About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the AUKUS defense deal and the political dynamics surrounding it, including the swearing-in of David Farley from One Nation.

Peter Garrett has been burning the Midnight Oil over AUKUS - and he’s not the only one turning up the heat. The former Labor minister is leading an independent inquiry into the $368 billion defence deal, after confirmation Australia will now receive three second-hand Virginia-class submarines from the United States. The Opposition is also taking a swing, warning the revised arrangement could leave Australia with older submarines, shorter operating lives, and a future capability gap. So is this just another round of AUKUS anxiety - or a real problem for the government? Plus, a big moment for One Nation as David Farley is sworn in as the new member for Farrer, and early signs he may take a different tone from Pauline Hanson. And how will Labor, the Liberals, and One Nation position themselves on a rise to the minimum wage? Patricia Karvelas and Raf Epstein break it all down on Politics Now. Got a burning question? Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au

People in this episode

Hosts: Patricia Karvelas, Raf Epstein

Guest: David Farley

Topics covered

• AUKUS
• defense deal
• political inquiry
• minimum wage
• One Nation
• submarine acquisition

Keywords

• AUKUS
• Peter Garrett
• Virginia-class submarines
• defense
• minimum wage
• politics
• One Nation
• David Farley

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Labor, One Nation, Liberals

More episodes of Politics Now

• Is Australia ready for the AI transformation? | Insiders on Background · June 12, 2026 · 19 min
• Labor goes back to basics · June 10, 2026 · 35 min
• Is the Prime Minister ready to 'cop it'? · June 10, 2026 · 25 min
• Pocock sparks data centre debate · June 8, 2026 · 23 min
• Labor's populism pushback · June 8, 2026 · 29 min
• Lachlan Harris warns Labor's budget isolates voters amid One Nation rise | Insiders on Background · June 5, 2026 · 28 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Politics Now podcast page.