December 26, 2025 • 6 mins
Anthony Albanese's landslide election win vs the demise of the Coalition vs the world-leading social media ban. Sean Aylmer, Michael Thompson and Adam Lang each nominate their top political story from the year - and choose a winner.
This is Fear & Greed's summer series - all-new short episodes every day, with regular news back from January 12.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Fear and Greed Summer series. I'm Michael
Thompson and good morning Sean. Aylmer. Good morning, Michael, And
good morning Adam Lange.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning Michael, Good morning Sean.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Today this might be my favorite category because it has
been a bumper year for politics in this country. So
we are looking back at the best political story of
twenty twenty five. Adam, would you like to kicks off
this morning?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It was extraordinary twenty twenty five and was the year
that Anthony Albanezi turned an incumbency into real authority, winning
the May election with a commanding new majority and reshaping
the Australian political landscape. Aged care and healthcare workers received
long fought pay rises after years of pressure and policy debate.
Environmental legislation with strengthened giving businesses clearer rules around project
(00:54):
approvals and emissions. Lower income tax cuts flowed through to households,
lifting dispose will income as costs of living pressures. Did
they ease? Maybe not. The final phase of higher superannuation
contributions was locked in accelerating the growth of retirement savings.
So we're now at twelve percent in our super and
(01:15):
student debt relief stripped billions from the balance sheets of
younger Australians, reshaping their lifetime earning capacity. Internationally, Albanesi elevated
Australia's diplomatic standing through really delicate relations with Trump and
the US orcus Pacific engagement and global trade partnerships. With
a dominant majority and reform momentum moving behind him, Albanizei
(01:37):
has positioned the government to push harder on productivity and
budget repair in twenty twenty six, in twelve months, that
is a very big political year by Albanzi.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
I love how you take a big picture look at everything. Right,
the student debt relief, I've described it as reshaping lifetime
earning capacity. If I had just had that much of
my hex debth, wife would be a sweet bit more
money back in my pocket. As you were like, no, no,
this can change your entire lifetime of earning.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
How many goon bags is that, Michael?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
That's right. My clothesline is going to be weighed down
heavily when we play goon of fortune. Okay, let's get
going for mine, because I'm talking about the coalition and
I don't even know where to start with the Federal Coalition.
Actually you know what, the election is probably a good
place because that's where they got smashed. Peter Dutton was
the Liberal Party leader and absolutely decimated at the poll
(02:33):
in May. They lost seat after seat. The Nationals held
their own. The coalition, though, was seriously rattled and even
split for a week after the election when Susan Lee
was voted Liberal leader. The Nationals wanted a different direction
on nuclear power and supermarkets and all these other issues.
Since then, arguably it's actually gotten worse than that. You
wouldn't think kind of a split could actually get worse,
(02:55):
but it has. The Liberals haven't really been able to
figure out yet what they stand for and been largely
almost forced by the minor party to dump a commitment
to net zero. Then also by conservative parts within the Liberals.
Former Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce quit
The party joined One Nation at a time when the
(03:16):
poll show record low support for the coalition and record
high support for Paul and Hanson's party. And all the while,
while all of this is going on, there are these
constant rumblings of a leadership challenge for Susan Lee, Andrew Hasty,
Angus Taylor and others waiting in the wings. This year,
we have witnessed the fall and the fall, and we
(03:38):
will see it into twenty twenty six. The fall of
the coalition.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Wow, that was a big time, didn't you think at
the end of the year somehow because of the expenses
scandal they just started to find a little tail hold somewhere. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
But I'm not taking away from your story.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I totally a no, no, no. I do agree with you
that that as soon as there is a flaw in
the government to get into that have been quite effective.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
At they can do it.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Yeah, when they're not tearing themselves apart. And you need
a strong opposition to hold government to account, and we
have probably actually seen that with these expenses scandals towards
the end of the year.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
You're right, Sean, So I think the biggest political story
of the year probably will be in hindsight, the social
media band. The whole world is watching pretty much literally,
other nations already considering looking at similar legislations. In short,
users of Facebook, Instagram, kick, Reddit, snapchat, threads, TikTok, twitch
(04:40):
x and YouTube must be sixteen years or older. The
social media companies have implemented new rules and processes to
prevent children addressing social media site or accessing social media sites.
The onus is on the social media sites, not the parents,
to enforce the ban. If reasonable steps are not taken,
then they face fines up to forty nine and a
half a million dollars that have been court challenges from kids.
(05:04):
There could be other court challenges going forward. Ultimately, this
is a major, major, major social reform, and if it works,
I think there will be a flood of other companies
following on. If it doesn't, and particularly if it's overstrown
in court, then it's probably dead and buried.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I really do think it is that.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I mean, I think both your stories probably are more
pertinent to many people, but the social media band that's
pertinent to any parent of a fifteen or a fourteen
or a thirteen year old right now.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, yeah, I agree, Sean. I think it's been seismic.
You know, in a relatively short period of time, we've
seen the impact. Even in the amount of conversations we're
having about the impact of social media, it's incredibly big importance.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So right those ones, Look, you know, I think on
long term impact, probably right social media then the prime
minister and the mandate as long as the mandate actually
gets used for major reform. And we did actually kind
of see that, I suppose on occasion, and then the
coalition being third. How's that?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
It's okay? I disagree, except I disagree with you. I
actually think that for twenty twenty five I would have
gone the coalition first, exactly the opposite, first, government, second,
social media third for twenty twenty five anyway, here, Look.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
I'm not going to argue. If you're going to give
me the win, I will accept it with grace.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Is the story the win, Michael, not you.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Oh well, I completely disagree with.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
You on that.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Thank you very much, Sean, thanks Michael, Thank you, Adam,
thank you sure, thank you, Michael. Don't forget to it.
Follow on the podcast. New episodes every day during our
summer series and regular shows are back from January twelve.
I'm Michael Thompson, and this is Fear and Greed
Welcome to the Fear and Greed Summer series. I'm Michael
Thompson and good morning Sean. Aylmer. Good morning, Michael, And
good morning Adam Lange.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning Michael, Good morning Sean.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Today this might be my favorite category because it has
been a bumper year for politics in this country. So
we are looking back at the best political story of
twenty twenty five. Adam, would you like to kicks off
this morning?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It was extraordinary twenty twenty five and was the year
that Anthony Albanezi turned an incumbency into real authority, winning
the May election with a commanding new majority and reshaping
the Australian political landscape. Aged care and healthcare workers received
long fought pay rises after years of pressure and policy debate.
Environmental legislation with strengthened giving businesses clearer rules around project
(00:54):
approvals and emissions. Lower income tax cuts flowed through to households,
lifting dispose will income as costs of living pressures. Did
they ease? Maybe not. The final phase of higher superannuation
contributions was locked in accelerating the growth of retirement savings.
So we're now at twelve percent in our super and
(01:15):
student debt relief stripped billions from the balance sheets of
younger Australians, reshaping their lifetime earning capacity. Internationally, Albanesi elevated
Australia's diplomatic standing through really delicate relations with Trump and
the US orcus Pacific engagement and global trade partnerships. With
a dominant majority and reform momentum moving behind him, Albanizei
(01:37):
has positioned the government to push harder on productivity and
budget repair in twenty twenty six, in twelve months, that
is a very big political year by Albanzi.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
I love how you take a big picture look at everything. Right,
the student debt relief, I've described it as reshaping lifetime
earning capacity. If I had just had that much of
my hex debth, wife would be a sweet bit more
money back in my pocket. As you were like, no, no,
this can change your entire lifetime of earning.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
How many goon bags is that, Michael?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
That's right. My clothesline is going to be weighed down
heavily when we play goon of fortune. Okay, let's get
going for mine, because I'm talking about the coalition and
I don't even know where to start with the Federal Coalition.
Actually you know what, the election is probably a good
place because that's where they got smashed. Peter Dutton was
the Liberal Party leader and absolutely decimated at the poll
(02:33):
in May. They lost seat after seat. The Nationals held
their own. The coalition, though, was seriously rattled and even
split for a week after the election when Susan Lee
was voted Liberal leader. The Nationals wanted a different direction
on nuclear power and supermarkets and all these other issues.
Since then, arguably it's actually gotten worse than that. You
wouldn't think kind of a split could actually get worse,
(02:55):
but it has. The Liberals haven't really been able to
figure out yet what they stand for and been largely
almost forced by the minor party to dump a commitment
to net zero. Then also by conservative parts within the Liberals.
Former Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce quit
The party joined One Nation at a time when the
(03:16):
poll show record low support for the coalition and record
high support for Paul and Hanson's party. And all the while,
while all of this is going on, there are these
constant rumblings of a leadership challenge for Susan Lee, Andrew Hasty,
Angus Taylor and others waiting in the wings. This year,
we have witnessed the fall and the fall, and we
(03:38):
will see it into twenty twenty six. The fall of
the coalition.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Wow, that was a big time, didn't you think at
the end of the year somehow because of the expenses
scandal they just started to find a little tail hold somewhere. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
But I'm not taking away from your story.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I totally a no, no, no. I do agree with you
that that as soon as there is a flaw in
the government to get into that have been quite effective.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
At they can do it.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Yeah, when they're not tearing themselves apart. And you need
a strong opposition to hold government to account, and we
have probably actually seen that with these expenses scandals towards
the end of the year.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
You're right, Sean, So I think the biggest political story
of the year probably will be in hindsight, the social
media band. The whole world is watching pretty much literally,
other nations already considering looking at similar legislations. In short,
users of Facebook, Instagram, kick, Reddit, snapchat, threads, TikTok, twitch
(04:40):
x and YouTube must be sixteen years or older. The
social media companies have implemented new rules and processes to
prevent children addressing social media site or accessing social media sites.
The onus is on the social media sites, not the parents,
to enforce the ban. If reasonable steps are not taken,
then they face fines up to forty nine and a
half a million dollars that have been court challenges from kids.
(05:04):
There could be other court challenges going forward. Ultimately, this
is a major, major, major social reform, and if it works,
I think there will be a flood of other companies
following on. If it doesn't, and particularly if it's overstrown
in court, then it's probably dead and buried.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I really do think it is that.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I mean, I think both your stories probably are more
pertinent to many people, but the social media band that's
pertinent to any parent of a fifteen or a fourteen
or a thirteen year old right now.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, yeah, I agree, Sean. I think it's been seismic.
You know, in a relatively short period of time, we've
seen the impact. Even in the amount of conversations we're
having about the impact of social media, it's incredibly big importance.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So right those ones, Look, you know, I think on
long term impact, probably right social media then the prime
minister and the mandate as long as the mandate actually
gets used for major reform. And we did actually kind
of see that, I suppose on occasion, and then the
coalition being third. How's that?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
It's okay? I disagree, except I disagree with you. I
actually think that for twenty twenty five I would have
gone the coalition first, exactly the opposite, first, government, second,
social media third for twenty twenty five anyway, here, Look.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
I'm not going to argue. If you're going to give
me the win, I will accept it with grace.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Is the story the win, Michael, not you.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Oh well, I completely disagree with.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
You on that.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Thank you very much, Sean, thanks Michael, Thank you, Adam,
thank you sure, thank you, Michael. Don't forget to it.
Follow on the podcast. New episodes every day during our
summer series and regular shows are back from January twelve.
I'm Michael Thompson, and this is Fear and Greed
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