Lesley Russell is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data. She was the inaugural Menzies Foundation Fellow at the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and, prior to that, a health policy adviser to the federal Labor Party. She worked for seven years as health policy adviser on the Energy and Commerce Committee in the US House of Representatives and was a Senior Policy Adviser to the US Surgeon-General during the Obama Administration.
International
A cure worse than the disease
Lesley Russell
17 October 2025
The US president’s erratic approach to pharmaceutical pricing won’t do much to help Americans. But what about Australians?
International
Big, ugly and unpopular
Lesley Russell
16 July 2025
Donald Trump’s signature legislation will come back to bite the Republicans
National affairs
Diagnoses in, now for action
Lesley Russell
17 June 2025
Labor can’t deliver better healthcare without embarking on the reforms proposed by a succession of inquiries
International
Trump’s war on knowledge
Lesley Russell
4 June 2025
Like his erratic tariff decisions, Donald Trump’s attack on universities will damage America itself
National affairs
Pharmaceutical warfare
Lesley Russell
24 March 2025
How far will the Trump administration follow Big Pharma in targeting Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme?
National affairs
Vaccination nations
Lesley Russell
14 March 2025
Can Australia avoid America’s backwards slide, and even become a world leader in vaccines?
National affairs
An unhealthy Mediconsensus
Lesley Russell
26 February 2025
With the Coalition matching Labor’s promises, are vital Medicare reforms being dealt out of contention?
International
Eye of the storm
Lesley Russell
13 October 2024
Climate has made a dramatic intervention in the US election
Books & arts
Pelosi in power
Lesley Russell
24 September 2024
Memoirs of “a weaver at the loom” through four presidencies
International
November’s coat-tailers and ticket-splitters
Lesley Russell
27 August 2024
While Harris and Walz capture the headlines, congressional seats are being closely fought in key states
International
Treating the body politic
Lesley Russell
13 August 2024
Much is at stake for health and healthcare in the US election
International
Hitting the ground running
Lesley Russell
31 July 2024
Why vice-presidential candidates matter too
International
Kamala Harris’s chance to “earn and win”
Lesley Russell
22 July 2024
Joe Biden’s announcement sends the presidential race in an entirely new direction
International
Long night in Milwaukee
Lesley Russell
20 July 2024
Donald Trump’s rambling speech at the Republican convention creates an opportunity for the Democrats
International
Next-in-line time?
Lesley Russell
10 July 2024
And why vice-presidential choices matter
International
What now for the Democrats?
Lesley Russell
28 June 2024
Joe Biden’s performance at the first debate has deepened concerns about whether he can beat Donald Trump
International
The politicisation of American justice
Lesley Russell
6 June 2024
Donald Trump’s conviction might not have a major impact on the election but it does point to grave flaws in the justice system
International
Politicians versus voters
Lesley Russell
23 May 2024
The US Congress has a deep problem with governing — though voters also reserve the right to contradict themselves
National affairs
Hot air versus clean air
Lesley Russell
12 April 2024
Despite worrying evidence, the health dangers of air pollution barely figured in the debate over Labor’s vehicle efficiency standard
International
The fragility of American democracy
Lesley Russell
22 March 2024
Sooner or later, both major parties will have to deal with Trumpism’s legacy, made worse by the problems inherent in America’s political system
International
Which way will independent voters jump?
Lesley Russell
15 March 2024
The real issues in the US presidential race have been swamped by the big news
International
Obama’a healthcare legacy
Lesley Russell
12 February 2024
The Affordable Care Act really is a big deal — but is it a winner for Joe Biden?
International
Delicately dancing Democrats
Lesley Russell
8 December 2023
Looking ahead to 2028 but with half an eye on 2024, presidential hopefuls are positioning themselves for a run
International
Neither Democrats nor democrats
Lesley Russell
7 November 2023
The Republican Party might not be American democracy’s only enemy, but it’s the biggest
National affairs
The dental divide
Lesley Russell
30 October 2023
Australian health policy doesn’t treat it that way, but dental care is a medical issue
National affairs
The weakest link
Lesley Russell
30 August 2023
Private health insurance is a drain on the federal budget with no clear benefits. So why is Labor only quietly tinkering?
International
Is No Labels heading off-label?
Lesley Russell
21 July 2023
A bipartisan group calling for moderation might make life difficult for Joe Biden’s re-election bid
International
One step forward, three steps back
Lesley Russell
11 July 2023
Despite an encouraging decision on voting laws, the US Supreme Court has continued attacking Americans’ rights
International
Is Donald Trump losing his grip?
Lesley Russell
20 April 2023
Regardless of his legal problems, the former president’s self-obsession is increasingly alienating middle-of-the-road voters
International
Before the deluge
Lesley Russell
13 March 2023
A series of long-awaited legal proceedings against Donald Trump could start as early as this week
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