Follow The Money

As 2018 draws to a close, Australia's climate and energy policy remains almost entirely unresolved. While the government under Scott Morrison has a Minister for bringing down energy prices, it really has no clear plans to reduce emissions and has flagged plans to underwrite new coal-fired power. Meanwhile Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has announced Labor's 15 billion dollar energy package, with a whole suite of measures aimed at boosting renewable energy, cutting greenhouse gas pollution and reducing electricity prices.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly claimed Australia will meet its Paris commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030 'in a canter', but is this true? As we approach the next United Nations climate negotiations in the Polish town of Katowice, the Institute's director of Climate & Energy Richie Merzian and senior economist Matt Grudnoff unpack the myths and cut through the rhetoric. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten years ago, on September 15th 2008 the US investment bank - Lehman brothers collapsed - triggering panic on financial markets around the world and the start of what we in Australia call the Global Financial crisis. So what lessons were learnt? How appropriate was Australia's response? What is the political legacy of the GFC? And can it happen again? At the Australia Institute, we have been helping start a new conversation about what we can learn from the past and what we must do in the future.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Ben Oquist talks to John Hewson -- former Liberal leader, Professor at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and former member for Wentworth -- about climate change and Liberal party politics and Dr Hewson did not hold back. This episode is an excerpt of our Politics in the Pub event in Canberra on 12 September, following John Hewson's launch of Climate of the Nation 2018, a benchmark survey of Australian attitudes towards climate change that has been running for over 10 years.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Michelle Grattan joins Ben Oquist to discuss what's wrong with politics and how to fix it. This discussion, ranging from our current 'coup culture' to Julia Banks' resignation, was recorded at our Politics in the Pub event in Canberra. Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at The Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Contributors: Michelle Grattan, Chief Political Correspondent at The Conversation // @michellegrattanBen Oquist, Executive Director at The Australia Institute // @benoquist Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceySupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why, after 27 years of economic growth and a mining boom, how can Australia be too broke to afford high quality rape crisis services, or to increase Newstart above the poverty line? Today you'll hear the Australia Institute's Chief Economist Richard Denniss at the official launch of his June Quarterly Essay - Dead Right: how neoliberalism ate itself and what comes next. And a language warning - Richard drops the f-bomb about halfway through.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"the vast majority of the money being handed out is going to go to high income earners..." The Australia Institute was in the 2018 Budget Lockup, and subsequently have gone through the budget papers. Listen to two top economists break it down and give you the straight facts in a way that you won't hear from the pollies. >> Read the Australia Institute's full Budget Wrap 2018Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a special "Pocket Money" episode of Follow the Money, released on the eve of the Budget, we discuss the 14 reasons why the case for the company tax cuts collapsed. See below for all the ways you can find our Budget analysis.  Our original episode discussing the company tax cuts can be found here. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Burning something to boil water to create steam is a really old-fashioned technology..." The Australia Institute has spent the hot summer days monitoring when gas and coal power plants trip, taking sometimes hundreds of megawatts of power from the grid at unpredictable times. In contrast, solar power is taking pressure of the grid by delaying peak demand by several hours on days of extreme heat. Read Mark Ogge's report Can't stand the heat.Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Affluenza is that strange desire we feel to spend money we don't have to buy things we don't need to impress people we don't know . . ." A truly modern affliction, affluenza is endemic in Western societies, encouraged by those who profit from a culture of exploitation and waste. So how do we cure ourselves? In today's episode Ebony talks to Chief Economist Richard Denniss about why we must distinguish between consumerism and materialism. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Korean missile tests, resolving the South China Sea issues, ethnic cleansing in Myanmar - there is a lot happening in the defence and security policy space right, but are we engaged enough to tackle these problems in a smart way? Dr Andrew Carr of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the ANU has written a new report for the Australia Institute I'm here for the argument: why bipartisanship on security makes Australia less safe.  Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the Global Financial Crisis. In 2008 the banks in Australia wobbled, the economy stalled, unemployment rose and the Government acted. The GFC demonstrated a failure of trickle-down economics. Ten years later, with rising populism, it is clearer now more than ever that we need a replacement to the neo-liberal economic order. What are the lessons learned from the GFC that we can use to build a new economic agenda to address inequality and inclusive growth?Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's young people have been unfairly targeted by policies that have loaded them up with uni debts, locked them out of housing market and crippled them on the 'flexible' job front, and any changes that might address this imbalance are 'grandfathered' in so that they don't affect anyone who is presently in a position of power, that's what our Chief Economist Richard Denniss argues in his essay for the June edition of The Monthly - calledSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The South Australian state government announced in late June 2017 that it was going to follow the Federal government and introduce a levy on the big banks. Episode 19 of Follow The Money, explains why the banks can absolutely afford the levy, why it's a good idea economically and just how small the levy really is compared to -- for example -- the salaries of the CEOs of the big 4 banks. Host: Deputy Director Ebony Bennett // @ebony_bennettSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight, as the Treasurer rose to give his Budget address in the house, our Deputy Director Ebony Bennett grabbed our Chief Economist Richard Denniss and Senior economist Matt Grudnoff for a chat about the Budget, straight after they emerged from the Budget lockup.  Thi podcast isn't a comprehensive discussion of the Budget, but we tried to touch on some of the main items, including:Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Housing Affordability is not only a massive policy failure, but is increasingly vying for the gold medal for the most spin and econobabble in Australian politics. Episode 18 of Follow The Money, takes on the vexed issue and tackles the latest bad idea that won't help housing affordability - raiding your super to pay for a deposit. Host: Deputy Director Ebony Bennett // @ebony_bennettSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 17 of Follow The Money, we tackle the current energy debate, including the South Australian blackouts, the war on renewables, what Christmas prawns have to do with baseload power and why the way we heat hot water offends our Chief Economist Richard Denniss.  Host: Deputy Director Ebony Bennett // @ebony_bennettSupport Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Follow The Money this week features former Republican Congressman for South Carolina, Bob Inglis on his Australian tour, hosted by The Australia Institute. Bob Inglis is a very rare bird indeed. He's a real conservative - Christian, Southern, 'small-government', you name it. But his greatest passion is tackling climate change. You heard right! Inglis has become a leading advocate on how to communicate with and convince conservatives that they can be leaders on this issue and there is no need to 'retreat into denialism'. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Follow The Money summer specials continue with an absolute pearler from the first Politics in the Pub last year (2016) featuring charasmatic, controversial Senator, Sam Dastyari. Richard Denniss described it as 'the best Politics in the Pub speach yet.' Senatory Dastyari opened with the omission that he was 'A product of the Labor machine'. And he was just getting started as he talked about his take on power and who really runs the country. Featuring:Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to our third Follow The Money summer special! It's still probably scorching hot if you're somewhere in Australia, but it's even hotter in Kiribati. This weeks special features the 'Hero of the Pacific', President Anote Tong. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.