The future of political leadership

On the final episode in the Policy Forum Pod mini-series on leadership, author and former senator Scott Ludlam joins us to discuss challenging the political status quo and why more distributed forms of leadership might be an effective way to create change.


What do Australia’s climate policy failures reveal about the country’s political system and leadership? Can a move to a more distributed, decentralised form of leadership lead to substantial change? And what role can non-traditional forms of leadership - from investor activism to school climate strikes - play in achieving better outcomes for Australia’s environment and society? Former Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam joins Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter on the final episode in our Policy Forum Pod mini-series to look at the future of leadership and democracy, and to reflect on the challenging and inspiring conversations on the pod over the past four episodes.


Scott Ludlam was Senator for Western Australia in the Australian Senate from 2008 to 2017, and served as Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens. In May 2021 he authored Full Circle: A search for the world that comes next, published by Black Inc.


Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.


Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.


The episode of Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny featuring Scott Ludlam is available here. Scott’s new book, Full Circle: A search for the world that comes next, is published by Black Inc.


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