Pillar Talk

Pillar Talk is a podcast about politics, philosophy, and economics – the three pillars of the humanities! Supported by the University of Queensland Politics, Philosophy & Economics Society (UQPPES), we dive into ideas from across the three disciplines through interviews with academics and interesting thinkers, commentary on current affairs, and discussions with student writers from our sister publication, Statecraft Magazine. In everything we do, we aim to take complex ideas about the world around us and make them accessible for the everyday listener.

What is the biggest threat to Australia’s security right now?

How can we balance civil liberties with national security?

What’s the relationship between liberalism and conservatism?

And is it even worth studying PPE?

In today’s episode, Will and Ollie chat with the Honourable George Brandis KC, former Senator for QLD, Attorney-General for Australia, and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and newly-appointed Professor of National Security, Policy, and Law at ANU.

This discussion took place as a follow-up after our Statecraft Winter Lecture, at which George shared some reflections on his time in politics and diplomacy. You can listen to an audio recording of George’s lecture in episode 4.

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Read More in Statecraft

Ben Colter – ‘Defending Australia Amidst an Ailing Alliance in the Asia-Pacific’

Isaac Haynes – ‘The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: A Crisis of Context’

For extended articles and exclusive content, buy Statecraft Issue 5: ‘Realignment’ now.

References

See George’s academic profile for more information.

George’s honours thesis – ‘An interpretation of the ideology of the Liberal Party of Australia’

Isaiah Berlin – ‘Four Essays on Liberty’ (Recommended by George)

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Pillar Talk is published by the University of Queensland Politics, Philosophy & Economics Society. It is produced by Will Splatt and co-produced and edited by Tom Watson, with music created by Isaac Haynes. Your hosts for this episode are Will Splatt and Oliver Friendship.

If this episode has you keen for more content from the UQ PPE Society, you might want to check out our other publications: Statecraft Magazine, and The Statecraft Review.

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KPMG is a platinum sponsor of the UQ PPE Society. They provide a range of professional services for businesses, non-profits, and government, including consulting on the design and implementation of key government policies. As mentioned during the ad break, they offer two programs that might interest you: a 12-month graduate employment program, and a 4-8 week vacation internship program for students in their penultimate year of study. For more information about these opportunities, click here, or reach out to the UQ PPE Society using vocations@uqppes.com.au to talk about meeting with one of our contacts at KPMG