Critical Line Item with Tom Ravlic

Accounting firms have done it tough like all kinds of businesses during the pandemic but Vito Interlandi, one of the joint managing partners of Nexia Melbourne, and his colleagues went one better. They added a merger with another firm, GAP Accountants, on the to do list. Vito talks about the challenges of COVID, the merger and also the kinds of things that he sees as improtant as the accounting pr...

Professor Mia Bloom from Georgia State University has spent more than two decades looking at the area of terrorism and finds it irritating that some commentators overstate the threat of certain radical movements. She talks about the issues underlying the diagnosis and assessment of threat and she offers a perspective that helps people that do not think about terrorism on a daily basis understand t...

One of the leading campaigners for the Voice to Parliament, Thomas Mayo, is midway through a marathon effort to try to win as many hearts and minds as possible to support a constitutionally enshrined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in Australia's foundation document. He talks about the experience of giving evidence to the parliamentary committee looking at the referendum, what Australi...

Journalist and author Jackie Dent has spent time looking at what happens when bodies are donated to science and how those bodies are used to improve medical knowledge and understanding. Her book 'The Great Dead Body Teachers' is her deep dive into a topic that ought to fascinate any reader that wants to understand a part of the world that is important but often hidden from view. Hosted on Acast. S...

The Wieambilla shootings last December reminded Australians that terrorism might not be far away if people are sufficiently motivated to commit acts of extreme violence. Georgia State University's Professor John Horgan has spent decades looking at the psychology of terrorism and in this episode he talks about issues related to radilcalisation, problems of classifying terrorist activities, and what...

Autor and communications specialist Isabelle Oderberg tackles some of the toughest issues in her new book, Hard to Bear - a book that looks in depth at the issues surrounding the way our society deals with miscarriage. She tackles it with a touch of humour but remains focused on the main goal throughout: to raise awareness of the lack of proper care that women have when it comes to issues related...

Victoria University Professor, tom Clark, is fascinated by political speech and in this conversation he explores the recent AUKUS debate with former Prime Minister Paul Keating at its center and what issues that raises from the point of view of political communication. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawyer Alison Cusack spends her time playing in the niche space of maritime law. Her work involves thinking through the legal consequences of getting stuff on and off ships and where in the world any dispute over cargo might have to be heard. Her work is fascinating and how she fell into it equally so. What are some of the issues she faces in dealing with things that float on wet stuff? Listen in....

Mark Gorrie has spent 10 years in technology and works with Symantec (also known as Gem). as their managing director in the Asia-Pacific region Gorrie talks during this podcast about the various problems users of technology are going to face as scammers and slimeballs trawling the internet for ways of stealing funds use artificial intelligence to make their communications look flawless. You though...

Tax agents and ethical codes have been in the news in recent times. Tax practitioner Lisa Greig tells Tom Ravlic how the regulatory regime works and what implications there are for tax agents that are sent to the naughty corner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First AML chief executive officer Milan Cooper takes listeners through some of the issues he sees on a daily basis with clients grappling with attempts to launder funds. Cooper highlights certain gaps in Australia money laundering regulation that still need to be plugged in order to ensure further obstacles are placed in the way of crooks and swindlers seeking to transfer ill-gotten gains through...

Australians will be asked to vote on whether a Voice to Parliament that would speak for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities should be incorporated into the Australia constitution. Dr Shireen Morris, a supporter of the Voice and a constitutional law expert, takes us through the various elements of The Uluru Statement from the Heart as well as a look at a how the referendum campaign is...

CPA Australia is one of Australia's most prominent accounting bodies and its small business policy spokesperson, Gavan Ord, joints Tom Ravlic to talk about small business measures as well as the challenges of consulting with government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lowy Institute research fellow Lydia Khalil spends her work hours contemplating the nasty things bad actors do to others, and how we can better understand the phenomenon of extremism that is unfolding before us. Khalil's book, Rise of the Extreme Right, was published in August last year and the issues it raises are even more relevant now given the Federal Government is gearing up refresh the terms...

Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission chair Fran Thorn has her hands full. She heads the regulator responsible for casinos, gaming and lotteries, but the most high profile of the organisations over which the VGCCC has oversight is casino behemoth, Crown. Thorn and her colleagues face a range of challenges in regulating casinos. Hear her explain some of the things she does oversee, the t...

Barrister Greg Barns SC is a human rights advocate and a member of the team monitoring and providing advice on case of Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange. This chat with Barns covers a bundle of issues including the importance of the presumption of innocence as well as what is needed to stand in the way of government using its power to stop whistle blowers telling their stories in court. Hosted on...

CPA Australia policy adviser Gavan Ord looks at small business issues and has done for several decades. The post-pandemic environment is tough with some small businesses struggling to stay afloat. High interest rates are only one challenge facing small businesses and Australian households. Ord canvasses a range of options small businesses should reflect on during the Christmas break and beyond. Ho...

People who tell stories governments don't want to hear about their internal workings tend to not be popular and also are pursued if they part with information deemed confidential to the media. David McBride, a military lawyer, raised concerns about the conduct of Australian troops in Afghanistan through appropriate channels in the Department of Defence. Had they been dealt with satisfactorily McBr...

Doug Nixon is a partner at EY leading their Oceania practice and he talks to Tom about the current state of play in the banking sector, COVID impacts and the perennial concerns about cyber security in big companies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doctoral researcher Jean Linis-Dinco has been examining how various players use disinformation for political purposes. This conversation explores disinformation, the technology that makes is easy for its publication and its consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting an Indigenous Voice to Parliament as envisioned in the Uluru Statement from the Heart embedded in the Australian Constitution is an objective of the Albanese Goverment but what will it take to swing the majority of Australians in a majority of States to vote for it in the referendum? Dean Parking is a director of From The Heart - an organisation working for constitutional recognition - and...

Investigative journalist Ben Schneiders has spent almost a decade looking at the exploitation of workers where their pay and conditions are concerned. His new book, Hard Labour, is out and it explores the industrial landscape in Australia and highlights how wage theft become a major problem. Ben also talks about possible regulatory solutions and how the book came together. Hosted on Acast. See aca...

Filmmaker Rachel Perkins is the creative mind behind The Australian Wars, a three-part documentary that looks at the conflicts that took place between First Nations peoples and the various groups of settlers that set up colonies. It is a tough but fair telling of that period with a stellar cast of historians that help shed light on a history many people have not been taught. Perkins talks about th...

There are many varieties of online nasties and the Officer of the E-Safety Commissioner has to deal with them all in partnership with other arms of the Australian Government. E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant outlines some of the challenges she faces in her role as she takes Tom Ravlic through aspects of the new strategy for her agency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Paul Bongiorno has been in journalism for 48 years and he's seen just about everything. He speaks to Tom Ravlic about the skill of reportage, the search for Truth, and a what drives him to keep going. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.