Follow The Money

As pressure builds for the Albanese government to scrap the promised Stage Three tax cuts, discussion has shifted around who would lose out. The Australian said it would mean “2.5 million middle income Australians will pay thousands of dollars in additional tax,” but describes middle income Australians as individuals earning between $120,000 and $160,000 a year. If that sounds wrong, it's because it is.  This was recorded on Tuesday 11th October 2022 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guests: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @MattGrudnoff Eliza Littleton, Research Economist, the Australia Institute // @ElizaLittleton Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Edited by: Emily Perkins Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pacific Island nations are on the front line of climate change, and as Australia celebrates the passage of the 43% climate bill, Pacific leaders want to know that the new Australian Government’s improved rhetoric on climate is matched by policy integrity when it comes to new gas and coal projects and exports. Join Their Excellencies Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati and Tommy E. Remengesau Jr., former President of Palau for the Regional Climate Diplomacy Forum. Hosted in partnership with the Pacific Elders Voice and the Edmund Rice Centre. This was recorded on Tuesday 13th September 2022 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guests:  His Excellency Anote Tong, Former President of Kiribati (2003-2016) His Excellency Tommy E. Remengesau Jr., Former President of Palau (2001–2009; 2013–2021) Richie Merzian, Director, Climate & Energy Program, the Australia Institute // @RichieMerzian Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Edited by: Emily Perkins Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Government recently tabled legislation to establish a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), a long overdue measure to help restore trust in politics and democracy. The bill is not without criticism however, there are concerns that the threshold for holding public hearings is unreasonably high. This was recorded on Thursday 29th September 2022 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability Program, the Australia Institute // @Browne90 Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Edited by: Emily Perkins Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The $240 billion Stage 3 Tax Cuts, originally legislated by the Coalition government, have been described by the Labor government as an election promise they won't break. But calls are growing for the cuts to be scrapped, having been labelled tax cuts for the wealthy amid a cost of living crisis. This was recorded on Tuesday 27th September 2022 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @MattGrudnoff Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Edited by: Emily Perkins Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labor’s climate bill cleared the Senate last week. It’s a pretty modest bill, and doesn’t include any measures to actually reduce emissions in the private sector. That’s where the Safeguard Mechanism comes in – which is a voluntary scheme that affects the nation’s biggest industrial emitters, and is the Government’s main policy it will use to get to those emission reduction goals.   This was recorded on Tuesday 13th September 2022 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Polly Hemming, Senior Researcher, Climate & Energy Program, the Australia Institute // @pollyjhemming Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Edited by: Emily Perkins Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Follow the Money Ebony is sitting down with Greg Jericho to discuss the Jobs Summit: what happened, why was it needed, and are we going to get any jobs out of it? This was recorded on Tuesday 6th September 2022 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Greg Jericho, Policy Director, Labour Market and Fiscal, Centre for Future Work, the Australia Institute // @GrogsGamut Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Edited by: Emily Perkins Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we're unpacking something a little different, something a bit outside our usual discussion about the economy. As Defence Minister Richard Marles lifts Peter Dutton’s ban on some charity and diversity events in Defence, we dive into the term ‘woke’. What does it mean? Why is it dominating the culture wars? Dive in to the woke debate with Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability Program at the Australia Institute  This was recorded on Tuesday 30th August 2022 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability Program, the Australia Institute // @Browne90  Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Edited by: Emily Perkins Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you think about Australia's entire economy, what share of that pie do you think goes to workers (via wages) compared to business (via profits)? The Business Council of Australia is making some bold claims that the profit share of income has fallen, but does the data back that up? In this episode we unpack who is really winning and who is getting left behind in Australia's economy with Richard Denniss, economist and Executive Director of the Australia Institute  This was recorded on Wednesday 24 August 2022 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guest: Richard Denniss, economist and Executive Director, Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAI Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Edited by: Lizzie Jack Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research by the Australia Institute shows that $5.9 billion in fuel costs would have been saved and emissions equivalent to a year’s worth of domestic flights would have been avoided, if robust fuel efficiency standards were adopted in 2015.This was recorded on Wednesday 17th August 2022 and things may have changed since recording.The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuest:Audrey Quicke, Climate & Energy Program Researcher and Transport Lead, the Australia Institute // @audreyquickeProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyEdited by: Lizzie JackTheme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join First Nations leaders Pat Anderson AO and Professor Megan Davis for a conversation about the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its three objectives: a Voice to Parliament, Treaty, and Truth. A webinar in partnership with the Sydney Peace Foundation.This was recorded on Wednesday 3rd August 2022 and things may have changed since recording.The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Pat Anderson AO, Alyawarre woman, Chairperson of the Remote Area Health Corporation, Chairperson of the Lowitja Institute Professor Megan Davis, Cobble Cobble woman, Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous and Professor of Law at UNSWProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyEdited by: Lizzie JackTheme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot SessionsSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.