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John Anderson: Conversations

John Anderson: Conversations

By: John Anderson
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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 Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • After Charlie Kirk: The Death Of Civil Discourse | Robert George
    Aug 21 2026

    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.

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    32 mins
  • “The Politics Of Gaslighting”: Why Britain Won't Face Its Own Decline | Konstantin Kisin
    Aug 14 2026

    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.

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    39 mins
  • What The Census Gets Wrong About Religion | Mark McCrindle and Dorian von Freyhold
    Aug 10 2026

    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.

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    40 mins
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