Curtin’s Cast

John Curtin Research Centre
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Welcome to Curtin’s Cast, the John Curtin Research Centre’s podcast of politics, culture and ideas brought to you by JCRC Executive Director Nick Dyrenfurth and Redbridge Director and former Victorian Labor assistant secretary Kos Samaras. Each fortnight we bring you the freshest and most challenging conversations from the world of Australian and global politics with leaders, activists, and thinkers.

  1. 23h ago

    Curtin's Cast Ep 76 - Is the Left losing the Working Class? (Jack Peacock, Focaldata UK)

    Britain's Labour Party won a landslide in 2024. So why did it struggle so badly and recently replace Keir Starmer with Andy Burnham? And is Australia's Labor Party heading for the same political trap? This week, Nick Dyrenfurth and Kos Samaras are joined by Jack Peacock, Associate Director at leading UK polling firm Focaldata and contributor to Future of the Left, to tackle one of the biggest questions in politics: how can the centre-left build a winning coalition again? 🔥 📊 Why did 40% of British voters switch parties between 2019 and 2024? ⚔️ Is chasing progressive voters at the expense of the working class a recipe for defeat? 🇦🇺 What can Australian Labor learn as One Nation surges? Jack's provocative argument: stop doing politics backwards. Start with principles, not polling numbers and "blocs". A fascinating transcontinental conversation about class, identity, patriotism, economic security and the future of social democracy. 🎧 Curtin's Cast Episode 76 — out now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen.

  2. Oct 27

    Curtin's Cast Ep 75 - Josh Frydenberg on antisemitism, the Liberal Party and a possible return

    In his just released, best-selling memoir A Grateful Son, Josh Frydenberg reflects on family, Jewish life and a career at the centre of Australian politics. On episode 75 of Curtin’s Cast, Nick Dyrenfurth speaks with the former Treasurer about the influences that shaped him, the rise of antisemitism since 7 October, and whether Jewish Australians can feel secure and at home in this country. They discuss the state of Australia, Frydenberg’s proudest achievement and political regrets, and the existential challenge facing the Liberal Party as One Nation gains ground. Has Frydenberg changed, as political journalist Paul Kelly argues? And is he the person to help the Liberals win back voters? Nick puts the question of a political return directly to him — and ends with a mischievous challenge involving a copy of the Torah: has Josh made up his mind to run for Kooyong?

  3. Oct 20

    Curtin's Cast Ep 74 - Political Violence and the Outrage Economy

    Has political hate become a business model? And is Australia importing the toxic political culture of the United States? In a special one-on-one edition of Curtin’s Cast, John Curtin Research Centre head honcho Nick Dyrenfurth and RedBridge director Kos Samaras confront the disturbing deterioration of Australian political debate. The shocking attack on independent MP Helen Haines, whose motive remains under investigation, and Pauline Hanson's One Nation cartoon cruelly mocking Senator Jacqui Lambie's intimate medical condition raise confronting questions about political violence, personal abuse and toxification of public debate. From Australia's own history of political violence to assassinations overseas, Nick and Kos examine the growing personal risks facing politicians — especially female MPs – and whether Australia's democratic traditions are under threat. They also explore the monetisation of hate: social media algorithms that reward anger, influencers who turn outrage into income, and politicians who discover that cruelty generates clicks. Do ordinary voters really want this kind of politics? Plus, a quick Victorian election check-in: abortion politics, Labor's forgotten free dental promise, the latest polling and Kos's updated prediction for November 28. Curtin's Cast is brought to you by the John Curtin Research Centre, proudly supported by RedBridge. Subscribe, like, comment and share.

  4. Oct 13

    Curtin's Cast Ep 73 - 13 October 2026 - George Megalogenis on Australia's 3 Great Shocks

    Three Shocks: The Australia Politics Hasn’t Caught Up With One of Australia's finest political journalists and authors, "demography whisperer" George Megalogenis, joins Nick Dyrenfurth and Kos Samaras to discuss the three forces reshaping Australia: migration, the changing workforce and a more uncertain international order. In Three Shocks: Who We Are Becoming in the 21st Century, George argues that Labor adapted more successfully to these changes while the Coalition remained attached to assumptions inherited from the Howard era. The conversation explores what these shifts mean for Australian identity, the changing electoral map and the future of both major parties. 📘 Buy George’s book: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/three-shocks-9780143789994

  5. Oct 7

    Curtin’s Cast Ep 72 - 7 October 2026 - Labor Slumps, One Nation Leads: What Is Really Happening to Australian Politics?

    Labor has hit record-low favourability ratings as One Nation again tops the primary vote in the latest RedBridge/Accent poll. Nick Dyrenfurth and Kos Samaras unpack what the numbers really mean, whether the “Albo Derangement Reflex” obscures genuine voter anger, and why the Coalition’s dramatic immigration cuts may simply pour more fuel on the One Nation bonfire. Plus: One Nation’s Victorian campaign launch, the promise to have Dan Andrews and Jacinta Allan “in prison by Christmas”, and whether Australia is importing a more Trumpian style of politics.

  6. Sep 29

    Curtin's Cast Episode 71 - 30 September 2026 - Viren Naidu on India's Gen Z 'Cockroach' Party

    India’s Gen Z Revolt: Meet the Cockroach Janta Party India’s young people are increasingly questioning whether education, hard work and competitive exams will deliver the secure future they were promised. Out of that frustration has emerged one of the world’s most unusual youth movements: the satirical Cockroach Janta Party. Kos Samaras speaks with Viren Naidu, journalist and author of the New Statesman feature The facts of India’s Gen-Z revolt, about the movement’s origins, India’s youth unemployment crisis, the NEET scandal and the growing postponement of home ownership, marriage and family formation. They discuss whether it makes sense to speak of a distinct Indian “Gen Z” across vast differences of class, caste, religion, gender and region; how memes and deliberately unserious language can carry serious political anger; and whether online mobilisation can develop into durable political organisation. The conversation also explores why established parties have struggled to represent younger Indians, how economic disillusionment can coexist with support for Narendra Modi and the BJP, and what India’s generational revolt might tell us about Gen Z politics elsewhere — including Australia and its large Indian diaspora. Read Viren Naidu’s New Statesman article ($): https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/07/the-facts-of-indias-gen-z-revolt

    Curtin's Cast Episode 71 - 30 September 2026 - Viren Naidu on India's Gen Z 'Cockroach' Party

  7. Sep 22

    Curtin's Cast Episode 70 - 23 September 2026 - Emma Dawson (Chifley Research Centre)

    Can Labor Hold Back the Orange Tide? Emma Dawson and Kos Samaras talk Vic and NSW elections, Gen Z and Australia’s AI Future With Nick away, Kos is joined by Curtin’s Cast veteran Emma Dawson, Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre, to take the pulse of Australian politics. They check in on the Victorian election campaign before taking a first look at the 2027 NSW election, where another One Nation orange tsunami threatens both major parties. Then Kos and Emma unpack Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ new Intergenerational Report and its vision of Australia in 2066: a population of 39.3 million, record-low fertility, deaths overtaking births, an ageing population and mounting pressure on health and aged care. Does a report promising future prosperity offer Generation Z anything now—particularly on housing, wealth and economic security? Finally, they tackle the immense opportunities and risks posed by artificial intelligence and the data-centre boom. Does Labor’s historic mission now require it to ensure that AI serves working people rather than allowing working people to serve the machines? Listen now to Episode 70 of Curtin’s Cast.

    Curtin's Cast Episode 70 - 23 September 2026 - Emma Dawson (Chifley Research Centre)

  8. Sep 15

    Curtin's Cast Episode 69 - 16 September 2026 - NZ in Revolt with Neale Jones (former chief of staff to Jacinda Ardern)

    NZ in Revolt: Leadership Chaos, Fragmentation and the Election Ahead Nick Dyrenfurth and Kos Samaras are joined by Neale Jones, Managing Director of Capital and former chief of staff to Jacinda Ardern, to unpack the turmoil reshaping New Zealand politics ahead of the 7 November election. With Christopher Luxon weakened by another leadership challenge, Labour and National struggling to command much more than 30 per cent of the vote, smaller parties surging and economic discontent biting, is New Zealand entering a new era of political fragmentation? We discuss Luxon’s leadership, Chris Hipkins and Labour’s path back to government, Winston Peters and David Seymour, the strains of MMP coalition politics, the rise of Opportunity — and what New Zealand tells us about the wider global age of political disruption.

    Curtin's Cast Episode 69 - 16 September 2026 - NZ in Revolt with Neale Jones (former chief of staff to Jacinda Ardern)
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About

Welcome to Curtin’s Cast, the John Curtin Research Centre’s podcast of politics, culture and ideas brought to you by JCRC Executive Director Nick Dyrenfurth and Redbridge Director and former Victorian Labor assistant secretary Kos Samaras. Each fortnight we bring you the freshest and most challenging conversations from the world of Australian and global politics with leaders, activists, and thinkers.

Information

  • Creator
    John Curtin Research Centre
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Curtin’s Cast

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