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| Q&A (Australian TV program) | |
|---|---|
| Show name | Q&A |
| Genre | Talk show, Current affairs |
| Presenter | Tony Jones (original), Hamish Macdonald (period), Stan Grant (period), Leigh Sales (fill-in) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Company | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Network | ABC TV |
| First aired | 2008 |
| Last aired | present |
Q&A (Australian TV program) is an Australian television panel discussion program broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The program brings together politicians, business leaders, academics, and cultural figures to answer questions from a studio audience, combining elements of live television, parliamentary scrutiny and media commentary. Over its run it has featured members of the Australian Labor Party, Liberal Party of Australia, Australian Greens, foreign dignitaries and public intellectuals from institutions such as the University of Sydney and Australian National University.
Q&A assembles panels composed of representatives from organisations including the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Business Council of Australia, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and advocacy groups such as GetUp! and Australian Christian Lobby. Hosts have included journalists associated with ABC News, presenters linked to programs on SBS Television and contributors known from The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald. The format situates public figures from parties such as the National Party of Australia, Katter's Australian Party and independents alongside academics from Monash University and University of Melbourne to debate policy after events like the 2010 Australian federal election, 2013 Australian federal election and 2019 Australian federal election.
The show is produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and filmed at studios or regional venues including the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Town Hall, Brisbane City Hall and university campuses such as University of Queensland. Episodes typically feature a chairperson and four to five panellists drawn from political parties like the Australian Labor Party and Liberal Party of Australia, cultural institutions such as the Australian Council for the Arts and think tanks including the Grattan Institute and Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Production teams coordinate live audience interaction, incorporating representatives from unions like the Health Services Union and business groups such as the Australian Industry Group. Technical direction aligns with standards used by broadcaster peers such as Nine Network and Seven Network.
Launched on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2008 during a period that included the Global Financial Crisis (2007–2008) and the tenure of leaders such as Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, the program has aired through successive prime ministers including Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese. The show’s scheduling has placed it opposite programs on Sky News Australia and been simulcast or rebroadcast on digital platforms associated with the ABC. Special editions have coincided with events including the 2016 Australian federal election and international summits attended by figures like the United Nations Secretary-General.
Q&A has provoked debate involving media regulators such as the Australian Communications and Media Authority and parliamentary scrutiny from committees chaired by members of the Senate of Australia and House of Representatives of Australia. Episodes have prompted complaints from organisations including the Australian Christian Lobby and responses from opposition leaders such as Bill Shorten and Peter Dutton. Controversies have at times engaged academic commentators from Griffith University and Macquarie University, and opinion pieces in outlets like The Australian Financial Review and The Age have dissected editorial decisions. Debates over impartiality have drawn comparisons to formats on BBC One and CNN.
Prominent guests have included prime ministers and ministers from cabinets led by Julia Gillard and Malcolm Turnbull, opposition figures such as Tony Abbott and John Howard-era commentators, economists from Reserve Bank of Australia circles, cultural figures represented by the Sydney Festival and sports administrators connected to the Australian Olympic Committee. Episodes featuring foreign dignitaries, ambassadors accredited through Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and intellectuals like fellows from the Lowy Institute for International Policy have garnered international attention. Panels have sometimes included legal figures tied to the High Court of Australia and journalists from publications like The Guardian Australia.
The program has influenced discourse on issues ranging from asylum policy debated alongside references to the Pacific Solution and leaders connected to Nauru and Manus Island to climate debates involving advocates from Australian Conservation Foundation and industry representatives from Woodside Petroleum. International reactions have echoed formats seen on Question Time (BBC) and talk programs on PBS and Al Jazeera. Politically, its live format has led to moments referenced in parliamentary question time and policy announcements by leaders from the Liberal National Party (Queensland) and Australian Labor Party (New South Wales), while civil society groups such as Amnesty International (Australia) and Human Rights Watch have used episodes in advocacy campaigns.
Category:Australian Broadcasting Corporation shows Category:Australian television talk shows Category:Television series debuts 2008