Michelle Grattan's front row seat to the drama of the dismissal
When Governor John Kerr sacked Prime Minister Gough Whitlam on 11 November 1975, Michelle Grattan was a young reporter for The Age.The dismissal had been brewing with a government pushing through change at breakneck speed, and a series of scandals surrounding key figures. Michelle remembers absolute pandemonium unfolding as shock waves from this historic event ricocheted across the country. Guest: Michelle Grattan, chief political correspondent at The Conversation.
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Annabel Crabb's new series: Civic Duty
Australia's uncontroversial electoral system and the compulsory voting requirement means that participation in elections is high – around 90 per cent. But it's a system that's arguable taken for granted. Public trust in our democratic system – and knowledge of how it functions – is on the decline in Australia.In Civic Duty, Annabel Crabb explores a democracy like no other, with sausage sizzles, Saturday voting, cake stalls and asks important questions about its future.
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High speed rail network on track
It’s been one of Australia’s most elusive ambitions - a high-speed rail network connecting the East coast of Australia, it's now starting to gain momentum. Infrastructure Australia has released a blueprint for how the first stage of the track, between Sydney and Newcastle might look. Eventually there could be high-speed trains linking Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane - will it happen?
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Does more choice give us more freedom?
We live in a world built on the idea that freedom equals choice — and choice equals freedom. We get to choose what to buy, what to believe, who to love, where to live.We can go onto the internet and be overwhelmed with options, we can swipe right or left on a dating app to choose a potential life partner, we go to a restaurant and are given a menu of choices. Every day, we're told that the more options we have, the freer we are.But what if the very thing we thought defined our freedom — our ability to choose — was actually overwhelming us?A new history explains how choice has evolved to dominate modern life.
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Democrats sweep to victory across the US, but divided over future direction
The Democrats celebrated victories across the United States this week, including in New York where 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani convincingly defeated Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral race.Mamdani is a self-confessed democratic socialist and his supporters insist he is the new face of the Democratic Party.Meanwhile in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, a moderate, centrist Democrat who used to work for the CIA, also won a convincing victory.So who are the players in the Democratic Party's search for its future direction?
Australia