Afternoon Light

Is the sickness of modern democracy our increasing inability to argue constructively, with an honest view towards convincing or even learning from our opponents?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Leila Brammer to unpack the centrality of debate to democracy, why its quality has declined in recent years, and what we can do to reverse the trend. For as Robert Menzies said, ‘if truth is to emerge and in the long run be triumphant, the process of free debate, the untrammelled clash of opinion must go on’.

Professor Leila Brammer is Director of Outreach and Instructional Development of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse at the University of Chicago. The University of Chicago’s Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse aims to foster ‘vigorous, inclusive, and productive public discourse’ through its undergraduate curriculum, live events, and support for principles of free expression. Professor Brammer’s academic work focuses on rhetoric — how arguments are made, how persuasion works, and how public disagreement shapes democratic life. She studies not just what people argue about, but how they argue — which goes directly to the heart of respectful disagreement.

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After 75 years of the Australian-American Alliance, are we still pulling our weight?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Andrew Hastie to mark 75 years of the ANZUS Treaty and explore the myriad of challenges that Australia faces today. From unpredictable allies to deindustrialisation, the complacency with which we have coasted through the post-Cold War period will no longer keep us safe.

The Hon Andrew Hastie MP is Shadow Minister for Industry and Sovereign Capability, and the Member for Canning in the House of Representatives. Mr Hastie completed a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History and Philosophy through the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy. In 2006, he graduated officer training at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. In 2009, Mr Hastie deployed to Afghanistan as a Cavalry Troop Leader. In 2010, he was selected for service with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) as a Troop Commander, taking commands in maritime and special reconnaissance capabilities. He deployed to Afghanistan again in 2013 as a Troop Commander with the Australian Special Operations Task Group. During his service with the SASR, he deployed to various theatres in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific.

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How early did Australia come to see Russian Bolshevism as a threat to the world?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Damien Wright to reveal the untold story of Anzac involvement in the Russian Civil War. Our nation's first battle against communism, which saw two Australians win the Victoria Cross, only for their heroism and sacrifice to be all but forgotten.

Damien Wright is a historian and author with a lifelong interest in Australian military history. He is a recognised expert on British military operations in Russia and author of the books, Churchill’s Secret War with Lenin: British and Commonwealth Military Intervention in the Russian Civil War, 1918-20 and Australia’s Lost Heroes: ANZACs in the Russian Civil War 1919. In 2019 he travelled to Russia with the grandson of Sergeant Samuel Pearse, VC, MM and held a commemoration on the 100th Anniversary at the site of his death and posthumous Victoria Cross action, the first time an Australian had visited the location in 100 years. His articles have been published in Journals of The James Caird Society, The Orders and Medals Research Society and commercial history magazines. He holds a Security, Terrorism and Counterterrorism degree and works in the international education sector.

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How did Australia go from being the 'golden land' to a place of persecution?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Michael Gawenda to unpack the horrific rise of antisemitism in Australia. Drawing on his own family history as Menzies era migrants, and recent experiences as a prominent Jew in Australia's media landscape.

Michael Gawenda is a multi-award winning journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Age - the only Jewish editor-in-chief in the newspaper’s history. In 2023 he published a memoir, My Life as a Jew, which won the Leslie and Sophie Caplan Award for Jewish Non-Fiction at the Shalom Australian Jewish Book Awards. He now provides regular commentary and reflections on his substack, Gawenda Unleashed.

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250 years after Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations, have we in Australia forgotten the foundational economic lessons that Smith offered?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Joseph Healy to resuscitate the insights of famous Scottish Enlightenment thinker Adam Smith to help tackle Australia's current problems. From cost of living and housing crises to corporate cronyism and moral decline, Smith can help us understand why we've gone wrong, and what we can do to bring back not just our prosperity, but our vitality.

Joseph Healy is a career international banker and mental health entrepreneur. He was a co-founder and CEO of Judo Bank, a bank created to serve the needs of the SME economy - the baker, the butcher, and the brewer. He is also a co-founder and Executive Chairman of Malu Health Group, which specialises in mental health care. Joseph holds six master’s degrees in subjects covering financial economics, business studies, Chinese studies, and the psychology and neuroscience of mental health. He is the author of What Would Adam Smith Make of Modern Australia? How Lessons from the Past Provide Answers for a Better Future.

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