About this season
Hosted by Hamish Macdonald, Q&A puts punters, pollies and pundits together in the studio to thrash out the hot issues of the week. It's about democracy in action - the audience gets to ask the questions.
Episodes (45)
1. Pies For The People
Aired 4 February 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Christopher Pyne, Shadow Education Minister; David Bradbury, Assistant Treasurer; Amanda Vanstone, Former Howard Government Minister; Anne Summers, Author and feminist and Tim Levinson, Hip Hop Artist aka Urthboy.
2. Cry Freedom
Aired 11 February 2013 • 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel are: trust expert, Rachel Botsman; Shadow Attorney-General George Brandis; Senator for the state of Western Australia, Chris Evans; TV presenter-turned-lawyer, Corinne Grant; and Editor at the Institute of Public Affairs, James Paterson.
3. A Show About Nothing
Aired 18 February 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Health; Greg Hunt, Shadow Minister for Climate Action; Professor Lawrence Krauss, Theoretical Physicist & Cosmologist; Dr John Dickson, Director of the Centre for Public Christianity; and Dr Cindy Pan, Medical Commentator & Author.
4. Espionage, Revolution & Ruin
Aired 25 February 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Jeff Bleich, Bob Carr, Eva Cox, Ahdaf Soueif, Malcolm Turnbull.
5. Crime, Climate & Cask Wine
Aired 4 March 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Bill Shorten, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations; Julie Bishop, Deputy Opposition Leader; Christine Milne, Leader of the Greens; Tim Ferguson, Comedian and Senate candidate and Ruslan Kogan, CEO Kogan.
6. The Education Debate
Aired 11 March 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Peter Garrett, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth; and Christopher Pyne, Shadow Education Minister.
7. Pope, Polls & Poverty
Aired 18 March 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: David Feeney, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence; Barnaby Joyce, Queensland Nationals Senator; Viv Benjamin, Anti-poverty Campaigner & Youth Activist; Alannah MacTiernan, Former WA Labor Minister; and Jeremy Cordeaux, Adelaide Broadcaster & Commentator.
8. Sports, Spills, Skills & Sex
Aired 25 March 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: A.C. Grayling, British Philosopher; Brendan O'Connor, Minister for Immigration; Kelly O'Dwyer, Liberal Member for Higgins; Christine Nixon, Former Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police; Brendon Gale, Former AFL player and CEO Richmond Football Club; and George Megalogenis, Author and Commentator.
9. Faith & Love
Aired 1 April 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane; Dr Mohamad Abdalla, Imam; Venerable Robina Courtin, Buddhist Nun; Josh Thomas, Atheist, Comedian & Actor; and Deborah Conway, Jewish Atheist Singer-Songwriter.
10. The F Word
Aired 8 April 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Brooke Magnanti, Research Scientist and Author Belle de Jour; Germaine Greer, Feminist icon and provocateur; Mia Freedman, Mamamia founder and director; Deborah Cheetham, Indigenous opera singer; and Janet Albrechtsen, Opinion columnist for The Australian.
11. Taking Tasmania into Tomorrow
Aired 15 April 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Dick Adams, Labor MP for Lyons; Sophie Mirabella, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science; David Marr, Journalist and commentator; Jan Davis, CEO of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association; and Peter Whish-Wilson, Greens Senator for Tasmania.
12. The Health Debate
Aired 22 April 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Tanya Plibersek, Health Minister; and Peter Dutton, Shadow Health Minister.
13. Class Warfare, Latte Sippers & Mental Illness
Aired 29 April 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Mark Butler, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing; Jamie Briggs, Coalition Spokesperson on Scrutiny of Government Waste; Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator; Andrea Mason, Co-ordinator of NPY Women's Council; and Nick Cater, Senior editor with The Australian and author.
14. High School Showdown
Aired 6 May 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.
15. Where's the Beef?
Aired 13 May 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Clive Palmer, Mining Magnate; Ged Kearney, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions; Tim Nicholls, Queensland Treasurer; Larissa Waters, Queensland Greens Senator; and Bob Katter, Political maverick and Leader of Katter's Australian Party.
16. War, Depression & Hypersexuality
Aired 20 May 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Ruby Wax, Comedian and Author; Faramerz Dabhoiwala, Author The Origins of Sex; Sylvia Nasar, Author A Beautiful Mind; William Dalrymple, Historian of India and the Islamic world; and Mike Carlton, Journalist, Commentator and Author.
17. Religion, Marriage & Euthanasia
Aired 27 May 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Lawrence Krauss, Theoretical Physicist & Cosmologist; Gene Robinson, America's First Openly Gay Bishop; Fred Nile, Conservative Morals Campaigner; Amanda Vanstone, Former Howard Government Minister; and Susan Ryan, Age Discrimination Commissioner.
18. An Audience with Bill Gates
Aired 28 May 2013 • 60 min
Panellist: Bill Gates, Chairman & Founder of Microsoft and Philanthropist.
19. Racism, Hypocrisy & Hot Air
Aired 3 June 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Martha Wainwright, Canadian Singer - Songwriter; Bill McKibben, American Environmentalist; Michael Stutchbury, Editor-in-Chief of The Australian Financial Review; Linda Burney, Indigenous MP; and Cory Bernardi, Liberal Senator.
20. Bring Back The Biff, Turn Back The Boats
Aired 10 June 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Mark Latham, Former Federal Opposition Leader; Malcolm Turnbull, Shadow Minister for Communications; Craig Emerson, Minister for Trade; Jennifer Hewett, Political journalist; and Haifaa Al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker.
21. Toxic Politics & Vaccinations
Aired 17 June 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Kate Lundy, Minister for Sport and Multicultural Affairs; Barnaby Joyce, Queensland Nationals Senator; Paul Kelly, Editor-at-large The Australian; Robert Manne, Writer and academic; and Dr Fiona Stanley, Former Australian Of The Year.
22. Speculation & Discrimination
Aired 24 June 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Anne Summers, Author The Misogyny Factor; George Brandis, Shadow Attorney General; Graham Richardson, Labor powerbroker turned commentator; Matt Thistlethwaite, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs; and Judith Sloan, Economist and businesswoman.
23. Spin, Selling & Slogans
Aired 1 July 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Health & Medical Research; Sophie Mirabella, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science; Todd Sampson, Advertising CEO and Gruen Transfer regular; Sue Cato, Commentator and Spin Doctor; and Neil Lawrence, Kevin 07 Campaign Creator.
24. More Than Beef, Boats & Bali
Aired 4 July 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Senior advisor to Indonesian Vice President Boediono; Tim Lindsey, Director, Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society; Yuli Ismartono, Deputy Editor in Chief of Tempo magazine; Rafendi Djamin, Human Rights Advocate; Yenny Wahid, Islamic activist & daughter of late former President 'Gus Dur' Wahid; and Meidyatama "Dimas" Suryodiningrat, Editor in Chief of The Jakarta Post.
25. Reforms, Solutions & Compromise
Aired 8 July 2013 • 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel are: TV presenter-turned-lawyer, Corinne Grant; cartoonist, Bill Leak; founder of left-wing think tank CPD, Miriam Lyons; and Shadow Minister for Telecommunications, Malcolm Turnbull.
26. When The Boom Is Over
Aired 15 July 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Stephen Smith, Minister for Defence; Julie Bishop, Deputy Opposition Leader; Scott Ludlam, WA Greens Senator; Narelda Jacobs, WA's first indigenous television news presenter; and Mitch Hooke, CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia.
27. The PNG Solution & The Autism Spectrum
Aired 22 July 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Bill Shorten, Minister for Education and Workplace Relations; Tim Fischer, Former Deputy Prime Minister; Arthur Sinodinos, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition; Louise Adler, CEO of Melbourne University Publishing; and Michelle Foster, Director of the International Refugee Law Programme.
28. Drones, Boot Camps & Degrees
Aired 29 July 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Magda Szubanski, Actress and Comedian; Kate Ellis, Minister for Employment Participation; Josh Frydenberg, Liberal Member for Kooyong; Peter Shergold, Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney; and Shahzad Akbar, Pakistani Human Rights Lawyer.
29. Social Media, Surplus & Shelter
Aired 5 August 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Doug Cameron, Parliamentary Secretary for Housing and Homelessness; Greg Hunt, Shadow Minister for Climate Action; Grahame Morris, Political strategist; Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Founder of Youth Without Borders; and Pamela Williams, National Correspondent Australian Financial Review.
30. Costings, Conski & Cab Rides
Aired 12 August 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Penny Wong, Finance Minister; Christopher Pyne, Shadow Education Minister; Adam Bandt, Greens Member for Melbourne; Rhys Muldoon, Actor and Commentator; and Janet Albrechtsen, Opinion columnist for The Australian.
31. The National Economic Debate
Aired 19 August 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Chris Bowen, Federal Treasurer; and Joe Hockey, Shadow Treasurer.
32. Papers, Parental Leave & Penalty Rates
Aired 26 August 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Bill Shorten, Minister for Education and Workplace Relations; Kelly O'Dwyer, Liberal Member for Higgins; Tom Watson, Anti-Murdoch Campaigner; Sally Warhaft, Editor, Author and host of The Fifth Estate and Tim Wilson, Institute of Public Affairs.
33. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Aired 2 September 2013 • 60 min
Panellist: Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister.
34. PM, Palmer & the Poisoned Chalice
Aired 9 September 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Health & Medical Research; George Brandis, Shadow Attorney General; Michael Kroger, Former President of the Victorian Liberal Party; Lenore Taylor, Chief Political Correspondent The Guardian; and Graham Richardson, Labor powerbroker turned commentator.
35. Pencils, Mandates and a Single Bed
Aired 16 September 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Clive Palmer, Leader of the Palmer United Party; Mark Latham, Former Federal Opposition Leader; Larissa Waters, Queensland Greens Senator; David Williamson, Playwright; Rebecca Huntley, Social researcher and writer; and Nick Xenophon, South Australia Independent Senator.
36. An Audience With David Suzuki
Aired 23 September 2013 • 60 min
Panellist: David Suzuki, Renowned Environmental Scientist and Campaigner.
37. ALP Leadership Debate
Aired 30 September 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Anthony Albanese, Labor MP for Grayndler; and Bill Shorten, Labor MP for Maribyrnong.
38. Corruption, China & Carbon
Aired 7 October 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Greg Hunt, Minister for the Environment; Kate Ellis, Labor MP; Viv Benjamin, CEO of the Oaktree Foundation; Luo Xiaopeng, Chinese economist and political analyst; and Greg Sheridan, Foreign Affairs Editor, The Australian.
39. Fireworks, Free Trade & Indigenous Issues
Aired 14 October 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Arthur Sinodinos, Assistant Treasurer; Penny Wong, South Australian Labor Senator; Warren Mundine, Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council; Jeff McMullen, Journalist and author; and Lally Katz, Playwright.
40. Fires, Illegals & Rorts
Aired 21 October 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Barnaby Joyce, Minister for Agriculture; Tony Burke, Labor frontbencher; Amanda Vanstone, Former Howard Government Minister; Vince Sorrenti, Comedian; and Rabia Siddique, Lawyer and Author Equal Justice.
41. Independent Thinkers & Independent Schools
Aired 28 October 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Christopher Pyne, Education Minister; Joel Fitzgibbon, Shadow Minister for Agriculture; Ray Martin, Journalist and author; Wendy Harmer, Editor in Chief, The Hoopla; and Judith Sloan, Economist and businesswoman.
42. From the Festival of Dangerous Ideas
Aired 4 November 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Peter Hitchens, Journalist and author; Germaine Greer, Feminist icon and provocateur; Hanna Rosin, Senior editor of The Atlantic; and Dan Savage, Sex Advice Author and Gay Activist.
43. Open For Business
Aired 11 November 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: David Knox, Managing Director and CEO, Santos Ltd; Carol Schwartz, Chair of the Women's Leadership Institute; John Symond, Founder, Aussie Home Loans; Elizabeth Proust, Chair of Nestle Australia; and Graham Bradley, Non-Executive Chair of HSBC Bank Australia.
44. India: More than Bollywood and Batsmen
Aired 18 November 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Shashi Tharoor, Diplomat and Minister of State for HR Development; Pallavi Sharda, Australian-born Bollywood star; Swapan Dasgupta, Senior Indian journalist and political commentator; Shoma Chaudhury, Managing Editor of news magazine Tehelka; Karan Thapar, Award winning TV journalist and Host of Devil's Advocate and Stuart MacGill, Former Australian Cricketer.
45. Spying, Sorry & Free Speech
Aired 25 November 2013 • 60 min
Panellists: Yulia Supadmo, Indonesian Senior Journalist; Josh Frydenberg, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister; Chris Bowen, Shadow Treasurer; Kurt Campbell, Lowy Institute Distinguished International Fellow; Tara Moss, Author; and Julian Burnside, Barrister and Human Rights Advocate.