Centre for Public Integrity
Centre for Public Integrity
Podcast Description
Australia's leading democracy research institute invites you to take a peek under the bonnet of our parliamentary system as we interview key decision-makers and subject matter experts.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focuses on political structures, decision-making processes, and current legislative challenges, with episodes exploring the implications of community independence, the operating conditions of the 47th Parliament, and specific case studies such as Kate Chaney's journey as an independent MP.
Australia’s leading democracy research institute invites you to join us as we explore the inner workings of politics, policy and public integrity. With a commitment to elevating public discourse, this new series offers three distinct perspectives:
- Decision Makers: The Hon Michael Barker KC interviews parliamentarians, revealing the challenges, successes and outstanding issues that they have encountered.
- In the Weeds: Executive Director, Dr Catherine Williams, unpacks the nuances of policy design with leading experts.
- The Centre: Quentin Dempster AM delves into the personal journeys of our experts, sharing the stories that inspired their commitment to transparency and accountability.
Will Partlett speaks with Nick Feik, former editor of The Monthly, about the role investigative journalism plays in Australia’s integrity puzzle.
They discuss:
- Why difficult stories often need sustained public attention before they produce reform
- How reporting on Tasmania’s Ashley Youth Detention Centre and Robodebt exposed deeper institutional failures
- Why public inquiries, parliamentary pressure and civil society all matter to accountability
The episode also examines the challenges facing investigative journalists, including defamation law, short media cycles and governments’ ability to delay or manage demands for reform.
Full show notes:
00:00 Intro
02:40 Media economics and scarcity
04:59 The accountability cycle explained
06:40 Tasmania’s abuse investigation
11:12 Power and reform networks
12:14 Working with crossbenchers
13:45 The limits of royal commissions
19:05 Defamation and its chilling effect
23:02 Robodebt as a case study
26:59 The NACC and public accountability
28:34 Why details take time
29:27 Closing takeaways
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