Crawford School of Public Policy

Policy Forum Pod produced 10 episodes in 2023 ahead of the Voice to Parliament referendum. Hosts Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter asked indigenous and non-indigenous leaders about the past, and what the future could hold for Australia.

Here you can catch up on all of those episodes as we now reflect on the outcome of the referendum and learn how to move forward.

Frank Bongiorno gives us a greater understanding of referendums and constitutional change. He gives historical evidence on what it takes for a referendum to pass, and how we should view the outcome of the Voice to Parliament. (Released 11 October, 2023)

Rebecca Huntley speaks on soft yes and soft no voters, and what her focus group research has uncovered about Australian voters. (Released 6 October, 2023)

Professor Peter Yu talks about our past, present and future as a nation and the vital role universities play. (Released 4 October, 2023)

Thomas Mayo’s intimate conversation with Sharon and Arnagretta discusses uniting Australia, and the episode wraps up with him speaking the Uluru Statement from the Heart. (Released 4 October, 2023)

Professor Kim Rubenstein discusses what Constitutional change means for Australia and how the Voice to Parliament would have been the first step in recalibrating for modern times. (Released 7 July, 2023)

Catherine Liddle, the CEO of SNAICC, the voice for indigenous children, talks about the lasting trauma of policy failures. (Released 9 June, 2023)

Rachel Perkins, the film and television director (The Australian Wars), tells of her dedication to indigenous stories and the Voice to Parliament. (Released 26 May, 2023)

Helen Haines (MP) talks about the unifying power of grassroots democracy and what she was hearing on the ground around the Voice to Parliament. (Released 28 April, 2023)

Dale Agius is South Australia’s inaugural Commissioner for First Nations Voice. He joined us to discuss how South Australia’s Voice to Parliament could be used as a template to understand the need for our national referendum. (Released 21 April, 2023)

Professor Kate Auty discusses how we cannot move forward unless we think deeply about both our future and our past and that we cannot do that unless we talk honestly about a history of dispossession and genocide. (Released 6 April, 2023)

We love to hear from our audience, you can reach Policy Forum Pod via email on policyforumpod@anu.edu.au