How Australia Works: SBS launches multilingual democracy podcast – SBS has launched How Australia Works, an audio series about Australian democracy. It draws on everyday experiences and offers civics lessons in more than 60 languages.
Newly arrived Australians may ask two practical questions: how do democratic institutions work, and how can I take part? For example, the SBS podcast uses real stories to explain lawmaking and the separation of powers. It gives listeners a starting point for civic participation.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC launched the series at Admiralty House in Sydney. Community leaders attended. The English edition has five episodes of about 20 minutes each. SBS also offers six shorter episodes of about five minutes in more than 60 languages.
What the How Australia Works SBS podcast covers
The series explores Australia’s democratic institutions and the division of power. It also explains lawmaking and the effect of government decisions on daily life. Specifically, the English-language page lists five topics. They cover who runs Australia, why power is split, how laws change and how people can shape change.
Australian hip-hop artist and community leader Sukhdeep Singh Bhogal, better known as L-FRESH The LION, hosts the series. Bhogal grew up in southwest Sydney with Punjabi-Sikh parents. He brings that experience to conversations about unfamiliar systems.
“It feels so relevant to be having conversations with people about how the systems in Australia actually work,” Bhogal says. He wants lived experiences to make the information accessible and relatable. That approach could help listeners engage with their country.
Sam Mostyn on participation and belonging
Mostyn says this knowledge matters to Australia’s democracy. “It is vital for the health of our democracy that all Australians understand how our system of government works and how they can participate in and contribute to our society,” she says.
In turn, she links understanding with belonging and social cohesion. However, newcomers can find participation difficult, she acknowledges. For that reason, she says easier access to democratic institutions can benefit multilingual communities and the wider country.
SBS Chair Dr Nick Pappas AM places the series within the broadcaster’s original purpose. He says SBS began more than 50 years ago as a bridge to government services for migrants. He calls this podcast a modern successor.
SBS Acting Director of Language and Audio Content Pamela Cook says newcomers bring different experiences of government and authority. The multilingual format provides practical information to support understanding and participation.
Why SBS made the series
SBS points to the federal parliamentary report From Classroom to Community. It described civics education as “fragmented and inequitable”. The report recommended culturally appropriate civics education for adults. SBS aims to address part of that gap.
The new podcast follows another SBS Audio project. In 2025, it translated the National Anthem and Citizenship Pledge into more than 60 languages. In addition, SBS Learn English and Australia Explained offer other settlement resources. They include citizenship videos and podcasts in 10 languages. A citizenship-test explainer is available in more than 30 languages.
For now, the public How Australia Works page lists all five English episodes. The shorter translated edition brings essential information to listeners who prefer another language.
For more TV Central SBS news, read our report on SBS’s multilingual Census resources. You can listen to How Australia Works on the official SBS page.