Insiders: Oct 8

Guest on Sunday’s Insiders is Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Host David Speers is joined by Dan Bourchier, Katharine Murphy and Peter van Onselen.

In the final week of the Voice campaign opinion polls continue to tell a troubling picture for the Yes campaign. With early voting underway and polling day near, ‘Yes’ campaigners are running out of time to convince those Australians who remain sceptical about the Voice.

The panel also discuss what alternative the Opposition Leader is offering to the country, and more specifically to First Nations people. Early in the week the Peter Dutton conceded that the status quo was not working for Indigenous Australians, but what is he proposing instead of an enshrined Voice?

We’ll discuss the role racism has played in the debate as independent Senator Lidia Thorpe accused the Prime Minister of wanting fascists to target her, after a video depicting a hooded man burning the Aboriginal flag and mentioning Thorpe was released earlier in the week. Is it fair to blame the Prime Minister for the racist vitriol that has surfaced during the campaign, and can the government and authorities do more to protect Senator Thorpe and other First Nations people from harm as referendum day approaches?

The government announced steps this week to tackle the systemic problems in Australia’s migration system, and used the announcements to target Opposition Leader Peter Dutton over his time as the Home Affairs Minister. Dutton hit back accusing Clare O’Neil of being angry and aggressive – comments that many interpreted as being gendered, but also accused Labor of letting in 105,000 asylum seekers since they formed government in May last year. The actual figure is a little over 10,000, the other 95,000 arrived here under the former Coalition government.

And finally, with Anthony Albanese due to visit Washington D.C later in the month, we’ll discuss what the historic ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy tells us about the health of democracy in the US as well as its ongoing support for Ukraine. What are the implications for Australia and the AUKUS deal?

Talking Pictures host Mike Bowers is joined by cartoonist for Guardian Australia Fiona Katauskas for a look at the week’s best cartoons and photographs.

Sunday 9am on ABC / ABC News.