405 - Triggered By Cancel Culture And Political Pairing

First up, we're joined by Robert Godden to dissect the centuries-old tradition of 'pairing' in politics, a practice where MPs offset each other's absence to maintain voting fairness. However, this tradition faces threats in today's hyper-connected world, where political integrity can be overshadowed by social media activism and public shaming.

Following that, we sit down with Alex Vickery-Howe, discussing his provocative new play 'TRIGGERED'. The play offers a bold commentary on cancel culture and poses tough questions about free speech, artistic courage, and the cost of silencing in the social media age.

And as always, we’ll round things off with our Musical Pilgrimage, where this week, we feature Feel Into You, by Alison Newman.

So sit back, pour yourself a glass of your favourite South Australian spirit, and enjoy a journey through whisky, cars, and music!

You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We're here to serve!

The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast in Australia at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.

And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It's an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we'll add you to the list: [e-mail]

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store - The Adelaide Show Shop. We'd greatly appreciate it.

And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here's our index of all episode in one concise
page.

Running Sheet: Triggered By Cancel Culture And Political Pairing

00:00:00 Intro

Introduction

00:00:00 SA Drink Of The Week

There is no South Australian Drink Of The Week this week.

00:03:13 Robert Godden And The Principle Of Pairing

I'd like to explore the centuries-old principle of 'pairing' in politics—an honourable arrangement where a parliamentarian, unable to attend a vote, finds someone voting the other way to abstain as well, preserving the integrity of the parliamentary process. I would go so far as to claim that pairing is a hallmark of parliamentary civility, a gesture that underscores trust, respect, and a commitment to democracy that rises above partisan interests. In many ways, it’s a defining characteristic of a civilised society—keeping us far from Thomas Hobbes' grim view of life as 'nasty, brutish, and short.'

However, in a recent episode here in South Australia, this tradition was overshadowed by allegations of intimidation and public shaming. A prominent academic allegedly pressured an MP to break her pairing commitment, even threatening to ‘hold her to account in the public square.’ This incident raises serious questions about the fragility of our democratic norms and the implications of social media-fuelled activism on parliamentary integrity.

Joining me is Robert Godden, our resident political commentator, to discuss the erosion of such honourable traditions in politics, the risks to our institutions when personal agendas take precedence, and the ripple effects on workplace safety and culture in political environments. Robert, welcome back.

Why do you think the principle of pairing has endured for so long in politics, and what does it symbolise in our parliamentary culture?

Some might say that pairing demonstrates a level of trust and civility that's rare in today's political climate. Would you agree with that? And why do you think such civility matters?

When MPs honour pairing arrangements, how does this benefit the broader democratic process?

BACKGROUND

In Australia, following the 2010 federal election, the Opposition refused to grant automatic pairing to the minority Gillard government, leading to some embarrassing situations.
In the UK in 2018, there was controversy when Conservative MP Brandon Lewis broke a pairing agreement with Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, who was on maternity leave.
In Australia, there was an incident where a pair was initially not given for a member to