Q+A: Temporada 2023, Episódio 17

2023 - 17: The Class of 22

This week on Q+A… the Class of 22. One year on from the election that changed Australia's political landscape, five first-term parliamentarians join the panel. So just how different is the reality of a political career to what they imagined?

With an economy under pressure amid fears of a global recession, a worsening housing crisis and the approaching winter putting more strain on energy supplies – how much impact can one politician have on the problems Australians are facing?

The Senate is proving pivotal to the government's legislative agenda, and independents Tammy Tyrrell and David Pocock have been making their presence felt. From securing commitments on social housing to putting more scrutiny on economic inclusion, these first-time senators are fighting for the issues they're passionate about.

In the lower house, Max Chandler-Mather was swept in on Brisbane's Green wave. A renter throughout his adult life, he has made housing his priority, but is his party's refusal to pass the housing future fund bill helping or hurting the very people living through housing stress?

Labor's Michelle Ananda-Rajah – who turned one of Melbourne's premier blue-ribbon seats red – hasn't been shy about putting her views forward, including calling for an increase in JobSeeker. And Zoe McKenzie held off a Teal challenge in her Liberal Victorian seat – so what does she make of the Coaliton's post-election woes?

What does the Class of 22 make of being inside the "Canberra bubble"?

Q+A is live from Melbourne Tonight, Monday May 22 at 9.35pm AEST.

Joining Stan Grant (for the final time) on the panel live from Melbourne:

Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Labor member for Higgins
Zoe McKenzie, Liberal member for Flinders
David Pocock, Independent Senator for the ACT
Tammy Tyrrell, Independent Senator for Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network
Max Chandler-Mather, Greens member for Griffith