Socially Democratic

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic is launching something new.
Starting next month, we're embarking on a two-year series called The Recount: a month-by-month deep dive into every single federal election since 1972. That's 21 elections, one per episode, all the way from Gough Whitlam's 'It's Time' to Labor's historic 2025 victory. 
No one has ever done long-form analysis of Australian federal campaigns quite like this. We're going to speak to the people who were in the room, examine what actually happened, from the strategy, the technology, and the seminal moments that turned each election. We ask the question that hangs over all of it: do campaigns actually matter?
Joining Stephen Donnelly for the entire journey is Dr Stephen Mills, a journalist, former speechwriter in Bob Hawke's office, and author of three landmark books on Australian political campaigns: The New Machine Men, The Hawke Years, and The Professionals.
In this introductory episode, they discuss how Australian federal campaigning transformed from gut feel and state-based fiefdoms to data, analytics and national strategy. 
The Recount begins on September 18 with Episode 1: 1972, It's Time. Don't miss it.
Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. New episodes every Friday.
Mentioned in the Show:
'The Professionals: Strategy, Money and the Rise of the Political Campaigner in Australia' [ https://amzn.to/4yemmRO ] by Dr. Stephen Mills
Support the show
Socially Democratic is an opinion-based political and campaign podcast that facilitates discussion on a range of topical issues. The opinions of guests are not an endorsement and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff at Dunn Street and Socially Democratic.
Access ad-free episodes and send in questions by joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SociallyDemocratic
If you like the show, rate and review us on your favourite podcast app.
Follow Us on Socials:
Facebook (https://tr.ee/9jGIOy)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sociallydemocratic)
LinkedIn (https://tr.ee/YxyYJh)
X (https://x.com/SocialDemPod)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@DunnStreet)
The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au

This special episode of Socially Democratic was recorded live at the Victorian Trades Hall Council, as a fundraiser for four Labor women fighting battleground seats in November: Michaela Settle (Eureka), Daniela De Martino (Monbulk), Pauline Richards (Cranbourne) and Belinda Wilson (Narre Warren North).
🙏 A huge thank you to Trades Hall for hosting us. 🙏
Alongside our Labor MPs, host Stephen Donnelly is joined by David Feeney and Jessie McCrone. They cover:
📊 The polling: what Labor's 23-25% primary actually means in a three-party race
🏛️ Why this election is existential for the Liberal Party, and potentially the Nationals too
🎭 How Jess Wilson is running the Scott Morrison playbook, and why it's working on the media
🧩 Cost of living, crime, and corruption: how Labor frames the issues where it's trailing
🗳️ One Nation. Are they ready to run a full campaign?
😇 😇 😎 Two Truths and a Lie with all four candidates.
📰 Plus all your favourite categories, with submissions from the live audience!
Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. New episodes every Friday.
#AustralianPoliticsPodcast #AusPol #AustralianPolitics #LaborParty #ALP #AustralianLabor #ProgressivePolitics #SocialDemocracy #Podcast #CurrentAffairs #VictorianElection #VictorianLabor #BenCarroll #OneNation #PaulineHanson #JessWilson #LiberalPartyVictoria #DavidFeeney #JessieMcCrone #MichaellaSettle #DaniellaDiMartino #PaulineRichards #BelindaWilson #VictorianTradesHall #IBAC #CostOfLiving #WarrenPickering #Elections #Campaigns #Strategy
Support the show
Socially Democratic is an opinion-based political and campaign podcast that facilitates discussion on a range of topical issues. The opinions of guests are not an endorsement and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff at Dunn Street and Socially Democratic.
Access ad-free episodes and send in questions by joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SociallyDemocratic
If you like the show, rate and review us on your favourite podcast app.
Follow Us on Socials:
Facebook (https://tr.ee/9jGIOy)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sociallydemocratic)
LinkedIn (https://tr.ee/YxyYJh)
X (https://x.com/SocialDemPod)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@DunnStreet)
The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic returns to one of the most important and difficult conversations in Australian public life. In December last year, following the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 Jewish Australians on the first night of Hanukkah, we spoke about the rise of antisemitism in Australia and the Left's role in allowing it to fester. We promised to follow up.
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is now in its sixth month of hearings. Over 20,000 submissions have been made in the largest community response to any Royal Commission in Australian history, from a community of just 120,000 people.
Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by Lisa Mittelman, Director of Public Affairs and Strategy for the Zionist Federation of Australia, to unpack what we're learning.
⚖️ Where does free speech end and threats to safety begin?
✡️ How the days after October 7th changed the Jewish community's understanding of their place in Australia
📋 How the Jewish community organised, overcame hesitancy and fear, and made history with 20,000 submissions
🏫 Where antisemitism is most embedded: universities, schools, the arts, and social media, and why that's not an accident
🔤 The Z word: how "Zionist" has become a socially acceptable substitute for "Jew"
💙 What the Jewish community hopes the Royal Commission delivers, and what gives Lisa hope
Don't miss this ep.
Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. New episodes every Friday.
Support the show
Socially Democratic is an opinion-based political and campaign podcast that facilitates discussion on a range of topical issues. The opinions of guests are not an endorsement and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff at Dunn Street and Socially Democratic.
Access ad-free episodes and send in questions by joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SociallyDemocratic
If you like the show, rate and review us on your favourite podcast app.
Follow Us on Socials:
Facebook (https://tr.ee/9jGIOy)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sociallydemocratic)
LinkedIn (https://tr.ee/YxyYJh)
X (https://x.com/SocialDemPod)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@DunnStreet)
The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au

Australian Labor politics podcast Socially Democratic is back with the August Mailbag. It's just Stephen and Lissie this month, with Todd Pinkerton away temporarily. 
Lissie Ratcliff joins host Stephen Donnelly for a packed episode covering teacher strikes in Victoria, the Suburban Rail Loop saga, gambling reform, UK Politics, and a deep dive into the US Democratic primaries.
They cover:
📚 The AEU teacher strikes. The union's own leadership had a deal voted down by its members - so how do the AEU and the Carroll government get this over the line before the election?
🚇 The Suburban Rail Loop. Voters like it and it's the kind of long-term infrastructure planning we say we want - so why does the Victorian media hate it?
🎰 Gambling advertising. Has the government got the settings right, and what happens when you try to wean sporting codes off dirty money?
🌍 Around the grounds: What the Democratic primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin tell us about where the left is heading, plus Nigel Farage fighting a by-election against a bloke with a rubbish bin on his head.
📺 Watch list: 
Political Currency with Kemi Badenoch [ https://apple.co/3TYFrIW ]
Larry David's Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness [ https://bit.ly/3UgHmst ]
Don't miss this ep.
Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. New episodes every Friday.
Support the show
Socially Democratic is an opinion-based political and campaign podcast that facilitates discussion on a range of topical issues. The opinions of guests are not an endorsement and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff at Dunn Street and Socially Democratic.
Access ad-free episodes and send in questions by joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SociallyDemocratic
If you like the show, rate and review us on your favourite podcast app.
Follow Us on Socials:
Facebook (https://tr.ee/9jGIOy)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sociallydemocratic)
LinkedIn (https://tr.ee/YxyYJh)
X (https://x.com/SocialDemPod)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@DunnStreet)
The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au

Socially Democratic goes live at the 50th ALP National Conference Fringe in Adelaide for a special panel on one of the Labor Party's most important and least discussed challenges: how do we grow our membership, and how do we keep people once they join?
Host Stephen Donnelly is joined by Todd Pinkerton, Director of Campaigns and Strategy at Unions NSW; Bisma Asif, Member for Sandgate in the Queensland Parliament; and Hannah MacLeod, Executive Director SA/NT at the McKell Institute.
They cover:
🧩 Why there's no coordinated national strategy for Labor Party recruitment, and what that costs us
💸 Potential structural issues like the price of joining and the waiting list problem
📉 The Corbyn cautionary tale: when half a million people joined UK Labour and almost none of them did anything
🍺 Politics in the pub, gazebos, and Labor merch: what's actually working on the ground
🗳️ What Bisma learned from doorknocking for eight months
🤝 The missing middle. Who's recruiting the people who aren't at uni and aren't retired?
Socially Democratic is an Australian Labor politics and campaigns podcast with expert guests. New episodes every Friday.
Support the show
Socially Democratic is an opinion-based political and campaign podcast that facilitates discussion on a range of topical issues. The opinions of guests are not an endorsement and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff at Dunn Street and Socially Democratic.
Access ad-free episodes and send in questions by joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SociallyDemocratic
If you like the show, rate and review us on your favourite podcast app.
Follow Us on Socials:
Facebook (https://tr.ee/9jGIOy)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sociallydemocratic)
LinkedIn (https://tr.ee/YxyYJh)
X (https://x.com/SocialDemPod)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@DunnStreet)
The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au