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John Anderson

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia John Anderson sits down with world-leading historians, economists, politicians, and thinkers to examine the ideas shaping our society. Drawing on decades at the highest levels of government, John brings rare depth and civility to conversations that mainstream media won't have.

This podcast covers everything from Australia's political future to faith, freedom, and the fragility of Western democracy. Thoughtful, rigorous, and genuinely independent.

John Anderson: Conversations

John sits down with sociologist and author Frank Furedi to discuss why millions of people across the West are turning against the political establishment, the rise of populism, the collapse of trust in traditional institutions, and the growing divide between ordinary citizens and the elites who govern them.From immigration and multiculturalism to education, free speech, national identity and the future of democracy, Furedi argues that populism is not simply a threat to the political order — it is a response to people feeling ignored by it. The conversation explores what has been lost, why citizenship matters, and whether Western democracies can rebuild a shared culture strong enough to survive.Frank Furedi is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent and the author of 26 books, including most recently In Defence of Populism. His work has focused on cultural developments in Western societies, including the culture of fear, education, identity, national sovereignty and the changing relationship between citizens and political institutions. He is a regular commentator on radio and television and has contributed extensively to media outlets across the UK and internationally.A long-time friend of the program, Frank was one of John’s earliest Conversations guests, first appearing on the show in April 2018.

Why the West Is Turning Against It's Elites | Frank Furedi

In this interview, sitting Danish politician Alex Vanopslagh explains how Denmark became a great and prosperous nation. Contrary to the platitudes from members of the left like Bernie Sanders, who have argued that Denmark is a socialist success story, Alex argues that liberty and individual responsibility have made it great.He also explains how Denmark's Protestant emphasis on individual conscience and responsibility, combined with its high social trust, has put the country in a unique position to deal with issues like mass migration and the rise of political Islam. This has helped Denmark to avoid the pattern seen across much of the West, where right-wing populist parties have surged.Already leader of his party, the Liberal Alliance, at 34-years-old, Alex encourages young people everywhere to take ownership of their own lives and to be contributors to their community and country.

Alex’s new book Den usynlige ånd (The Invisible Spirit) comes out on the 28th of August.Alex Vanopslagh is a Danish politician and leader of the Liberal Alliance, a classical liberal, free-market party in the Folketing. He has served as party leader since 2019, taking the role at just 27, and has become one of the most prominent voices on the Danish right — making the case that Denmark's prosperity rests on economic freedom and civic responsibility, not socialism. Born in France and raised in Denmark, he studied political science at the University of Southern Denmark before rising through Liberal Alliance's youth wing to lead the party itself.

What The Left Gets Wrong About Denmark | Alex Vanopslagh

Robert P. George joins John Anderson at the ARC conference in London for a conversation that traces natural law back through Cicero and Aristotle to Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. He also discusses his friendship with utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer on the personhood of the unborn as evidence that serious disagreement and real friendship aren't incompatible.

The conversation turns to what happens when that capacity disappears: the tribalism of social media and siloed media ecosystems, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which George calls a tragedy not just for Kirk's family but for civic life in the West. He warns that the U.S. may be "one more assassination away from a civil war," and argues that the way back runs through intellectual humility — a willingness to recognise one's own fallibility and to see one's opponent as a fellow citizen rather than an enemy to be destroyed.

Robert P. George is an American legal scholar, political philosopher, and public intellectual. He serves as the sixth McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.

After Charlie Kirk: The Death Of Civil Discourse | Robert George

Konstantin Kisin argues that Britain is poor and getting poorer, and that almost nobody knows it. He points to polling showing most Britons believe they are as rich as Switzerland, Singapore or Australia, when on a per capita basis Britain sits far down the table and is close to being overtaken by Poland.

 Konstantin also examines the grooming gangs scandal, which he describes as organised crime run through kinship networks, and rejects outright the idea that Britain can accommodate two legal systems.

 Konstantin Kisin is a writer, social commentator, comedian, and co-host of the free speech podcast Triggernometry. He is a regular on British and American TV and radio shows including Question Time, Good Morning Britain, BBC Breakfast, Daily Politics, LBC Cross Question, The Joe Rogan Experience, and many others. He is also the author of An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West.

“The Politics Of Gaslighting”: Why Britain Won't Face Its Own Decline | Konstantin Kisin

John Anderson sits down with social researcher Mark McCrindle and measurement researcher Dorian von Freyhold to examine whether Australia’s Census is giving an accurate picture of the country’s religious identity. They explore how changes to the wording and structure of the religion question may influence responses, why “no religion” does not necessarily mean atheism, and what their research suggests about the true scale of secularisation in Australia.The conversation also looks beyond the Census to the broader cultural picture: the changing relationship younger Australians have with Christianity, the difference between religious affiliation and active belief, the enduring influence of Christian institutions and values, and the growing search for meaning in an increasingly fragmented society.Mark McCrindle is an Australian social researcher, demographer, author and founder of McCrindle, a research and communications agency specialising in social trends, generational change and demographic analysis. He has spent two decades researching how Australian society is changing and is the author of five books. McCrindle is also widely known for coining the term “Generation Alpha” and regularly contributes to public debate on demographic, cultural and generational trends.Dr Dorian von Freyhold is a researcher and strategist specialising in consumer psychology, data science, survey design and business analytics. He holds a PhD from the University of Queensland, where he also lectured in business analytics, consumer psychology and marketing research. Von Freyhold has applied experimental and behavioural research methods across consulting, polling and commercial analytics, and is Managing Partner at Compass Polling. His recent research includes a 5,000-person experiment examining how the wording and structure of the Australian Census religion question can influence responses.

What The Census Gets Wrong About Religion | Mark McCrindle and Dorian von Freyhold

Dr. David Starkey sits down with John Anderson to discuss the breakdown of Britain, arguing the crisis is not merely a run of bad prime ministers but a system deliberately broken. He contends that from 1997 the Blair government reinvented British governance on a continental model, displacing the supremacy of Parliament with human rights law, supreme courts and an alien legal architecture.Starkey warns that the sovereignty of the British people has been quietly inverted, and that the country is only now waking up to the consequences. He points to the 440 quangos accounting for roughly a third of state expenditure, a £100 million bat tunnel, and judges who now determine wage rates and fuel policy. Yet for all Starkey's pessimism, he implores Britons to recall their duty and find the courage to fight for a civilisation that is worth preserving.Dr. David Starkey CBE is a British historian, broadcaster and commentator, best known for his work on the English monarchy. Starkey was presented with the Norton Medlicott Medal for Services to History by Britain's Historical Association. He is Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and the author of historical non-fiction including Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne and Monarchy: The History of England and Her Rulers from the Tudors to the Windsors.

The End of an Empire: Britain's Self-Inflicted Fall From Glory | David Starkey

Geopolitical expert Michael Doran argues that Middle East stability depends on the U.S. winning its long war with Iran. He warns the “rabid dog” regime remains a paused but persistent danger.Doran also unpacks how China is using the Middle East as a laboratory to test how America defends against missiles and drones before any move on Taiwan. He warns that anti-ship ballistic missiles supplied to Iran and the Houthis exist for one purpose: sinking American aircraft carriers.Michael Doran is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and director of its Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East. A former George W. Bush administration National Security Council director, he is the author of Ike's Gamble and a leading voice on Iran, Israel and U.S. strategy.

How China Is Using Iran | Michael Doran

Former senior Treasury official David Pearl argues that Australia's decline is not fate but the product of bad choices made by the people running our institutions.He contends that Treasury, once feared for its razor-sharp scrutiny of policy, has been captured from above by secretaries who treat emissions reduction as a moral imperative rather than a trade-off, and who withhold the true cost of the energy transition — a figure he puts as high as $1 trillion.David Pearl is a former assistant secretary of the Australian Treasury and now a full-time writer and commentator on economic and cultural policy. He spent some three decades in the federal bureaucracy, with postings to the OECD in the late 1990s and a period as the Treasurer's representative in the United States, working across taxation, fiscal management and energy policy. He writes regularly for The Australian and The Spectator Australia and appears frequently on Sky News, where he has been among the most persistent critics of Treasury's modelling of the renewable energy transition.

Treasury Insider: How Ideology Beat Common Sense in Australia | David Pearl

In this conversation, Melanie Phillips joins John Anderson to discuss the crisis of Western resolve and moral decline. Drawing on her decades as a commentator, Phillips argues that Iran's perceived strength reflects Western weakness and hesitation. She also explores how anti-Zionism and elite failure have hollowed out Western valuesA pre-eminent voice in British public discourse, Melanie Phillips possesses a storied journalistic pedigree. Having established her reputation at The Guardian and the New Statesman, she now provides sharp political and social analysis for The Times, The Jerusalem Post, and The Jewish Chronicle. A familiar and formidable presence on the airwaves, she has long served as a regular panellist for BBC Radio 4’s The Moral Maze and BBC One’s Question Time. Phillips was honoured with the Orwell Prize for Journalism in 1996 during her tenure at The Observer, and her extensive bibliography includes her candid memoir, Guardian Angel: My Story, My Britain.

Iran, Trump, And The Weakening Of The West | Melanie Phillips

Steven Koonin joins John Anderson for an in-depth conversation exploring the science, engineering and economics behind today's climate debate. Drawing on decades of experience in physics, energy research and public policy, Koonin argues that while climate change is real, many public discussions fail to capture the uncertainty, nuance and trade-offs contained within the scientific evidence. Together they examine what climate models can reliably predict and why careful analysis matters when shaping long-term policy.The conversation also explores Australia's energy future, the challenges of maintaining reliable electricity grids, the potential role of nuclear power, and the balance between affordability, energy security and environmental responsibility. Koonin reflects on scientific integrity, technological innovation and why societies benefit when evidence, rather than politics, remains at the centre of public debate.Steven E. Koonin is the Edward Teller Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He served as the undersecretary for science in the US Department of Energy under President Obama from 2009 to 2011, and was the lead author of the US Department of Energy’s Strategic Plan (2011) and the inaugural Department of Energy Quadrennial Technology Review (2011). His recent book is called Unsettled (Updated and Expanded Edition): What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters.Sign up to John's substack here: https://www.ourcivilisationalmoment.com/Sign up to John's newsletter here: https://johnanderson.net.au/contact/

“Climate Change Is NOT An Existential Threat” | Steven Koonin

John sits down with Professor Steve Tsang, a political scientist and historian of China, to discuss Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.

 

Professor Steve Tsang describes Xi Jinping’s leadership style as "Sinocentric Consultative Leninism": absolute control by the Communist Party. This control is maintained through surveillance, ostensible 'anti-corruption' campaigns, nationalism, and the educational 'shaping' of the people. Xi aims to expand China's global influence, using economic leverage and Taiwan to achieve his vision of national rejuvenation.

Steve Tsang, Professor of China Studies, Author, Political Scientist

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