Follow The Money

The government's Homebuilder program is designed to help the construction sector, but construction is not labour intensive and it's dominated by blokes, when we know women are bearing the brunt of this recession. So this week Follow The Money talks to senior economist at the Australia Institute Matt Grudnoff, who explains why we could get better bang for our stimulus buck by targeting industries that employ more people overall, particularly women.Visit tai.org.au/pandemic_economics for all our latest research and analysis.Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Matt Grudnoff, senior economist of the Australia Institute // @MattGrudnoffProducer: Jennifer Macey with help from Grace CrivellaroTheme music: Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Using war as a metaphor has crept into how we talk about public policy. Misrepresenting policy issues as security problems does not solve them, yet many public policy issues are framed using this lens. We’ve had a war on drugs, wars on poverty and wars on red tape, but Australia doesn't describe what’s has been happening in Yemen as a ‘war’. To discuss how ‘securitisation’ can turn problems into threats, we spoke to Allan Gyngell and Allan Behm as part of the 'Economics of a Pandemic' webinar series.Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Allan Gyngell, National President, the Australian Institute of International AffairsAllan Behm, head of the Australia Institute's International and Security Affairs Program // @MirandaprorsusProducer: Jennifer Macey with help from Grace CrivellaroTheme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anyone familiar with Australian political debate will know that while we can always afford tax cuts and defence spending, somehow we can never afford to raise Newstart, or to build social housing because we have to “live within our means” and get back to a budget surplus as soon as possible. But that's not how the economy really works. We talked to Professor Stephanie Kelton about her new book “The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and How to Build a Better Economy” in conversation with our chief economist at the Australia institute Richard Denniss as part of our 'Economics of a Pandemic' webinar series. Host: Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Stephanie Kelton, author of The Deficit Myth // @StephanieKeltonRichard Denniss, chief economist of the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAIProducer: 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.

The PM has announced big plans for deregulation, but is 'red tape' or 'green tape' really impeding economic growth or is it necessary to protect us and our environment? In this episode we talk to Executive Director of the Australia Institute Ben Oquist about the protections offered by good regulation. Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuest: Ben Oquist, executive director of the Australia Institute // @BenOquistProducer: Lizzie Jack with help from Grace CrivalleroTheme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There can be no trust in government without accountability, yet its been two years since the Coalition government promised to implement a Commonwealth Integrity Commission and there's still no draft legislation in sight. Join Independent Member for Indi Helen Haines MP, and former Supreme Court Justices the Hon. David Harper AM QC and The Hon. Margaret White AO, both of whom are members of the Australia Institute's National Integrity Committee, along with our chief economist Richard Denniss for a wide-ranging discussion about fighting corruption, gaps in our integrity system, the lack of transparency surrounding the Prime Minister's handpicked National Covid-19 Coordination Commission. Audio is from the Australia Institute's 'Economics of a Pandemic' webinar series. Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at The Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Helen Haines, Independent Member for Indi // @helenhainesindiThe Hon. David Harper AM QCThe Hon. Margaret White AORichard Denniss, chief economist the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAIThis episode was produced by Jennifer Macey.Our theme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum.Thanks for listeningSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Morrison government this week announced that from mid-July childcare would no longer be free and that childcare workers would be stripped of access to JobKeeper. Overall, during the pandemic women have seen faster job losses than men, while men are benefiting the most from government stimulus measures. To unpack this pink collar recession, Follow The Money talks to senior economist at the Australia Institute Matt Grudnoff, who has been crunching the numbers.Visit tai.org.au/pandemic_economics for all our latest research and analysis.Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Matt Grudnoff, senior economist of the Australia Institute // @MattGrudnoffProducer: Jennifer Macey. Cover of '9 to 5' by Lizzie Jack, originally written and recorded in 1980 by Dolly Parton.Theme music: Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic exposed a lot of the problems with our labour market, including the risks of the rise of precarious and insecure work. Today we’re bringing you another guest from our ‘Economics of a Pandemic’ webinar series: Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in conversation with Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work.Visit tai.org.au or futurework.org.au Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at The Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Sally McManus, ACTU Secretary // @sallymcmanusJim Stanford, economist and Director, Centre for Future Work // @JimboStanfordThis episode was produced by Jennifer Macey. Our theme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum.Thanks for listeningSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The proposed NSW public sector wage freeze was supposed to ease pressure on the budget, but Australia Institute research shows it would cost jobs and harm regional economies. NOTE: This episode was recorded just hours before the NSW Upper House voted down the pay freeze and the NSW Government will now take the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission.Read the Australia Institute's research paper on the impacts of a wage freeze here.Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Richard Denniss, chief economist of the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAIProducer: Jennifer Macey, with help from River McCrossen and Jack Wallner. And a special thank you to all the journalism students at the University of Wollongong for their production help during this special season of Follow the Money.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.

Featuring Greens Leader Adam Bandt in conversation with chief economist Richard Denniss about what a Green New Deal means and how it would work. The audio was recorded live on May 27 2020 as part of the Australia Institute's 'Economics of a Pandemic' webinar series. The government has been talking as if it understood Keynesian economics, but its reaction to the $60 billion JobKeeper black hole shows they clearly do not think or act like Keynesians. Richard Denniss unpacks the spectacular failure of policy and accountability, as well as explaining what Keynesians economics actually means.Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Adam Bandt, Greens Leader // @AdamBandtRichard Denniss, chief economist of the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAIProducer: 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.

The government has been talking as if it understood Keynesian economics, but its reaction to the $60 billion JobKeeper black hole shows they clearly do not think or act like Keynesians. Richard Denniss unpacks the spectacular failure of policy and accountability, as well as explaining what Keynesians economics actually means.Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests: Richard Denniss, chief economist of the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAIProducer: Jennifer Macey. Montage by Lucy LuoTheme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and ThrumSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.