

Follow The Money
The Australia Institute
Economics and politics explained in plain English
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Oct 13, 2020 • 22min
The Most Secretive Budget Ever
In this episode we explain what 'not for publication' (or 'nfp') means and why it appears so often in the Budget papers, with Australia Institute research director Rod Campbell.www.tai.org.auHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Rod Campbell // @R_o_d_CProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 7, 2020 • 1h 2min
What you need to know about the federal budget
The federal budget forked out billions in spending -- mostly on business tax write-offs and income tax cuts for high income earners -- but it was poorly targeted if the intention is to create jobs and lower the unemployment rate. In his episode economists Matt Grudnoff and Alison Pennington unpack what you need to know about debt and deficit, income tax cuts, JobMaker, JobBuilder, JobKeeper, manufacturing, infrastructure and how women and young people will miss out.avoidance and why it's damaging to the community with our chief economist Richard Denniss.The Australia Institute // @theAUSInstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Matt Grudnoff, senior economist at the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoffAlison Pennington, senior economist at the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work // @ak_penningtonProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music: Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 1, 2020 • 33min
Tax avoidance and why we can't have nice things
President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income tax the year he was elected and in many years paid absolutely no income tax at all - and he's not the only millionaire to avoid paying tax altogether. So this week we're talking tax avoidance and why it's damaging to the community with our chief economist Richard Denniss.The Australia Institute // @theAUSInstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Richard Dennis, chief economist at the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAIProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music: Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 23, 2020 • 25min
Weapons of gas destruction
Gas is promoted as a transitional fuel, but in this episode we explore just how polluting gas really is with Richie Merzian and Tom Swann from the Australia Institute's Climate & Energy program.The Australia Institute // @theAUSInstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Richie Merzian, Climate & Energy Director at the Australia Institute // @RichieMerzianTom Swann, senior researcher at the Australia Institute // @tom_swannProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music: Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 15, 2020 • 21min
Why bringing income tax cuts forward is a bad idea during Australia's first recession in 30 years
The government has indicated it might bring forward income tax cuts in next month's budget, but as our senior economist Matt Grudnoff explains in this episode, income tax cuts for high income earners won't be effective at stimuluating the economic. The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Matt Grudnoff, senior economist at the Australia Institute // @MattGrudnoffProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music: Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 10, 2020 • 59min
A Plan for Planet A
Fight for Planet A is the newest TV series from Craig Reucassel, a three-part documentary exploring the challenges of climate change, where our energy comes from, the health effects of transport and the carbon footprint of what we eat. It offers practical solutions for people to implement at home but as Craig points out, action on climate change by householders is not enough. Governments and big corporate giants also have to do their bit. But the picture looks grim. Australia is among the world's top 20 polluters and when you factor in emissions from coal and gas exports that are shipped overseas our carbon footprint triples. Yet as part of its Covid Economic plan, the government is planning a gas-led recovery. Recorded live on September 9, 2020 as part of The Australia Institute's Webinar of a Pandemic series. The Australia Institute @theAusInstitute //Host and Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Guests: Craig Reucassel @craigreucassel // Richie Merzian Climate & Energy Director at the Australia Institute @richiemerzian // Leanne Minshull Director The Australia Institute Tasmania @leanneminshull. Music: Pulse and Thrum.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 8, 2020 • 1h 3min
East Timor, Oil and Secret Prosecutions
For over eighty years, Australia and East Timor have been joined together, mostly in conflict and struggle. The latest conflict is playing out in a secret court case and involves Australian lawyer Bernard Collaery and a former ASIS officer turned whistleblower Witness K. Both have been accused of communicating protected intelligence information after disclosing an Australian bugging operation carried out in the government offices of Timor Leste in 2004. After an ACT Supreme Court ruling, significant parts of the trial against Collaery will be held in secret, which legal experts warn as the "gravest threats to freedom of expression". New Australia Institute research shows that of all the Five Eyes countries, Australia’s oversight of its intelligence communities is the weakest. In this podcast recording from our live webinar series we are privileged to have one of the key figures in Timor Leste’s fight for independence and former Timor Leste President, José Ramos Horta. He was co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, and survived an assassination attempt in 2008. We are also privileged to welcome Bernard Collaery along with Allan Behm, head of the Australia Institute’s International and Security Affairs Program. As this matter is currently before the courts, and Bernard is subject to suppression orders, there are some limitations on the discussion which was recorded live on 2 September as part of the Australia Institute's Economics of a Pandemic Webinar series.The Australia Institute // @theAUSInstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Prize Laureate and former President of Timor Leste, Bernard Collaery, Barrister and former Attorney-General of the ACT, Allan Behm, head of the Australia Institute's International and Security Affairs Program // @MirandaprorsusProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music: Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 2, 2020 • 32min
Effective diplomacy and getting Australia's relationship with China back on track
Australia's relationship with China has been turbulent of late, so this week we speak to Allan Behm, head of the Australia Institute's International and Security Affairs Program about what we really want out of our relationship with China and how we can get it back on track. Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Allan Behm, head of the Australia Institute's International and Security Affairs Program // @MirandaprorsusProducer: Jennifer Macey Theme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 27, 2020 • 1h 1min
Electrifying our Roads - Norway's Way
There are so many reasons for Australia to transition to electric vehicles, but despite warnings that Australia could be left behind without stronger policy direction regarding EVs, little progress has been made. In contrast, Norway is a world leader in EV policy.Recorded live on 20 August as part of the Australia Institute's Economics of a Pandemic webinar series.The Australia Institute // @theAUSInstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Christina Bu, Head of Norway's EV association // @ChristinaBu_Giles Parkinson, Founder/Editor of @Renew_Economy & @TheDriven_io // @GilesParkinsonRichie Merzian, Climate & Energy Director at the Australia Institute // @RichieMerzianProducer: Jennifer Macey, with additional editing by Lucy LuoTheme music: Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 26, 2020 • 27min
How Neoliberalism is Spreading Covid-19
In this episode we talk to Dr Richard Denniss about the role of neoliberalism in spreading Covid-19 and how decades of privatisations, outsourcing and cuts to government spending have left Australia vulnerable during this pandemic. The Australia Institute // @theAUSInstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Richard Dennis, chief economist at the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAIProducer: Jennifer Macey, with additional editing by Grace Crivellaro, Holly Forrest and Lucy LuoTheme music: Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


