The Good Oil with Scott Phillips

The 2026 Budget (and Budget Reply) gave us one of the more potentially consequential weeks in politics and economics in many years. And the GOAT of Budget economics is Chris Richardson, who returns to The Good Oil. In a wide-ranging chat, Chris and Scott talk deficits, negative gearing, capital gains tax, indexation of tax brackets, the NDIS, tobacco excise (and the Laffer Curve), and how to impro...

Sometimes, economics is topical. Sometimes, topics give us a chance to delve into economics. Returning guest Dr. Cameron Murray weighs in with his first-principles thoughts on some of the biggest issues we’re facing today, and gives us a ‘How would an economist think about this’ perspective that will help you think about some better solutions, too. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Women's sport is having its (overdue) time in the sun. And that includes the reborn Women’s National Basketball League. From a standing start just over a year ago, a partial privatisation and a new CEO has the competition thriving, and Sager has big plans for the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From axes to algebra, and steam to steel, innovation has been at the forefront of our development as a society and improved living standards. Scott chats to Federal MP and Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh, about his new book, The Shortest History of Innovation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

House prices jumped last year, thanks in part to interest rate reductions. But not that alone. And housing affordability has worsened… but not everywhere. Scott chats to former Head of Residential Research (and now independent property analyst) Eliza Owen about all of that and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s never a dull moment in investing, and right now, gold and rare earths are in the spotlight. Then there’s the longer-term trend towards ETFs and overseas investing, too. Scott is joined by Gemma Dale, nabtrade’s Director of SMSF and Investor Behaviour to unpack just what’s happening, and why. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How should we make decisions? What frameworks should guide us? And can organisations truly be ethical? The study and application of ethics is at the core of what it means to be human, as Dr Simon Longstaff of The Ethics Centre tells host Scott Phillips. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode Scott speaks with Motley Fool co-founder, co-Chairman and Chief Rule Breaker, David Gardner, about his long term investing success, achieved by breaking many of the accepted investing ‘rules’, a process he’s laid down in his new book Rule Breaker Investing .   (You can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Rule-Breaker-Investing-Stocks-Lasting/...

What do you get when you have the fourth generation of a family running a business that dates back the the 1870s, is the second-oldest company on the ASX, and believes in doing the right things the right way? Long term outperformance and 122 consecutive years of dividends, the last 27 increasing each year. The company is Washington H. Soul Pattinson, and that fourth generation is the man who&rsquo...

There are some trends (disruptions?) impacting our society, and they’re doing us harm. The good news is that we can all be part of the solution. Host Scott Phillips talks to social psychologist and researcher Hugh Mackay AO to understand what’s going wrong and what we can do to improve our lives – and those of others. The good news? It starts in our street. See omnystudio.com/lis...

It’s the buzzword (acronym?) of the day, and with good reason. AI is going to revolutionise the way we all work, in both expected and unexpected ways. But how? And what can we do to prepare for it? Host Scott Phillips talks to Professor Toby Walsh of UNSW to unpack just what we can expect, what governments should be looking at, and how to prepare ourselves for AI success. See omnystudio.com/...

With interest rates coming down, it’s no surprise that house prices are rising. Great news if you’re a seller, but it means worsening affordability for buyers. Cotality's Head of Research, Eliza Owen, talks to host Scott Phillips about what’s happening in the property market across the country, and what we might be able to expect next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Having been the scribe behind AFR's Rear Window for 12 years, then writing a best-selling book about the travails of Qantas, Joe Aston is no stranger to the comings and goings (and rights and wrongs) of corporate Australia. And he doesn't hold back in this interview! Host Scott Phillips sits down with Joe to discuss his career, some of his biggest scalps and his brand new journalism venture, Rampa...

Continuing with the aim of this podcast, conversations with entrepreneurs, executives and experts, the people who know what’s going on, and the people who make things happen.....today’s guests - plural – are two people who really know what’s going on and are making things happen, by making things themselves, here in Australia. Murchison River Swags is a manufacturing busine...

Author, journalist and broadcaster Richard Glover retired from ABC Radio Sydney's Drive program at the end of 2024 after 26 years behind the microphone.  He describes it as the best job in media.  So what do you do when you leave the best job in media? In this episode of The Good Oil Scott Phillips interviews the interviewer, and we learn how Richard shaped his incredible career with a d...

Claire Aird hosts a brand new podcast series on LiSTNR 'Secrets We Keep - Should I Spit?'.  The series looks at the global DNA industry and whether or not you should provide DNA to find out more about your ancestry. As part of Claire's investigation, she discovered the extraordinary amount of money big business has invested in DNA and tracing ancestry.  It is mindblowing amounts spreadin...

SMSF? Or hand it off to one of the big dogs? Aggressive? Passive? What's the best strategy?  It's a topic for everyone and we thought, worth revisiting.......Andrew Fisher from Australian Retirement Trust sat down with Scott Phillips to explain his team's process for makin' dough, and what that means for your own investment strategy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recorded literally as the sale of Foxtel was being announced, the future of legacy media remains uncertain, in the face of an onslaught from digital and streaming options. But it needn't be one-way traffic, as 30-year television and radio veteran Rob McKnight of tvblackbox.com.au tells host Scott Phillips. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether we know it or not, Australians have inherited, and carry forward, a long history of what we now know as (small-l) liberalism. And it’s a worldview worth celebrating, according to philosopher, academic and writer Alexandre Lefebvre. Host Scott Phillips sits down to chat with Alexandre about what liberalism really means, and why we should lean into it.   See omnystudio.com/listene...

The Australian economy is not the same as it was over the past half-century, and policymakers risk making a big mistake if they use that history to decide what to do next according to economist Warren Hogan. Host Scott Phillips sits down to chat with Warren, who also thinks interest rate forecasts are likely to be proven wrong.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you get when you mix an authentic host, quality filming, a beautiful backdrop and campfire cooking? You get the YouTube channel and cookbook success of Fire To Fork, with 117,000 subscribers. And that doesn't happen by accident. Host Scott Phillips talks to Harry Fisher about content creation, the future of long form videos and the business of YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

There are more than 60,000 charities in Australia. So how do you know which is the right one for you... And whether that charity even passes muster? That's where charity matchmaking service, Seedling Giving, is trying to make a difference. Host Scott Phillips chats to Seedling Giving's co-founders Kylie Wallace and Jessica Bowman about the challenges of giving, and how Seedling Giving is trying to...

Simon Holmes à Court is an executive, entrepreneur, investor and more recently political influencer, through his political fundraising organisation Climate 200. He’s also the author of a fantastic book… the Big Teal. This is Simon’s second time on The Good Oil - he gave us his thoughts on the nuclear debate previously, but this time he’s here to talk about politics and the rise of the so-called Te...

There are a set of myths that dominate the way we look at housing, and a new book is outlining why they exist and how you can bypass them to get a clearer understanding of the market and your position within it.  This episode originally published in April, but it’s worth reheating. Join host Scott Phillips as he unpacks Cameron Murray's attitude towards housing and learns about his book the 'Great...

Is navigating the Australian employment market tougher than it looks?  In this episode of The Good Oil , Charles Cameron, CEO of the RCSA, cuts through the noise and unpacks the real challenges and opportunities in today’s workforce. From the rise of the gig economy to managing flexible work arrangements, he explains why understanding these shifts is key to thriving in a post-pandemic job market—a...