Follow The Money

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars in 2021. This episode we’ll be talking about how to protect Australian content in the age of Netflix and other streaming services, with actor and producer Erik Thomson and CEO of Screen Producers Australia Matthew Deaner. This episode was recorded live on 29 September 2021 and things may have changed since recording.Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Erik Thomson, actor and producer Matthew Deaner, CEO Screen Producers Australia // @screen_producerThe Australia Institute // @theausinstituteProducer: 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.

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars in 2021. This episode we talk to sexual assault activist Chanel Contos, whose petition calling for earlier sex education in schools prompted hundreds of testimonies from former Sydney schoolgirls about sexual assault.This episode was recorded live on 11 August 2021 and things may have changed since recording.Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Chanel Contos The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteProducer: 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.

On the eve of an election, without consultation and without scrutiny, the Morrison government, with the support of the Opposition, rushed retrospective amendments into the Parliament that will squash charities' right to advocate, effectively stomping on our democracy. The Australia Institute's Ben Oquist unpacks what happened and what the impacts will be for the Australian charity sector and for Australian democracy.This was recorded on 14 December 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 // @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.

Many superannuation funds exclude so-called ‘controversial weapons’ from their investments, but consumers don't know that nuclear weapons are not defined as controversial.New research from the Australia Institute and Quit Nukes reveals most major Australian superannuation funds have holdings in nuclear weapons companies, such as Airbus, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.Recorded live on 7 December 2021 and 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 // @Browne90Liam Carter, Anne Kantor Fellow // @liamcarter_auMargaret Beavis, co-chair ICAN Australia, Quit Nukes VP // @margaretbeavisProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyAdditional editing Elisa 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.

This episode we bring you a conversation with journalist and author Rick Morton about his wonderful book ‘My year of Living Vulnerably’, recorded as part of our webinar series. Rick’s book is also on the Australia Institute’s 2021 Essential reading list, which you can find on our website.This was recorded live on Friday 19th March and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Rick Morton, author and journalist // @SquigglyRickProducer: 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.

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.