September 2023
The Special (Economic) Relationship: Australia and the US
The Australia-America economic relationship is one of the world’s most consequential, worth over $2 trillion, yet few understand its depth and scale. This was recorded on Thursday 3rd August 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Guest: Joey Herlihy, Research Intern, International & Security Affairs program, the Australia Institute
The Climate Crisis Isn’t Just an Environmental One
This weekend, Canberrans can look forward to balmy back-to-back days in the mid-20s.
Dead in the Water
A new deal to save the Murray-Darling basin has been brokered by Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, following another mass fish kill, and a survey finding not a single adult Murray Cod in the Lower Darling-Bakka. This was recorded on Tuesday 5th September 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute //
Voice to Parliament: If you don’t know, just ask
There are just a few weeks until Australia holds its first Referendum since 1999, on whether we should establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
August 2023
An Eventful Trip to Fiji
The Labor Government has been campaigning for Australia to host COP31, the UN climate conference, in partnership with a Pacific Island nation. But Pacific Islanders have several concerns, mainly due to Australia’s track record with new fossil fuels, and lacklustre climate policy. This was recorded on Wednesday 30th August 2023 and things may have changed
The Environmental Fight you probably haven’t heard of
While you might not think native duck hunting is a big issue in Australia, it actually has extensive detrimental effects on our ecosystems. And it isn’t even that popular among Australians. This was recorded on Tuesday 6th June 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Guests: Rod Campbell, Research
The Voice Will Help Us Discover a Rich History
As Aussies, we can get pretty riled up at the prospect of the destruction of public monuments, historic sites and places we consider important to the fabric of our national culture and identity.
What Transition?
The lifecycle emissions resulting from Tamboran Resources’ proposed Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) processing and export facility in the Northern Territory would be equivalent to 12 coal-fired power stations every year when operating at full capacity. Not exactly on the transition to net-zero… This was recorded on Wednesday 16th August 2023 and things may have changed
A Trojan Horse for Fossil Fuels
The Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Amendment (Using New Technologies to Fight Climate Change) Bill currently before Parliament sounds promising. But as it turns out, the name of the bill is hiding a lot of ugly truths. This was recorded on Thursday 11th August 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute //
Labor’s climate credibility is melting under the heat of scrutiny
Neoliberals are always worried about government ‘picking winners’, but strangely never seem to have a problem when governments back obvious losers, like perennial failure carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Ending the ‘Jobs for Mates’ Culture with Dr Sophie Scamps [Webinar]
Restoring trust and integrity in Australia’s democracy was a key issue in 2022 federal election. In March, independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps introduced a new bill designed to end the ‘jobs for mates’ culture in federal politics. The bill seeks to legislate a transparent and independent process for major government public appointments, setting a gold
July 2023
The Shell Game Behind Carbon Credits with Nick Feik [Webinar]
In his new essay “The Great Stock ‘n’ Coal Swindle” for The Monthly, Nick Feik takes a deep dive into Australia’s carbon offsets industry and its links to fossil fuel expansion. This was recorded on Wednesday 8th March 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Guests: Nick Feik, Writer, journalist
Why it’s hard to beat sitting MPs in elections
Sitting parliamentarians rarely lose elections. While incumbents have a publicly funded head-start, challengers rely on donations to fund their election campaigns, which is why political donation reform needs to ensure everyone should be able to afford a ticket to run in an election. This was recorded on Friday 23rd June 2023 and things may have
June 2023
Australia’s Olympic Moment on Greenwashing
The Australian Government has proposed that Australia host the 2026 UN Climate Conference, in “partnership” with Pacific nations. But can Australia be considered a credible host for a COP31 while it continues to subsidise and approve fossil fuel expansion? This was recorded on Wednesday 14th June 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The
ABC redundancies could harm the public’s trust in the reliable broadcaster
The latest redundancies at the ABC are a cruel blow to public interest journalism and its role in holding the powerful to account.
Nordic Talks: Breaking the ice ceiling: Gender equality in Iceland and Australia [Webinar]
Iceland’s outstanding levels of gender equality have been achieved through policies such as extensive paid parental leave, including an emphasis on fathers using paid parental leave. This emphasis on paternity leave is one important reason that Iceland is frequently ranked as the leader among all the Nordic nations – and thus the world leader –
Nordic Talks: The Role of First Nations Communities in the Clean Energy Transition [Webinar]
Australia has all the ingredients for a green industrial revolution; abundant rare minerals, plentiful wind and sun, manufacturing capabilities, while Sweden is a global leader in green industry practices and production. But how can First Nations communities participate in the clean energy transition? This talk will unpack how Sweden and Australia can better balance the
Nordic Talks: Pedalling Health – Healthy and sustainable cities in Denmark and Australia [Webinar]
In Denmark, the bicycle has been recognised as a fast, efficient, and sustainable mode of transportation for decades, and the key to more liveable cities and happy, healthy people – supported by a network of safe cycling infrastructure and a positive cycle culture as part of healthy urban design which also means fewer food deserts. In
Nordic Talks: The Value of a Free Press [Webinar]
Norway is number one the World Press Freedom Index, while Australia dropped 14 places in 2022 due in part to its highly concentrated media landscape. This webinar, the second of our special Nordic Talks webinar series, will explore how Norway’s targeted ‘press support’ subsidies could help Australia to achieve greater diversity in its highly concentrated
Nordic Talks: A plus or F minus? Educational Equity in Finland and Australia [Webinar]
More than a decade after the Gonski review into Australia’s school funding aimed to reduce the impact of social disadvantage on educational outcomes, educational outcomes for Australian schoolchildren are getting worse. The success of Finnish educational outcomes shows that equity drives excellence for all students. This is one of a five-part special series of Follow
Thomas Mayo & Kerry O’Brien on the Voice to Parliament Handbook
The Voice to Parliament Handbook by Indigenous leader Thomas Mayo and acclaimed journalist Kerry O’Brien is a clear, concise and simple guide for the millions of Australians who have expressed support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, but who want to better understand what a Voice to Parliament actually means. This was recorded on
The Australian War Memorial must remove Ben Roberts-Smith display
The Australian War Memorial is currently displaying the uniform of a soldier found by the federal court, on the balance of probabilities, to be a murderer, war criminal, a bully and a liar.
Profits v Wages, what’s driving inflation?
Australians have been experiencing a dramatic rise in the cost of living thanks to inflation. While the business sector was quick to blame wages for rising inflation, the Australia Institute and the Center for Future Work took a look at the data, and it told a very different story. This was recorded on Monday 5th
May 2023
Carbon capture and storage is a dangerous rort
There’s nothing politics loves more than a good rort or scandal, like the recent revelations of PwC’s misconduct, which is finally throwing a spotlight on the vast tentacles of the big four consulting firms into the business of government. But it’s concerning that one of the biggest and longest-running rorts in climate change policy—carbon capture
Modi, the Quad, and the latest on AUKUS
From Narendra Modi’s recent visit, to the cancelled Quad summit meeting, to new developments in the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement, it’s been a busy few weeks in international relations for Australia. This was recorded on Wednesday 25th May 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Guest: Allan Behm, Director,
PwC Scandal Reveals Problem with Consulting Firms
The Australian government spends a billion dollars or more each year on consulting firms to complete necessary work, often involving confidential information. But a recent scandal at PricewaterhouseCooper has racked the consulting industry, undermining public trust in the system. This was recorded on Tuesday 16th May 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The
Bread and Surpluses: What you need to know about the Budget
The Albanese Government has handed down its 2023-24 Federal Budget, and it contains positive measures like a 15% pay rise for aged care workers, the minimal increases to welfare, and deferral of any change to the Stage 3 tax cuts, confirm that change is going to be incremental and slow. This was recorded on Wednesday
April 2023
Poor policies stopping our fair go
The government must change its stance on stage three income tax cuts and JobSeeker before it’s too late.
The Housing Crisis
Australia’s housing crisis is only getting worse, and our social housing shortfall has ballooned to 500,000 and rent is skyrocketing. So how did we get here, and what can be done? This episode is a live recording from the Australia Institute’s Politics in the Pub series. This was recorded on Wednesday 19th April 2023 and
The Great Gas Rip-off
The PRRT, or Petroleum Resource Rent Tax, is a tax on profits of petroleum products, including crude oil and petroleum gas. But through accounting tricks and loopholes, gas corporations are avoiding paying their fair share of tax. Research mentioned: https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/reforming-the-petroleum-resource-rent-tax/ This was recorded on Monday 19th April 2023 and things may have changed since recording.
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