Money talks

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny speaks with Craig Reucassel - formerly of The Chaser and director of the new two-part ABC film Big Deal - about the flaws in Australia’s political donation laws and what needs to happen to fix the system.

Does Australia need to introduce a cap on political donations? What can be done to provide an impetus for the major parties to come together to introduce real-time reporting and transparency? And can policymakers end the ‘arms race’ for donations in political campaigning? Craig Reucassel, director of Big Deal - a new documentary about Australia’s political lobbying industry - joins Professor Mark Kenny on this episode of Democracy Sausage.

Craig Reucassel is an Australian writer, comedian, and journalist best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser. In 2021, he directed the two-part ABC documentary Big Deal: Is our democracy for sale?

Mark Kenny is a Professor in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.

Big Deal premieres on ABC iview and ABC TV at 8.30pm, Tuesday 19 October.

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