The Pub Test

Australian politics, minus the spin. Neil Pharaoh and Erin Watson put the week's biggest political stories through the pub test - does it make sense, is it fair, and what does it really mean? New episodes weekly.

The Pub Test is a news podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 26 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Pub Test, a news show with 26 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #13

  Pauline Hanson’s Parental Leave Backflip, Childcare Battlelines & The American Royal Wedding

  Jul 6, 20261h 5mS2

  On the eve of July 4th, American royalty gets married, but what are the political and pop culture consequences? Why did Pauline Hanson’s comments on paid parental leave hit such a nerve with Australian parents? Has childcare choice become the next major political fight? And is Australia’s early education system built for modern families, or for a world that no longer exists? Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation https://imaginationlibrary.com/the-dollywood-foundation/ Jen Fleming is the CEO and co-founder of Childcare Choice, a parent-led advocacy movement pushing for more flexible childcare funding and greater choice for Australian families. https://childcarechoice.com.au/ Georgie Dent is the CEO of The Parenthood, a lawyer, author and leading advocate for paid parental leave, early education and better policy support for children and families. https://www.theparenthood.org.au/ This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & Yorkhttps://tanck.com.au/https://www.bakerandyork.com/https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/Produced by Keehlan Ferrari-Brown

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #11

  Leadership Spills, Lobbying Loopholes & Why Georgia Matters

  Jun 22, 202647 minS2

  Why do Australian parties keep removing their own leaders? Who really has influence inside Parliament? And why does Georgia matter in the struggle between Europe and Russia? This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/ https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/ Produced by Keehlan Ferrari-Brown 00:01:12 — Leadership spills in Australia 00:17:14 — Lobbying, influence and what Neil/Erin do 00:32:01 — Georgia, Russia and democratic pressure

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #10

  Why Are We Still Talking About the Budget?

  Jun 15, 202644 minS2

  The Budget Is Over. The Fight Isn’t. Four weeks after the 2026 Federal Budget, Australia is still arguing about it. The Budget was handed down four weeks ago. So why are we still fighting about it? This week on The Pub Test, Neil Pharaoh and Dr Erin Watson hear two very different takes on the 2026 Federal Budget. Joseph Mitchell from the ACTU says it starts shifting the burden from workers to wealth. Innes Willox from Australian Industry Group says it risks creating uncertainty for business, investment and small employers. Workers versus wealth. Growth versus fairness. Certainty versus reform. The Budget may be over — but the argument clearly isn’t. Find out more Australian Unions / ACTU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AustralianUnions/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ausunions/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aus.unions YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AustralianUnions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/australian-unions/ #AustralianUnions Australian Industry Group Website: https://www.australianindustrygroup.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AustralianIndustryGroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/australianindustrygroup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/australian-industry-group/ #AustralianIndustryGroup #AllForBusiness #ThePubTest #AusPol This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York https://tanck.com.au/ https://www.bakerandyork.com/https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/ Produced by Keehlan Ferrari-Brown

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #9

  Student Debt, Work From Home & Argentina’s Economic Gamble

  Jun 8, 202645 minS2

  <p>Australia’s university debt system, Victoria’s work-from-home debate and Argentina’s economic experiment all raise the same question: when does government intervention stop helping and start distorting the system? </p><p><br></p><p>HECS, TAFE, gendered work, flexible workplaces and the lessons Australia can draw from one of the world’s most politically fascinating economies. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York</p><p>https://tanck.com.au/</p><p>https://www.bakerandyork.com/https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/</p><p>Produced by Keehlan Ferrari-Brown</p><p><br></p>

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #8

  One Nation Beats Labor, Parliament’s Passport Problem, & the Rise of the New Serfdom

  Jun 1, 202658 minS2

  <p>The latest Redbridge opinion poll has dropped a absolute bombshell: One Nation has surged to become the country's most popular primary vote political party, outpolling both Labor and the Coalition. As a massive political disruption looms over upcoming state and federal elections, the center-left and center-right are being completely hollowed out. </p><p><br /></p><p>This episode was powered by Tanck and Baker & York</p><p>https://tanck.com.au/</p><p>https://www.bakerandyork.com/https://www.thepubtestpodcast.com/</p><p>Produced by Keehlan Ferrari-Brown</p>

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on The Pub Test. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.