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Politics Now

ABC Australia

The ABC's politics podcast, Politics Now, dives into the biggest political stories in Australia and around the world, giving you a balanced look inside the strategies and decisions behind the headlines. Whenever major news breaks, we'll be in your feed with coverage you can trust.

From Monday to Wednesday, Patricia Karvelas will chat to a rotating cast of the ABC's biggest political journalists about the latest news.

On Thursdays, 'The Party Room' with Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly will discuss the week's developments in depth with another journalist, and answer your questions.

On Saturdays, David Speers gets into the details of a major trend or issue with the help of an expert on 'Insiders On Background'.

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  • 91 episodes
  • daily
  • Avg 30 min
  • English

Episodes 91

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  • Friday · 22 min

    Australia's broken mental health system

    Professor Pat McGorry, Executive Director of Orygen, tells David Speers in this week's Insiders: On Background State and Federal governments share responsibility for the failing system. 

  • Thursday · 26 min

    Victoria: Is Dan Andrews the ex we can't get over?

    South of the Murray, ghosts of premiers past loom over the current leaders. What influence are Dan Andrews and Jeff Kennett still having on the way Victorians vote?  And has the media already picked a side to campaign for? Raf Epstein and Herald Sun Associate Editor James Campbell break it all down on Politics Now: Victoria. Got a burning question? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au

  • Thursday · 47 min

    Can anyone land the economic message?

    Is Australia about to enter a period of "long economic pain"?  Stubborn inflation and the prospect of another interest rate rise next week is putting fresh pressure on the Albanese government. Treasurer Jim Chalmers is facing calls to rein in government spending, while the Opposition has unveiled $31 billion in proposed cuts.  But managing the economy in the current international climate is a difficult task - can either side (or anyone else) stick the economic landing? And is telling Australia

  • Wednesday · 25 min

    Bad inflation, a Greens tax and stinky grants

    Australia's latest inflation figures are in, and it's not good news. Inflation ran hotter than expected in September, raising the prospect of another interest rate rise next week. So can the Albanese government reshape its economic narrative in a way the Australian public will buy? Meanwhile, the Greens have entered the debate with a major new tax plan, promising cost-of-living relief funded by higher taxes on gas and resources. And alongside all that, there's a sewerage problem that just won

  • Tuesday · 30 min

    A major economic fight is brewing

    The Coalition has finally put some numbers on its plans to cut government spending, identifying more than $30 billion in proposed savings. But every cut comes at a cost. So what is Angus Taylor signalling would get the chop, and who would feel the impact? Meanwhile, with another interest rate rise looming, Treasurer Jim Chalmers is challenging his critics to explain what they would cut instead. And Senate estimates is delivering some uncomfortable moments - parliamentary officials are raising

  • Monday · 28 min

    A morning of tributes, a week of tension

    "We look forward to the day you return to this place, and I get to say the following nine words: 'I give the call to the member for Indi.'" Parliament is back and tearful tributes to Helen Haines have brought a rare moment of unity across the political divide. But the cracks are showing. From political rhetoric to censorship and increased security, MPs are divided on what needs to change. While some are calling for greater civility, others are warning against restricting robust political debat

  • October 22 · 27 min

    Victoria: Messiahs and naughty boys

    Victoria's political leaders are fessing up to drug taking and not paying for petrol. The major parties aren't banning abortion, but instead competing to make abortion free.  Politics has changed.  The tectonic plates of politics are shifting beneath our feet. Within weeks, Victorians will start voting in the November state election.  So, what does all of this tell us about the future of politics in Australia?  Raf Epstein and Patricia Karvelas break it all down on Politics Now: Victoria. G

  • October 22 · 42 min

    A kinder, gentler politics

    The devastating alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines has sent shock waves through Australian politics across the week. Urgent questions about the safety of our elected representatives, and the state of political debate, are being asked.  As Haines remains critically ill in hospital, politicians across the political spectrum are sharing their own experiences of threats, harassment and abuse, particularly against women. But how do we keep politicians safe, without shutting them off from

  • October 21 · 26 min

    How do we change the political tone?

    How do you keep politicians safe without shutting the public out? Following the alleged attack on Helen Haines, calls for greater protection are growing, as MPs grapple with the threats that come with public life - while the motive behind the attack remains unknown. And as political leaders urge everyone to turn down the temperature, Pauline Hanson has gone from telling Jacqui Lambie to “get over it”, to apologising over a One Nation cartoon.  Is this a rare backdown? Or simply damage control

  • October 20 · 29 min

    Has politics changed forever?

    "This wasn't an accident. This was a deliberate act.” Stark words have been shared by the Prime Minister following a devastating alleged attack on Independent MP Helen Haines yesterday afternoon, who remains in a critical condition. As Australia learns more about what unfolded outside her Wangaratta office, shock now turns to questions about the safety of our elected representatives. Calls to “turn down the political temperature” are growing louder - but is that the right message? Patricia K

  • October 19 · 29 min

    An ugly internal Greens war

    Tensions inside the Greens are boiling over. WA Senator Jordon Steele-John says rumours about his conduct are being weaponised for political purpose - allegations he strongly denies. Now he’s taken to social media to insist he’s “not on leave" - and accused his own party leader, David Shoebridge, of pressuring him to step aside. So with a new leader trying to find his feet, just how damaging is this very public dispute for the Greens? And PK and Jacob has some free advice for Labor following

  • October 16 · 33 min

    Victoria! One Nation! A state election question bonanza

    It’s Question Time - and not just any Question Time - a Victorian state election special! With one of the most consequential state elections of 2026 fast approaching, Victoria has been on your minds. So PK and Fran enlist friend of the podcast and Victorian political expert Raf Epstein to tackle your questions. What role will the Victorian Greens play in the election? Are party preferences genuinely hard to find - or being hidden? And what’s with all the weird minor party names popping up? Th

  • October 15 · 42 min

    A sitting week with spooks and ghosts

    It’s been a strange sitting week in Canberra, with the Albanese government trying to push through a packed legislative agenda - only to find itself repeatedly dragged onto political ground it hadn’t planned for. Labor was slow out of the blocks in responding to the Trump administration’s proposed livestream of a US execution. Is the government becoming too reluctant to criticise the president? Back in parliament, the government suffered a significant setback when the Coalition, Greens and Jacq

  • October 14 · 24 min

    Got a problem? Just text the PM

    Are the Prime Minister and his treasurer working together, or are they being played off against one other? Midway through a sitting week, the government has managed to put itself back in the firing line with small business over the ATO’s on-again, off-again credit card ban. That’s led to some performative text messaging, as well as a nasty moment in parliament that’s now taken on a life of its own. If that wasn’t enough, Labor is also staring down another fight over trusts. Patricia Karvelas

  • October 13 · 32 min

    'Spicy' late night letters about an AI world

    The political fight is moving more and more online. AI companies want to build, train and expand in Australia, but the welcome mat now comes with conditions - including from a bipartisan committee sending letters pushing for tougher rules and stronger protections for creators, and a warning from Labor that a handful of AI giants could become the economy’s new “toll collectors”. But back in the real world, revealing comments inside Labor caucus are exposing tensions for the government - and war

  • October 12 · 29 min

    Is Josh Frydenberg back?

    Parliament is back for another sitting week and Jacob Greber is back on the podcast! But as Jacob tells PK, it's already looking like a "tricky" week for the Albanese government, with no clear passage for their legislative agenda. And PK thinks new Greens leader David Shoebridge will also be looking to make his mark. So, will he play "hardball" with Labor? Meanwhile, questions are swirling about whether former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's will return to federal politics. Jacob thinks it's a s

  • October 8 · 45 min

    The 'raw politics' of immigration

    While the government faces criticism from all sides over its economic management after the latest RBA cash rate hike, the Coalition is pitching dramatic cuts to immigration as a way to ease voters' economic pain. But can either major party meet the expectations of a frustrated electorate? Plus, Anthony Albanese navigates the tricky optics of another international diplomacy event at the pre-COP in Fiji, as the government fights suggestions the summit was a flop. And what does a major High Court

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