. The show also follows party politics with a similar discipline. One Nation's polling strength is treated not as spectacle, but as a testable political force in South Australia, Farah, and the wider federal scene. The Making of One Nation material adds historical and electoral context, including Pauline Hanson's durability and the party's renewed attention. Campaign episodes are grounded in place. Farah is discussed through Albury, hospital concerns, preferences, and the consequences of Labor not running. The national security episode widens the lens. Drawing on survey work, it considers Australian anxiety about economic shocks, AI disinformation, cyber attacks, climate change, terrorism, and defence without turning the discussion into alarmism. There is also hard institutional scrutiny, including the CFMEU scandal, Victoria's big build program, and calls for a royal commission. Interviews with figures such as Jane Hume use leadership changes, factional balance, industrial relations, child care, deregulation, and women's representation to map where party argument is heading. The rhythm is deliberate. Questions tend to be short, sequential, and specific. Guests are given room to explain, then pressed toward numbers, consequences, or definitions. The result is political analysis for listeners who want the machinery visible, not just the daily contest.
Made for: For listeners who follow Australian public affairs closely and want interviews that connect headlines to budgets, elections, regulation, security, and party strategy. It suits people who prefer measured questioning over political theatre.
What sets it apart: The show stands out through its procedural patience: it lets guests build an argument, then narrows the discussion toward consequences, numbers, and institutional mechanics. Its focus is less on performance and more on how politics actually moves.
The Conversation's Chief Political Correspondent Michelle Grattan talks politics with politicians and experts, from Capital Hill.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Michelle Grattan turns Australian political interviews into clear tests of policy detail, party strategy and institutional accountability.
Michelle Grattan treats political interviews as tests of governing detail. She establishes the immediate stakes, then asks politicians and specialists to account for their positions in practical terms.
Michelle Grattan turns political talking points into follow-up questions you were already muttering.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
One Nation is the real test, even with Labor headed for a big win.
Politics with Michelle Grattan frames the March 21 South Australian election as a test of whether One Nation's polling lift can become seats, even with Labor under Peter Malinowkis headed for a lopsided win.
Victoria's election backdrop, CFMEU corruption claims and Watson's report on state inaction shape the piece.
Victoria's late-year election and Labor's bid for a fourth term give the piece its political frame, but the real pressure comes from the government's failure to confront thuggery and corruption in the building industry, with the CFMEU at the center.
Jane Hume's return frames a measured argument about Liberal culture, merit and representation.
Jane Hume's political comeback gives the episode its tension: a Liberal moderate returning to a major role after campaign mistakes and time on the backbench, now carrying employment, industrial relations, productivity and deregulation.
A grounded case for opportunity, support, and economic inclusion in Indigenous affairs.
The episode frames Indigenous affairs through the immediate pressures that sit behind public debate: children going hungry, young people out at night, and homes that are not always safe to return to. Its main thread is opportunity, argued in practical rather than abstract terms.
A tariff fight turns into a grounded test of energy policy, regional work and power costs.
Australia's push for an exemption from the Trump administration's steel and aluminium tariffs gives this single episode a clear point of tension.
Politics argued like a public record.
Nationals leader David Littleproud discusses US tariff negotiations, opposing the nationalization of Rex Airlines, and the party's evolving identity.
Senator Kerrynne Liddle, the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, discusses the persistent failures in Closing the Gap targets.
Historian Frank Bongiorno discusses how election campaigning has evolved from traditional media to the social media age, starting with John Curtin's 1943 wartime campaign.
Professor Warwick McKibbin discusses using his economic model to analyze the impacts of Trump's tariff decisions on the U.S., Australia, and the global economy.
Tim Wilson says government borrowing and spending beyond the economy’s productive capacity are adding to inflation and interest-rate pressure.
Paul Kelly tells Michelle Gratton that the Liberal Party misread Australia after Tony Abbott’s 2013 victory, then suffered leadership instability and policy confusion through 2022.
Wayne Swan tells Michelle Gratton that Labor’s recent election victory was “wide and shallow,” with 94 seats secured on roughly 53–54% of the two-party-preferred vote.
Economist Chris Richardson discusses the impact of the fuel crisis on the Australian economy, including inflation and cost-of-living pressures, in light of global events and domestic challenges.
This episode introduces a series exploring the origins, workings, and rising popularity of Australia's One Nation party beyond the media caricatures.
This episode discusses a survey revealing Australians' growing anxieties about national security threats, including climate change, economic shocks, and cyber attacks, featuring an interview with report author Professor Rory Medcalf.
This episode analyzes the Farah by-election, focusing on challenges for the Coalition and One Nation, with insights from local journalist Anthony Bunn about key issues in the electorate.
This episode discusses how the Middle East conflict is impacting oil prices and creating economic uncertainty, with insights from Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser on implications for interest rates and Australia's budget.
The South Australian election special looks past the likely result and asks what the campaign is really measuring.
Geoffrey Watson, SC backs a hard look at the CFMEU scandal.
Jane Hume returns to the Liberal frontbench as deputy after a rugged year.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers discusses the Bondi terror attack aftermath and the mid-year budget update with Michelle Grattan, covering government responses to anti-Semitism and economic priorities.
This episode features an interview with ex-Olympian and Labor MP Dan Repacholi about his appointment as Special Envoy for Men's Health, discussing his personal struggles and the broader issues in men's health.
This episode discusses the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week and the ongoing challenges and opportunities for Indigenous Australians, featuring an interview with Senator Kerrynne Liddle.