Join The Australia Institute co-CEO Richard Denniss, Chief Political Analyst Amy Remeikis and Democracy Director Bill Browne as they discuss what's changed in Australian politics since the last election and where it might go from here.
Thu 9 Jul 2026 17.00 AEST
Last year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led the Labor Party to a historic victory, winning a landslide for his second term. The Liberal Party suffered its worst result since World War 2. But with the rise of One Nation at home and crisis abroad, the world already looks very different to how it did in May last year.
Join The Australia Institute co-CEO Richard Denniss, Chief Political Analyst Amy Remeikis and Democracy Director Bill Browne as they discuss what’s changed in Australian politics since the last election and where it might go from here.
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My attention has been drawn to a story from Kiama Council in southern New South Wales, where the council has attempted to avoid filling a vacancy on the council with more than two years left on the council’s current term.
For decades, thousands of people have walked freely through the private corridors of Australia's Parliament House – areas typically reserved for parliamentarians and their advisors – without the public ever knowing who they were or whose interests they represented. As of the 1st of July this year, that has finally changed.
These news stories show that FOI plays an important role in Australian democracy, but governments too often drag their feet on releasing information that the public is entitled to. The ABC reported in April that requests for documents from Victoria Police are now slower than at any point in its history, with those seeking access now facing a nine-month wait.
Less than two days after learning about the AUKUS agreement, then opposition leader Anthony Albanese decided to support the biggest defence procurement in Australian history. This isn’t just a quick turnaround for a massive multinational defence deal; it’s a fraction of the time it takes Australian bureaucracy to do far simpler tasks.
