The National Conservatism Institute of Australia Podcast

by Dan Ryan

Dr Bella D'Abrera - "Mindless: How the Education System is Indoctrinating Our Children and Destroying Our Civilisation"

My guest today is Dr Bella D'Abrera a well-known Australian academic who was for many years Director of the Foundations of Western Civilisation Program at the Institute of Public Affairs. Amongst other things she is now on the Advisory Committee for the Australian National Archives and a regular contributor to The Spectator Australia, the Herald Sun, the Daily Telegraph and The Australian, and appears regularly on Sky News. Today we discuss: How she describes the ideology which is being taught to our children and whether it is correct to describe it as Marxist How exactly did this ideology come to seize the commanding heights of our education system How to push back against the argument that modern education is simply being kind and tolerant? What solutions are there for parents looking to protect their kids? And much much more. https://x.com/belladabrera?s=20 https://www.amazon.com.au/Mindless-Education-Indoctrinating-Destroying-Civilisation/dp/1764484908?ref_=Oct_d_otopr_d_4897353051_0&pd_rd_w=uVpan&content-id=amzn1.sym.69547269-75b4-4a51-b300-2e4234beacb4&pf_rd_p=69547269-75b4-4a51-b300-2e4234beacb4&pf_rd_r=6DQ8Q5PY5GQJNTMFRVK0&pd_rd_wg=GxDpP&pd_rd_r=65983723-8174-41f3-856c-d54838afb71a&pd_rd_i=1764484908

E127

Jun 22, 2026

36:09

Barnaby Joyce - What Really Explains One Nation's Recent Meteoric Rise?

My guest today is former deputy Prime Minister of Australia and now One Nation MP, Barnaby Joyce . Today we discuss: How he explains his new party's meteoric rise in the polls over the last 12 months Is One Nation just a protest party? If not, what is the governing philosophy of One Nation and how does it differ from The Liberal Party and The National Party Why the traditional centre-right parties adopting some of One Nation positions hasn’t improved their polls What positions he has rethought over the last 10 years and how things have changed since the Howard era Where he thinks it all ends And much much more https://barnabyjoyce.com.au/

E126

Jun 3, 2026

30:18

Parnell Palme McGuinness - The Politically Young and Restless in Modern Australia

Parnell is an insights and advocacy strategist and a senior fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies, an Australian classical market think tank. She also writes a weekly column for the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on politics, policy and culture. Today we discuss: Her well-known columnist father, his political transformation, and whether her views have changed over the years Whether there needs to be an update to the Howard era right thinking on trade and immigration How young people (25-34) in Australia are feeling about the economy based on her recent research Whether AI is going to kill journalism and all white collar jobs within 18 months as the head of Microsoft AI recently claimed And much more https://www.cis.org.au/person/parnell-palme-mcguinness/

E125

May 18, 2026

1:00:49

Dr James L Nuzzo - The Perils of Gender Politics and What Do To About It

James L. Nuzzo, PhD, is an exercise scientist and men’s health researcher. Dr. Nuzzo has published over 80 research articles in peer-reviewed journals. He writes regularly about exercise, men’s health, and academia at The Nuzzo Letter, with additional writings appearing at Reality’s Last Stand and Australians for Science & Freedom. In 2025, Dr. Nuzzo documented his academic cancellation using a freedom of information request. Today we discuss: His termination from his position at an Australian university and how the end of “woke” and cancellation politics has been greatly exaggerated How he got involved in the gender politics and how his research reveals data that is often very different to what is presented in the mainstream press The radicalisation of young women in the West and what should be done about it What he understands by the term “feminism” and how gender issues should be discussed Whether there are any causes for optimism And much much more. James L. Nuzzo, PhD, CSCS The Nuzzo Letter (Substack) ResearchGate Google Scholar Twitter (X) LinkedIn jameslnuzzo.com Go Fund Me (Research Support)

E124

May 15, 2026

54:39

David Goodhart - The "Somewheres" and The "Anywheres" 10 Years After The Brexit Vote

My guest today is David Goodhart, a British journalist who is the author of several influential books including “The Road to Somewhere”, "Head, Hand, and Heart", and most recently “The Care Dilemma”. Today we discuss: 1. Whether there has been any bridging of the divide between the “Somewheres” and the “Anywheres” since he wrote his book 2. The extent to which his work has parallels with Disraeli’s criticisms of liberalism and the cosmopolitan class? 3. Whether centre-right parties really understand “one nation” conservatism 4. Whether AI has changed the respect power of the “Anywheres” and the cognitive class 5. What the Care Dilemma is, how we need a better way of accounting for the true costs that have arisen due to female entry in to the workforce, and what we should do about this 6. His plans for the future including a potential play on the Bretton Woods conference And much much more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Goodhart

E123

May 6, 2026

1:10:30

Peter Varghese AO - Former Head of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

My guest today is Peter Varghese AO who amongst other things served as the former head of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and who currently serves as the Chancellor of the University of Queensland. Today we discuss: How to determine what is important and not in foreign affairs How diplomats generally missed the rise of Donald Trump and failed to properly understand the pressures that propelled him to the Presidency Whether our trade relationship with China needs to be readjusted Why did Australia get involved in many of the foreign interventions over the last 30+ years and whether places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere should be considered successes? Whether foreign student numbers are too high in Australia Whether he is optimistic for the future And much much more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Varghese

E122

May 1, 2026

58:57

Drew Hutton, Founder of The Australian Greens - Their Past, Present, and Potential Future

My guest today is Drew Hutton, who was one of the founders of the Australian Greens political party. Today we discuss: The origins of the Green political party in Australia and how it has changed over the years His current dispute with the Greens regarding gender ideology and what explains the differences between baby boomers and younger generations on this issue Whether there are potential commonalities between a particular type of traditional "crunchy con" conservatism and the anti-corporate left Where he sees the Greens going in the years ahead both in Australia and elsewhere in the West And much more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drew_Hutton

E121

Apr 22, 2026

58:40

Senator Leah Blyth - How to Turn South Australia Around, Industrially and Politically

My guest today is Leah Blyth, federal Senator for South Australia and President of the Liberal Party of South Australia. Today we discuss: What explains the decline in the Liberal Party's fortunes in her state? Whether the voters blame the Liberal Party for the deindustrialisation and loss of the car industry? Her views on trade policy, Andrew Hastie's comments on "neoliberalism", and what a new policy framework for the centre-right might look like The resurgent defense industry in South Australia Why current child care policy is not working and what to do about it? And much more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Blyth https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=315170 https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/10/protectionism-free-trade-and-small-government/

E120

Apr 22, 2026

57:12

Philip Pilkington - The Defeat of Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Post-Liberalism's Future

Philip Pilkington is a Senior Research Fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA), where his focus is on macroeconomic and geo-economic issues, and he is also a visiting fellow at the Danube Institute in Hungary. Today we discuss: What Viktor Orban's defeat means for Hungary, The Danube Institute, and post-liberalism in that country His book "The Collapse of Global Liberalism" What is wrong with liberalism and what the best way of getting liberals to question their ideology Whether liberalism is a Christian heresy And much more https://x.com/philippilk?lang=en https://danubeinstitute.hu/en/authors/pilkington-philip

E119

Apr 21, 2026

1:09:15

Scott Challen - The Upcoming "Australia Marches" Protests and What They Hope To Achieve

My guest today is Scott Challen, who is a successful businessman and founder of the "Australia Marches" organization and "Australian Lobby Group". Today we discuss: The upcoming "Australia Marches" protests in Canberra and what they hope to achieve What sort of engagement he has had to date with political parties to date How the nationalist movement here is similar to and differs from those in the UK and USA A broader discussion about how we got here and why there is such disenchantment with the traditional mainstream parties And much more https://australiamarches.com/ https://auslobby.com.au/ https://x.com/shallowchal

E118

Apr 15, 2026

57:58

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