This week on The Five Minute Advocate, Michael Walker explores the concept of negativity bias and argues that the media’s exploitation of this bias has led to an overemphasis on negative news which has in turn skewed worldviews, our perceptions of other societal challenges and thus our active citizenship. Michael does introduce two initiatives aimed at countering negativity bias: Amplify, which seeks to provide constructive political discourse, and The Australian Peace and Security Forum, which focuses on envisioning and discussing a peaceful and secure future, rather than just avoiding war. Michael argues that our collective health is being undermined by our negativity bias and urges us to be more intentional about the information we consume and the real world challenges we tackle.

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This week on the Five Minute Advocate Eva Cox revisits the issue of Australia’s chilcare sector, specifically reflecting on its shift from being community led and controlled services, to what it is today – overwhelmingly privatised. Eva calls for the government to assume greater responsibility in the sector, to view and provide childcare as community service and to prioritise accessibility over profit as a means to rebuild trust between citizens and policy makers.

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In this weeks episode of The Five Minute Advocate, Julie McCann delves into the controversial AUKUS deal, a $400 billion decision that could redefine Australia's role on the global stage. With a focus on the implications of nuclear-powered submarines, Julie explores how this agreement might shift Australia from a defensive to an offensive military stance, and the potential consequences for our nation's future.

Drawing parallels to Canada's failed submarine program in the 1980s, she questions whether this investment is truly in the best interest of the Australian people—or if the money would be better spent on pressing domestic needs like healthcare, infrastructure, and climate adaptation.

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This week on the Five Minute Advocate Michael Walker explores the alarming rise in cyber insecurity and its impact on Australians’ wellbeing where new data reveals a sharp increase in online harm and hate and recent events that have seen this translate to real world violence. Michael delves into what’s fuelling this uptick in unrest and calls on the Federal Government to update their wellbeing dashboard to provide more clarity on exactly why online behaviour has taken a turn for the worse.

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This week on The Five Minute Advocate, Julie Macken highlights two stark examples of leadership in action that we’ve seen over the last week. The first an example in accountability with NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy’s sincere apology at Garma Festival for the historical and ongoing harms committed against Indigenous Territorians. The second, Julie argues, is an example of the real and destructive impact of Australia’s leadership in divisive anti-immigration policy and the “stop the boats” rhetoric that we have now seen fuel the deplorable actions of far-right groups in the UK.

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In this episode of the Five Minute Advocate Michael Walker draws inspiration from Taiwan's Gov Zero and imagines a reformed, user-friendly digital government platform that would allow citizens to engage more effectively with the democratic process through curated updates and participatory tools, enhancing transparency and accountability.

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With the recent resignation of Joe Biden and the developing support for the populist and divisive Donald Trump, critics are suggesting this election could change the shape of American politics. Now, the democrat's presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, could provide the clarity and direction needed to restore stability and fairness to America. Eva draws parallels to the current political climate in Australia, and what the next election could mean for Australia’s political future in our changing world.

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In this episode of the Five Minute Advocate, Julie Macken unpacks the aftermath of Senator Fatima Payman’s decision to cross the floor in support of urgent action for Palestine and critiques Labor’s dismissal of the Australian public’s concerns over international issues. Julie challenges the Prime Minister’s warning about single-issue parties threatening social cohesion, arguing that true social cohesion requires national leadership, a respect for diverse perspectives and an understanding that the Australian public is concerned about more than just energy and the cost of living crisis.

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