Back to Back Barries

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Back to Back Barries examines the strategies behind the week's politics with co-hosts Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry. Barrie Cassidy has covered 14 federal elections as a political journalist, and two from the inside as a senior press secretary to then prime minister Bob Hawke. He is also the former host of ABC TV’s political discussion program Insiders. Tony Barry is a former Liberal party strategist who has worked for Christopher Pyne and Malcolm Turnbull. He now runs political research company RedBridge Group and is also a regular media commentator. Back to Back Barries will be with you every Saturday. You can find the podcast on the Full Story podcast feed, subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

  1. 12h ago

    Back to Back Barries: Can the Greens beat Labor?

    Barrie Cassidy and Sean Kelly (filling in for Tony Barry) discuss the Greens leadership change this week. Senator David Shoebridge defeated two women to take out the top job in a rare contested ballot. So what direction will he take the progressive party and can they ‘replace’ Labor as he claims? Also in this episode: what did the prime minister say at George Megalogenis’ Melbourne book launch that surprised both of these former political advisers? And as we draw ever nearer to the Victorian election, what do the polls reveal about how it could all play out?

  2. Sep 25

    Back to Back Barries: Should the media boycott One Nation?

    Barrie Cassidy and Sean Kelly (filling in for Tony Barry) look at the prime minister’s week in the US against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s ban of three news organisations from the White House. Would the Australian media ever join together like their American counterparts and boycott a political party or politician? The two former press advisers also examine press conference ethics and why Australian politicians should be wary of using AI to write their speeches

  3. Sep 18

    Back to Back Barries: Labor’s migration dilemma

    Barrie Cassidy and Jessie McCrone, a former adviser to the former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews and now managing partner for FMRS Advisory, examine the migration reforms as announced by the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, this week. Is One Nation controlling the narrative on this issue, and how will the Coalition respond? They also look at the Guardian’s new investigative podcast series The Populist; plus, with just two months to go until the Victorian election, what does Jessie think about the state of play and Labor’s chances at the ballot box? Jessie is filling in for Tony Barry this week Amid claims of ‘mass migration’, Labor hopes a measured approach will take the hot air out of the debate

  4. Sep 11

    Back to Back Barries: Andrew Hastie v Pauline Hanson

    Barrie Cassidy and Sean Kelly (filling in for Tony Barry this week) go straight to Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie’s stoush with Pauline Hanson over an animated cartoon. Is Hastie one of the few politicians willing to take on the One Nation leader? And could this be the beginning of the Liberal party fighting back? Staying with One Nation: what does the coverage of Warren Pickering’s press conference this week say about how the media – and the public – treats political leaders differently? And the prime minister continues to come under scrutiny over grants awarded to a golf club in his electorate Hastie accepts apology from Joyce over ‘traitor’ cartoon as Hanson doubles down and tells critics to ‘chill’

  5. Sep 4

    Back to Back Barries: The forces that can stop One Nation’s rise

    Barrie Cassidy and George Megalogenis (filling in for Tony this week) examine George’s new book, Three Shocks: Who We are Becoming in the 21st Century, and how these forces are reshaping our national identity and Australian politics. They also look at the politics of the housing market and Barrie responds to a listener who questions his analysis of One Nation’s inability to get over the “wall” around the cities Best Australian books out in September House prices could fall 10%, analysts predict, as fourth interest rate hike looms

  6. Aug 28

    Back to Back Barries: How is One Nation influencing Labor’s migration policy?

    Tony Barry and Sean Kelly, sitting in for Barrie Cassidy, examine the politics of immigration and asylum after contradictory policy statements this week from Labor and One Nation. They discuss how much Labor is being led by One Nation and whether the government is doing enough to make the case for migration. They also talk about the concessions made by the Albanese government to the states on GST and renewable energy for datacentres, as well as the bumpy economic road ahead for Labor, with new inflation numbers suggesting possible interest rates hikes in the future Albanese vows refugee intake won’t be slashed, shutting down plans of Coalition-level cut Analysis: One Nation’s immigration policy is clear as mud – but that ambiguity could be a secret weapon for Pauline Hanson

  7. Aug 21

    Back to Back Barries: Political stitch-up or compromise? A tale of two political deals

    Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry examine the two deals made this week between the Coalition and Labor on gambling advertising and the NDIS. They also look ahead to the upcoming byelection in the Western Australian electorate of Secret Harbour, which sits within Andrew Hastie’s electorate. Could One Nation again emerge victorious? If so, what threat would that pose to the federal Liberal MP’s political fortunes? And after the break the Barries take a question from Neil in Bendigo, a super fan of the show, about when Albanese is likely to go and who could take the leadership

  8. Aug 14

    Back to Back Barries: what ‘melon-gate’ really reveals about our politics and the media

    Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry look at Liberal senator Andrew Bragg’s speech this week in which he outlined his plan to solve the housing crisis – a plan that doesn’t have the support of his own party. The Barries also discuss the ‘melon-gate’ controversy, with Tony asking if a conservative politician would be subjected to more or less outrage if they had done the same thing. Also in this episode, the deal on gambling between Labor and the Coalition

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About

Back to Back Barries examines the strategies behind the week's politics with co-hosts Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry. Barrie Cassidy has covered 14 federal elections as a political journalist, and two from the inside as a senior press secretary to then prime minister Bob Hawke. He is also the former host of ABC TV’s political discussion program Insiders. Tony Barry is a former Liberal party strategist who has worked for Christopher Pyne and Malcolm Turnbull. He now runs political research company RedBridge Group and is also a regular media commentator. Back to Back Barries will be with you every Saturday. You can find the podcast on the Full Story podcast feed, subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Information

  • Creator
    The Guardian
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Back to Back Barries

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