Dollars & Sense

When our most vulnerable are treated with suspicion, and our wealthiest get massive tax cuts, what does that say about our priorities? On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt tells Elinor about the massive class action lawsuit settlement the Government made with the victims of Robodebt, Labor potentially getting cold feet on superannuation tax concession reform, and what they both tell us about how Australia views our poorest and wealthiest people. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 11 September 2025 and things may have changed since recording. Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia // @mattgrudnoff.bsky.social Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: The Australia Institute Revenue Summit 2025 ‘The changes to superannuation tax concessions are needed and very fair’ by Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (May 2025) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For all the talk about what government should do about productivity, Australia’s biggest corporations remain inefficient and unwilling to invest. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the Australia’s latest economic growth data, Trump’s threat to hit countries with digital taxes with extra tariffs, and this week’s political fight over aged care. Early bird tickets for our Revenue Summit at Parliament House in Canberra – Hon. Steven Miles MP, Senator David Pocock, Kate Chaney MP, Greg Jericho and more – are available now.  You can buy tickets for the early bird price of $99 – available for a limited time only. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available to pre-order now via the Australia Institute website. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 4 September 2025. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: The big reform that could make our childcare system cheaper and safer by Matt Grudnoff, The New Daily (August 2025) Media and Democracy, the Australia Institute National Press Club Address: Paul Schroder, Chief Executive of Australian Super, ABC iView (September 2025) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Postal services around the world have suspended services to the United States in response to the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff policies. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss why the latest inflation data isn’t anything to panic about, the case for economy-wide price gouging laws, and why Australia Post has stopped sending many packages to the United States. Early bird tickets for our Revenue Summit at Parliament House in Canberra – Hon. Steven Miles MP, Senator David Pocock, Kate Chaney MP, Greg Jericho and more – are available now.  You can buy tickets for the early bird price of $99 – available for a limited time only. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via the Australia Institute website. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 28 August 2025. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: Price gouging: AGL and Origin by Dave Richardson, the Australia Institute (December 2024) Trump’s tariffs won’t wreck Australia’s economy. But America’s could be cooked. Dollars & Sense (April 2025) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover the ethical implications of Qantas's hefty fine for pandemic-era employee terminations. Dive into the complexities of Australia's housing crisis, where demand may be a bigger issue than supply. Explore the nuanced debate over regulations and the myths surrounding red tape, emphasizing the need for balanced reforms. Plus, hear a bold proposal for a climate disaster levy on fossil fuel companies to finance resilience efforts, framing climate action as a pathway to enhanced productivity.

Turns out being Australia’s Biggest Bank is very profitable when there isn’t much competition… On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the RBA cutting interest rates five weeks too late, Australia’s biggest bank posting its biggest profit ever in an uncompetitive banking sector, and why Albanese seems to be putting a damper on expectations ahead of the economic roundtable next week. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 14 August 2025 and things may have changed since recording. Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff.bsky.social Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: ‘Climate and the Economic Reform Roundtable’ by Jack Thrower and Rod Campbell, the Australia Institute (August 2025) ‘Solving the crisis: Raising the living standards of Australian workers’ by Lisa Heap, the Australia Institute (August 2025) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the proposals around corporate tax and artificial intelligence ahead of the government’s productivity roundtable. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg explains the Productivity Commission’s proposals for corporate tax and why Trump fired his labour statistics chief, and Elinor discovers people actually like economics. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available to pre-order now via the Australia Institute website. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 7 August 2025. Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work // @grogsgamut Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: ‘Donald Trump’s war on statistics is an authoritarian attack on democracy and countries like Australia should call it out’ by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (August 2025) Company Tax and the Productivity Agenda: Submission to the Productivity Commission by Dave Richardson, the Australia Institute (June 2025) Productivity in the Real World: What it is, what it isn’t, and how to make it work better for workers by Jim Stanford, the Australia Institute (July 2025) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation is at its lowest level since March 2021, and below the RBA’s target in five capital cities. If there isn’t a rate cut coming soon, Greg will be absolutely flummoxed.  On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor unpack how the latest inflation figures only make it more obvious the RBA should have cut interest rates at their last meeting, and why some people who are unemployed are not looking for work (and it’s not because they’re ‘dole bludgers’).  This discussion was recorded on Thursday 31 July 2025 and things may have changed since recording.  Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute // @grogsgamut  Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek  Show notes:  Take a deep dive into the inflation numbers and the RBA’s decision not to cut rates seems inexplicable by Greg Jericho (July 2025)  Wrong call – RBA rate hold unfairly dashes borrowers’ hopes for relief, the Australia Institute (July 2025)  Our PBS is a national treasure, not an international trade barrier, the Australia Institute (April 2025)  Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions  We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Also: the country is not too reliant on income tax. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, replacement Matt (Greg Jericho) and Elinor debunk some long-standing myths about the Australian economy, discuss cuts to HECS and examine the latest in Trump’s beef beef. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available for pre-order now via the Australia Institute website. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 24 July 2025. Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work // @grogsgamut Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: The biggest voices need to admit Australia is a low-taxing nation before joining the economic reform conversation by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (July 2025) Taxing income less and consumption more: the case against by Peter Davidson, Australian Council of Social Service (July 2025) GST Reform: How to stop the states being short-changed, the Australia Institute (July 2025) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government doesn’t allocate spending to health or education as a proportion of GDP. Why should defence be any different? On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the Prime Minister’s China trip, why spending more on defence doesn’t necessarily make us safer, and the unusual situation whereby our biggest bank thinks we should tax wealth better. You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available for pre-order now via the Australia Institute website. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 17 July 2025. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: Australia already spends a huge amount on defence by Matt Grudnoff, the Australia Institute (April 2025) Wealth and inequality in Australia by David Richardson and Frank Stilwell, the Australia Institute (August 2024) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank’s shock decision not to cut rates will hurt mortgage holders and the economy. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, substitute Greg (Matt Grudnoff) returns to discuss Trump’s Big Pharma tariffs, the privatisation of childcare, and why the RBA got it wrong in its latest interest rate decision. This discussion was recorded on Wednesday 9 July 2025 and things may have changed since recording. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: Wrong call – RBA rate hold unfairly dashes borrowers’ hopes for relief, the Australia Institute (July 2025) How to fix Australia’s broken childcare system so everybody wins by Matt Grudnoff, the Australia Institute (November 2024) Our PBS is a national treasure, not an international trade barrier, the Australia Institute (April 2025) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.