John Anderson: Conversations

Julian Leeser joins John Anderson for an assessment of the disturbing return of anti-semitism to the Australian public sphere. Leeser sets out the historical contours of anti-semitism and why Hamas's October 7 attacks became a catalyst for hostility on Australian soil. 

The conversation criticises the failure of the current Australian government to curb anti-semitic rhetoric and acts of vandalism. Instead, it has instead chosen to legitimise the actions of Hamas by recognising a Palestinian state at the UN. This is an important discussion that urges Australia to have the courage to confront extremist, anti-democratic values and ensure every Australian is able to live in safety and dignity on our shores.

Julian Leeser is the Liberal Party Member for Berowra in Sydney. He is the editor and author of numerous books on a bill of rights for Australia, federalism, and Indigenous issues.

John speaks with Michelle Manook about the realities of Australia’s energy system, the misconceptions driving policy, and the widening gap between ideology and practical national interest. Manook explains why technological advances in sustainable coal production, including Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and High Efficiency Low Emissions (HELE) power plants, make coal a legitimate energy option for our future.

The discussion urges Australians to re-examine the assumptions embedded in net zero narratives, the economic risks posed by unreliable power, and the strategic necessity of maintaining a diverse and resilient energy mix. This is a grounded, forward-looking discussion about how nations sustain prosperity and stability in an increasingly uncertain world.

Michelle Manook is Chief Executive of FutureCoal. Previously, she was Head of Strategy, Government and Communications for Europe, Asia and Africa for the multinational company Orica, based in Perth, Australia.

Connor Tomlinson joins John for a compelling examination of Britain’s fractured politics and its loss of cultural self-belief. Tomlinson offers a frank account of how mass immigration and rising Islamist separatism are reshaping the social fabric of Britain. Difficult but necessary questions are examined concerning integration, national cohesion, and whether the country still has the confidence to uphold its own cultural inheritance. Despite the challenges, Tomlinson insists that renewal is still possible if Britain can rediscover the confidence to enforce its laws, protect its institutions, and expect newcomers to adopt its cultural values. This conversation is a call to restore order, confidence, and a shared sense of direction for Britain's future.Connor Tomlinson is a British political commentator, writer, and policy researcher known for his work on immigration, identity, environmental policy, and the cultural challenges facing the UK. A regular contributor to GB News, TalkTV, The Lotus Eaters, and a writer for Courage Media.

Join John in conversation with Helen Joyce for a measured and penetrating examination of gender ideology, the erosion of safeguarding principles, and the profound human rights concerns emerging across clinics, schools, and public institutions. Joyce warns that while the UK is returning to evidence-based practice, Australia continues to pursue practices driven by radical ideology such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender-affirming surgery for children. 

Joyce is adamant that denying biological reality harms women, children, medical ethics, and public trust. She argues for renewed clarity, ethical courage, and respect for the rights of a child to a natural puberty and long-term wellbeing. 

Helen Joyce was Britain Editor at The Economist, where she worked for over 15 years before she joined the gender-critical campaign group Sex Matters as a director. She is the author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality.

Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report joins John Anderson in Sydney for a searching conversation on the crises reshaping Western democracy and culture. They examine the collapse of reasoned debate, the rise of identity politics, and how outrage and censorship have supplanted open dialogue. Rubin reflects on the assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk and what it reveals about a society increasingly willing to justify political violence as a means of social progress. Their discussion spans the erosion of Enlightenment ideals, the resurgence of antisemitism, the loss of trust in institutions and media, and the widening cultural divide between secularism and the Christian moral inheritance of the West. Anderson and Rubin also explore immigration, free speech, and the future of civic courage — warning that without truth, shared purpose, and principled leadership, the West risks forfeiting the very freedoms that once defined it. Dave Rubin is an author, commentator, and host of The Rubin Report, a leading program examining the challenges to free speech and liberal democracy in the modern West. Once aligned with the political left, Rubin now advocates a return to classical liberal principles and open discourse. His most recent book, Don’t Burn This Country, offers a blueprint for preserving freedom in an age of ideological conformity.