The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast

Sarah Hanson-Young
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Politics

Welcome to The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast. A place where we can have the important conversations about how we can make the world a better place and force politics to work for people - together. Some people want you to believe that politics can't be fixed. Well, I disagree. I think we need to make politics a force for good, and you do that by having good conversations, calling out the b******t when you see it, and standing up and holding power to account. Every single week, this podcast is where we can sit down and do that together.

  1. 1d ago

    AI is crashing the world & our govt is letting them; Tim Costello on social justice, hope & empathy

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says when the tech bros building AI say these machines are a threat to humanity - we should probably listen. But the Australian Government is behaving like this threat is a problem for the distant future while having their foot to the pedal on data centres right across the country. Sarah says we need rules in place right now - not just to regulate what AI does and how it is used, but how it is generated in the first place with these enormous data centres. The Greens are calling for a moratorium, because the big tech bros are taking advantage of our power, water, and communities whilst Australia’s regulation lags behind. Next week will mark the first of a series of hearings for the AI and data centre inquiry Sarah is chairing in the Federal Parliament. You can keep up-to-date on this important work across Sarah’s social media channels.  Sarah’s special guest this week is Tim Costello - lawyer, Baptist church minister, former CEO of World Vision Australia, anti-gambling advocate and social justice leader in Australia. Sarah and Tim most recently worked together to fight for reforms that would stop gambling harm, but their story starts many years earlier. Together, Sarah and Tim discuss his long term advocacy against pokies when Sarah was a teenager in Victoria, meeting when Sarah became a refugee advocate, Australia’s lacklustre contribution to foreign aid, and his work with the justice system both as a lawyer and as a church minister. They talk about hope and the desperate need for greater empathy in politics and our communities more broadly.  Listen to the episode on AI and human rights with Ed Santow on Spotify here and on Apple Podcasts here.

  2. Sep 7

    Take control away from big tech; Claudia Karvan and the power of storytelling

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says it’s time to take control away from the big tech giants and put people back in charge of their feeds by giving them the ability to opt-in to algorithms on social media. The government has a real chance to protect all social media users, but particularly young people, by working with the Greens to make these toxic, predatory algorithms a thing of the past. Sarah’s special guest this week is Claudia Karvan - Australian actress and producer who you might recognise from shows like Bump, The Secret Life of Us, Puberty Blues and most recently her Logie-winning performance in Homebodies. Not only is she incredibly talented on screen, but Claudia is also known for using her platform to speak out on issues she cares about such as Palestine, the environment, and human rights. Together, Sarah and Claudia speak about the power of storytelling and how Claudia uses her on-screen talent to explore these serious and important topics with the audience, backlash public figures can face when they speak up and why the most important thing you can do for the environment is to talk about it.

  3. Aug 31

    One Nation punches down on LGBTIQA+ Aussies AGAIN; Chanel Contos on fixing our feeds

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says that while One Nation's Malcom Roberts says he’s in two minds about whether LGBTIQA+ Australians are equal - she wonders if he even has one mind. These kinds of comments are not mistakes, this is the worldview of One Nation. All too often, the media dismisses these comments as just another kooky MP from the fringes of Pauline Hanson’s political party - but it’s time we acknowledge it for what it is. One Nation is a party built on hatred and othering and they need to be called out for it.  Sarah’s special guest this week is Chanel Contos, sexual consent activist, founder of Teach Us Consent, and author of Consent Laid Bare. It’s a name you’re hearing a lot right now but how did Chanel get here and why is she so passionate about combatting men’s violence? Sarah and Chanel speak about the shocking sexual assaults that are dominating headlines from private school boys to AFL players, what is driving this behaviour in boys and young men in particular, and the work that needs to be done to change it.  With dangerous algorithms and toxic social media feeds fuelling misogynistic and sexist behaviour, much of the culture change that’s desperately needed must come from regulating big tech and disrupting their profit models. Chanel has been driving the #FixOurFeeds campaign, where social media users would be able to switch their algorithm on or off. Sarah currently has a bill before the parliament to do just that.  You can find out more about Teach Us Consent here: https://www.teachusconsent.com/ and Consent Laid Bare is available at any good bookstore.  If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 or 1800 RESPECT at 1800 737 732.

  4. Aug 24

    Why men should call out the boys' club; the power of empathy with Lem Zakharia

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says men have an entitlement problem and it’s time other men call it out. After a horror week of allegations of sexual assault against Sydney Swans AFL players and private school boys, Sarah asks where are the newspaper columns, podcasts and social media posts by men calling out this behaviour and driving the cultural change so desperately needed to end men’s violence against women. Sarah calls for real men to step up, call it out, if this men’s entitlement problem is going to stop. Sarah’s special guest this week is Lem Zakharia, founder of talent and marketing firm Bedou and former producer of Abbie Chatfield’s ‘It’s A Lot’ podcast. In this episode, Sarah and Lem talk about her life as a twice displaced queer Palestinian living in Jordan, her experience seeking asylum and citizenship in Australia, the manosphere, and the power of empathy in a world of grievance.

  5. Aug 17

    I’m sick of the melons; Andrew Denton and the right to die with dignity

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says she’s sick to death of hearing about the melons. In the midst of a crisis of men’s violence against women, lack of funding of domestic violence services, and every other crisis Australians are facing right now - all the Coalition and the media could focus on last week was the Prime Minister’s melon debacle.  Sarah’s special guest this week is Andrew Denton, broadcaster, producer, comedian - now Logies Hall of Famer - and Australia’s most well-known advocate for Voluntary Assisted Dying. As founding director of ‘Go Gentle Australia', Andrew has been instrumental in helping Australians access compassionate end-of-life healthcare through new laws for voluntary assisted dying (VAD). With VAD now accessible in all states and the ACT, the campaign has now extended its focus to fixing the barriers that exist for rural and regional Australians in accessing VAD care via Telehealth. Last week, I introduced a bill to the parliament that would fix this barrier and deliver more equal access to terminally ill adults wanting help from a doctor to end their suffering. In this episode, we delve into this issue, and so much more including Pauline Hanson on Enough Rope, coercion by the Catholic Church, and the importance of storytelling.

  6. Aug 10

    $1.5 million for peanuts?; Nahji Chu is the ultimate disruptor

    In this week’s episode, Sarah reveals how the Australian Government isn’t even providing peanuts to East Timor’s children, leaving them malnourished and their growth stunted. Sarah explains that on a recent trip to the very close but very poor neighbouring country, she saw firsthand the kids’ extreme hunger and how much of a vital lifeline literal peanuts are to their health and future. Once you hear this SHY Report, you will be moved to action. Email and phone Australia’s Foreign Minister: foreign.minister@dfat.gov.au (02) 6277 7500  and your local MP: https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Contacting_Senators_and_Members  Sarah’s special guest this week is Nahji Chu, owner of the infamous restaurant in Potts Point, Lady Chu. Nahji is a Vietnamese refugee who was born in Laos in the 1970’s. She has built her life and restaurant empire in Australia. In an era where the migration debate is dominating Australian politics and media, Nahji is an embodiment of resilience, resourcefulness, and risk taking - all qualities I think we all need to channel now more than ever while highlighting the extraordinary achievements and contributions refugees and migrants have made to Australia.

  7. Aug 3

    Groomers in the gambling industry exposed; Abby Martin and Earth’s Greatest Enemy

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says the predatory inducements used by the gambling industry makes them groomers. She is in the midst of a parliamentary inquiry into the government’s gambling ad ban bill where people with lived experience have told devastating stories of these very companies buying problem gamblers escorts, hotel rooms and drugs to get them gambling more money for longer. The parliament must work together to ban gambling ads, and also ban these dangerous and harmful inducements.  Sarah’s special guest this week is Abby Martin, an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker from the US. Abby is in Australia showing her new film Earth Greatest Enemy which reveals the  link between the US  military and its impact on the climate and our environment. Sarah reveals how shocked she was by aspects of the film even as an environmentalist and asks why don’t more people know about what the military gets away with from the killing, climate impacts and billions and billions of dollars of taxpayer money spent and why Australians should care, too.  Find out where to watch Earth’s Greatest Enemy here. National Gambling Helpline: 1800 858 858 Lifeline: 13 11 14

  8. Jul 27

    Calling something ‘too political’ is political; making politics a force for good with Alex Greenwich

    When protecting rivers is deemed ‘too political' for a billboard, but fossil fuel advertising is A-okay, you’ve got to wonder where they get the nerve. And then you've got to call it out. This week Sarah dissects a glaring example of the double standards that powerful vested interests can create. Sarah’s special guest this week is NSW Independent MP Alex Greenwich. Sarah and Alex have a conversation about what it looks like to walk the talk when it comes to making politics a force for good - at a time when it feels like fake politics is stoking some nasty coals.

See All (13)

Trailer

About

Welcome to The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast. A place where we can have the important conversations about how we can make the world a better place and force politics to work for people - together. Some people want you to believe that politics can't be fixed. Well, I disagree. I think we need to make politics a force for good, and you do that by having good conversations, calling out the b******t when you see it, and standing up and holding power to account. Every single week, this podcast is where we can sit down and do that together.

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Hanson-Young
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast