The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast

Sarah Hanson-Young
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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. 2d ago

    Violence in our democracy & why we must take on big tech; Lost in Space with TikTok star Dr Kirsten Banks aka AstroKirsten

    In this week’s episode, the SHY Report is back with Sarah home from a trip overseas. One morning last week in London, Sarah woke up to the shocking news of the alleged attack on MP Helen Haines. Sarah reflects on how devastating the attack on Helen is and how it makes the abuse, death and rape threats that she’s copped over the years even more terrifying. Sarah talks about the crisis of violence against women in society more broadly and the role the tech giants play in driving hate and normalising violence and why she will be going hard to rein in their profiteering off division and anger. Sarah also reveals that while in the UK she met with the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, and the need for compassion and civility when we disagree in order to protect our democracy. Sarah’s special guest this week is Dr Kirsten Banks aka @astrokirsten on social media. Dr Kirsten is an astrophysicist and science communicator with more than 800k followers across Instagram and TikTok, she has a passion for making the wonders of the universe accessible and engaging for everyone. Together, Dr Kirsten and Sarah talk about what an astrophysicist actually does, the importance of science research and curiosity, the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and western science, and space junk! Dr Kirsten’s new book Lost In Space is out today and available in all good book stores or online here.  If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 or 1800 RESPECT at 1800 737 732.

  2. Oct 19

    Spiderbait’s Janet English on women in music

    Sarah’s special guest this week is Janet English - bass player and singer in iconic Aussie rock band Spiderbait. Janet joined me for a conversation last week while the band were playing at Parliament House as part of an event that ARIA hosts each year to promote Australian music. Spiderbait have played together for three decades, holding firm in the playlists of millennials and Gen Xers and now resurging with the next generations. Together, Janet shares with Sarah her experience being a woman in music and how that’s changed since the 80s, growing up in a rural river town and how art and music is always political. They also discuss being a musician in the battle against big AI companies. SHY Report is on a break this week as Sarah is away.

  3. Oct 12

    Banning Trump’s livestreamed execution; how Bob Brown stays optimistic

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says she has called on the Australian Government and e-Safety Commissioner to ban the livestream of an execution by firing squad in the US to ensure it is not shown in Australia. Sarah says this is an unconscionable, abhorrent act which will expose an immeasurable amount of people to harm, including children. She calls this heinous act by the Trump administration, a PR stunt and says this politics has echoes here in Australia with the likes of Pauline Hanson advocating to bring back the death penalty. Sarah says we got rid of the death penalty for a reason, believing the state shouldn’t be able to kill its own citizens and we must continue to reject this dangerous, ugly politics. Sign the petition here. Sarah’s special guest this week is Bob Brown - founder and former leader of the Australian Greens, a mentor to Sarah and a shot of inspiration when she needs it. Bob and Sarah talk about his long history of environmental campaigning, entering the Tasmanian parliament after a stint in jail for protesting the Franklin Dam, and giving his first speech in the Australian Senate at the exact same time as Pauline Hanson 30 years ago. Bob shares with Sarah whether he believes the Greens should still be aiming for government and what keeps him optimistic in a time of environmental, political, humanitarian, and democratic turmoil.

  4. Oct 5

    We must unite against the rabid right; Carly Findlay on why it’s easier to love yourself

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says she always wanted the podcast to be an opportunity for her to level with people and so that’s what she is doing this week on the Greens leadership. Sarah says this is much bigger than one person or one leader, there’s so much work to do taking on Pauline Hanson and the rabid right. Sarah says if we are going to fight for fairness and equality, for our real Aussie values, for our environment and a future for our kids - then we must be united. Sarah’s special guest this week is Carly Findlay OAM - an award winning writer, speaker and appearance activist and now Human Rights Award 2026 nominee. Carly lives with a rare lifelong skin condition called ichthyosis and is a survivor of ovarian and endometrial cancer. Together, Carly and Sarah speak about self-love and dopamine dressing, menopause and women’s health, and fighting cancer and unfair bureaucratic systems like Centrelink. Ovarian cancer is incredibly lethal with a survival rate of just 49%. Carly is once again a Frocktober ambassador, helping to raise much-needed funds for crucial ovarian cancer research. You can support her by donating here. You can find out more about ovarian cancer and its symptoms here.

  5. Sep 28

    An advertising blitz doesn’t protect endangered birds & forests; why Louise Adler doesn’t believe in bothsidesism

    In this week’s episode, Sarah calls bs on the federal government’s new H5 bird flu advertising blitz and asks: what is the government doing to protect birds before they become sick? For Australia’s threatened birds, the biggest threat to their lives isn’t this virus - it’s the logging, clearing and bulldozing of their homes. Sarah says no government can guarantee bird flu will never reach Australia’s wild birds, but they can decide if these birds have habitat to call home.  Sarah’s special guest this week is Louise Adler - former director of Adelaide Writer’s Week, a publisher and arts administrator, and a close friend of Sarah’s. After Louise booked Palestinian authors including award-winning Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah for the 2026 edition of Adelaide Writer’s Week, the festival was engulfed in scandal after an intervention in the programming by the South Australian Premier.Sarah and Louise talk about the cascading events which led to the cancellation of the festival and Louise’s resignation, as well as the time Louise coerced Sarah into writing a book of her own, and why Louise has been advocating for a “Red Lines Package” in the Parliament.

  6. Sep 21

    Governments must do more to end the scourge of domestic violence; former AFL executive Tanya Hosch on how to drive social and cultural change

    In this week’s episode, Sarah says something must change after an absolute horror weekend of domestic violence, particularly in NSW, where three women were allegedly murdered by men and a mother allegedly stabbed her three children, killing one. With the AFL and NRL grand finals approaching and data showing that rates of violence against women dramatically increase during major sporting events, policy makers and governments who control the purse strings must do more to end this crisis of violence.  Sarah’s special guest this week is Tanya Hosch - a Torres Strait Islander woman and nationally respected leader on social inclusion, governance and public advocacy. Most recently she was the Executive General Manager of Inclusion and Social Policy at the AFL, where she was the first Indigenous person and only the second woman ever appointed to the AFL’s Executive ranks. As we enter AFL Grand Final week, and as the AFL has been mired in controversy with the Sydney Swans and ongoing issues with racism, homophobia, and sexism, Tanya sheds a light on what taking on this role was like, her reflections on Australia post the Voice Referendum, and what it means to be a good leader.  1800 RESPECT / 1800 737 732 Lifeline on 131 114Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491Mensline on 1300 789 978Kids helpline 1800 55 180013 YARN Emergency services on Triple Zero (000) if you need immediate care

  7. Sep 14

    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.

  8. 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.

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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
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Sarah Hanson-Young Podcast

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