The National Conservatism Institute of Australia Podcast
Interviews and discussion from a national conservatism perspective with guests from Australia and internationally https://nationalconservatism.org.au/
Robert Forsyth - "Resilient Liberalism: Classical Liberal Thought in Australia"
My guest today is Robert Forsyth, a fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney and host of the podcast "Liberalism in Question". Rob also a former Anglican Bishop.
Today we discuss:
The new book from the CIS called "Resilient Liberalism: Classical Liberal Thought in Australia" and I ask why liberalism in his view is coming under criticism We have a spirited debate on trade policy and whether there is need for reassessmentWe also discuss the relationship between Christianity and liberalism, whether they are in conflict with each other, and the extent to which Christian...Robert Gregory - Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion
My guest today is Robert Gregory, CEO and President of the Australian Jewish Association (AJA)
Today we discuss:
The AJA's recent submission to Australia's Royal Commission on AntiSemitism and Social Cohesion and why he has low expectations regarding its recommendationsWhat exactly explains the rise of antisemitism in Australia?Why is not in favour of hate speech lawsWhat he makes of the monocultural vs multiculturalism debate and how it applies to the jewish communityHow much Israeli government lobbying there actually is in Australia?And much more
https://asc.royalcommission.gov.au/
https...
Dr Bella D'Abrera - "Mindless: How the Education System is Indoctrinating Our Children and Destroying Our Civilisation"
My guest today is Dr Bella D'Abrera a well-known Australian academic who was for many years Director of the Foundations of Western Civilisation Program at the Institute of Public Affairs.
Amongst other things she is now on the Advisory Committee for the Australian National Archives and a regular contributor to The Spectator Australia, the Herald Sun, the Daily Telegraph and The Australian, and appears regularly on Sky News.
Today we discuss:
How she describes the ideology which is being taught to our children and whether it is correct to describe it as Marxist How...Barnaby Joyce - What Really Explains One Nation's Recent Meteoric Rise?
My guest today is former deputy Prime Minister of Australia and now One Nation MP, Barnaby Joyce .
Today we discuss:
How he explains his new party's meteoric rise in the polls over the last 12 months Is One Nation just a protest party? If not, what is the governing philosophy of One Nation and how does it differ from The Liberal Party and The National Party Why the traditional centre-right parties adopting some of One Nation positions hasn’t improved their polls What positions he has rethought over the last 10 years and how things have changed since th...Parnell Palme McGuinness - The Politically Young and Restless in Modern Australia
Parnell is an insights and advocacy strategist and a senior fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies, an Australian classical market think tank. She also writes a weekly column for the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on politics, policy and culture.
Today we discuss:
Her well-known columnist father, his political transformation, and whether her views have changed over the yearsWhether there needs to be an update to the Howard era right thinking on trade and immigration How young people (25-34) in Australia are feeling about the economy based on her recent researchWhether AI is going to...Dr James L Nuzzo - The Perils of Gender Politics and What Do To About It
James L. Nuzzo, PhD, is an exercise scientist and men’s health researcher. Dr. Nuzzo has published over 80 research articles in peer-reviewed journals.
He writes regularly about exercise, men’s health, and academia at The Nuzzo Letter, with additional writings appearing at Reality’s Last Stand and Australians for Science & Freedom. In 2025, Dr. Nuzzo documented his academic cancellation using a freedom of information request.
Today we discuss:
His termination from his position at an Australian university and how the end of “woke” and cancellation politics has been greatly exaggeratedHow he got involved in the gender pol...David Goodhart - The "Somewheres" and The "Anywheres" 10 Years After The Brexit Vote
My guest today is David Goodhart, a British journalist who is the author of several influential books including “The Road to Somewhere”, "Head, Hand, and Heart", and most recently “The Care Dilemma”.
Today we discuss:
1. Whether there has been any bridging of the divide between the “Somewheres” and the “Anywheres” since he wrote his book
2. The extent to which his work has parallels with Disraeli’s criticisms of liberalism and the cosmopolitan class?
3. Whether centre-right parties really understand “one nation” conservatism
4. Whether AI has changed the respect power of the “Anywheres” and th...
Peter Varghese AO - Former Head of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
My guest today is Peter Varghese AO who amongst other things served as the former head of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and who currently serves as the Chancellor of the University of Queensland. Today we discuss:
How to determine what is important and not in foreign affairsHow diplomats generally missed the rise of Donald Trump and failed to properly understand the pressures that propelled him to the PresidencyWhether our trade relationship with China needs to be readjustedWhy did Australia get involved in many of the foreign interventions over the last 30+ years and whether places like...Drew Hutton, Founder of The Australian Greens - Their Past, Present, and Potential Future
My guest today is Drew Hutton, who was one of the founders of the Australian Greens political party.
Today we discuss:
The origins of the Green political party in Australia and how it has changed over the yearsHis current dispute with the Greens regarding gender ideology and what explains the differences between baby boomers and younger generations on this issueWhether there are potential commonalities between a particular type of traditional "crunchy con" conservatism and the anti-corporate leftWhere he sees the Greens going in the years ahead both in Australia and elsewhere in the WestAnd...
Senator Leah Blyth - How to Turn South Australia Around, Industrially and Politically
My guest today is Leah Blyth, federal Senator for South Australia and President of the Liberal Party of South Australia.
Today we discuss:
What explains the decline in the Liberal Party's fortunes in her state?Whether the voters blame the Liberal Party for the deindustrialisation and loss of the car industry? Her views on trade policy, Andrew Hastie's comments on "neoliberalism", and what a new policy framework for the centre-right might look likeThe resurgent defense industry in South AustraliaWhy current child care policy is not working and what to do about it?And much more<...
Philip Pilkington - The Defeat of Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Post-Liberalism's Future
Philip Pilkington is a Senior Research Fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA), where his focus is on macroeconomic and geo-economic issues, and he is also a visiting fellow at the Danube Institute in Hungary.
Today we discuss:
What Viktor Orban's defeat means for Hungary, The Danube Institute, and post-liberalism in that countryHis book "The Collapse of Global Liberalism"What is wrong with liberalism and what the best way of getting liberals to question their ideologyWhether liberalism is a Christian heresyAnd much more
https://x.com/philippilk?lang=en
<...Scott Challen - The Upcoming "Australia Marches" Protests and What They Hope To Achieve
My guest today is Scott Challen, who is a successful businessman and founder of the "Australia Marches" organization and "Australian Lobby Group".
Today we discuss:
The upcoming "Australia Marches" protests in Canberra and what they hope to achieveWhat sort of engagement he has had to date with political parties to dateHow the nationalist movement here is similar to and differs from those in the UK and USAA broader discussion about how we got here and why there is such disenchantment with the traditional mainstream partiesAnd much more
https://australiamarches.com/
...
Alex McDermott - Why Exactly Don't We Properly Celebrate Australian Federation?
My guest today is Alex McDermott who is a Melbourne-based historian, writer, and curator at the Robert Menzies Institute. He recently collaborated with Tony Abbott on his book "Australia: A History".
Today we discuss:
His recent article entitled "Forgetting Federation" about why the formal establishment of the Australian nation state is ignored Whether centre-right appear to have a negative view of federation and whether modern neo-liberalism might help explain thisMenzies' view of Federation and whether one can detect in his politics a one nation Disraelian conservatism as well as a Gladstonian classical liberalismThe parallels between the...Drew Pavlou - His Political Journey from Left-Wing Activist to Being Retweeted by Donald Trump
My guest today is Drew Pavlou, a well-known Australian online influencer and activist. He is regularly retweeted by members of the Trump administration and recently attracted attention with his expose on the fraud and waste in the NDIS. Today we discuss:
His political journey from the left to the new right and what explains the changeHis views on immigration and Angus Taylor's recent speech on the subjectHis views on foreign policy whether he considers himself a "neocon" and his views on the realistsWhether being an influencer is a long-term career and his plans for the futureAnd...
Dr Simon Kennedy - The Crisis Facing Young Men in Australia
My guest today is Dr Simon Kennedy an Australian academic specialising in the history of legal, political and religious ideas.
He was a Visiting Fellow at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest in early 2023, and is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Danube Institute, also in Budapest. His first book was published with Edinburgh University Press in 2022, and is entitled Reforming the Law of Nature: The secularisation of political thought, 1532-1689. His second book is on education, entitled Against Worldview, and published with Lexham Press.
Today we discuss:
- His recent paper entitled "Young...
Salvatores Babones - Narendra Modi and the BJP, India's New Right?
My guest today is academic Salvatores Babones author of new book "Dharma Democracy: How India Built The Third World's First Democracy".
Today we discuss:
The extent to which Narendra Modi and the BJP should be part of the global "new" rightIs the BJP a nationalist party and how it differs from the traditionally dominant Indian National Congress How minorities such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and others are treated by the BJPHow western democracies should view modern India and the BJP and whether there are legitimate concerns regarding its power and influenceAnd much, much more<...
William Clouston, SDP Leader - The Failing Liberal Consensus Across The West
My guest today is William Clouston, leader of the Social Democratic Party in the UK. Today we discuss:
- What the SDP believes, its history, and why it has not yet achieved the same prominence as parties like Reform UK and Restore Britain
- Why the current liberal consensus is failing - Why it is unsustainable position to be a social conservative and an economic liberal
- What changes the UK needs to see on housing, immigration, the nationalisation of utilities, trade, and a range of other policy measures
- What...
John Anderson - Whether Reevanglizing Society is Sufficient To Solve The Challenges Facing the West
My guest today is the Hon John Anderson AC, who is amongst other things the former deputy Prime Minister of Australia, successful podcast host, and one of the founders of The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.
Today we discuss:
What explains the cratering of support for traditional centre-right parties across the western world?What he understands by the "new right" and what changes are need in policy and thinking from the Howard eraWhether a re-evangilization of society is enough to solve our current societal problemsWhether Donald Trump is a conservative and what lessons Australia can draw from...Misha Saul - How AI Will Reshape Society and Politics
My guest today is Misha Saul, who is a technology investor and co-founder of Dragonfly AI, an investment and advisory firm.
Today we discuss:
Misha's recent article in the Manhattan Institute's City Journal on "How AI Will Reshape Society"What is likely to mean in selected industries and how likely change is going to occurWhich demographics will be hit the hardest, what it means for our politics, and how it is likely to fundamentally change our understanding of what "work" is and our workdaysThe geopolitical implications and also what it means at a personal level...
David Furse-Roberts - 19th Century Social Reformer Lord Shaftesbury and the "New Right".
My guest today is David Furse-Roberts a well-known Australian academic who amongst his many books has written a biography on the great 19th Century British parliamentarian and social reformer, Lord Shaftesbury.
Today we discuss:
Who Lord Shaftesbury was, his background, and his political and religious conversionHis criticisms of laissez-faire capitalism, his alternative Tory paternalist approach, and what he would have made of today's global economyHow he might have viewed today's libertarian right, the radical left, and MAGA, and our politics more broadlyAnd much much more
https://www.amazon.com.au/Making-Tory-Evangelical-David-Furse-Roberts/dp/1532654308<...
Harrison Pitt - The Case for Restore Britain
My guest today is Harrison Pitt, Senior Policy Fellow at Restore Britain.
Today we discuss:
What is Restore Britain? What does it hope to achieve? What’s wrong with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK? And whether the goal of Restore is to keep Reform honest or genuinely replace them?How he is approaching key new right issues like changes to trade and foreign policy which are not talked about as much as immigration in the UK?How practically and reasonably he thinks the demographic transformation of the UK can be reversedHow new right / national conservative movements can...Brian Marlow - The Australian Liberal Party's Flawed "Review of the 2025 Federal Election"
My guest today is Brian Marlow a well-known policy advisor and campaign director in Australia who has worked with centre-right parties and organizations here for many years.
Today we discuss:
1. An in depth assessment of the post-mortem review of the Liberal Party’s 2025 Federal election campaign
2. The change in policy and ideological thinking required in the Liberal Party and why there needs to be a better understanding of the new right and political conservatism more generally.
3. Our assessment how things will pan out over the next few years and why there th...
Mary Winkels - The Increasingly Heated Debate About Childcare Policy in Australia
My guest today is Mary Winkels an independent regulatory and policy advisor and mother of 4.
Today we discuss:
Her recent opinion piece in The Australian Financial Review and what the new advocacy group "Childcare Choice" is hoping to achieveWhy childcare policy is likely to be a key issue at the next federal electionWhat explains the ideological divide on this issueWhy raising children is so difficult today and what really can be done about failing birth ratesAnd much much more
I hope you enjoy our discussion.
https://www.afr.com/by...
Tom Switzer - War With Iran, What It Means For Australia and the World
My guest today is Tom Switzer who is a well-known Australian commentator and foreign policy expert.
Tom has worked at a variety of publications and think tanks across the Anglosphere including the American Enterprise Institute, The UK Spectator, The Australian newspaper, amongst others. He currently hosts a foreign policy focused podcast called "Switzerland".
Today we discuss:
The US-Israeli military strikes on Iran, what this means for the region, and whether this represents a fundamental change in Trump's foreign policyWhat role Israel has played in this latest action and whether this was legitimateWhy a realist...Keith Wolahan - The Challenges for the Centre-right in Metropolitan Australia
My guest today is Keith Wolahan former MP for the Victorian Federal Seat of Menzies.
Today we discuss:
- His recent essay on the future of the centre-right in metropolitan Australia and how our situation, in his view, differs from that of the UK and USA
- The challenge that immigration, housing and the changing nature of the workforce pose to the liberal party and how we need to move on from the Howard era
- Some of his key data findings and in particular the Chinese vote
...
Raw Egg Nationalist - "The Last Men - Liberalism and the Death of Masculinity"
My guest today is Charles Cornish-Dale aka "Raw Egg Nationalist" who has published a new book entitled "The Last Men - Liberalism and the Death of Masculinity".
Today we discuss:
Whether liberalism and masculinity are really in conflictWhy "new right" in the UK, Europe and Australia have not yet adopted US MAHA style policies and why they shouldThe link between endocrine disruptors and transgender issuesThe scale of harmful chemicals in the environment to what extent this is intentionalWhat can be done at both a personal and political level How many eggs he actually "slonks" per day<...Tony Abbott - Former Prime Minister of Australia
My guest today is former Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.
Today we discuss:
His new book "Australia: A History - How An Ancient Land Became A Great Democracy"What he means when he says "Australia has been fundamentally a 'liberal' project"Whether Australia would have been different if we had not adopted the restrictive rules on immigration and high tariffs policies at FederationWhether he agrees with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the foolishness of "free trade"How countries like Australia decide, given the mixed results of the last 30+ years, what conflicts they should get...Emma Dawson - Executive Director of The Chifley Research Centre
My guest today is Emma Dawson, Executive Director of the Australian Labor Party's think tank, the Chifley Research Centre. Today we discuss:
What the increasingly inexact and unhelpful terms, "left" and "right", mean these days as well as what she understands by the term "populist"How the Australian Labor Party has moved on from the Hawke-Keating-Howard era and where it has notHer thoughts on "liberalism" and "free trade"Whether it is possible to have an adult conversation about immigration in AustraliaWhy young women are turning to the radical leftAnd much more
https://www.chifley...
George Owers - Author of "The Rage of Party"
My guest today is George Owers, author of the widely acclaimed new history book “The Rage of Party” about Britain in the late 17th and early 18th Century.
Today we discuss:
How the first political parties – the Whigs and the Tories - developed during this periodWhy this period has been relatively ignored compared to other times such as the Tudor, Elizabethan and Victorian erasThe wild media environment and political characters during this time andWhat political conservatives can learn from studying this periodAnd much much more.
I hope you enjoy our discussion.
http...
Dr John H Lott Jr - What the Data Shows About The Effectiveness of Gun Laws in Australia
My guest today is Dr John H Lott Jr who is a widely recognised as one of the leading academic voices in the gun control debate and is visiting Australia in the near future.
Today we discuss:
What the data shows about the effectiveness of Australia's gun lawsThe impact that restrictive gun laws have on crimeHow mass shootings are less likely where citizens are armedWhat he sees as the future of gun policy in the United States and AustraliaAnd much more
www.crimeresearch.org
https://x.com/JohnRLottJr?lang=en<...
Cheng Lei - What A Former China-Based Journalist Learnt From Being Imprisoned in Beijing
My guest today is Cheng Lei, a well-known Chinese-Australian journalist who worked for many years in China as journalist for both Western and Chinese news networks.
She was infamously imprisoned in Beijing for many years on allegations that her reporting "endangered China's national security" before eventually being released after pressure from the Australian government.
Today we discuss:
- Her career and professional background, how she originally got a job in the media and what the main differences are between Chinese and Western media organizations.
- How her views on China have...
Adam Creighton - Australia's Current Political Culture And Its Consequences
My guest today is Adam Creighton, a Senior Fellow and Chief Economist for Institute of Public Affairs and is also a columnist for The Australian newspaper. Today we discuss:
The aftermath of the Covid hysteria, whether we will ever get a true reckoning, and what it has revealed about Australia's political and journalistic cultureHis views on trade policy in the US and whether there should also be changes in AustraliaWhy he changed his former advocacy for Big AustraliaWhether the centre-right in Australia also needs to undergo the intellectual change that has occurred in the United States over the...Jacinta Nampijinpa Price - Pop Culture, Aboriginal Culture, Multiculturalism + A Modern United Australia
My guest today is Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
Today we discuss:
Her involvement with the Australian music industry, the influence of black American rap music in aboriginal Australia, and revelations that her husband has experienced cancelation because of their positions on political matters such as the Voice referendum.Why the LNP did so poorly at the last federal election and what can be done to replicate the success that people like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage are experiencing in other English-speaking countriesHer views on multiculturalism, whether many who talk about it really understand what...Michael Lind - The Past, Present, and Future of American Trade and Industry Policy
My guest today is academic and prolific author Michael Lind who has for many years been one of the most prominent advocates for change in American industrial and trade policy. Today we discuss:
The evolution of his thinking over the years and why he early rejected the open-borders libertarian right.The current state of Trump's policies, whether they have been beneficial to working Americans, the threat that some of the tariffs will be overturned by the Supreme Court and what will and should come nextWhat he means by "populism" and how it should be understoodThe problems with Howard...Professor Tor Hundloe - Why a 60s "Left-Liberal" Opposed The Voice and Aboriginal Australia's Future
Professor Tor Hundloe is recognised as Australia's pioneer of environmental economics, having been at the forefront of research, teaching and practical management in this field for almost four decades.
He has served as President of the Queensland Conservation Council, Councillor of the Australian Conservation Foundation, a founding member of the Queensland and National Environmental Law Associations, founder and president of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, Environment Commissioner for the Industry Commission and Chair of Keep Australia Beautiful.
In 2003, he became the first Australian to be awarded an Order of Australia in recognition...
Freya Leach - The Young Online Right in Australia
My guest today is Freya Leach who is, amongst other things, a commentator for Sky News Australia and Director of Youth Policy at the Menzies Research Institute. Today we discuss:
Her background, how she became involved in politicsHow Australian politicians can do social media better, the hazards and opportunities it presents, and lessons we can learn from the USWhether women really are uninterested in "culture wars" and how the right might appeal to themHer new interest in "national conservatism" and why the old Howard era policy framework is out of dateAnd much much more.
...
Matthew Grant - The Australian Natives' Association
My guest today is Matthew Grant, National Governor of The Australian Natives' Association.
Today we discuss:
The history of the Australian Native Association, the role it played in federation and why it has been resurrected today.Why Australian history from federation until the 1970s is generally seen as backward socially, culturally, and economically by Australia’s political classImmigration – the rationale for the so-called “White Australia” policy, how we should view it, and how the issue of mass immigration and Australian nationalism should be addressed today.How the ANA hopes to stop young men falling in to more nox...Kenneth Crowther - Founding Principal of New Classical Education School in Australia
My guest today is Kenneth Crowther, the founding principal of St John Henry Newman College, an independent Catholic classical school in Brisbane.
He recently completed his PhD in early modern cultural history and Shakespeare. He writes and speaks often about classical education in the liberal arts, and cohosts a podcast all about it, called Educating Humans.
1. The Chinese appreciate and teach their children Classical Chinese. Indians recognize the importance of Sanskrit. Do Europeans need to have a familiarity with Latin and Greek to understand their own civilization?
2. What is his explanation for why...
Senator Bridget McKenzie - The Past, Current, and Future Role for the National Party of Australia
My guest today is Bridget McKenzie who is a Federal National Party Senator representing the state of Victoria.
Today we discuss:
1. Her recent interesting CPAC speech and how it broke in some ways with the Howard era orthodoxy
2. Whether he need better metrics to assess how we are doing as a nation
3. How John McEwen and the National Party are often misunderstood and whether it can or should move beyond being simply a defender of rural / regional interests
4. How we can make it more attractive proposition for families to...
Danny Kruger MP - Defecting to Reform and the future of the UK Right
My guest today is Danny Kruger MP
Today we discuss:
1. What is his explanation for why the British Conservative Party failed so miserably that he felt compelled to leave and join Reform UK?
2. Is Reform UK a conservative party? If not, what would he say is its governing philosophy?
3. Whether there is still a market for David Cameron style progressive liberalism in Westminster?
4. What is the importance and also the limits of attempting to re-evangelize society through politics?
5. What are likely to be the top 3 issues at...
