July 2020
Treaty & Sovereignty
As part of the National Treaties Summit, this episode we bust some of the myths about Sovereignty and Treaty and the relationship between the two with Jamie Lowe, Michael Mansell and Professor Megan Davis, in conversation with the Australia Institute’s Richard Denniss. The National Treaties Summit, organised by ANTaR, the National Native Title Council, and
How to make electricity bills cheaper
In this week’s episode we explain how two changes to the rules of the National Electricity Market (NEM) will help reduce electricity bills, cut emissions, pave the way for more renewable energy and storage in the grid AND improve grid stability. It’s win-win-win-win. Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett // @theausinstitute Guests: Dan Cass, energy
When the government prosecutes whistleblowers, it is sending a message
[Originally published in the Canberra Times, 11 July 2020] We are in the midst of a public health and economic crisis, and the federal government is regularly making momentous and life-altering decisions, including exerting the authority of the state to limit (sometimes with good reason) basic civil liberties. Just when our need for integrity and
Big Little Political Lies
The Morrison government announced it will cut the JobSeeker coronavirus supplement, which had lifted a whopping 425,000 people out of poverty. We talk to Matt Grudnoff, senior economist at the Australia Institute to understand the impact this cut will have on poverty rates, now that there are hundreds of thousands more unemployed people, as well
Navigating the Australia-China relationship with Jane Golley
Australia’s relationship with China is rocky at the moment, how can we navigate it better? Part of our ‘Economics of a Pandemic’ webinar series.
A bargain at twice the price
If Australia had the same labour participation rate of Nordic countries, our economy would be $60 billion larger. In today’s episode, we unpack why free childcare would not only be good for Australian women and their workforce participation, but would help grow the Australian economy too.
June 2020
Rocketing down recession road in the rush to reopen
by Ebony Bennett[Originally published in the Canberrra Times, 27 June 2020] The Morrison government did a great job managing the pandemic, but where Scott Morrison has really excelled is making the recession worse. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the Prime Minister said that “everyone with a job is an essential worker”, and more
The success of the Aboriginal-led health response to the pandemic
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
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
HomeBuilder and jobs for the boys
The government’s Homebuilder program is designed to help the construction sector, but construction is not labour intensive and it’s dominated by blokes, when we know women are bearing the brunt of this recession. So this week Follow The Money talks to senior economist at the Australia Institute Matt Grudnoff, who explains why we could get
War is not a metaphor with Allan Gyngell
Using war as a metaphor has crept into how we talk about public policy. Misrepresenting policy issues as security problems does not solve them, yet many public policy issues are framed using this lens. We’ve had a war on drugs, wars on poverty and wars on red tape, but Australia doesn’t describe what’s has been
The Deficit Myth with Stephanie Kelton
Anyone familiar with Australian political debate will know that while we can always afford tax cuts and defence spending, somehow we can never afford to raise Newstart, or to build social housing because we have to “live within our means” and get back to a budget surplus as soon as possible. But that’s not how
The case for red tape
The PM has announced big plans for deregulation, but is ‘red tape’ or ‘green tape’ really impeding economic growth or is it necessary to protect us and our environment? In this episode we talk to Executive Director of the Australia Institute Ben Oquist about the protections offered by good regulation. Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of
Safeguarding Democracy with Helen Haines
There can be no trust in government without accountability, yet its been two years since the Coalition government promised to implement a Commonwealth Integrity Commission and there’s still no draft legislation in sight. Join Independent Member for Indi Helen Haines MP, and former Supreme Court Justices the Hon. David Harper AM QC and The Hon.
The pink collar recession
The Morrison government this week announced that from mid-July childcare would no longer be free and that childcare workers would be stripped of access to JobKeeper. Overall, during the pandemic women have seen faster job losses than men, while men are benefiting the most from government stimulus measures. To unpack this pink collar recession, Follow
Protecting workers as the Economy Re-Opens with Sally McManus
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
Why a public sector wage freeze would cost jobs
The proposed NSW public sector wage freeze was supposed to ease pressure on the budget, but Australia Institute research shows it would cost jobs and harm regional economies.NOTE: This episode was recorded just hours before the NSW Upper House voted down the pay freeze and the NSW Government will now take the matter to the
May 2020
Black holes and Keynesians
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
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
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 other global crisis: climate change
Energy Minister Angus Taylor is talking about a ‘gas-led recovery’ which would not only make electricity prices higher, but would obviously make climate change worse, so in this episode we talk to director of the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program, Richie Merzian, about the other global crisis we’re facing: climate change.Visit tai.org.au for all
Australia’s unemployment figures mask a deeper reality
by Ebony Bennett[Originally published by the Canberra Times, 16 May 2020] This week, the federal government announced Australia’s biggest monthly rise in unemployment since the Australian Bureau of Statistics started publishing labour force statistics, shooting up to 6.2 per cent from 5.2 per cent just a month earlier. But, in a classic case of expectations
The International Pandemic Response with Helen Clark
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
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
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 view from the Gallery – Politics in the (virtual) Pub
Today we’re changing the pace a little, with our virtual Politics in the Pub featuring Guardian Australia’s political reporter Amy Remeikis and hosted by The Australia Institute Tasmania’s director Leanne Minshull, live from her pub the Fern Tree Tavern in Hobart.News.com.au’s political editor Samantha Maiden was also supposed to join the conversation but unfortunately couldn’t
The public health response with Professor Peter Doherty
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
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
Here’s how we can avoid the ‘bathtub scenario’
by Ebony Bennett[Originally published in The Canberra Times, 03 April 2020] It’s not every day I get up at 6am to talk about inequality with a Nobel Prize winner, but hosting the Australia Institute’s Economics of a Pandemic webinar series afforded me that opportunity this week. Before dawn on Thursday, Professor Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University, joined
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