Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny: Finger pointing, federalism and alternative facts

Abstract

After a week of finger pointing between the federal government and some of Australia’s states and territories over COVID-19 management and the vaccine rollout, Mark Kenny speaks with federalism scholar Tracy Beck Fenwick and media expert Margaret Simons about how the federation is functioning. Is the sense of national unity between the federal government and the states and territories, perhaps best demonstrated through the early days of the National Cabinet, now gone? Is federalism the problem in these increasingly fractious relationships or just a convenient scapegoat? And what role does the media play in their reporting on COVID-19, especially around misinformation? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Director of the Australian Centre for Federalism Dr Tracy Beck Fenwick and Dr Margaret Simons from the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism join Professor Mark Kenny to discuss these questions and more.