Q&A - Season 14

Kicking off the new series in its new timeslot, Hamish Macdonald chairs a debate that asks how the new Biden presidency will affect Australia, if the debate surrounding Australia Day has affected race relations, and whether the vaccine brawls erupting in Europe will disrupt the Australian rollout. Joining him to discuss these questions and more are: Grace Tame, Australian of the Year; Alexander Downer, Former Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister; Warren Mundine, Chairman of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation; Shane Fitzsimmons, Former NSW RFS Commissioner; and Tanya Hosch, Social inclusion advocate.

It could be the most powerful weapon in the fight against COVID-19: A vaccine. So when will it be available? Who will get priority and how will it change the way Australians live, work and travel? Is the national strategy the right one? Joining Hamish to discuss these points and more are: Nick Coatsworth, Federal Government infectious diseases advisor; Sharon Lewin, Leading infectious diseases expert and Director of the Doherty Institute; Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Associate director, Monash Institute of Medical Engineering; and Tony Blakely, Epidemiologist, University of Melbourne.

The tech giants have threatened to pull their services from Australia if the Government goes ahead with new laws forcing them to pay media outlets for their news content. Should governments reign in the might of the tech sector? Will the proposed Media Code support traditional news media outlets? Has the spread of conspiracies and online extremism corrupted our democracies and how much is big tech to blame? And what would life without Google look like? Joining Hamish Macdonald to discuss these questions and more are: Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts; Michelle Rowland, Shadow Communications Minister; Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner; Lydia Khalil, International security expert; and Hal Crawford, Media consultant and former news director.

On the eve of the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care, Q+A asks is Australia failing its older citizens? The pandemic has exposed nightmare stories of neglect for those in aged care. What needs to change and are there alternative models for aged care we should be exploring? Joining Hamish Macdonald to discuss the topic are: Katie Allen, Liberal Member for Higgins; Clare O'Neil, Shadow Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services; Mike Baird, CEO of HammondCare and Former NSW Premier; Jane Halton, Health expert and former head of Australia’s Finance Department; and Joseph Ibrahim, Professor at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University.

With the Brittany Higgins scandal and growing number of sexual assault claims engulfing the Federal parliament, Q+A brings together a diverse panel of women to discuss gender, justice, and equality. How far has feminism brought us and what is the role of men in ending the power imbalance? Joining Hamish Macdonald to discuss these questions and more are: Isabel Allende, Internationally acclaimed author and feminist; Susan McDonald, Queensland National Party Senator; Anne Aly, WA Labor MP; Samantha Maiden, National Political Editor; Dhanya Mani, Lawyer and former NSW Liberal Party staffer; and Kate Crawford, Academic and leading artificial intelligence expert; with a live performance from Somalian poet Hani Abdile.

Australia's economic rebound: who is leaping ahead and who is falling behind? Plus Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview, Australia's trade relationship with China, and is it time to rethink COVID border restrictions? Joining Hamish Macdonald to discuss this and more are: Zed Seselja, Minister for International Development and the Pacific; Kristina Keneally, Shadow Home Affairs Minister; Fiona Simson, President, National Farmers’ Federation; Gareth Parker, Breakfast host, 6PR Perth; Kim Rubenstein, Legal scholar and citizenship expert.

This week, students, parents, experts and educators take a frank look at the vexed issue of consent, how men can help change the power imbalance and what needs to be done to combat the cultures of violence and silence that threaten the daily lives of Australian girls and women. Joining Hamish Macdonald on the panel are: Yumi Stynes, Broadcaster and author, Welcome to Consent; Briony Scott, Principal, Wenona School; Michael Salter, Associate Professor of Criminology, UNSW; Yasmin Poole, 2021 Youth Influencer of the Year; and Joe Williams, Former NRL player and mental health advocate.

COVID is giving us a chance to reset, but already we’re seeing a toxic form of vaccine nationalism take hold, in which unequal access to vaccines is leaving some countries out in the cold. So how do we design a more equal world? Joining Hamish Macdonald on the panel are: Stan Grant, journalist and author; Bruce Pascoe, author; Sam Mostyn, President, Chief Executive Women; Gigi Foster, Economist, UNSW; Adam Creighton, Economics editor, The Australian. Also joining the conversation is Thomas Piketty, Internationally renowned economist. Also includes a live musical performance by Dami Im.

The Federal Government’s so-called “women’s ministry” meets for the first time this week in an attempt to drive action when it comes to the treatment of women. Will it be enough to turn the Prime Minister’s fortune around? The Government is also trying to turn around its vaccine rollout, as it fails to reach its targets; what can be done to accelerate and restore confidence in the process? And, as another Indigenous Australian died in custody this week, how do Australians turn the tide against Indigenous disadvantage and stop First Nations people dying in prison? Joining Hamish Macdonald on the panel to discuss these topics are: Trent Zimmerman, Liberal Member for North Sydney; Anika Wells, Labor Member for Lilley; Martyn Iles, Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby; Antoinette Lattouf, journalist, diversity advocate, and author; and Teela Reid, Wiradjuri/Wailwan, lawyer. With a live performance from singer-songwriter Robbie Miller.

After new medical advice derailed the COVID vaccine rollout, how quickly can the Australian government get the program back on track? As Australia's relationship with China continues to sour over the fallout of its push for an international investigation into Covid-19, how can the relationship be repaired? Does having a trade relationship with China mean we have to stay silent on human rights issues? Joining Hamish to discuss these topics and more are: Norman Swan, Presenter RN and Coronacast; James Paterson, Liberal Senator for Victoria; Katy Gallagher, Shadow Minister for Finance; Vicky Xu, journalist and researcher; and David Olsson, President, Australia China Business Council.

As more countries set ambitious targets to reduce emissions, Australia stands at a crossroads. After more than a decade of bickering on both sides of politics, is the country ready to put an end to its climate wars? The Prime Minister has signalled he's open to setting a net zero target by 2050 but how do you build a policy framework that can lead to the reduction of emissions, attract economic investment and keep energy costs down? And with work gathering pace on the draft report into The Voice to Parliament, we’ll look at the battle for Indigenous recognition. Joining Hamish to discuss these topics are: Malcolm Turnbull, Former Prime Minister; Narelda Jacobs, presenter, 10 News First and Studio 10; Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia; Sarah Hanson-Young, South Australian Greens Senator; and Andrew Liveris, Former CEO, The Dow Chemical Company.

As mass vaccination centres operate at a fraction of capacity, what does the government need to do to restore faith in its vaccination rollout? Also, the war of words over Australia’s hotel quarantine system is raging on, with some calling the system “faulty” and not fit for purpose. What is the future for this system? Joining Hamish to discuss these topics and more are: Bridget McKenzie, Nationals Senate Leader; Courtney Act, performer and activist; Mark Butler, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing; Parnell Palme McGuinness, Communications Consultant; and Hervé Lemahieu, Director of the Power and Diplomacy Program at the Lowy Institute.

This week's discussion takes a look at housing affordability, childcare and the government’s big spend. Joining Hamish Macdonald on the panel are: Alan Kohler, Finance journalist and Editor-in-Chief at The Eureka Report; Jess Hill, journalist and author of See What You Made Me Do; Fiona Martin, Liberal Member for Reid; Linda Burney, Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services; and Bri Lee, lawyer and author of Eggshell Skull and Beauty. Includes a live performance from Julia Stone.

With the economy showing strong signs of recovery, the government is focusing on jobs and talking up its spending on aged care, infrastructure and childcare. It’s being touted as a “women’s budget”, but will the measures, including more funding for domestic violence prevention and women’s health, be enough to stave off the effects of the so-called “pink recession”? And will the Government’s cash splash safeguard the economy from the threat of more lockdowns and extended border closures? On the panel are: Jane Hume, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy; Jim Chalmers, Shadow Treasurer; Larissa Waters, Greens Senator; Jacqui Lambie, Independent Senator; and Helen Haines, Independent Member for Indi.

With Australia’s borders likely to remain closed until mid-2022, senior Government ministers are standing by the decision to keep the doors shut, despite internal party backlash. What will extended border closures mean for the country’s productivity? Despite the economy showing strong signs of recovery, the budget papers forecast a decade of deficits and debt, set to peak at almost $1 trillion in 2025. Will Australia ever see a surplus again? And as the situation escalates between Israelis and Palestinians on the Gaza strip, the panel discuss the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Middle East. Joining Hamish for this discussion are: Luke McGregor, comedian, writer and actor; Barnaby Joyce, Nationals Member for New England; Gabriela D'Souza, Senior Economist, Committee for Economic Development of Australia; Tony Burke, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations; and Lisa Jackson Pulver, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Sydney.

With the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas arriving at a ceasefire, how long will the peace last? Also, as Australia marks Reconciliation Week, what action needs to be taken to amplify the voices of and achieve better outcomes for First Nations people? And, with Health Minister Greg Hunt saying the government expects to have two million doses of Pfizer supplied each week from October, will it be enough to restore confidence in the vaccination program? Joining Hamish on the panel to discuss these questions are: Jennifer Robinson, Human Rights lawyer; Mitch Tambo, Singer and songwriter; Dave Sharma, Liberal Member for Wentworth; Ed Husic, Labor Member for Chifley; and Randa Abdel-Fattah, author and academic. Also includes a live musical performance from Mitch Tambo.

Q+A heads to Wollongong with guest host Stan Grant, looking at Victoria's COVID crisis, the challenges facing universities, plus what growing urban sprawl means for infrastructure, jobs and property prices for regional areas. On the panel are: Tim Wilson, Liberal MP for Goldstein; Stephen Jones, Labor MP for Whitlam; Diane Smith-Gander, National Chair, CEDA; Gordon Bradbery, Lord Mayor of Wollongong; and Lisa Jackson Pulver, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Strategy and Services, University of Sydney.

As frustrated Victorians endure a fourth lockdown, businesses across the country are hurting; is it time we learnt to live with COVID long term? What risk are we prepared to live with? Plus a look at the trade war tensions between Australia and China. Joining Hamish on the panel are: Omar Khorshid, President, Australian Medical Association; Kamalini Lokuge, Epidemiologist, Australian National University; Peter Hartcher, Political Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age; Sally Scales, APY Art Centre Collective Regional Programs Coordinator and Uluru Statement Leadership; and Cameron Murray, Economist and Research Fellow.

As Melbourne slowly emerges from its fourth heartbreaking lockdown, what is the nation's view on job security and business confidence in the COVID recovery, plus the impact of Victoria’s recent devastating floods. Other topics include the latest developments in the plight of the Biloela Tamil family, allegations of misogyny in the Olympic swim team culture, and Israel’s new Prime Minister. Joining guest host David Speers on the panel are: Darren Chester, Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel; Clare O'Neil, Shadow Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services; Hana Assafiri, Businesswoman and social change agent; Susan Alberti, Businesswoman and philanthropist; and Tom Elliott, Radio broadcaster.

This week, Hamish Macdonald returns to the Q+A host chair and along with the panel takes a look at Sydney’s growing COVID cluster, disability, autism and the other big stories of the week.On the panel are: Jayden Evans, Love on the Spectrum participant and disability worker; Bill Bowtell, Adjunct Professor, UNSW and Strategic Health Policy Adviser; Marylouise McLaws, epidemiologist; Nicole Rogerson, CEO of Autism Awareness Australia; Hollie Hughes, Liberal Senator for NSW; and Andrew Leigh, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities.

When it comes to vaccinations, it seems Australia has fallen to the very last of all OECD countries, with only 4.75% of Australians vaccinated, as compared 45.76% in the United States. And with Brisbane on track to be named the official host of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, should the Tokyo Games go ahead next month. Joining Hamish on the panel are: Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier of Queensland; Jason Falinski, NSW Liberal MP; Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Infectious diseases expert; Stephen Duckett, Director of Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute; and Jennifer Hewett, National Affairs Columnist, Australian Financial Review.

Guest host David Speers leads discussions on the four-stage plan to lead Australia out of the COVID pandemic, fresh accusations of sexism and unwanted sexual advances in federal politics, plus the global issue of vaccine equity. Joining him on the panel are: Peter Singer, philosopher; Katie Allen, Liberal Member for Higgins; Malarndirri McCarthy, Labor Senator for Northern Territory; Santilla Chingaipe, journalist, filmmaker and author; and Cameron Stewart, Associate Editor of The Australian.

Joining guest host Virginia Trioli on the panel are: Marylouise McLaws, epidemiologist; Steve Price, radio broadcaster; Mukesh Haikerwal, GP and former President of the AMA; Meshel Laurie, podcaster and author; and Alison Pennington, economist, The Centre for Future Work.

Joining guest host Virginia Trioli on the panel are: Libby Trickett, Olympic Gold Medallist; Russel Howcroft, broadcaster; David Gillespie, Regional Health Minister; Bill Shorten, Shadow Minister for the NDIS and Government Services; and Astrid Edwards, podcaster, teacher and disability advocate.