The opposition in residence

The elections in New Zealand and the Australian Capital Territory delivered strong results to incumbent governments. But with Jacinda Ardern poised to govern without needing to form a coalition, and with a rising Greens vote in Canberra, what challenges are ahead for the victors? Plus we look at accountability in government and why there is no federal version of ICAC.

New Zealand’s election delivered a resounding victory to Jacinda Ardern, while in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Labor returned, the Greens grew, and the Liberals slumped. But could those strong results create challenges from inside their parties and, in the ACT’s case, their coalition partners? Analysing the election results with Professor Mark Kenny, as well as looking at public accountability from politicians, are Professor Paul Pickering and regular podleague Dr Marija Taflaga.

Professor Paul Pickering is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute.

Dr Marija Taflaga is Director of ANU Centre for the Study of Australian Politics and a lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Her major research is on political parties and particularly the Liberal Party of Australia.

Professor Mark Kenny is a Professor in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.

Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

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