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Roll up! Roll up! This show is a gas!

by Stephen Long in The Politics

Take your seats, ladies and gentlemen, for Australia’s annual gas pantomime, guaranteed to scare the wits out of struggling consumers. Every year it’s the same tired script, where the villain is cast as the hero, and crisis is averted in the nick of time. Hurrah! The heating stayed on for another winter. Standing ovation. Frack that

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Horacek Cartoon

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Between the Lines Newsletter

What kind of country do you want? | Between the Lines

The Wrap with Amy Remeikis What Peter Dutton and the Coalition are offering Australian voters is a fiction. It’s headlines without substance, chimeras and half-truths that never stand up to scrutiny, but comprehensively misdirects the media’s gaze. The nation has been in election mode since the beginning of the year, when Anthony Albanese used his

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Coal Mine Tracker

Since May 2022, the Federal Environment Minister has approved 10 new coal mines or expansions.

There are 22 additional proposals for new or expanded coal mines currently waiting for Federal Government approval.

If approved, the lifetime emissions from all 32 projects would be equivalent to keeping all of Australia’s coal-fired power stations operating for an additional 95 years.

×95 years

Hunter Valley Mine Watch

No new coal mines are needed in the Hunter Valley. Avoiding dangerous climate change requires keeping coal in the ground, and with the world moving away from coal as an energy source new coal mines will simply compete with existing coal mines for a declining market.

Total coal production gap

Actual
150
Approved
241.5
million tonnes per year
Production gap
91.5
million tonnes per year

Rehabilitation cost shortfall

Bond
$3.3
Est. cost
$11.5
billion
Shortfall
$8.2
billion

HeatWatch

HeatWatch puts current Australian research about temperature increases due to global warming into context, using data from the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO.

Latest videos

This is the Budget described by our economists as 'pretty inoffensive' and 'designed to hurt no-one.' But what surprised them? And is there anything in there about housing, or climate change? Chief Economist Greg Jericho and Senior Economist Matt Grudnoff unpack everything there is to know! Get our latest analysis sent to you via our fortnightly newsletter! 📧 https://theaus.in/newsletter_signup Help us make more videos like this by becoming a supporter: ❤️ https://theaus.in/donateYT
What surprised us in the Budget!
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What surprised us in the Budget!

The Federal Government and Opposition are proposing to weaken environmental protections and stop community groups from protecting nature. The changes to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act will reportedly be rammed through Parliament next week as a favour to the salmon industry in Tasmania. They would also benefit gas and coal mines. The proposal would prohibit third-party civil society organisations like The Australia Institute and Environmental Defenders Office from challenging environmentally damaging projects. Speakers: -Andrew Wilkie MP, Independent Member for Clark -Matt Testoni, Environment Australia -Eloise Carr, Director, the Australia Institute Tasmania -Jessica Coughlan, Neighbours of Fish Farming -Alexia Wellbelove, Australian Marine Conservation Society -Peter George, Independent candidate for Franklin -Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator for South Australia, and Greens Spokesperson for the Environment -Kylea Tink MP, Independent Member for North Sydney -Zoe Daniel MP, Independent Member for Goldstein -Senator David Pocock, Independent Senator for the ACT Get our latest analysis sent to you via our fortnightly newsletter! 📧 https://theaus.in/newsletter_signup Help us make more videos like this by becoming a supporter: ❤️ https://theaus.in/donateYT
Don't Gut Our Environment Laws - Press Conference
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Don't Gut Our Environment Laws - Press Conference

Australia Institute research shows over half (56%) of gas exported from Australia attracts zero royalty payments, effectively giving a public resource to multinational gas corporations for free. It’s time the gas industry started paying its fair share. Speakers: Senator David Pocock, Independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory Rex Patrick, Former Senator for South Australia Jacqui Lambie, Jacqui Lambie Network Senator for Tasmania Steve Murphy, National secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor, the Australia Institute Get our latest analysis sent to you via our fortnightly newsletter! 📧 https://theaus.in/newsletter_signup Help us make more videos like this by becoming a supporter: ❤️ https://theaus.in/donateYT
Big Gas is taking the Piss - Press Conference
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Big Gas is taking the Piss - Press Conference

The situation in Macquarie Harbour, with industrial salmon farming pushing the endangered Maugean skate to the brink of extinction, has turned into a flashpoint political issue, with the Labor Government promising the industry it will weaken Australia’s environmental protection laws, with the help of the Coalition. Their proposed changes come at the behest of the powerful salmon industry but will also ensure more coal and gas projects are approved in the future. Eloise Carr, director of the Australia Institute Tasmania, spoke at a rally last week, explaining what's at stake. Get our latest analysis sent to you via our fortnightly newsletter! 📧 https://theaus.in/newsletter_signup Help us make more videos like this by becoming a supporter: ❤️ https://theaus.in/donateYT
The major parties are trying to gut our environmental protection laws
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The major parties are trying to gut our environmental protection laws

Join journalists Amy Remeikis and Alex Sloan AM discussing their contributions to What’s the Big Idea?, the first book from Australia Institute Press. To mark The Australia Institute’s 30 years of big ideas, we have asked some of our good friends and leading thinkers from Australia and around the world to share a big idea for a better Australia. The Australia Institute has spent the last 30 years producing research that matters, and this anthology offers fresh thinking about climate action, how to safeguard our democracy, the importance of bravery in policymaking, and how to address some of the biggest issues of our day: from gender-based discrimination to the housing crisis; from our relationship with the United States to keeping cities cooler. In our first 30 years, The Australia Institute has shown how to make the impossible feel inevitable, and the radical seem reasonable. The works in this inspiring volume serve as a reminder that the solutions are there, Australia just needs the courage to implement them. Alex Sloan AM is an award-winning journalist and highly regarded interviewer, facilitator and MC. Alex has been a journalist for over 30 years, including 27 years as a broadcaster with the ABC. In 2017, Alex was named ACT Citizen of the Year, and in 2019 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. Amy Remeikis is a political commentator, analyst, journalist and author. Formally the political live blogger at the Guardian, Amy is now the Chief Political Analyst at the Australia Institute. Get our latest analysis sent to you via our fortnightly newsletter! 📧 https://theaus.in/newsletter_signup Help us make more videos like this by becoming a supporter: ❤️ https://theaus.in/donateYT
What’s the Big Idea? with Amy Remeikis & Alex Sloan
YouTube Video VVVLT2ZHNW54WkNmZmpPcU96YVRGVGNBLk1obF9JeDBzRk5N

What’s the Big Idea? with Amy Remeikis & Alex Sloan

The Australian Government can’t afford to do everything, but it can afford to do anything it wants.  On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor preview next week’s Federal Budget and why the Government doesn’t need to leave so much tax revenue on the table.  This discussion was recorded on Thursday 20 March 2025 and things may have changed since recording.  Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia (https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/Whats-the-Big-Idea-p697420081) now, via the Australia Institute website.  Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work // @grogsgamut (https://bsky.app/profile/grogsgamut.bsky.social)   Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek (https://bsky.app/profile/elinorjohnstonleek.bsky.social)   Show notes:  5 ways and 63 billion reasons to improve Australia’s tax system (https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/5-suggestions-and-63-billion-reasons-to-improve-australias-tax-system/) by Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (March 2025)  ‘Expect a lot of talk about Australia’s deficit, but remember the golden rule: budgets are always about choices’ (https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2025/mar/20/expect-a-lot-of-talk-from-chalmers-about-the-deficit-but-remember-the-golden-rule-budgets-are-always-about-choices) by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (March 2025)  Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions  We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au (mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au) .  Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Greg's budget wishlist
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Greg's budget wishlist

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