The Pub Test

The Pub Test
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Australian politics, minus the spin. Neil Pharaoh and Erin Watson put the week's biggest political stories through the pub test - does it make sense, is it fair, and what does it really mean? New episodes weekly.

  1. 3d ago

    Democracy in Decline

    Political violence, riots and targeted political attacks are pushing tensions to a boiling point. After the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, Australia is confronting a difficult question: how do we keep MPs safe when more than 1,000 threat reports involving politicians and staff were recorded last financial year, yet not every MP has access to security? With consequential elections approaching around the world, what does this moment mean for democracy? -- This episode was supported by Thrive by Five https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/ https://www.minderoo.org/ This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ Follow the show https://www.instagram.com/thepubtest_podcast/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/ -- Links and references Monique Ryan on cleaning up Question Time — ABC Newshttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-21/helen-haines-attack-live-updates-brendan-nugent-court-hearing/107290276 Monique Ryan on political conduct and the response to Helen Haines’s attack — The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/26/haines-tribute-speeches-to-open-parliament-but-labor-mustnt-overlook-broader-causes-of-boiling-anger-ntwnfb Threat reports and politicians’ security — The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/20/helen-haines-alleged-attack-response-tightened-security-ntwnfb Alice Weidel on the AfD’s family policy — The Economisthttps://www.facebook.com/TheEconomist/videos/alice-weidel-on-the-afds-stance-on-non-traditional-families/1149528687733247/ Full Alice Weidel interview — The Economisthttps://shows.acast.com/theintelligencepodcast/episodes/an-interview-with-alice-weidel V-Dem Democracy Report 2026https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy_Report_2026_lowres.pdf Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williamshttps://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781035065967/ Follow The Pub Test on Spotify, leave a rating and share the episode.

    Democracy in Decline

  2. Oct 19

    Who Is Teaching Australian Boys What It Means to Be a Man?

    Tarang Chawla joins The Pub Test to discuss what Australian boys are learning about masculinity and how online influencers, algorithms and communities shape that picture. Watch and read: https://www.abc.net.au/about/media-centre/publicity-media-room/marc-fennell-confronts-the-manosphere-in-the-state-of-man/107150086 https://www.stan.com.au/watch/revealed-poster-boy-becoming-zyzz-2026 https://www.dvnsw.org.au/reports/ending-violence-in-regional-and-remote-nsw/ https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/new-evaw-x-refuge-report-reveals-shocking-scale-of-online-misogyny-and-abuse/ Tarang Chawla: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tarangchawla/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarangchawla/⁠ -- This episode was supported by Thrive by Five https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/ https://www.minderoo.org/ This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ Follow the show https://www.instagram.com/thepubtest_podcast/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/ ---- If this episode raises concerns, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both are available 24/7. In an emergency call 000. 13 11 14 Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/131114 Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/talk-to-a-counsellor

    Who Is Teaching Australian Boys What It Means to Be a Man?

  3. Oct 12

    How Did an OpenAI Agent Break Into an Australian Government Website?

    An OpenAI agent gained unauthorised access to an Australian government website. How did it happen and what does it tell us about the risks of AI advancing faster than we can regulate it? We also look at One Nation's controversial AI generated election ad, the unintended consequences of Australia's credit card surcharge ban and what's caused protests in India and unrest in France. What do these movements reveal about the future of democracy? -- This episode was supported by Thrive by Five https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/ https://www.minderoo.org/ This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ Follow the show https://www.instagram.com/thepubtest_podcast/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/

  4. Oct 5

    Why Governments Are Addicted to Stamp Duty

    Stamp duty can add $40,000 to the cost of a $750,000 home in Victoria. If it makes buying harder and discourages people from moving, why is it so difficult for state governments to scrap? Then, Australia’s high-speed rail debate. Is the proposed $61 billion Sydney to Newcastle connection the right place to start and what will it take to finally get it built? Finally, more than 30 years after apartheid ended, why does South Africa remain so unequal? We look at how its history still shapes where people live, their opportunities and the country’s politics. 0:00 Setting the Stage for the Pub Test1:07 The Digital Rabbit Holes We Fall Into4:53 The True Cost of Stamp Duty8:01 The Curious History of Property Titles17:45 The Great High-Speed Rail Debate25:29 A Deep Dive Into South Africa33:40 The Stark Reality of Inequality -- This episode was supported by Thrive by Five https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/ https://www.minderoo.org/ This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ Follow the show https://www.instagram.com/thepubtest_podcast/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/

    Why Governments Are Addicted to Stamp Duty

  5. Sep 28

    Albo's Trump Selfie, Labor Running Third in Victoria & Kazakhstan’s Growing Power

    Kazakhstan is the world's largest uranium producer and is becoming increasingly important to global energy, trade and critical minerals. So why should Australia be paying more attention? First, we catch Neil up on the week in Australian politics. Labor is polling third in Victoria, raising questions about whether Ben Carroll can turn the party's position around before the election. We also look at Albo's Trump selfie, school funding and our predictions for the 2026 AFL Grand Final. Then Scott Munn, General Secretary of the Kazakhstan Football Federation, joins us to talk about life in Kazakhstan, the country's growing international profile and how football fits into its national ambitions. 0:00 Setting the Scene for the Pub Test0:49 Life in Mallorca: Beyond the Headlines4:46 Speed Dating Through Politics7:12 Trump vs The Algorithm10:02 The Victorian Political Landscape13:40 The Child Protection Crisis20:05 Regional Holidays and Racing Fever26:28 Inside the Kazakhstan Football Federation Scott Munn https://www.instagram.com/scottamunn/ Kazakhstan Football Federation https://kff.kz/ This episode was supported by Thrive by Five https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/ https://www.minderoo.org This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ Follow the show https://www.instagram.com/thepubtest_podcast/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/

    Albo's Trump Selfie, Labor Running Third in Victoria & Kazakhstan’s Growing Power

  6. Sep 21

    Who Wins Victoria, the Broken GST Deal & Why We Forgot Myanmar

    Victoria goes to the polls in November with its third premier since 2022 — and voters picked neither of the last two. Will Labor pay for that? And will the rewritten upper-house rules actually change who wins a seat? Then, why does Western Australia receive special protection in the distribution of GST revenue and is the current arrangement fair to the rest of the country? Finally, why have Myanmar’s civil war and the Rohingya refugee crisis largely disappeared from Australian attention? ---- -- This episode was supported by Thrive by Five https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/ https://www.minderoo.org/ This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ Follow the show https://www.instagram.com/thepubtest_podcast/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/

    Who Wins Victoria, the Broken GST Deal & Why We Forgot Myanmar

  7. Sep 14

    Are We Over Diagnosing Kids, The Parenting Crisis & Moldova’s Fight for Democracy

    Are we too focused on fixing children instead of the systems around them? Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow, CEO of The Front Project, joins us to talk about early childhood, rising diagnosis, the pressure on parents and teachers and why supporting the adults around children may be just as important as diagnosing the child. Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow is a former senior public servant with extensive experience across early childhood education, disability in education and social policy, including senior roles in South Australia’s Department for Education Then we head to Moldova, a small democracy caught between Europe and Russia. What can its experience with disinformation, vote buying and foreign interference teach Australia about protecting democracy? The Front Project https://www.thefrontproject.org.au/ -- This episode was supported by Thrive by Five https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/ https://www.minderoo.org This Pub Test is powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ Follow the show https://www.instagram.com/thepubtest_podcast/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/

    Are We Over Diagnosing Kids, The Parenting Crisis & Moldova’s Fight for Democracy

  8. Sep 7

    Australia's Parenting Problem & Why Ireland Looks So Rich

    What does parenting in Australia really look like and are parents getting enough support? Rob Ryan, CEO of the Parenting Research Centre, joins us to unpack new national parenting research. Does the way we raise our kids pass the pub test? Then over to Ireland, a small country with big wealth on paper. But how much of that comes from its low corporate tax rates and how are everyday Irish people being affected by housing, migration and the country’s complicated history? How rich is Ireland really? Rob Ryan is CEO of the Parenting Research Centre and has more than 30 years of experience across child protection, community services and family support, including 19 years in senior roles with Queensland's Department of Child Safety. Parenting Research Centre parentingrc.org.au - Other resources mentioned Raising Children Network https://raisingchildren.net.au/ Parenting Today https://www.parentingrc.org.au/tools/parenting-today/ This episode was supported by the Minderoo Foundation https://www.minderoo.org https://www.thrivebyfive.org.au/ This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ Follow the show https://www.instagram.com/thepubtest_podcast/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/

    Australia's Parenting Problem & Why Ireland Looks So Rich
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About

Australian politics, minus the spin. Neil Pharaoh and Erin Watson put the week's biggest political stories through the pub test - does it make sense, is it fair, and what does it really mean? New episodes weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    The Pub Test
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Pub Test
  • Show Website
    The Pub Test

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