A series of recent high-profile incidents has thrust the national crisis of domestic violence into the spotlight. Clearly the current approach to violence against women isn't working, so what can be done? 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, chat online or video call via their website. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 21st May 2024 and things may have changed since...

Budget 2024 had a little bit for a lot of people, but in trying to please everyone, has the government disappointed everyone instead?

Millions of Australians are struggling to make ends meet, yet when it comes to the federal budget, too often we hear that governments ‘can’t afford’ additional spending.

It’s going to be difficult to tackle bogus environmental claims from the private sector until the government itself stops greenwashing, Polly Hemming says on this episode of Follow the Money. There’s a global crackdown on greenwashing underway, but not everyone is getting the message – not even the Australian Government. On this episode of Follow the Money, the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program Director Polly Hemming joins Ebony Bennett to discuss state-sponsored...

As the government shelves important reform to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, the Knitting Nannas are getting out into their communities and demanding an end to fossil fuel projects.

Freedom of Information laws have helped the public uncover information governments would prefer to keep secret, but the system is failing.

Rather than delivering on their election promise to create a Great Koala National Park, the New South Wales Government is sitting on its hands until it can earn carbon credits from forests.

The major parties claim that minority and coalition governments are chaotic and unworkable, but are they actually more effective?

After scarcely mentioning it for nearly a decade while in government, the Coalition are now hot to trot on nuclear power – but why?

Capitalism is dying, but not in the way you might think

The Albanese government came to power with big expectations around climate action, but are the government’s actions falling short of their rhetoric? On this episode of Follow the Money, former President of Kiribati Anote Tong joins Walkley Award winning journalist Stephen Long to discuss the Australian government’s “disappointing” record on climate, the role of China in the region and the prospects of a Pacific UN climate conference hosted in Australia. There are still tickets available to...

The ‘robodebt’ debacle was a shameful episode for the federal government, but was it an anomaly? Our guest today says the same behaviours that enabled robodebt have been playing out for decades in our climate policymaking and questions whether the government has appetite to implement its proposed integrity reforms. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Polly Hemming, Director, Climate & Energy program, the Australia Institute // @pollyjhemming Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy...

Independent MP Helen Haines has introduced a bill to Parliament designed to prevent pork-barreling, where taxpayer money is allocated according to where it is needed to win votes, not where the public needs it most.  This was recorded on Tuesday 27th February 2024 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability program, the Australia Institute // @Browne90 Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy...

Tasmania is heading to an election – 14 months early.  Tasmania is retuning the size of its lower house from 25 seats to 35 seats at this election and multiple polls have predicted the result will be a minority government, so this is shaping up be a particularly interesting contest. This was recorded on Tuesday 20th February 2024 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Eloise Carr, Director, the Australia Institute Tasmania //...

Federal Parliament is set to pass new industrial relations laws, including the 'right to disconnect.' This means that workers will legally be able to ignore calls outside of work hours.  This was recorded on Tuesday 13th February 2024 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Dr Jim Stanford, Director, the Centre for Future Work, the Australia Institute // @MarkOgge  Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute //...

Every year, the Commonwealth collects more revenue from HECS than it gets from the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax. The PRRT is so insufficient that gas companies love it! Mark Ogge explains the Government's proposed changes, and how we can fix it to tax our gas companies fairly. This was recorded on Tuesday 6th February 2024 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor, the Australia Institute //...

It’s been a week for the books in Australian Politics history, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing changes to the highly-criticised Stage 3 tax cuts. Which got the media, and the opposition, into a bit of a frenzy. So what's changed, and how will it affect you? This was recorded on Tuesday 30th January 2024 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute //...

With the Iowa Republican caucus over, the starting gun on the 2024 US Election has fired, with the promise of a dramatic election year, and democracy itself on the ballot.  This was recorded on Tuesday 23rd January 2024 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Dr Emma Shortis, Senior Researcher, International & Security Affairs program, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia...

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars and live events in 2023.  7 years ago, The ABC’s groundbreaking environmental series War On Waste firmly placed the nation’s attention on Australia’s waste issues and solutions. The new season investigated recycling in Australia, brought to light new waste topics, challenged the lack of corporate accountability towards their own waste and explored what government can do to curb the waste tide. And most...

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars and live events in 2023.  Extreme heat is the most direct and deadly consequence of our hellbent consumption of fossil fuels. It is a first order threat that drives all other impacts of the climate crisis. And as the temperature rises, it will reveal fault lines in our governments, our politics, our economy, and our values. Join Jeff Goodell, award-winning environmental journalist and author of Heat, for a...

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars and live events in 2023.  On 15 September 2008 came the collapse of Lehmann Brothers, the largest bankruptcy in US history. This set off a chain reaction and had a massive impact on the Australia financial system and economy. Across the northern hemisphere the GFC became known as the Great Recession. But in Australia the economy was spared the large rises in unemployment that occurred in the USA and Europe...

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars and live events in 2023.  Australia’s native forests are not only home to some of our most vulnerable and threatened species, they hold critical cultural and ecological value. While native forest logging is being phased out in Western Australia and Victoria, other states are failing to take action to protect these iconic and precious ecosystems from logging. This was recorded on Wednesday 4th October 2023...

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars and live events in 2023.  The first person will face trial in relation to Australian war crimes in Afghanistan is David McBride, the whistleblower on trial, not an alleged war criminal. On the eve of David McBride’s trial, a distinguished panel of experts discussed what’s at stake, what it says that whistleblower not a war criminal is facing trial, and the right to truth and accountability when...

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars and live events in 2023.  What if we’re thinking about inflation wrong? Join renowned economist Isabella Weber, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for a discussion about the economics and politics of seller’s inflation. This was recorded on Thursday 7th September 2023 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au //...