Follow The Money

In this discussion, Amy Remeikis, Chief Political Analyst at the Australia Institute, and Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, explore the implications of Labor's recent electoral victory. They dissect the shifting political landscape, emphasizing the urgency of tackling Australia’s housing crisis and student debt. Both guests highlight the potential collaborations between Labor and the Greens, and the challenges the ruling party faces in fulfilling ambitious reforms while managing public expectations. Their insights reflect a pivotal moment in Australian politics.

The polls are pointing to a likely Labor victory on Saturday, but could Dutton’s suburban strategy still bear fruit? As election day approaches, former Fairfax Chief Political Correspondent Professor Mark Kenny joins Glenn Connley to discuss the performances of Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton on the campaign trail, plus Australians’ response to Trump’s return, on this episode of Follow the Money. This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 29 April 2025 and things may have changed. Follow all the action from the federal election on our new politics live blog, Australia Institute Live with Amy Remeikis. Guest: Mark Kenny, Professor of Australian Studies and host of Democracy Sausage, the Australian National University // @markgkenny Host: Glenn Connley, Senior Media Advisor, the Australia Institute // @glennconnley Show notes: ‘Could Dutton's suburban strategy still work?’ by Mark Kenny, The Canberra Times (April 2025) Election entrée: Early voting in Australia by Skye Predavec, the Australia Institute (April 2025) Where do journalists live?, the Australia Institute (April 2025) Polling – President Trump, security and the US–Australian alliance, the Australia Institute (March 2025) Two-thirds of Australians refuse to pay more for nuclear: new research, the Australia Institute Power sharing in Australian parliaments, the Australia Institute (July 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States is disappearing down an authoritarian rabbit hole and Australian leaders are struggling to respond. On this crossover episode of After America and Follow the Money, Ebony Bennett and Dr Emma Shortis discuss the US administration’s mass deportations, the scandals surrounding the Departments of Defense and State, and why Australian democratic institutions are worth defending. This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 22 April 2025 and things may have changed since recording. Order ‘After America: Australia and the new world order’ or become a foundation subscriber to Vantage Point at australiainstitute.org.au/store. Guest: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Polling – President Trump, security and the US–Australian alliance, the Australia Institute (March 2025) 'The Russians aren’t coming: Peter Dutton’s poor judgment distracts from Australia’s rare geopolitical opportunity' by Allan Behm, Guardian Australia (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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy Remeikis and Bill Browne discuss the federal election campaign so far, the performance of the media, and how preferential voting actually works. On this episode of Follow the Money, the Australia Institute’s Amy Remeikis and Bill Browne join guest host Stephen Long to discuss housing policy, the Australian electoral system, and the need for truth in political advertising laws. This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 15 April 2025 and things may have changed. Follow all the action from the federal election on our new politics live blog, Australia Institute Live with Amy Remeikis. Order 'After America: Australia and the new world order' or become a foundation subscriber to Vantage Point at australiainstitute.org.au/store. Guest: Amy Remeikis, Chief Political Analyst, the Australia Institute // @amyremeikis Guest: Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability, the Australia Institute // @browne90 Host: Stephen Long, Senior Fellow & Contributing Editor, the Australia Institute // @stephenlongaus Show notes: Migrants are not to blame for soaring house prices by Matt Grudnoff, the Australia Institute (March 2025) Housing affordability crisis – Saving for a deposit forever by Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (March 2025) Newspaper competition in Australia by Rod Campbell, Skye Predavec and Stephen Long, the Australia Institute (April 2025) Busting myths on Q+A | Richard Denniss highlights, 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Dutton has it half right on gas. There is no supply shortage, but Australians need to be using less gas – not more. On this episode of Follow the Money, Rod Campbell and Mark Ogge join Ebony Bennett to discuss the fixing Australia’s gas export problem, making gas companies pay their fair share in taxes and royalties, and why there is no need for new gas projects. This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 8 April 2025 and things may have changed. Follow all the action from the federal election on our new politics live blog, Australia Institute Live with Amy Remeikis. Guest: Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor, the Australia Institute // @markogge Guest: Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // @rodcampbell Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Peter Dutton’s gas export tax is a good idea – and a turning point, the Australia Institute (April 2025) Giving away gas to 2030 by Mark Ogge, Rod Campbell and Matt Saunders, the Australia Institute (April 2025) Fossil fuel subsidies hit $15 billion, as crossbench seeks reform, the Australia Institute (March 2025) ‘Coalition pollster Freshwater Strategy working with 'astroturfing' pro-gas group’ by Pat McGrath and Kirsten Robb, ABC News (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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With housing affordability at an all-time low and the spectre of Trump looming large over our region, Australians’ standard of living will be at the heart of the debate from now until election day. On this episode of Follow the Money, Australia Institute economists Matt Grudnoff and Jack Thrower join Ebony Bennett to discuss the Australian economy and the federal election campaign. This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 1 April 2025 and things may have changed. Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Guest: Jack Thrower, Research Economist, the Australia Institute // @jack-thrower Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Raising revenue right: Better tax ideas for the 48th Parliament by Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (March 2025) Fuel excise cut: bad policy and not worth as much as advertised by Matt Grudnoff and Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (March 2025) Housing affordability crisis – Saving for a deposit forever by Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (March 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government’s proposed environmental law changes are an attack on our democracy and could benefit destructive industries far beyond Tasmania’s coastal ecosystems. On this episode of Follow the Money, Ebony Bennett discusses the Government’s efforts to weaken the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act with Australia Institute Executive Director Dr Richard Denniss and Strategy Director Leanne Minshull. This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 25 March 2025 and things may have changed. Sign our petition calling on the Government not to gut Australia’s environment laws. Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. Guest: Richard Denniss, Executive Director, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss Guest: Leanne Minshull, Strategy Director, the Australia Institute // @leanneminshull Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Small Fish, Big Pond: Tasmanian salmon industry job numbers & tax payments, the Australia Institute (November 2023) ‘Salmon spin and pollution all a bit fishy’ by Eloise Carr and Rob Campbell, The Mercury (December 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chunks of dead salmon have washed up on Tasmanian beaches and the Maugean skate is at risk of extinction, so why won’t governments to more to rein in the salmon industry in Tasmania? On this episode of Follow the Money, Eloise Carr, Director of the Australia Institute Tasmania, the Federal Government’s dangerous proposal to get around Australia’s already inadequate environmental protections and why salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour needs to end. This discussion was recorded on Wednesday 19 March 2025 and things may have changed since recording. Sign our petition to end salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour. Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. Guest: Eloise Carr, Director, the Australia Institute Tasmania // @eloise-carr Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Bombshell FOI reveals fish farms have been inadequately assessed for impact on threatened species and World Heritage, the Australia Institute (March 2025) Australians must be protected from diseased salmon, the Australia Institute (February 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The public sector is under fire, but is it really as inefficient as DOGE and Dutton claim? On this episode of Follow the Money, Dr Fiona Macdonald, Acting Director at the Centre for Future Work, joins Glenn Connley to discuss Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, Peter Dutton’s plan to axe public service jobs, and why the private sector generally doesn’t deliver better public services. This discussion was recorded on Wednesday 12 March 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. Guest: Fiona Macdonald, Acting Director, Centre for Future Work // @drfionamac Host: Glenn Connley, Senior Media Advisor, the Australia Institute // @glennconnley Show notes: Briefing Paper: Restoring public sector capability through investment in public service employees by Lisa Heap, the Centre for Future Work (February 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Polls point to a power-sharing government being the most likely outcome at the upcoming federal election, but how do they actually work? Independent Senator David Pocock and Tony Windsor AM, former independent parliamentarian who held the balance of power during the Gillard minority government, join Amy Remeikis to discuss how they negotiate with the major parties, the growth of the independent and minor party vote, and why there’s so much fearmongering about minority governments in Australia. This discussion was recorded live on Wednesday 26 February 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. Guest: Senator David Pocock, Independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory // @davidpocock Guest: Tony Windsor AM, former Independent Member for New England // @TonyHWindsor Host: Amy Remeikis, Chief Political Analyst, the Australia Institute // @amyremeikis Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Power sharing in Australian parliaments by Bill Browne and Richard Denniss, the Australia Institute (July 2024) Electoral Reform Bill analysis by Bill Browne and Joshua Black, the Australia Institute (February 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.