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Two years into her role representing King Charles, Australia’s head of state, the governor general, Sam Mostyn, says she has observed a “woeful lack of understanding” among the adult population about the civic underpinnings of Australia’s democracy – beginning with the constitution. Mostyn speaks to Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, at Admiralty House in Sydney about her decision to focus on a wide-ranging civics education for modern Australia, to address the “growing catastrophe” that undermines democratic participation

Tony Barry and Jon Faine (sitting in for Barrie Cassidy this week) examine the ousting of Jacinta Allan and the anointing of Ben Carroll as the new premier of Victoria. They discuss what it could all mean for the upcoming election and while they say anything can happen, Tony’s tummy compass points to a win for Jess Wilson. And, weeks into the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, Faine gives his take on the hearings so far

It has been a messy week in Australian politics. In NSW, the Liberal party faced the corruption watchdog over allegations of branch stacking and illegal donations. In Victoria, the noise around the so-called Big Build brought down a premier and threatens to further alienate already aggrieved voters. Josephine Tovey is joined by Mike Ticher, Patrick Keneally and Anne Davies to talk about a bad week for trust in politics

Twenty-five years ago, on a desolate stretch of Australian highway, Bradley John Murdoch flagged down British backpackers Joanne Lees and Peter Falconio. Falconio was never seen again. Now, as police continue to try to bring closure for his family, one former British government expert says he knows the ‘most likely’ place where Falconio’s body was hidden Queensland correspondent Ben Smee joins Reged Ahmad as police try to finally close the case on the murder of Peter Falconio

In this episode of Guardian Australia’s weekly US politics podcast, co-hosts Jonathan Yerushalmy and Reged Ahmad discuss Donald Trump’s closed-door meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. They also examine the president’s escalating attacks on the Smithsonian National Museum of American History as well as his performance at the White House correspondent’s dinner

Victoria has a new premier after the education minister, Ben Carroll, was voted in by the Labor party during a chaotic caucus meeting on Tuesday morning. His predecessor, Jacinta Allan, stood down after a tumultuous few months at the helm of a government diving in the polls and struggling to fend off a rising One Nation ahead of November’s state election. Victorian state correspondent Benita Kolovos tells Reged Ahmad how the day unfolded and whether a change in leadership can improve Labor’s chances at the ballot box later this year

Taking place once every three years, the Labor party conference can be a chance to have open debates on vexed policy issues – but this one was different. Reged Ahmad speaks to the political editor, Tom McIlroy, about whether the prime minister is insisting on too much control and what his tight hold means for his party’s chances of taking on One Nation

This year the FBI issued urgent warnings to parents about 764, a global online community where children are manipulated into acts of violence. With hundreds of investigations under way worldwide, including in Australia, 764 and groups like it are accused of using coercion to turn vulnerable minors into victims and, in some cases, predators. Nour Haydar speaks to investigations reporter Ariel Bogle about the dangers to children these networks pose

Speaking with political editor Tom McIlroy and chief political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy at the 50th Labor conference in Adelaide, Peter Malinauskas talks about his own state contest with One Nation and why progressives should not speak down to Pauline Hanson’s supporters. And despite the US admitting this week that the production rate of Virginia-class submarines has not increased, the SA premier argues that abandoning Aukus would pose an even greater risk than the controversial agreement’s potential problems

Tony Barry and George Megalogenis (filling in for Barrie Cassidy) give their view on One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce’s viral moment this week and why they think it played well to his party’s base. George takes us back to past elections that produced favourable results for One Nation to remind us that we have been here before and that political predictions often don’t come true. And they sign off with a listener email asking if the rise in polling is damaging democracy