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July 17, 2025 87 mins

“If not us, then who? And the answer is no one. So you kind of find the other gear that you didn't know you had and you just keep going no matter how hard it gets.”

This week, Stephen Donnelly sat down for an exclusive with Lissie Ratcliff, former Chief of Staff to Daniel Andrews, for her first-ever public interview. 

With 14 years of experience in Labor government and opposition, Lissie shares her candid reflections on political strategy and communication, crisis management, and what it feels like to lose. 

From the key foundation stones that took Victorian Labor from opposition to government in 2014, to the relentless grind of implementing Victoria’s Covid response (complete with 120 daily press conferences in a row), Lissie takes us behind the scenes of the three-peat election winning Andrews government in its most crucial moments.

You may never have heard the name Lissie Ratcliff, but after this episode, you won’t forget it. 

Mentioned in the episode:

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson https://tr.ee/fgjAt9

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