Australian Politics

The UN’s climate summit begins in Turkey on Monday, with Australia leading the negotiations for the first time. The challenge of bringing nearly 190 countries to consensus on climate action, when global heating is already falling short of the Paris agreement goal of 1.5C, will be a pivotal test for climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen. Speaking with Guardian Australia’s climate and environment editor Adam Morton, Bowen responds to criticisms about Labor’s credibility – owing to the country’s huge fossil fuel export industries – and explains the government’s commitment to advocate for our Pacific neighbours at Cop31

Voters have a lot of negative feedback in this month’s Guardian Essential poll. More Australians than ever believe the country is on the wrong track. Labor’s primary vote is on par with One Nation. But voters aren’t convinced that One Nation or the Coalition would do a better job than the Albanese government. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks with Essential Media chair Peter Lewis about the problems with Labor’s policy narrative

It’s election season: the US midterms are just days away and Israel, Brazil and Serbia have all had consequential elections this week. Alastair Campbell from The Rest is Politics podcast speaks with political editor Tom McIlroy about our ‘high-octane political environment’ and why he argues that populist politics began in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Following last week’s alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, Campbell also reflects on how the UK responded to violence towards its own politicians – including Jo Cox, David Amess and Ann Widdecombe. The former journalist and staffer to Tony Blair has just released his 22nd book Persevilience: The Word the World Needs Now, and will be touring Australia in November

It has been one of the most shocking and horrific weeks in Australian politics. On Monday, the independent MP for Indi, Helen Haines, was struck by a car in what police allege was a deliberate attack outside her electorate office. The political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks to Helen Haines’ friend and former parliamentary colleague Zoe Daniel. The previous MP for the Melbourne seat of Goldstein says Haines had a pivotal role in the breakthrough of the teal independents in the 2022 election. Daniel was also a foreign correspondent during Donald Trump’s first term as president. She witnessed the fraying of American political culture on the ground and warns that some of the dangerous forces at play in the US are visible here too

The Albanese government has a lot of unfinished business as the end of the political year fast approaches. This sitting week, Labor struggled to pass its budget saving measure to reduce private health insurance rebates for over-65s. Independent MP Monique Ryan was a vocal critic of the bill and argues that the government is continually on the ‘back foot’. Speaking with the political editor, Tom McIlroy, she is critical of the way the government has brought a number of key proposals to the parliament. The member for Kooyong also responds to speculation that her former political rival and treasurer in the Morrison government, Josh Frydenberg, is considering a possible return to Canberra – after the launch of his memoir this week This episode was corrected on 19 October 2026. An earlier version included mention of increasing the rate of the GST to 20%. Josh Frydenberg has not called for such a change