Watch this episode here Andrew Blyth was manager of the John Howard Prime Ministerial Library and Exhibition located at Old Parliament House, 2016-2023. He was chief of staff and a senior adviser in the Howard Government. He lectures in ideals and power to cadets and midshipmen at UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy and is undertaking a doctorate in public leadership at UNSW Canberra. He also hosts a podcast series, Advancing AUKUS for the Security & Defence PLuS initiative of UNSW, King’s College London and Arizona State University. Are you looking for sound, thought-p ..read more

#LiberalismInQuestion #CIS #libertarian #liberty Watch this episode here David Hart is the Online Library director at the Liberty Fund and academic editor of the Collected Works of Frédéric Bastiat. Dr. Hart is an historian and a libertarian with interests in the history of the classical liberal tradition (especially the French), war and culture, libertarian class theory, and film. He has a PhD from King's College, Cambridge, a masters from Stanford University, and a BA Honours degree from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He taught in the Department of History at the University of ..read more

Watch this episode here In this new special episode of 'Liberalism in Question,' Robert Forsyth and his guest Jason Riley, a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board and distinguished conservative commentator, delve into the dynamics of liberalism, the Trump presidency, and the African-American legacy in the United States. 'Liberalism in Question' offers rich perspectives on crucial issues, encouraging reflection and discussion. Don't miss this stimulating conversation. Subscribe and join us for an in-depth exploration of political and social affairs. #LiberalismInQuestion #CIS #T ..read more

Watch this episode here What is "Post Liberalism"? Do you have to be a Christian to understand it? Can the free market give us ethics? What happens when individual rights class with collect rights?Do collectives like churches, schools and other institutions even have rights? Join Dr. Joel Harrison, an expert in constitutional law and religious freedom, and CIS's Robert Forsyth, for an in depth discussion of these questions and more. Dr. Joel Harrison, an expert in constitutional and religious law, senior lecturer in law at Macquarie University and Sydney University, is a recognised speciali ..read more

Watch this episode here.  Mr. Nicholas Sampson, the eighth headmaster of Cranbrook School, has been dedicated to preserving the school's values and forging a vision for the future since the outset of his tenure. He emphasises the uniqueness of each headmaster's role in maintaining Cranbrook's diverse ethos. Sampson's educational journey, from attending a selective school to studying English literature at Cambridge University, instilled in him a deep appreciation for reading and learning through conversation. After briefly venturing into the public service, he discovered his passion for t ..read more

Watch this episode here.  Should Michael Jordan mow his own lawn? What is the role of the Reserve Bank? Is liberalism "right-wing"? Robert Forsyth interviews CIS Chief Economist, Peter Tulip, a "classical liberal" thinker otherwise known as a "mainstream economist". Throughout the conversation Peter distinguishes liberalism from conservatism and argues that is it usually better to have the government out of the way. He points out that good intentions have nothing to do with good outcomes (just ask North Korea), and laments that the general public does not think like economists ..read more

In a wide ranging and nuanced discussion Rob Forsyth questions Duncan Ivison, Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Sydney, on his claim that the granting of indigenous rights is compatible with liberalism rather than its repudiation. They agree that the constitutional Voice cannot be justified simply on terms of closing the gap and explore how and if this particular form of recognition could be justified in liberal democratic values. CIS promotes free choice and individual liberty and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, medi ..read more

On this episode Rob chats to author Roslyn Fuller. Liberals believe in the value of democracy, but Roslyn tells Rob there is truly little of it in the word today. This is because there is little direct power given to people in our system of government. Drawing on the example of ancient Athens, Roslyn outlines her preferred model of direct democracy. Her critique of the current representative democracy is that it is open to corruption and shewing of what the people actually want. Roslyn argues for a more direct engagement of people in decision making ..read more

Speaking from Berlin, Sabine speaks with Rob about why she set up the Freiblickinstitut (Free Vision Institute) to promote open freedom of discussion and tolerance in public debate. They discuss some of the tragic moments of lost opportunity for liberalism in Germany history. Sabine explains why there is no German word for ‘Cancel Culture’ in German, even though the phenomenon exists in a country that has always had some form of censorship. She describes the unusual powers of the courts in Germany to decide matters of public debate as well as the unhelpful role of political consensus in stifli ..read more

Claire Lehmann, founding editor of Quillette sits down with Rob. Claire explains the philosophy of the Quillette project in promoting Enlightenment values of reason, the use of evidence, and free thought which first arose to confront unconscious left-wing bias in psychology. She believes ideological diversity is helpful in any search for truth because everyone has blind spots. Rob and Claire discuss the nature and dangers of tribalism in thought. She believes that while liberalism is not under threat in Australia there is the danger of importing populist movements of both left and right from t ..read more