Australia Matters

Interest rates won’t affect the global oil price shock brought about by the illegal US war on Iran – so why did the Reserve Bank hike them again? On this episode of Dollars & Sense , Greg and Elinor discuss the rationale for the Reserve Bank’s third interest rate hike for 2026 and how changing the way trusts are taxed could reduce inequality. This discussion was recorded on T...

After major missteps, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is falling well short of the gold standard for integrity bodies. On this episode of Follow the Money , journalist and writer Nick Feik joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the NACC’s handling of its Robodebt investigation, its decision not to hold public hearings so far, and concerns about the legal experience required of some se...

160 years after the American Civil War, the Confederacy is ascendent. On this episode of After America , Allan Behm and Dr Emma Shortis discuss the Trump administration’s withdrawal of troops from Germany, why the United States is losing its war on Iran, and the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act. This episode was recorded on Monday 4 May. The latest Vantage Point essay,...

The big jump for the CPI has created some dramatic headlines, but digging just a bit deeper into the data reveals a different story.   On this episode of  Dollars & Sense , Greg and Elinor discuss the latest inflation figures, which are the first to include the impact of the war in Iran, and why the RBA should take a step back and look at all the data, before they...

How have a select few accumulated such colossal wealth while many Australians struggle? On this episode of Follow the Money , Senator Larissa Waters, leader of the Australian Greens, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the causes of Australia’s housing crisis, making gas exporters pay their fair share, and the Greens’ new ‘tax the 1%’ campaign. The latest Vantage Point essay, Ri...

Violence is a feature of American democracy. On this episode of After America , Dr Emma Shortis reflects on yet another appalling yet unsurprising act of political violence in the United States, before Mother Jones journalist James West joins the show to discuss the midterm elections and whether real fractures are emerging in the MAGAverse. This episode was recorded on Thursday 23 April Australian...

With the federal budget looming, a gas export tax would drive down prices and fund vital public services at a time when Australians are feeling the pinch. On this episode of Dollars & Sense , Greg and Elinor discuss the case for a 25 per cent gas export tax, why global foreign aid spending has plummeted, and the likelihood of the government announcing reforms to housing investor tax concession...

Australia is one of the largest exporters of gas in the world, yet beer drinkers pay more tax than the gas industry pays in Petroleum Resources Rent Tax. On this episode of Follow the Money , Senator David Pocock and Dr Richard Denniss join Leanne Minshull to discuss the case for a 25 per cent gas export tax, why Australians currently get so little in return for the country’s finite resource...

After tearing up the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under President Obama, Trump is trying to bomb his way to a better outcome and it’s failing spectacularly. On this episode of After America , nuclear policy expert Jon B Wolfsthal and Dr Emma Shortis discuss the US-Iran negotiations, the risks of this conflict metastasising, and how Trump is continuing to break down the guardrails around the...

It reads like a dystopian sci-fi novel, but the latest IMF report on the global economy refuses to name the orange elephant in the room. On this episode of Dollars & Sense , Greg and Elinor discuss the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s latest World Economic Outlook report, its forecast for Australia, Angus Taylor’s Trumpy immigration policy announcement, and why immigration isn&r...

With President Trump spewing threats at friends and foes, the American government has gone off the rails. On this episode of Follow the Money , Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss Trump’s genocidal threats against Iran, his efforts to subvert US democracy, his administration’s growing isolation from long-time allies, and why it’s time for the Australian government to reasse...

The Trump administration’s failure to reach an agreement with Iran to end the war shouldn’t come as a surprise. On this episode of After America , Allan Behm and Dr Emma Shortis discuss the consequences of failure in US-Iran negotiations, the oxymoron of Trump administration “diplomacy”, the future of NATO, and what this all means for Australia. This episode was recorded on...

The US president is wreaking havoc in Iran and around the world. On this episode of Dollars & Sense , Greg and Elinor discuss Trump’s horrific threats against Iran, whether Australians should be concerned about a recession as a result of the global uncertainty the US president is causing, Matt Canavan’s plans for an economic revolution, and why land values have skyrocketed while th...

There is no reason our societies can’t change radically, to produce more of what we need and less of the things that are sowing the seeds of our own destruction, says Yanis Varoufakis. On this episode of Follow the Money , we bring you highlights from the recent Australian tour of economist and author Yanis Varoufakis, with contributions from a cast of very special guests. Across live events...

Until a 25% gas export tax is put in place, Australians are missing out on billions every year that could be used to support people through the living standards crisis. On this episode of Dollars & Sense , Greg and Elinor discuss the prime minister’s national address on the impacts of the US-Israel war on Iran, policy responses to fuel price hikes, Australia’s gas giveaway and Greg...

Petrol and diesel prices are sky high because of the illegal US-Israel war on Iran, but major fuel shortages in Australia are very unlikely.  Matt Grudnoff and Ebony Bennett discuss Australia’s relatively strong position in global energy supply chains. Matt explains why some petrol stations have run low despite overall fuel supplies remaining steady, how the price hikes are fuelling ine...

The United States and Israel’s war on Iran has been disastrous. On this episode of After America , Dr Emma Shortis and Angus Blackman discuss the situation with the Strait of Hormuz, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, why airport security workers in the US aren’t getting paid, and why, despite plenty of evidence suggesting it’s a terrible deal, some Australian policymakers remai...

Despite big talk from the government about punishing any fuel retailers profiteering from the global energy crisis, many forms of price gouging remain perfectly legal. On this episode of Dollars & Sense , Matt and Elinor discuss how profits are driving inflation, why the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission doesn’t have the power to take on price gouging properly, and why migra...

A 25% gas export tax would drive down gas prices for Australians and collect billions of dollars that can be used to provide better, cheaper health and education services.  On this episode of Follow the Money , Rod Campbell and Ebony Bennett discuss the case for a 25% gas export tax and the New South Wales government’s ban on new coal mines. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 24 March...

Far from winding down, tit-for-tat threats on civilian energy infrastructure suggest the US-Israel war on Iran may enter a new spiral of violence. On this episode of After America , Dr Emma Shortis and Angus Blackman discuss the war on Iran and how American sanctions are creating a humanitarian crisis in Cuba, before Professor James Laurenceson joins the show to talk about the impact of the c...

Australians are already paying a price for the illegal US-Israel war on Iran, so why did the Reserve Bank double down and raise rates again? On this episode of Dollars & Sense , Greg and Elinor discuss the economic impact of the US and Israel’s war on Iran, the Reserve Bank’s decision to raise interest rates, and why changes to the capital gains tax discount might finally be on the...

Now costing Australian governments $31,020 per minute, fossil fuel subsidies are growing faster than spending on the NDIS. On this episode of Follow the Money , Rod Campbell and Ebony Bennett discuss why it’s time to call out the idea that governments can’t afford to support Australians in need yet still dish out $16.3 billion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2025-26 alone. This episode was...

The Trump administration’s war on Iran is the most “incompetent, incoherent” war the United States has fought in a century, according to one US Senator. On this episode of After America , Dr Emma Shortis and Angus Blackman discuss the Trump administration’s apparent failure to plan for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Pete Hegseth’s attacks on American media, and...

You’re meant to tax things you want less of and subsidise things you want more of – yet Australian governments are handing out $16.3 billion in fossil fuel subsidies this financial year. Elinor is back but Greg is away, so Matt Grudnoff jumps in to talk about Australia’s absurd fossil fuel subsidies, fuel security in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran, and why the AI bubble wi...

The Australian government has been trying to placate Trump in order to secure the AUKUS submarine deal – and now we are seeing the results. On this episode of Follow the Money and After America , Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss the illegal US-Israel war in Iran, the implications of the conflict for the Middle East, and why Australian personnel were on board an American nuclear-powe...