In 2020, Australian GDP was $2 trillion but Australian households received another $1.7 trillion in capital gains as overall wealth increased to $12.7 trillion. But Australia currently has no taxes on wealth, so what does that mean for the economy in the long term and for reducing inequality?

Recorded live on 24 February 2021 as part of the Australia Institute webinar series. Professor Ross Garnaut is an economist and author of new book Reset – which explores the opportunity Australia has to reset its economy in the wake of the pandemic. Warning: there is a bit of feedback on the audio for the

When the Black Lives Matter protests swept the globe in 2020, it shone a spotlight on Australia’s legacy of Aboriginal deaths in custody. It was a subject journalist Amy McQuire had written about extensively. Amy McQuire was the Australia Institute’s Writer in Residence recipient for 2020 and in this episode she discusses her upcoming book

The assumption that terrorism can be defeated by military force doomed the war in Afghanistan from the start, says Allan Behm

The sixth IPCC assessment report sounded the alarm on the climate crisis, finding that human activity is changing the Earth’s climate in “unprecedented” ways, with some of the changes now inevitable and “irreversible”. We unpack the latest report and the urgency of change with Richie Merzian and Alia Armistead from the Australia Institute’s climate &

The government’s massive $300 billion income tax cuts package will proceed in full, making inequality worse and mainly benefitting high income earners. But what makes a tax good or bad? This week, Richard Denniss and Matt Grudnoff explain the principles of a good tax and run the ruler over different types of taxes like income

When the going gets tough, the Morrison government calls in the military to boost its authority and credibility. In this episode, Allan Behm discusses the securitisation of domestic policy issues and how bringing in the ADF doesn’t really solve anything. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Allan Behm,

The EU has announced it will introduce a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as part of its efforts to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This has big implications for the Australian economy, especially carbon intensive expor industries. This week we talk to Richie Merzian and Hannah Melville Rea about what CBAMs are, how they

It’s no secret the Australia-China relationship has hit a rocky path recently. How did we get in this mess? How do we get out of it? And how does the Australian public perceive the threat of China? Today we discuss the latest research on public attitudes to China, comparing them to public attitudes in Taiwan.

Births declining, fewer people working, health funding will double and deficits for years to come. The latest Intergenerational Report (IGR) has been released and the government wants you to be scared. But it turns out the IGR is rubbish at making predictions. Join Richard Denniss as he uncovers the hidden assumptions buried in the Intergenerational

When the University of Newcastle appointed the Chair of Whitehaven Coal as its new Chancellor, it prompted a swift and public backlash from students, staff, philanthropists and alumni. Join our chief economist Richard Denniss as he unpacks the problems with the university’s decision, the community who challenged that decision and why Vaile ended up resigning

Australia still has no federal anti-corruption commission, more than 2 years after the Coalition government promised to enact one. Worse, there are several serious flaws with the government’s proposed model for a Commonwealth Integrity Commission. Join two former judges, the Hon Anthony Whealy QC and the Hon David Harper AM QC as they explain why

There has been an enormous surge in the sale of utes, due to the instant asset write-off in the Budget. But just how effective is this in terms of stimulating economic growth and creating jobs? Dig into the details and find out how we’re spending billions of dollars to make our car fleet bigger, heavier

National Cabinet was created during the pandemic to make big decisions at a fast pace, but how much do Australians know about the advice on lockdowns or hotel quarantine, or about its deliberations and decisions? Not much, it’s pretty much a black hole. But a court case could change that. In this episode we dive

Not the federal budget, the carbon budget. Prime Minister Scott Morrison keeps telling world leaders Australia will ‘meet and beat’ its Paris target and that Australia is ‘leading the world’ on emissions reduction, but if you dig into the carbon accounts the numbers tell a different story. Join Richie Merzian and Polly Hemming from the

Gone are the scare campaigns about debt and deficit, but was this really a big spending budget? Cut through the economic nonsense and pollywaffle with our senior economist Matt Grudnoff, as he unpacks everything you need to know about the Budget. Don’t forget to check out the Australia Institute’s federal budget breakdown here. Host: Ebony Bennett,

Exactly how much do governments hand out to fossil fuel companies every year?

Tasmania’s marine environment and coastal waters are spectacular, but they are under threat from climate change and other pressures like salmon farming. In this episode of Follow the Money we explore what Tasmania can do to better manage its coastal waters.

Why are new coal mines like melting ice cream? In today’s episode, Richard Denniss explains the economics of coal, why Malcolm Turnbull has been in trouble with the Liberals and why we need to pause approvals of new coal mines. Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Richard Denniss, chief economist,

For the national electricity grid to function securely it needs control systems that keep frequency and voltage within safe limits. Historically this service has mainly been provided by coal, gas and hydro power stations. But could we get the same security from renewables and batteries? In this episode we’re doing a deep dive into making

When it comes to addressing the systemic issues which are impacting Australian women’s everyday lives, it often feels like the problems are big and impossible to tackle. In today’s episode, Australia Institute research economist Eliza Littleton outlines 8 practical things that Prime Minister Scott Morrison could do right now to remove barriers to women’s equality

Australia has no policy to incentivise electric vehicle uptake, are we destined to become a dumping ground for gas guzzlers? This week we talk to Richie Merzian and Audrey Quicke about what how Australia can electrify its transport sector, quick smart. Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Richie Merzian,

Australian women bore the brunt of the recession, but how are they faring economically now? In short: not great.