Grattan Institute

Big money matters in Australian elections. Amidst a busy week in politics, with the increasing threat of coronavirus, the annual release of the federal political donations data might have slipped under your radar. Yet this data points to a very concerning underlying question: can you buy an election? Listen to Kate Griffiths, fellow for the Budget Policy and Institutional Reform program, in discussion with host Kat Clay, around how to reform Australia's political donations system. To see the charts in discussion in this podcast, visit: https://blog.grattan.edu.au/2020/02/three-things-the-new-donations-data-tell-us-about-the-2019-federal-election/

A new career path for expert teachers could transform Australian schools and boost student learning by 18 months by the time they turn 15. Listen to Peter Goss, School Education Program Director, and Julie Sonnemann, School Education Fellow, discuss their new report, Top teachers: sharing expertise to improve teaching. Hosted by Paul Austin. You can read the report on our website: https://grattan.edu.au/report/top-teachers/

It’s a common assumption that compulsory superannuation comes out of workers’ wages. But is it true? With compulsory super set to rise from 9.5 percent to 12 percent by July 2025, it’s timely to ask who is going to foot the bill. Employers or employees? And what does this mean for your future salary? Listen to Brendan Coates, Household Finances Program Director, and Matt Cowgill, Senior Associate discuss their latest working paper No Free Lunch: Higher superannuation means lower wages. You can read the working paper in discussion on our website: https://grattan.edu.au/report/no-free-lunch/

Dozens of lives have been lost and homes destroyed due to the Australian bushfires. In the midst of the tragedy, a big question arises. Might the summer of 2020 be a turning point in climate politics and policy in Australia? Grattan Institute CEO John Daley and Senior Associate Emily Millane discuss how major crises can lead to dramatic policy changes, and the economic cost of inaction on climate change. Hosted by Paul Austin, Grattan Institute editor. You can read the article in discussion on the Grattan Institute website: https://grattan.edu.au/news/might-the-bushfire-crisis-be-the-turning-point-on-climate-politics-australian-needs/

Hydrogen is now surging to the top of the global decarbonisation agenda. Australia’s competitive advantages, including local expertise and infrastructure, proximity to Asian markets, and abundance of renewable energy, could mean we become a globally significant player through hydrogen exports, with important domestic spill-over benefits. The dual objectives of the strategy are to build a clean, innovative and competitive hydrogen industry, and to position Australia’s hydrogen industry as a major global player by 2030. Listen to Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel AO discuss the hydrogen strategy at the Energy Futures forum, co-hosted by the Grattan Institute and the Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI). Dr Finkel's presentation is followed by a panel discussion with Grattan Institute’s Energy Program Director Tony Wood and MEI’s Hydrogen and Clean Fuels Program Leader Prof. Paul Webley, moderated by Prof. Sandra Kentish, Head of the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at The University of Melbourne.

Private health insurance has changed dramatically over the past few decades, and young and healthy people are dropping out (or not joining). Something has to change. Can we cut private hospital costs? Can we stem the flow of surprise bills from greedy doctors? Will that be enough to save private health insurance? Listen to Stephen Duckett, Grattan Institute Health Program Director, and Jo Root, Policy Director of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia, discuss whether private health insurance can be saved from the jaws of death. To read the reports in discussion: Saving Private Health 1: https://grattan.edu.au/report/saving-private-health-1/ Saving Private Health 2: https://grattan.edu.au/report/saving-private-health-2/

Every year Grattan Institute selects six thought-provoking works for the Prime Minister's Summer Reading List. Our 2019 recommendations tackle wide-ranging topics, from secret ballots to cities, Tories to the Testaments. Each selection provides inspiration and warning for how to shape Australia’s future. Listen to Grattan Institute CEO John Daley in discussion with Program Director Danielle Wood about the six works at this Policy Pitch event, held in partnership with State Library Victoria. You can read the full list on our website here: https://grattan.edu.au/report/pm-summer-reading-list-2019/

The only way that private hospital insurance can survive as Australia’s population ages is to make insurance cheaper for younger, healthier people. Younger consumers are spending more on private hospital insurance but getting less value for their money. The industry faces a demographic death spiral as costs for older people rise and younger people leave. Listen to Grattan Institute's Health Program Director Stephen Duckett discuss with Kat Clay how to stop this death spiral and reform private health insurance. Read the report in discussion here: https://grattan.edu.au/report/saving-private-health-2/

Private health insurance premiums could be cut by up to 10 per cent if private hospitals were made more efficient and stopped over-servicing. A handful of ‘greedy’ doctors charge their patients more than twice the official Medicare Benefits Schedule fee. Only about 7 per cent of all in-hospital medical services are billed at this rate, yet these bills account for almost 90 per cent of all out-of-pocket costs for private hospital patients – and patients are often not told of these costs in advance. Listen to Grattan Institute Health Program Director Stephen Duckett discuss his latest report with Paul Austin, Editor.

Since the Hazelwood power station closed in 2017 Victoria’s power prices have been up and reliability has been down. How will Victoria’s ageing brown coal power stations cope with an influx of new renewable generation? When will the Yallourn power station close, and what will be the effect on our power supply? This Policy Pitch event looked at the challenges facing the National Electricity Market, and Victoria in particular, as it transitions away from coal and towards renewables. Featuring speakers Guy Dundas, Grattan Institute Energy Fellow, Audrey Zibelman, CEO, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), and Ross Edwards, Executive, Markets, EnergyAustralia. This event was held in partnership with State Library Victoria.