Politics Now

Why are there more women in the Senate than in the House of Representatives? Is it just convention stopping Senators from being major party leaders? With a weakened Opposition, are the usual mechanisms to hold government to account working? And is the Albanese Government still "gun shy" when it comes to considering negative gearing or capital gains reform?Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly get stuck into all of your curly questions for this special summer episode of The Party Room.Production note: This episode was recorded before the Bondi attack on December 14th.Got a burning question?Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]

It's been a big week in Australian politics, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recalling parliament early to deal with hate speech and gun buyback legislation in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack and the surprise announcement that US Ambassador Kevin Rudd is stepping down from the role a year earlier than expected.But while the Opposition has been calling for the parliament to be recalled since the horrific events on the 14th of December, they've now claimed the legislation has been rushed, with Opposition leader Sussan Ley signalling the Liberals won't back 'unsalvageable' hate crime and gun control reforms. So, does that put the Greens in the frame?And a month after the social media ban for under 16s began, there's new data from the social media companies about how many under 16s have been removed from their platforms.Patricia Karvelas and Clare Armstrong are joined by Charles Croucher on The Party Room.Guest: Charles Croucher, 9News Political EditorGot a burning question?Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]

Kerrynne Liddle represents a lot of firsts.The Arrernte woman is the first indigenous Senator for South Australia, the first indigenous woman to win a parliamentary seat in the state, and may be one of the first (or certainly one of only a few) federal parliamentarians to have previously worked as a jillaroo.It’s been a turbulent year for the Liberal party following its punishing election loss in May 2025 - so how does someone like the Senator for South Australia navigate through that noise? And with experience in journalism, tourism, leadership roles with Housing Trusts and universities, why did she end up choosing a political life?In this special Politics Now: The Interview summer series, recorded in the final parliamentary sitting week of 2025, Patricia Karvelas sits down with movers and shakers across the Australian political sphere to unpack the person behind the politics.In this episode Patricia Karvelas is joined by Kerrynne Liddle to discuss her unusual pathway into politics, the wide-reaching influence of her family, and why she stands by her No vote on the Voice.Production note: This episode was recorded before the Bondi attack on December 14th.Got a burning question?Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected] and domestic violence support:1800 Respect national helpline:1800 737 732Women's Crisis Line:1800 811 811Men's Referral Service:1300 766 491Lifeline (24 hour crisis line):131 114Relationships Australia:1300 364 277NSW Domestic Violence Line:1800 656 463Qld DV Connect Womensline:1800 811 811Vic Safe Steps crisis response line:1800 015 188ACT 24/7 Crisis Line:(02) 6280 0900Tas Family Violence Counselling and Support Service:1800 608 122SA Domestic Violence Crisis Line:1800 800 098WA Women's Domestic Violence 24h Helpline:1800 007 339NT Domestic violence helpline:1800 737 732

In a surprise move,  Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the US Ambassador Kevin Rudd will step down from the role at the end of March - a year earlier than expected.Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Ambassador Rudd's work helping further the AUKUS pact, securing Julian Assange's release in 2024 and building relationships across both sides of politics in the US.It comes as the government announces a national day of mourning for the Bondi victims on January 22nd - and just a day after the prime minister recalled parliament early, with MPs to return to Canberra next week to work through legislation on hate speech and gun buy backs in the wake of the terrorist attack.Patricia Karvelas breaks it all down on this Politics Now emergency episode.Got a burning question?Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]

Politics Now is back after a summer recess and PK and Jacob have lots of thoughts about what happened over the break!Extreme weather continues to lash much of the country, with the prime minister announcing relief packages for some of the impacted communities - but the devastating events haven't distracted from questions about why the Albanese Government took so long to announce a national Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.Recorded right before the prime minister recalled parliament, MPs are now set to descend on Canberra next week to pass the government's proposed hate speech laws -  we'll bring your more analysis on that across Politics Now throughout the week.Got a burning question?Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at [email protected]