Q&A: Season 8
Season 8 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Q&A Season 7.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 8 Progress Shield
Elections, Economics & Knightmares
Feb 2, 2015 · 60 min
Tony Jones is joined by Former ALP Treasurer, Wayne Swan; Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce; Greens Senator for Queensland, Larissa Waters; and Independent Senators, John Mad
Spills, Bills, Coal & Kills
Feb 9, 2015 · 60 min
Tony Jones is joined by broadcaster Alan Jones; Assistant Infrastructure Minister Jamie Briggs; Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen, Chair of AustralianSuper Heather Ridout; and comedian
Death, Detention and Defending Policies
Feb 16, 2015 · 60 min
Panellists Malcolm Turnbull, Minister for Communications; Catherine King, Shadow Health Minister; Lisa Wilkinson, Journalist; Bryan Stevenson, Equal Justice Initiative; & Greg Sher
Family Violence Special
Feb 23, 2015 · 60 min
Panellists: Aus of the Year, Rosie Batty; Aus Ambassador for Women, Natasha Stott Despoja; Acting VIC Police Commissioner, Tim Cartwright; Indigenous anti-violence campaigner, Char
Economics, Regulations & One Word
Mar 2, 2015 · 60 min
Panellists: Star of stage and screen, Miriam Margolyes; Assistant Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg; Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Andrew Leigh; Centre for Independent Studies, Trisha Jha;
Bad Feminism: Contradictions and Careers
Mar 9, 2015 · 60 min
To celebrate 40 years of IWD a special Q&A with guest host Annabel Crabb. Annabel Crabb guest hosts Q&A with a panel including Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop; Feminist icon, Germa
Intergenerational Wealth and Health
Mar 16, 2015 · 60 min
An Intergenerational Report special. Joining Tony Jones is Treasurer Joe Hockey; Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen; ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie; CEO of Australian Chamber of Commerce Kat
When the Bush came to Town
Mar 23, 2015 · 60 min
Live from the Royal Easter Show, Tony Jones is joined by National Party Senator Fiona Nash; Shadow Minister for Agriculture Joel Fitzgibbon; Country musician Troy-Cassar-Daley; Orc
Depression, Drugs and Another Planet
Mar 30, 2015 · 60 min
Host Tony Jones is joined by panellists Education Minister Christopher Pyne; Opposition Senate Leader Penny Wong; Comedian Ruby Wax; Musician and humanitarian Michael Franti & Nobe
Political Tensions and Children in Detention
Apr 6, 2015 · 60 min
Greek musical legend Nana Mouskouri joins Tony Jones on the Q&A panel with: Parl Sec to the Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer; Labor Member Ed Husic; Australian Financial Review Editor, Mich
Vaccinations, Press Freedoms & Forced Closures
Apr 13, 2015 · 60 min
Panellists: Journalist Peter Greste; Asst Minister for Social Services Mitch Fifield; Shadow Parl Sec for Regional Development Alannah MacTiernan; CEO Regional Aus Institute Su McC
Drinking, Depression and Deportation
Apr 20, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones: Journalist Derryn Hinch; Minister for Trade & Investment, Andrew Robb; Former Speaker of the House, Anna Burke; Comedian Dave Hughes; CEO of the Young and Well
ANZAC Spirit, Modern Warfare and Marriage
Apr 27, 2015 · 60 min
On the panel this week: Assistant Treasurer Arthur Sinodinos; Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek; Former deputy PM Tim Fischer; Historian Carolyn Holbrook; & Deputy Program D
Assault, Altruism and Emissions
May 4, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel: Philosopher & ethicist, Peter Singer; Environment Minister, Greg Hunt; Shadow Environment Minister, Mark Butler; Broadcaster & commentator, Amanda
Struggle Street on Budget Eve
May 11, 2015 · 60 min
Panellists: Clive Palmer, Leader of the Palmer United Party; Christian Porter, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister; Nakkiah Lui, Playwright; Jason Clare, Shadow Communica
Death Cults, Brains & Migration
May 18, 2015 · 60 min
On the Q&A panel this week, we feature some of the brightest stars from this year's Sydney Writers' Festival: Norman Doidge; Caitlin Doughty; Douglas Coupland; Mohsin Hamid and Chr
Joe Hockey on the Tradies vs Ladies Budget
May 25, 2015 · 60 min
This week Tony Jones is joined by the Treasurer of Australia, Joe Hockey to face a LIVE studio audience & respond directly to their post-budget questions.
War Cries, Citizenship & Crime Prevention
Jun 1, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones LIVE on the panel: Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg; Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Anthony Albanese; Actor and elder Jack Charles; Policy analyst Miriam
Revolutionary Christianity, Citizenship & Incarceration
Jun 8, 2015 · 60 min
Panellists: Christine Forster, City of Sydney Councillor; Dr Cornel West, Scholar and Poet; Philip Ruddock, Special Envoy for Citizenship; Katy Gallagher, Senator for the Australia
Magna Carta Magna QandA
Jun 15, 2015 · 60 min
Q&A marks the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta with an episode from Parliament House in Canberra. Joining Tony Jones on the panel are Bronwyn Bishop, Noel Pearson, Gillian Trig
Terror, Poverty & Native Titles
Jun 22, 2015 · 60 min
Panellists: singer ANOHNI Hegarty; Parl. Sec for Foreign Affairs Steve Ciobo; Shad Min. for Agriculture Joel Fitzgibbon; lobbyist Grahame Morris; Advertising director Dee Madigan;
Radicalisation, Religion & Recognition
Jun 29, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel: Dep Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek; Editor-at-large The Australian Paul Kelly; Cosmologist Lawrence Krauss; Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson
Greece, Gags & Grazing Land
Jul 6, 2015 · 60 min
On the panel: Vrasidas Karalis, Professor of Modern Greek; Shadow Minister for Immigration Richard Marles; Greens Senator Larissa Waters; policy analyst Trisha Jha & foreign affair
Peace, Ideology & Free Speech
Jul 13, 2015 · 60 min
On the panel: Former Liberal leader John Hewson, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education Amanda Rishworth, war correspondent Michael Ware, scholar John Stackhouse, and Director of
Choppers, Coal & Community
Jul 20, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel: Former Deputy PM, Tim Fischer; Broadcaster, Alan Jones; Senator, Jacqui Lambie; Shadow Environment Minister, Mark Butler & Mining and development s
Culture of Change
Jul 27, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Virginia Trioli LIVE from Brisbane: QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk; Catholic Archbishop Mark Coleridge; Fmr Nats Senator Ron Boswell; Policy Analyst Prof Anne Tiernan; I
New Frontiers & Next Bold Missions
Aug 3, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel: Director of NY's Hayden Planetarium Neil de Grasse Tyson; Oncologist and author Ranjana Srivastava; Broadcaster and maths geek Adam Spencer; and Ma
Perks, Penalty Rates & Life in Space
Aug 10, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones: astronaut Chris Hadfield; Assistant Minister for Vocational Education Sharon Bird; author/feminist Anne Summers; Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and journal
Ethics, Equality & Evasion
Aug 17, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the Q&A panel: Greens leader Richard Di Natale; Parl Sec to the Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer; Labor Senator Sam Dastyari; British Editor Brendan O'Neill; and Tradi
Public Life & Political Memoirs
Aug 24, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Virginia Trioli from the Melbourne Writers Festival, publisher Louise Adler; Former Qld Premier Anna Bligh; Former Howard Cabinet insider Peter Reith; Former Independent MP
Cheating, Climate, War & Democracy
Aug 31, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones live from the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Sydney Opera House: Climate activist Naomi Klein; Christian philosopher Miroslav Volf; Tariq Ali; Feminist Laurie Penn
Drowning in Desperation to Dying with Dignity
Sep 7, 2015 · 60 min
Panellists: NSW Premier, Mike Baird; Shadow Treasurer, Chris Bowen; Pres of Business Council of Aus, Catherine Livingstone; Human Rights Lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson & International
A New Prime Minister, New Leadership
Sep 14, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel: Folk legend Joan Baez; Former Liberal leader John Hewson; Labor member for Griffith, Terri Butler; World Vision CEO Tim Costello; and Editor of The
Bill Shorten in Ballarat
Sep 21, 2015 · 60 min
Live from Ballarat. This week we dissect the policies of the federal opposition, when Tony Jones is joined on the panel for a special one on one with Bill Shorten, the leader of th
Conservatives, China & Chris Brown
Sep 28, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel: Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce; Shadow Health Minister Catherine King; Journalist David Marr; Museum Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor & Executi
Shine a Light on Depression
Oct 5, 2015 · 60 min
Mental As Q&A shines a light on depression - one of the most common yet misunderstood mental illnesses in Australia. On the panel: Ian Hickie; Wayne Schwass; Professor Pat Dudgeon;
Social Cohesion, Offshore Detention & Factions
Oct 12, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel: Australia's first indigenous Federal Minister Ken Wyatt; Labor Senator Lisa Singh; Greens MP Adam Bandt; Muslim Community Leader Sheikh Wesam Chark
Friends and Allies in Foreign Policy
Oct 19, 2015 · 60 min
A foreign affairs special panel: Former Foreign Minister Bob Carr; CEO Lowy Institute Michael Fullilove; Former diplomat Alison Broinowski; Director Of Advocacy, Human Rights Law C
Country Life, CSG and Cannabis
Oct 26, 2015 · 60 min
Live from Toowoomba with guest host Tom Ballard. Panellists: Rural Health Mininister Fiona Nash; Shadow Minister for Agriculture Joel Fitzgibbon; Southern Qld Uni's Jan Thomas; Too
GST, Gonski, Population and Diversity
Nov 2, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones on the panel: ecologist & biologist Paul Ehrlich; Minister for Education & Training Simon Birmingham; Shadow Finance Minister Tony Burke; Comedian & Broadcaster
Facing Death
Nov 9, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones are Broadcaster Andrew Denton; doctor/author Karen Hitchcock; palliative care specialist Ralph McConaghy; terminal cancer patient Ana Lamaro & doctor/euthanasia
Paris, Syria & South Australia
Nov 16, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones in Adelaide: French Ambassador Christophe Lecourtier, security consultant Andrew MacLeod, Federal Minister Christopher Pyne; Shadow Minister Kate Ellis; Sen. Nic
Racists, Extremists and Economists
Nov 23, 2015 · 60 min
Joining Tony Jones are Environment Minister Greg Hunt; Anthony Albanese; Geraldine Brooks; Former Finance Minister of Greece Yanis Varoufakis; Judith Sloan & from the Australian Mu