Is Australia entering a new political era? With a record majority off a near record low primary vote, the new parliament continues the rise of new electoral coalitions, unsettling our assumptions about class, gender, race, and power. Join our stellar panellists George Megalogenis, Frank Bongiorno, Elizabeth Humphrys, Ben Spies-Butcher, and Emily Foley for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of Australian democracy, exploring whether we’re witnessing a rupture or a realignment, and what it means for political life in Australia today. The conversation will explore how the traditional party duopoly is being eroded under pressure from shifting demographics, growing economic inequality, and increasing political disillusionment. What happens when the working class no longer feels represented, and when younger, more diverse voters no longer see themselves in the major parties?

This event is presented by the Australian Political Studies Association in partnership with the Social and Political Sciences Discipline at the University of Technology Sydney.

Speakers

George Megalogenis is an author and journalist with over thirty years’ experience in the media, including over a decade in the federal parliamentary press gallery. His latest Quarterly Essay, Minority Report, explores the strategies and secret understandings of a political culture under pressure.

Frank Bongiorno is based at the Australian National University and author of several works of Australian history, including The Eighties: The Decade That Transformed Australia (2015) and Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia (2022). He is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Australian Academy of Humanities.

Elizabeth Humphrys is the Head of Discipline of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney. She researches the impact of economic crisis and climate change on workers. Her book How Labour Built Neoliberalism was described in the Sydney Review of Books as a ‘tremendously important’ contribution to understanding economic change in Australia’s recent past.

Ben Spies-Butcher is an Associate Professor of Economy and Society at Macquarie University. He is the Deputy Director of the Macquarie University Housing and Urban Research Centre and Co-Director of the Australian Basic Income Lab. His most recent book is Politics, Inequality and the Australian Welfare State After Liberalisation with Anthem Press.

Emily Foley is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Canberra and Flinders University. Her research focuses on social democratic and centre-left parties, focusing on party politics, political organisation, and participation in Australia. Her work also explores immigration policy-making and labour rights, with an interest in the intersection of democratic governance and social justice.

How to get there:

This event will be held in the Green Lecture Theatre in Building 7 — Room 025, level 2, downstairs. It is directly under Cornerstone Cafe. The best entrance is near the corner from Jones Street, just off Alumni Green and near the corner of Thomas Street. The space is fully accessible with lift access, and spaces in the theatre for wheelchairs. You can take a 360 degree tour here.

For any inquiries please email Dr Emily Foley
emilyrose.foley@flinders.edu.au