Follow the Money
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.
March 2021
The crisis in aged care and why we need to talk about revenue
The findings of the Aged Care Royal Commission are shocking but not surprising. Among the recommendations is the call for an effective 1% increase in the Medicare levy, or a new Medicare-style Aged Care levy which could be applied progressively based on income, to create the revenue required to fund an aged care system with
February 2021
The Facebook News Blackout and the News Media Bargaining Code
When Facebook banned Australian news and information from its platform — as well as the pages of many charities, community groups and government departments — in an attempt to avoid regulation, it may have been the first time many Australians had heard of the news media bargaining code. So in this week’s episode we unpack what the code is, what it does, why it’s necessary and what happens next.
Google and the use and abuse of economic modelling
In its efforts to avoid regulation, Google commissioned economic modelling showing that Google providing tens of billions of dollars in benefits to Australia – but the figures quickly fell apart on closer inspection from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology. In this episode, chief economist Richard Denniss talks us through some of the assumptions
The rise of right wing extremism
The rise of right-wing extremism is happening all around us, yet it does not dominate Australia’s national security discourse in the way “Islamic extremism” did in the years after 9/11. The Australia Institute spoke to counter-terrorism expert Dr Anne Aly MP, to help us unpack the nature of the problem and if we’re doing enough
January 2021
Summer special: Friends, Allies and Enemies with Karen Middleton & Jonathan Pearlman
In our summer special series, we bring you some of our favourite guests from the Australia Institute’s webinar series in 2020. In this episode, host Ebony Bennett talks to Karen Middleton, Jonathan Pearlman and Allan Behm about the tenth issue of Australian Foreign Affairs which examines the alliances, blocs and rivalries emerging across the Asia-Pacific
Summer special: How Childcare Reforms Could Help Power the Economic Recovery with Jay Weatherill and Kate Carnell
In our summer special series, we bring you some of our favourite guests from the Australia Institute’s webinar series in 2020. In this episode, host Ebony Bennett talks to Jay Weatherill, Kate Carnell and Richard Denniss about how an affordable, accessible early learning system could help power Australia’s economic recovery. The full webinar is available
Summer special: The crisis in Aged Care with Ged Kearney
In our summer special series, we bring you some of our favourite guests from the Australia Institute’s webinar series in 2020. In this episode, host Ebony Bennett talks to Ged Kearney MP, Shadow Assistant Minister for Skills and the Shadow Assistant Minister for Aged Care, Beris Campbell, Board member of Homeshare and Ruth Kestermann, CEO
Summer special: What we learned about Australia from Wikileaks with Jennifer Robinson and Peter Cronau
In our summer special series, we bring you some of our favourite guests from the Australia Institute’s webinar series in 2020. In this episode, Ebony Bennett talks to barrister and member of Julian Assange’s legal team Jennifer Robinson, as well as investigative journalist Peter Cronau about what Wikileaks revealed about Australia and the new book
Summer special: Climate of the Nation with Matt Kean
In our summer special series, we bring you some of our favourite guests from the Australia Institute’s webinar series in 2020. In this episode, Richie Merzian, Climate & Energy Program director at the Australia Institute speakers with Matt Kean, NSW Minister for Energy and the Environment to launch the Australia Institute’s Climate of the Nation
Summer special: The End of Certainty with Katharine Murphy
In our summer special series, we bring you some of our favourite guests from the Australia Institute’s webinar series in 2020. In this episode, Ben Oquist talks to The Guardian’s chief political correspondent Katharine Murphy about her Quarterly Essay ‘The End of Uncertainty’ and what the pandemic revealed about Australia, Scott Morrison and his government.
Summer special: The High Road with Laura Tingle
In our summer special series, we bring you some of our favourite guests from the Australia Institute’s webinar series in 2020. In this episode, Ben Oquist talks to ABC 730’s chief political correspondent Laura Tingle about her new Quarterly Essay: The High Road – what we can learn from New Zealand. Hosted by Alex Sloan.
December 2020
An unprecedented year: reflecting on 2020 with Richard Denniss
Let’s face it, 2020 has been a bit of a nightmare. This week, in our final episode of the year, Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss revisit some of the Australia Institute’s predictions back in March 2020 and reflect on the way Australia’s economy and politics have changed this year in response to the pandemic. Mild
Why tax electric vehicles but not heavy trucks? Politics
The SA and VIC governments have announced a new electric vehicle tax – in other words, a great big new tax on clean air. In today’s episode we explain why this EV tax is terrible idea and unpack some of the arguments for and against it. Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute
The myth of Australia’s gas supply shortage
The ‘gas-fired recovery’ is supposed to help Australia’s manufacturing industry by freeing up new supply. But the Australia Institute’s research shows the days of cheap gas are over. www.tai.org.au Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor // @MarkOgge Producer: Jennifer Macey Theme music is by Jonathan McFeat
The US Election result and what it means for Australia
In this episode we unpack what a Biden Administration means for climate and foreign policy in Australia, with Richie Merzian and Allan Behm. The Australia Institute // @theAusinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guests: Richie Merzian, director Climate & Energy Program // @richiemerzian Allan Behm, director International & Security Affairs program
Digital Giants, Market Power and Media Diversity
Australia’s news media is one of the most highly concentrated in the world. Since 2019, more than 157 newsrooms have closed in Australia and many local, community and rural newspapers have ceased printing or gone digital only. It was in this climate that in 2018 the federal government tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
October 2020
What can we learn from the ACT election?
The ACT is the home of progressive politics in Australia, leading the nation on climate policy, tax reform and truth in political advertising (among other things). In this episode we explore the broader implications of the ACT election results – which saw a swing to the Greens, a swing against the Liberals and the Labor
The Most Secretive Budget Ever
In this episode we explain what ‘not for publication’ (or ‘nfp’) means and why it appears so often in the Budget papers, with Australia Institute research director Rod Campbell.www.tai.org.auHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Rod Campbell // @R_o_d_CProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum
What you need to know about the federal budget
The federal budget forked out billions in spending — mostly on business tax write-offs and income tax cuts for high income earners — but it was poorly targeted if the intention is to create jobs and lower the unemployment rate. In his episode economists Matt Grudnoff and Alison Pennington unpack what you need to know
Tax avoidance and why we can’t have nice things
President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income tax the year he was elected and in many years paid absolutely no income tax at all – and he’s not the only millionaire to avoid paying tax altogether. So this week we’re talking tax avoidance and why it’s damaging to the community with our chief
September 2020
Weapons of gas destruction
Gas is promoted as a transitional fuel, but in this episode we explore just how polluting gas really is with Richie Merzian and Tom Swann from the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy program.The Australia Institute // @theAUSInstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Richie Merzian, Climate & Energy Director at the
Why bringing income tax cuts forward is a bad idea during Australia’s first recession in 30 years
The government has indicated it might bring forward income tax cuts in next month’s budget, but as our senior economist Matt Grudnoff explains in this episode, income tax cuts for high income earners won’t be effective at stimuluating the economic.The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Matt
A Plan for Planet A
Fight for Planet A is the newest TV series from Craig Reucassel, a three-part documentary exploring the challenges of climate change, where our energy comes from, the health effects of transport and the carbon footprint of what we eat. It offers practical solutions for people to implement at home but as Craig points out, action
East Timor, Oil and Secret Prosecutions
For over eighty years, Australia and East Timor have been joined together, mostly in conflict and struggle. The latest conflict is playing out in a secret court case and involves Australian lawyer Bernard Collaery and a former ASIS officer turned whistleblower Witness K. Both have been accused of communicating protected intelligence information after disclosing an
Effective diplomacy and getting Australia’s relationship with China back on track
Australia’s relationship with China has been turbulent of late, so this week we speak to Allan Behm, head of the Australia Institute’s International and Security Affairs Program about what we really want out of our relationship with China and how we can get it back on track.Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute
August 2020
Electrifying our Roads – Norway’s Way
There are so many reasons for Australia to transition to electric vehicles, but despite warnings that Australia could be left behind without stronger policy direction regarding EVs, little progress has been made. In contrast, Norway is a world leader in EV policy. Recorded live on 20 August as part of the Australia Institute’s Economics of
How Neoliberalism is Spreading Covid-19
In this episode we talk to Dr Richard Denniss about the role of neoliberalism in spreading Covid-19 and how decades of privatisations, outsourcing and cuts to government spending have left Australia vulnerable during this pandemic.The Australia Institute // @theAUSInstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Richard Dennis, chief economist at the Australia
Our 100th episode
In this, our 100th episode of Follow the Money, we celebrate with a special look back at some of our special guests, some of our favourite highlights, worst jokes and some of the interesting topics we’ve covered in the past 99 episodes. Our heartfelt thanks to all our listeners – we’re looking forward to the
The View From ICU
One of the main goals of public health around the world has been to prevent the number of severe cases from overwhelming the hospitals and the health system. We know that severe cases of Covid require intensive care and respirators, but as a novel virus with no vaccine or treatments, clinicians are learning on the
Backfire part 2: why a “gas fired recovery” would increase emissions and energy costs and squander Australia’s COVID-19 recovery spending
In this second of our two-part episode on gas, we explore the flaws in the cost benefit analysis of the Santos’ Narrabri gas project in NSW and why it doesn’t stack up economically, environmentally or to create jobs, with Rod Campbell, research director at the Australia Institute.www.tai.org.auHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute
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