Both Major Parties are Failing the Australian People

Series

Intelligence Squared Debates

Where

Melbourne Town Hall

When

Monday, 14 Mar 2011, 06:30pm - 08:30pm

Event Status

Past event

As the old truism would have it, ‘Whoever you vote for the Government always gets in’. By the end of last year, the Australian electorate’s sense of fatigue and disillusionment was palpable. Differences between Labor and Liberal felt incremental, and the big stories seemed to centre on alternatives, from the Greens to the Independents. Have the old forces in Australian politics lost their way?

Arguing in favour of the proposition will be, in order of appearance, Carmen Lawrence, Greg Barns and John Hewson. Arguing against the proposition will be Helen Kroger, Shaun Carney and Penny Wong.

Featuring

Featuring

Greg Barns

Greg Barns is a barrister and writer. He practices in the areas of criminal law, administrative law and family law and is a member of the Tasmanian, Victorian and WA Bars. Greg is a graduate of Monash University (BA/LLB) and spent over a decade working as a political adviser to a number of state a... Read more

Shaun Carney

Shaun Carney is a journalist and memoirist. In a career spanning 35 years, he worked as a journalist, editor and columnist with the Herald and the Age. After leaving full-time journalism he became a weekly columnist for the Herald Sun and is an adjunct associate professor with the Sch... Read more

John Hewson

John Hewson is an economic and financial expert with experience in academia, business, government and the financial system. He has worked as an economist for the Australian Treasury, the Reserve Bank, the IMF and as an advisor to two successive federal treasurers and the prime minister. He is curre... Read more

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Helen Kroger

Senator Helen Kroger has been in Federal Parliament since 2008 following an extensive career in small business, corporate fundraising and Human Resource Management. Helen has also been a reformist as a former Victorian State President and federal Vice President of the Liberal Party. She is the Chair... Read more

Carmen Lawrence

Carmen Lawrence is Winthrop Professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Western Australia. She is a former Premier of Western Australia and federal government minister. After training as a research psychologist at the University of Western Australia and lecturing in a number of Austra... Read more

Penny Wong

Penny Wong is the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. Penny was born in Malaysia. As an eight year old she moved to Australia with her family and settled in Adelaide. Penny graduated in law and arts from the University of Adelaide. She went on to practice ... Read more

@SenatorWong

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