Saturday Magazine

21 Sep 2025

Sat, 20th, Sept, 2025: Konrad Benjamin, Podcaster, Punter’s Politics, the 58th Commonwealth Parliament, Winter Ball, and what it’s like being a Political Punter

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Sat, 20th, Sept, 2025: Konrad Benjamin, Podcaster, Punter’s Politics, the 58th Commonwealth Parliament, Winter Ball, and what it’s like being a Political Punter

Macca and Nevena talk to Konrad Benjamin, Podcaster, Punter’s Politics, the 58th Commonwealth Parliament, Winter Ball, and what it’s like being a Political Punter

Konrad launched Punter’s Politics about one year ago, starting with satirical skits uploaded to social media and YouTube that cited reputable resources.

His first reel, “How dumb are Aussies?” skewered the decisions of successive governments that he said allowed corporations to “rip off” Australia over its natural resources.

It compared Australia’s Petroluem Resource Rent Tax forecast for the 2022-23 financial year ($2.6 billion) to that of Qatar’s energy export tax expectations that year ($76b) and Norway’s take ($133.8b) in the year to December 2023, despite Australia being among the world’s biggest natural gas exporters.

The reel quickly went viral and amassed two million views on Instagram until it was removed by the platform with little explanation.

Konrad reposted it and says it has now been seen five million times on YouTube and other platforms.

He has since uploaded dozens of reels targeting everything from the Australian Taxation Office to the Australian Passport Office, offshore investment in property during a housing crisis, and the country’s private healthcare model.

“I’m presenting what I think to be the important politics, what politics ought to be,” Konrad said.

“We all agree on 80 per cent of stuff, but we’re fed the 20 per cent of division, the culture war rubbish that corporations want us talking about.

“Because as long as we’re doing that, we’re distracted from the things and the issues that everyone agrees on that would massively change our lives.”

If Konrad’s rapid growth in followers — who he says are mostly “tradies and millennials” — is anything to go by, a lot of people feel the same way.

In less than 12 months he has amassed about 330,000 followers on Instagram, set up a website and a podcast that has been joined by several politicians, and has “patreons” backing him financially.

He has also raised more than $80,000 to erect billboards across the country ahead of the federal election — a move that is sure to cause a few headaches for all sides of government — as he continues to highlight Australia’s comparatively small gas royalties.