In this episode of Speaking of Social Justice, host Dr Julie Macken turns her attention to International Women’s Day and to a deeper, more uncomfortable question: how do we exercise power?

Ahead of a special panel discussion, Julie reflects on the state of the world for women today. From persistent gender pay gaps to gender-based violence in Australia, and from global scandals of abuse to political leadership that simply replicates old models of dominance, it’s clear that putting women into positions of power hasn’t automatically transformed how power is used.

This conversation asks something more radical: is it possible to exercise power differently? Can leadership move beyond command-and-control, bullying, and exploitation, and toward models that are collaborative, creative, accountable, and life-giving?

Drawing on feminist critique, lived experience, and the wisdom of older cultures that organised differently, this episode invites listeners to imagine forms of power that don’t just change who is in charge, but change how leadership itself works.

If you’re interested in justice, gender equality, and rethinking leadership for a fractured world, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/iwd-2026-reimagining-power

Dr Michael Walker steps into the host’s chair to unpack why capital gains tax has surged back into national debate and why it matters for every Australian feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis.

At the centre of the discussion is the 50% capital gains tax discount, introduced in 1999, and how it has fuelled property speculation, inflated house prices, and pushed home ownership further out of reach. As house prices have soared far beyond wage growth, average earners are increasingly locked into lifelong renting, while rising mortgages and rents drive widespread housing stress.

Drawing on recent polling and research from groups including the Everybody’s Home Coalition, Dr Walker highlights the stark trade-offs households are making just to stay housed—skipping meals, avoiding medical care, and cutting basic utilities. With housing now the single biggest driver of cost-of-living stress, the stakes could not be higher.

The episode also grounds the debate in Catholic Social Teaching, referencing the Australian Bishops’ affirmation that housing is a basic human right and a cornerstone of the common good. Winding back the capital gains tax discount, Dr Walker argues, would not solve the crisis overnight, but it would be a crucial step toward a fairer, more just housing system.

This week on Speaking of Social Justice, Dr Julie Macken takes on one of the most overused — and often misunderstood — phrases in our public conversation: “social cohesion.”

What does it really mean to “hold together” as a society when people are hurting, divided, and afraid? And is cohesion even the right word, or does it risk glossing over pain, inequality, and real difference?

Julie reflects on how fragile we all remain, no matter how old we get. From playground cruelty to political provocation, from rising Islamophobia and antisemitism to collective grief in places like Bondi and Gaza, this episode asks a deeper question: What would it look like to meet our differences with care rather than cruelty?

This is not a call for slogans, silence, or “Velcro-style” unity. It’s a plea for lowering the temperature, recognising shared humanity, and treating one another gently, because the stakes are high, and hurt people really do hurt people.