Barrie Cassidy

Barrie Cassidy has been covering federal politics since he was first posted to Canberra in 1979. He has worked as political correspondent for ABC TV and radio and political analyst for the 7.30 Report. He is a former president of the parliamentary press gallery.

He was for four years senior press secretary to Prime Minister Bob Hawke and eventually his senior political adviser. Barrie has worked overseas as a correspondent, again in major political capitals. First, as US correspondent for The Australian in Washington during the rise of Bill Clinton and then as European correspondent for the ABC based in Brussels.
Moving to Washington, Cassidy worked as a correspondent for The Australian, owned by Rupert Murdoch. He returned to Australia, where he hosted a program on Network Ten called The Last Shout. Then it was back to the ABC - this time with The 7.30 Report - before he, his daughter and his wife, Heather Ewart, were sent to Brussels as European correspondents.
Cassidy currently hosts the Sunday morning political discussion show Insiders, the sports panel show Offside’s and was until recently hosting the morning show ABC News Breakfast. He has a keen interest in horseracing, owning one unsuccessful horse, 'Kurrajong,' and is a devout fan of Collingwood in the Australian Football League. Cassidy is also a keen jogger, running almost every day.
He is a member of the Australia-United States Leadership Dialogue.