When Q+A executive producer Erin Vincent took over running the program at the end of 2019 she had a vision to increase the number of shows taken out of the studio and into suburbs and regions across the country.
The team got off to a good start in early 2020, hosting a program from communities hit hard by the Black Summer blazes.
Then COVID-19 arrived, dashing travel plans, reducing then preventing a live audience, and forcing a swift overhaul of the program's production.
Last year, 15 out of 43 shows had no audience at all.
"The pandemic has really forced Q+A to adapt," Vincent says.
"Our audience is the very essence of the show and so, of course, not having them in the room made a big difference to the energy in the program.
"I remember our studio audience dwindling each week from 250, to a socially distanced room of around 70, dropping to a dozen questioners, then eventually videos from all over the country.
"Also, for the first time in its history, the program couldn't travel into communities, so we did national call-outs for questions and the response was amazing. People sent in videos from every corner of the country and it really allowed the program to reflect how differently each state was living at different times.
"One of the things that surprised me was how well the format adapted to all the restrictions and changes. No-one was commenting on the fact we'd lost the studio audience, or that a panellist had to join by Skype from their home office.
"Everything about our lives was being up-ended and people just wanted trustworthy information from those leading us through the pandemic.
"I'm incredibly proud of the Q+A team and the way they've handled it all during a very challenging two years."
Now, as Australia "lives" with COVID, Vincent is able to realise her original vision. On Thursday Q+A is being broadcast from the regional Queensland city of Gladstone, in the electorate of Flynn, one of the key seats to watch this election.
David Speers is hosting the program, only the second broadcast from a regional area since the pandemic began — last year between lockdowns the team managed to squeeze in a show in Wollongong.
Then on April 28, the show will be broadcast from the Brisbane Powerhouse.
"I'm really looking forward to spending some time in Gladstone and hearing from locals in this part of Queensland mid-campaign," says Speers, who also presents Insiders.
"Elections are often a reminder of how politically diverse Australia can be. The priorities and perspectives in regional Queensland can be very different to those in the big cities.
"I think it's important for our national audience and for us journos and program makers to hear these views, discuss the issues in a region facing enormous structural change, and to better understand what's going on in a part of the country that could determine the election outcome."
Staged at the Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre (GECC), the program will welcome a live audience of about 500 people to pose questions to a panel featuring Bob Katter, independent MP for Kennedy, Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources and Water, Murray Watt, Labor senator for Queensland, Amanda Cahill, CEO of The Next Economy, and Bronwyn Fredericks, pro-vice-chancellor Indigenous engagement at the University of Queensland.
"I only came to Q+A mid-pandemic and my first few shows had little or even no audience in the room," Speers recalls.
"The upside was the ability to bring in video questions from people all over Australia. The downside was losing that atmosphere of a live studio audience and trying to conduct conversations with multiple guests on remote links.
"I much prefer having as many people in the room as possible, both panellists and audience. Conversations flow more naturally and not nearly as much is lost in translation.
"There's nothing quite like the ability for an audience member to look a politician in the eye and ask them a question directly about something deeply important in their life."
Taking the show on the road is a logistical challenge, with broadcast equipment and the production team being brought in from around the country, but Vincent believes the show has a responsibility to field questions from a broad section of the community.
"Travelling to regional and urban communities gives more of Australia the chance to do that. The issues that are weighing on people's minds differ in every community and you get a real sense of that when Q+A hits the road," she says.
"There's a real buzz around the community when people learn the show will be travelling to their area, and we usually attract audiences of around 500 people.
"Most of them will submit questions so shortlisting can be a very tough process! We read every question that comes in which gives us a clear sense of what the audience wants to focus on.
"Often, a question will resonate when it's coming from a personal place, and the issue has great meaning to that person's life. For some people, it's a brave thing to ask a question on national television and you can feel the significance of their question land with the panel.
"You can't underestimate the power of having that moment happen live in the room."
The production team is committed to providing a platform for a broad variety of voices and a lot goes on behind the scenes to achieve balance on the panel and in the audience.
"The Q+A Audience Team works incredibly hard to ensure the audience is balanced each week," Vincent says.
"Having that range of perspectives is what makes Q+A so engaging and it's so important we represent all Australians in our discussions.
"Our audience members are not obliged to share their voting preferences when they register but you'd be surprised at the number of people that do.
"We strive to achieve a quarter of Coalition voters, a quarter of ALP voters, a quarter who declare that they're undecided, and a quarter who represent independents/Greens/other parties/students who are of non-voting age as well.
"Heading into the election, we are hearing from a high number of undecided voters, so we are planning a special program focusing on undecideds during the campaign."
Vincent says the audience voting preferences collected for last year's episodes featuring politicians were: Coalition 26 per cent, ALP 23 per cent, undecided 24 per cent, Greens 11 per cent, other 16 per cent (including those under 18).
"It's always a difficult task trying to find the right balance, but it's particularly important during an election, and over the course of the campaign a wide range of views will be featured," Speers says.
"The main challenge of hosting this program during a campaign is to ensure all sides are treated fairly.
"That means listening to their ideas and promises, testing the merits of their arguments, cutting through the motherhood statements, calling out the bulldust and, above all, trying to get some straight answers to the questions being asked. "
After two years of grappling with the challenges of COVID while cementing the program in a Thursday night timeslot, Vincent sees the ability to now get out and about as an opportunity to ensure Q+A resonates with as many Australians as possible on a broad range of platforms.
"Q+A is reaching a national audience of around 500,000 viewers each week on broadcast and iview. Thursday night is one of the most competitive nights on free to air [television] and Q+A is holding its own in the 8:30pm timeslot," she says.
"Foreign Correspondent and Q+A make a strong offering, broadcast share for Q+A in 2022 is 8 per cent in metro markets and 7.5 per cent in regional markets, which is comparable to previous years in that timeslot.
"Just as importantly, our digital reach is expanding. The Q+A YouTube channel has more than 100,000 subscribers and has recorded almost 7 million views in 2022 across all content.
"The program also continues to have a significant impact, regularly generating headlines and shaping the national agenda."
Q+A is broadcast from Gladstone on Thursday at 8:30pm on ABC and iview
