Policy Forum Pod

Far from being ‘rusted-on’ voters, rural Australians are deserting the major parties in greater numbers than their city counterparts. And they’re not just abandoning status-quo politics, but finding new ways of inspiring community action and taking policy change into their own hands. So what are urban policymakers getting wrong about rural voters? And what policy lessons should we be taking from the countryside and applying to the country? On this week’s podcast, hosts Martyn Pearce and Jill Sheppard hear from a journalist, a political scientist, and two rural leaders at the forefront of community politics. Gabrielle Chan has been a journalist for more than 30 years. Since 2013, she has worked for Guardian Australia as a political correspondent, Politics Live blogger and senior writer. Her latest book, Rusted Off: Why Country Australia Is Fed Up was released in September 2018. Peter Holding is on the board of Directors for Farmers for Climate Action – an alliance of farmers working to see the agricultural sec