Follow the Money // Economics

The Australia Institute’s Follow the Money podcast explains Australia’s big economic issues in plain English. We bust myths, dissect politics, interpret econobabble and help you sound really smart at your next dinner party, with host Ebony Bennett.

August 2020

United in a Global Crisis with UN Chief Economist Elliott Harris

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richie Merzian

In this episode UN chief economist Elliott Harris talks about why it’s risky to withdraw fiscal stimulus too soon and why a clean green recovery makes sense for the long term, in conversation with Richie Merzian, director of the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program. Part of the Australia Institute’s Economics of a Pandemic webinar

Julia Gillard on the pandemic, mental health and beyond

featuring Ebony Bennett and Ben Oquist

Julia Gillard, chair of Beyond Blue and the former Prime Minister of Australia talks about mental health, women in leadership, the importance of government and she looks back on the legacy of the carbon price implemented by her government ten years ago. Recorded live on 5 August as part of the Australia Institute’s Economics of

July 2020

Winning a Fair Share: Rebuilding Australia’s Manufacturing Base | Paul Bastian & Jim Stanford

featuring Ebony Bennett and Jim Stanford

As the pandemic interrupted global supply chains a lot of focus has shifted back onto Australia’s domestic manufacturing capabilities and what Australia has the capacity to make and manufacture onshore and research shows we’re lagging behind. In this episode we talk about the opportunities for manufacturing and why it’s vital to the economic success of

Let it rip

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

Some economists have renewed calls to lift restrictions and simply ‘let it rip’, that is to let Covid-19 rip through the population in order to protect the economy. But are economist the right people to ask about this? In this episode we explore the limits of economics with chief economist at the Australia Institute Richard

Unpacking the Mini-Budget: What you need to know

featuring Ebony Bennett, Richard Denniss and Matt Grudnoff

In this episode, Richard Denniss and Matt Grudnoff, chief and senior economists at the Australia Institute unpack what you need to know about the Mini-Budget delivered by the Treasurer and answer your questions. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guests: Richard Denniss, chief economist at

June 2020

The success of the Aboriginal-led health response to the pandemic

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are amongst the most vulnerable to the threat of Covid-19, but the Aboriginal-led community controlled health response has been a huge public health success. How did they do it? Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guests: Lesley Nelson, CEO of South West Aboriginal Medical Service Professor

The Reconstruction – building back better with Richard Denniss

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

The Australia Institute’s chief economist Richard Denniss launched The Reconstruction Memorandum, to step back and look at the big picture on how Australia can put people first and create an economic reconstruction that delivers lasting benefits as we recover from the Covid-19 recession.Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of

Protecting workers as the Economy Re-Opens with Sally McManus

featuring Ebony Bennett and Jim Stanford

The pandemic exposed a lot of the problems with our labour market, including the risks of the rise of precarious and insecure work. Today we’re bringing you another guest from our ‘Economics of a Pandemic’ webinar series: Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in conversation with Jim Stanford, economist and director

May 2020

Black holes and Keynesians

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

The government has been talking as if it understood Keynesian economics, but its reaction to the $60 billion JobKeeper black hole shows they clearly do not think or act like Keynesians. Richard Denniss unpacks the spectacular failure of policy and accountability, as well as explaining what Keynesians economics actually means.Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic

The role of climate action in rebuilding after the pandemic with Zali Steggall

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richie Merzian

In this episode we talk to Zali Steggall, the independent member for Warringah, about the role of climate action in rebuilding after the pandemic, with Richie Merzian the director of the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy program. From the Australia Institute’s ‘Economics of a Pandemic’ webinar series.Visit tai.org.au for all our latest research and analysisHost:

The Australian Government response to the pandemic with Greg Hunt

featuring Ebony Bennett

Health Minister Greg Hunt in conversation with our chief economist Richard Denniss, as part of the Australia Institute’s Economics of a Pandemic webinar series. This was recorded live on Tuesday 19th May 2020 and things may have changed since recording.Note: Due to some technical difficulties, the Minister joined the webinar a few minutes late, so

The International Pandemic Response with Helen Clark

featuring Allan Behm and Ebony Bennett

Australia and New Zealand have had a lot of success in managing this pandemic, but that has not been the case internationally and we’ve seen a range of responses from international governments. This episode is from one of our ‘Economics of a pandemic’ webinar series, featuring Helen Clark, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand

Why ‘snap back’ is a fantasy

featuring Ebony Bennett and Matt Grudnoff

How realistic is it to expect the economy to ‘snap back’ after restrictions are lifted? Can there be a business-led recovery? In this episode we talk to senior economist Matt Grudnoff about why snap back is nice fantasy, but won’t work in reality.Visit tai.org.au for all our latest research and analysis.Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director

A renewably powered manufacturing sector with Ross Garnaut

featuring Ebony Bennett, Dan Nahum and Jim Stanford

Today’s episode is from one of our ‘Economics of a pandemic’ webinar series, featuring Professor Ross Garnaut, renowned economist and author of Superpower: Australia’s Low-Carbon Opportunity.Professor Garnaut was in conversation with economist and director of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, Jim Stanford, and Dan Nahum – economist at the Centre for Future Work

The public health response with Professor Peter Doherty

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

In this episode we’re privileged to bring you some special guests from our ‘Economics of a Pandemic webinar series: immunologist and Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Peter Doherty and our chief economist Richard Denniss talking about the public health response to Covid-19.Professor Peter Doherty was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Rolf

Working From Home: tracky dacks and keystroke surveillance

featuring Ebony Bennett and Alison Pennington

Working from home has great potential to cushion the economic blow of the pandemic: allowing many to keep working and earning an income. But there are also many challenges and risks associated with this major shift in work patterns. So to unpack the implications of everything from Orwellian surveillance programs to the joys of working

April 2020

Inequality in a Pandemic with Professor Joseph Stiglitz Nobel Laureate economist

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

To discuss Inequality in a Pandemic, The Australia Institute is privileged to bring you some very special guests from our ‘Economics of a Pandemic webinar series: Nobel Prize laureate economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz, ALP National President Wayne Swan and our chief economist Dr Richard Denniss.Part of the Australia Institute’s ‘Economics of a Pandemic’ webinar series.

After the Crisis with Jim Chalmers

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

It’s not too early to start thinking about how we rebuild the economy after the crisis. Hear Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers discuss why ‘snapback’ just won’t cut it, as part of the Australia Institute’s ‘Economics of a Pandemic’ webinar series. Recorded live on Wednesday 29 April 2020.Jim Chalmers’ Guardian article is here.Language warning – an

Covid-19: Media in crisis

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

The Australian media industry, particularly journalism, was already going through a major disruption before the pandemic hit. At least 51 news media outlets and newsrooms have closed since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis in Australia, according the The Guardian.This episode features a discussion about the crisis facing the media between Kim Williams, Chair of

What is your life really worth?

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

It’s early days, but it looks like the measures Australia has taken to stop the spread of Covid-19 appear to be working. But not everyone sees it that way. Many commentators and economists think that the restrictions we’ve put in place go ‘too far’. So we asked chief economist at the Australia Institute, Richard Denniss,

March 2020

Unpacking the Jobkeeper wage subsidy scheme

featuring Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss

The Morrison government performed an enormous and welcome backflip, announcing a $130 billion Jobseeker package to support workers, through their employer, with a $1500/fortnight wage subsidy. Richard Denniss, chief economist at the Australia Institute unpacks the details with us.Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at The Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettContributors: Richard Denniss, chief economist at the

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