Afternoon Light

Robert Menzies Institute
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Welcome to the Afternoon Light Podcast, a captivating journey into the heart of Australia’s political history and enduring values. Presented by the Robert Menzies Institute, a prime ministerial library and museum, this podcast illuminates the remarkable legacy of Sir Robert Menzies, Australia’s longest-serving prime minister. Dive into the rich tapestry of Menzies’s contemporary impact as we explore his profound contributions on the Afternoon Light Podcast. Join us as we delve into his unyielding commitment to equality, boundless opportunity, and unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. Our engaging discussions bring to life the relevance of Menzies’s values in today’s world, inspiring us to uphold his principles for a brighter future. Ready to embark on this enlightening journey? Experience the Afternoon Light Podcast now! Tune in to explore the past, engage with the present, and shape a better tomorrow by learning from the visionary leadership of Sir Robert Menzies. Stay connected by signing up on the Robert Menzies Institute website: https://www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/. Have an opinion? Email your comments to: info@robertmenziesinstitute.org.au.

  1. 2D AGO

    Ben Saunders on the intent behind Australia's utilitarian Constitution: "The Character of the People"

    Does Australia's utilitarian constitution reflect a lack of inspiration on the part of our founding fathers? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Ben Saunders to unpack the intent behind the framing of Australia's constitution. Something which eschewed grand value statements and a Bill of Rights, in favour of trusting the Australian people to 'breathe life' into the 'dry bones' of constitutional machinery. Under the understanding that it's ultimately the quality of the electors, rather than the theoretical designing of the institutions, that ultimately determines the success or failure of a democracy. Dr Ben Saunders is an Associate Professor at Deakin Law School. Ben’s principal areas of research interest are constitutional law, especially executive power and responsible government, law and religion, and public sector governance. He recently published Responsible Government and the Australian Constitution: A Government for a Sovereign People (Hart Studies in Comparative Public Law, 2023). In 2024 he co-authored an Australian Journal of Politics and History article on ‘The Australian Constitutional Framers and the Languages of Virtue’, with Simon Kennedy. 9KFG00NNTTYRXGRE

    48 min

  2. APR 1

    Lydia Khalil & Zachary Gorman on the Conditions for a Successful Democracy: "They go hand in hand"

    Amidst seemingly unending crises of social cohesion, cost of living, and in the party system, how is Australia's democracy holding up? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Lydia Khalil and Zachary Gorman to unpack the conditions under which democracy thrives, and issues which currently threaten Australia's democratic health. Offering both timely warnings and enduring optimism about the strengths and weaknesses of Australia's political institutions 125 years on from Federation. This discussion is based on the Robert Menzies's Institute's new policy paper, authored by the Institute's Historian Dr Zachary Gorman, which you can access here. Lydia Khalil directs the Transnational Challenges Program at the Lowy Institute, overseeing the Digital Threats to Democracy Project. Her career spans governance, technology, and security, with expertise in terrorism and political violence. She is a Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University’s Alfred Deakin Institute, co-convening the AVERT Research Network, and leads the Crisis Points project at the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies. Lydia has advised the US Department of Defense and New York Police Department. 5UR7NE5YEFWXIST7

    55 min

  3. MAR 25

    Bruce Kingston on the eccentricities, dominance and legacy of Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen: "The truth is"

    Before Dan Andrews, who was Australia's most polarising state premier? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Bruce Kingston to discuss one of Australian history's most beloved and bemoaned Queenslanders, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. The man who turned the Sunshine State into a modern economic powerhouse, yet who is contrastingly reviled for allegedly representing all of its maroon shades of reactionary conservatism. Bruce Kingston has some 35 years experience in management, marketing and public affairs in Australia in corporate, consulting and government roles working in various States and Territories. He was Senior Director Community Partnerships with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority co-managing Australia’s largest community consultation program.  He has also been a University lecturer, a Ministerial speechwriter for two Ministers in Bjelke-Petersen Cabinets, a political campaign consultant and a restaurateur. He authored the Australian Biographical Monograph on Johannes Bjelke-Petersen. MJLV5OCRR26BYW0Y

    49 min

  4. MAR 18

    Denis Porter on the importance of the Coal Industry throughout Australian History: "We were desperate for more coal"

    Did you know that Captain Cook's Endeavour was originally a coal ship? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Denis Porter to explore the crucial role the coal industry has played throughout Australian history, from the earliest days of British settlement right up until the present. A story of triumph and tragedy, in which economic growth and political controversy have often gone hand in hand. Denis Porter was CEO of the NSW Minerals Council (1998 to 2001) and a senior staff member of the Council and the NSW Coal Association (1989 to 1998). He was also Joint Executive Director of the Australian Coal Association (1998 to 2001). Denis had an ongoing association with the coal industry after he left the Council, for several years as a consultant, and also as a trustee director of the industry superannuation fund, Mine Super, and as a director of Mine Super Services. He is the author of the two-volume history Coal: The Australian Story. HHM6FLBRFKO8EBYS

    45 min

  5. MAR 10

    Christina Twomey on Australia's treatment of our returned WW2 POWs: "Suffered on behalf of the nation"

    Does offering financial support for Prisoners of War risk incentivising surrender? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Christina Twomey, to discuss how the Australian government dealt with returned World War II POWs who had been deeply scarred by their time spent in captivity. Revealing the brutal realism of military commanders who feared that offering too much assistance might reward surrender. But more importantly, uncovering the stories of the soldiers themselves, who were forced to document their trauma in order to try to win support. Christina Twomey is Professor of History at Monash University. Her research focuses on the social and cultural history of war, with a particular interest in imprisonment and internment, gendered violence, trauma, Australia-Asia relations, humanitarian and aid programmes, and visual cultures of atrocity. Her most recent work focuses on Australia's Asian garrisons and regional engagement during the Cold War period. In 2018 she published The Battle Within: POWs in Postwar Australia. QLU9G0KV0EJZ3MTT

    54 min

  6. MAR 4

    Hilary Silbert on Australia's first female parliamentarian Edith Cowan: "You will not get back"

    What is the story behind the woman who appears on Australia's $50 note? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Hilary Silbert to uncover the remarkable life of Australia's first female parliamentarian, Edith Cowan. Who rose from the familial infamy of having a convicted murderer for a father, to become one of the most influential citizens in the history of Western Australia, and an inspiration to women across the nation. Hilary Silbert was the inaugural Corporate Events Manager at the newly formed Edith Cowan University. An admirer of Cowan, Silbert has become an advocate for her memory and memorialisation, helping to organise the celebrations marking the centenary of her election to parliament in 2021. She is currently writing a full-length biography of Cowan, which will be the second ever to be published. EBWF7TTIDVBTW9ML

    43 min

  7. FEB 25

    Alexander Downer & Tony Parkinson on the life & times of Australia's longest serving Foreign Minister: "We took a view"

    30 years on from the election of the Howard Government, how does its extensive foreign policy legacy live up to scrutiny? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Alexander Downer and his biographer Tony Parkinson to discuss A Step to the Right, the new book on Australia's longest serving foreign minister. The man who oversaw one of the most eventful periods in Australian foreign policy, from the successful intervention in East Timor, to the response to 9/11, invocation of the ANZUS Treaty, and of course the controversies of the Iraq War. Tony Parkinson is a former senior adviser to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, and Victorian Premier Dr Denis Napthine. He began his career in journalism, serving as The Age’s International Affairs Editor, The Australian’s European Correspondent, and national political editor of The Herald and Herald Sun in Melbourne. He has reported on elections in Australia, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Germany, and on conflicts in Northern Ireland, Fiji, and the Middle East — including the 1991 Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait. Parkinson has also served as a consultant to the United Nations and the Committee for Economic Development of Australia, and held a senior government affairs role with one of Australia’s top 20 ASX-listed companies. In 2000, he published Jeff: The Rise and Fall of a Political Phenomenon (Viking/Penguin). V5BFS6XCELVRBD64

    1h 2m

  8. FEB 18

    Tony Abbott on his new History of Australia: "A bad history does not produce a good present"

    Do those who denigrate Australia's past hurt Australia's present? On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Tony Abbott to discuss his new book, Australia: A History. An antidote to the 'Black armband' view of our national story, which doesn't downplay the darker aspects of our past, but highlights the overwhelming good. A good we might expect to find if we appreciate the nation that we live in today, and want to understand how it came to be so that we may be better placed to preserve it. Tony Abbott served as Australia's 28th prime minister and was the member for Warringah in the Australian parliament between 1994 and 2019. He is a Rhodes Scholar and the author of four books: The Minimal Monarchy, How to Win the Constitutional War, Battlelines, and most recently Australia: A History. AUH2TIGVCWJSIR6H

    54 min
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About

Welcome to the Afternoon Light Podcast, a captivating journey into the heart of Australia’s political history and enduring values. Presented by the Robert Menzies Institute, a prime ministerial library and museum, this podcast illuminates the remarkable legacy of Sir Robert Menzies, Australia’s longest-serving prime minister. Dive into the rich tapestry of Menzies’s contemporary impact as we explore his profound contributions on the Afternoon Light Podcast. Join us as we delve into his unyielding commitment to equality, boundless opportunity, and unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. Our engaging discussions bring to life the relevance of Menzies’s values in today’s world, inspiring us to uphold his principles for a brighter future. Ready to embark on this enlightening journey? Experience the Afternoon Light Podcast now! Tune in to explore the past, engage with the present, and shape a better tomorrow by learning from the visionary leadership of Sir Robert Menzies. Stay connected by signing up on the Robert Menzies Institute website: https://www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/. Have an opinion? Email your comments to: info@robertmenziesinstitute.org.au.

Information

  • Creator
    Robert Menzies Institute
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    258
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Afternoon Light

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