Follow The Money

This week the Australia Institute released the biggest most comprehensive analysis of federal government grants programs ever undertaken, which revealed that $3.9 billion spent by federal grants programs with ministerial discretion has clearly skewed towards marginal Coalition seats in particular, at the expense of safe Labor seats and, to a lesser extent, safe Coalition seats. It's public money, but there is little transparency about how it is spent or who gets the money.Recorded live on 30 November 2021, things may have changed since recording.The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Bill Browne, senior researcher, Democracy & Accountablity program // @Browne90Hannah Melville-Rea, Anne Kantor Fellow // @HannahMelReaProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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 Australian Senate is a unique and powerful legislative body that provides accountability, representation and diversity to a greater extent than the House of Representatives. To discuss the role of the Senate in our democracy, we spoke with Senate President Scott Ryan, who was in conversation with Ben Oquist, our Executive Director.This was recorded live on Tuesday 9 March 2021 and things may have changed since recording.The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Ben Oquist, Executive Director, The Australia Institute // @BenOquistSenator Scott Ryan, President of the Senate // @SenatorRyanProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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.

Glasgow was the first UN Climate Summit where fossil fuels were specifically targeted as the major cause of climate change - join our Climate & Energy director Richie Merzian -- just off the plane from Glasgow -- for a wrap up of the big outcomes from COP26, what the pact means for Australia and what we can expect for next year's COP27 in Egypt.This was recorded on 23 November 2021 and things may have changed since recording.australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuest:Richie Merzian, director Climate & Energy program // @richiemerzianProducer: Jennifer Macey //@jennifermacey with additional editing by Eliza KloserTheme 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 Morrison government finally released its long-awaited climate modelling for its net zero by 2050 plan and our experts agree it's the stuff of science fiction. A number of big flaws in the model have already been identified, the biggest of which is that it doesn't actually reach net zero - there's a 15% gap. But it also includes imaginary emissions reduction technologies being invented ‘very soon’, no detail about cost of living impacts and it ignores the economic benefits of avoiding dangerous climate change. But the biggest reveal? At the heart of the modelling is a phantom carbon tax.This was recorded on 16 November 2021 and things may have changed since recording.australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Richard Denniss, chief economist, the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAIRod Campbell, research director, the Australia Institute // @R_o_d_CProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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'll update you on the latest news from Glasgow COP26, as well as the latest research on Australia's plan to massively increase gas and coal projects, using carbon capture and storage - which has a long track record of failure. Join Polly Hemming and Mark Ogge from the Australia Institute's Climate & Energy team for a deep dive on climate.This was recorded on 9 November 2021 and things may have changed since recording.australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Polly Hemming, Advisor, Climate & Energy program // @pollyjhemmingMark Ogge, Principal Advisor, Climate & Energy program // @markoggeProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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.

Scott Morrison is having perhaps the most disastrous international trip for a Prime Minister in recent history as diplomatic relations with France sour even further. But there is high expectations for the Glasgow summit to deliver high ambitions for high emissions reduction over the next decade and for the first time there is a focus on phasing out gas and coal globally. But Australia didn't come with an ambitious mid-term target, and it has plans to massively expand its gas and coal projects and exports - completely counter to the goals of Glasgow. Language warning: Greta Thunberg drops an (appropriate) F-bomb at one point This was recorded on 2 November 2021 and things may have changed since recording.australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Ben Oquist, Executive Director, The Australia Institute // @benoquistProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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.

Each year the federal government spends upwards of a billion dollars of public money on external consultancies, but most of the work is kept secret from the public. It's a big issue for government transparency as huge questions remain over the Morrison government on questions of accountability and integrity.Recorded live on 26 October 2021, things may have changed since recording.The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Bill Browne, senior researcher, Democracy & Accountablity program // @Browne90Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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.

Climate of the Nation is Australia's longest running tracking poll of community attitudes towards climate change. This year Climate of the Nation explored attitudes towards fossil fuel subsidies, the appetite for electrifying everything in our homes as well as support for a net zero emissions target and bigger 2030 target as we’re just weeks out from the Glasgow COP26 Summit.Recorded live on 19 October 2021, things may have changed since recording.Thank you to Katharine Murphy and Guardian Australia's Podcast team for the clip from their "Australian Politics" podcast.The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Richie Merzian, climate and energy director, Australia Institute // @richiemerzianAudrey Quicke, climate and energy researcher, Australia Institute // @audreyquickeProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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 announcement of the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the UK and the USA is now a few weeks old and it represents an enormous departure in the direction of Australia's foreign and defence policy. Will AUKUS ensure Australia's long term security, or is it little more than a stunt?In this episode, former Ambassador to China, Dr Geoff Raby, and International & Security Affairs program director at the Australia Institute, Allan Behm, discuss some of the fallout and implications of AUKUS and it's implications for Australia's poor relationship with China.Recorded live on 12 October 2021 The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Dr Geoff Raby,former Australian Ambassaor to China (2007 to 2011)Allan Behm, director International & Security Affairs program, Australia Institute // @mirandaprorsusProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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.

Today's episode examines carbon offsets, in other words, the credits companies can buy to offset their emissions. The Australia Institute, together with the Australian Conservation Foundation did a bit of digging into Australia's offsets system and found some alarming things.Recorded live on 5 October 2021The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Richie Merzian, climate & energy program director, the Australia Institute // @richiemerzianPolly Hemming, advisor, climate & energy program // @pollyjhemmingProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme 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.