Greens leader Larissa Waters on the housing crisis, gas exports & taxing the 1%

How have a select few accumulated such colossal wealth while many Australians struggle?
On this episode of Follow the Money, Senator Larissa Waters, leader of the Australian Greens, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the causes of Australia’s housing crisis, making gas exporters pay their fair share, and the Greens’ new ‘tax the 1%’ campaign.
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Guest: Larissa Waters, Australian Greens leader and Senator for Queensland // @larissawaters
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
The case for a gas export tax, explained by Richard Denniss, The Point (March 2026)
Japanese Government collects more tax from Australian gas than Australian Government, the Australia Institute (April 2026)
Australia’s Gas Giveaway, the Australia Institute
Santos records nearly $47bn in sales over a decade without paying corporate tax by Matt Grudnoff, The Point (April 2026)
Three ways Australia can tax wealth better by David Richardson and Richard Denniss, the Australia Institute (August 2025)
Inequality, Democracy, and Distributive Justice with Gabriel Zucman, Global Progressive Mobilization on YouTube (April 2026)
Oligarchy or Democracy with Wayne Swan, Global Progressive Mobilization on YouTube (April 2026)
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
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