Crawford School of Public Policy

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny speaks with Craig Reucassel – formerly of The Chaser and director of the new two-part ABC film Big Deal – about the flaws in Australia’s political donation laws and what needs to happen to fix the system.

Does Australia need to introduce a cap on political donations? What can be done to provide an impetus for the major parties to come together to introduce real-time reporting and transparency? And can policymakers end the ‘arms race’ for donations in political campaigning? Craig Reucassel, director of Big Deal – a new documentary about Australia’s political lobbying industry – joins Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage. Listen here.

Craig Reucassel is an Australian writer, comedian, and journalist best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser. In 2021, he directed the two-part ABC documentary Big Deal: Is our Democracy for sale?

Mark Kenny is a Professor in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and *The **Canberra Times*.

Big Deal premieres on ABC iview and ABC TV at 8.30pm, Tuesday 19 October.

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