Follow The Money

The Morrison government this week announced that from mid-July childcare would no longer be free and that childcare workers would be stripped of access to JobKeeper. Overall, during the pandemic women have seen faster job losses than men, while men are benefiting the most from government stimulus measures. To unpack this pink collar recession, Follow The Money talks to senior economist at the Aust...

The pandemic exposed a lot of the problems with our labour market, including the risks of the rise of precarious and insecure work. Today we’re bringing you another guest from our ‘Economics of a Pandemic’ webinar series: Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in conversation with Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work....

The proposed NSW public sector wage freeze was supposed to ease pressure on the budget, but Australia Institute research shows it would cost jobs and harm regional economies. NOTE: This episode was recorded just hours before the NSW Upper House voted down the pay freeze and the NSW Government will now take the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission. Read the Australia Institute's research p...

Featuring Greens Leader Adam Bandt in conversation with chief economist Richard Denniss about what a Green New Deal means and how it would work. The audio was recorded live on May 27 2020 as part of the Australia Institute's 'Economics of a Pandemic' webinar series. The government has been talking as if it understood Keynesian economics, but its reaction to the $60 billion JobKeeper black hole sho...

The government has been talking as if it understood Keynesian economics, but its reaction to the $60 billion JobKeeper black hole shows they clearly do not think or act like Keynesians. Richard Denniss unpacks the spectacular failure of policy and accountability, as well as explaining what Keynesians economics actually means. Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis...

In this episode we talk to Zali Steggall, the independent member for Warringah, about the role of climate action in rebuilding after the pandemic, with Richie Merzian the director of the Australia Institute's Climate & Energy program. Visit tai.org.au for all our latest research and analysis Host: Ebony Bennett // @ebony_bennett Guests: Zali Steggall // @zalisteggall Richie Merzian // @RichieM...

Health Minister Greg Hunt in conversation with our chief economist Richard Denniss, as part of the Australia Institute's Economics of a Pandemic webinar series. This was recorded live on Tuesday 19th May 2020 and things may have changed since recording. Note: Due to some technical difficulties, the Minister joined the webinar a few minutes late, so we’ll pick up from when he joined the conversatio...

Energy Minister Angus Taylor is talking about a 'gas-led recovery' which would not only make electricity prices higher, but would obviously make climate change worse, so in this episode we talk to director of the Australia Institute's Climate & Energy Program, Richie Merzian, about the other global crisis we're facing: climate change. Visit tai.org.au for all our latest research and analysis....

Australia and New Zealand have had a lot of success in managing this pandemic, but that has not been the case internationally and we've seen a range of responses from international governments. This episode is from one of our ‘Economics of a pandemic’ webinar series, featuring Helen Clark, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand and patron of the Helen Clark Foundation, in conversation with Allan...

How realistic is it to expect the economy to 'snap back' after restrictions are lifted? Can there be a business-led recovery? In this episode we talk to senior economist Matt Grudnoff about why snap back is nice fantasy, but won't work in reality. Visit tai.org.au for all our latest research and analysis. Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Guests: Mat...

Today’s episode is from one of our ‘Economics of a pandemic’ webinar series, featuring Professor Ross Garnaut, renowned economist and author of Superpower: Australia’s Low-Carbon Opportunity. Professor Garnaut was in conversation with economist and director of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, Jim Stanford, and Dan Nahum – economist at the Centre for Future Work about a renewably p...

Today we’re changing the pace a little, with our virtual Politics in the Pub featuring Guardian Australia's political reporter Amy Remeikis and hosted by The Australia Institute Tasmania’s director Leanne Minshull, live from her pub the Fern Tree Tavern in Hobart. News.com.au’s political editor Samantha Maiden was also supposed to join the conversation but unfortunately couldn’t make it due to tec...

In this episode we’re privileged to bring you some special guests from our ‘Economics of a Pandemic webinar series: immunologist and Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Peter Doherty and our chief economist Richard Denniss talking about the public health response to Covid-19. Professor Peter Doherty was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Rolf M. Zinkernagel 1996 "for their d...

Working from home has great potential to cushion the economic blow of the pandemic: allowing many to keep working and earning an income. But there are also many challenges and risks associated with this major shift in work patterns. So to unpack the implications of everything from Orwellian surveillance programs to the joys of working in tracky dacks – we talk to the author of the Australia Instit...

To discuss Inequality in a Pandemic, The Australia Institute is privileged to bring you some very special guests from our ‘Economics of a Pandemic webinar series: Nobel Prize laureate economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz, ALP National President Wayne Swan and our chief economist Dr Richard Denniss. Part of the Australia Institute's 'Economics of a Pandemic' webinar series. Recorded live on Thursday...

It's not too early to start thinking about how we rebuild the economy after the crisis. Hear Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers discuss why 'snapback' just won't cut it, as part of the Australia Institute's 'Economics of a Pandemic' webinar series. Recorded live on Wednesday 29 April 2020. Jim Chalmers' Guardian article is here . Language warning - an attendee drops the F-bomb somewhere in the middle o...

The Prime Minister has said the economic recovery won’t be ‘business as usual’ but so far the corporate sector's wish list is indistinguishable from 'business as usual'. But how can we judge whether or not a proposal like company tax cuts stacks up? How do we know if it will have a better or worse outcome than boosting funding for TAFE or aged care? This week we talk to the Australia Institute's s...

The Australian media industry, particularly journalism, was already going through a major disruption before the pandemic hit. At least 51 news media outlets and newsrooms have closed since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis in Australia, according the The Guardian. This episode features a discussion about the crisis facing the media between Kim Williams, Chair of Thomsen Reuters Trustees and...

We are facing existential threats to human security that are not amenable to solution by military forces. In this week's episode we discuss the need to rethink national security with Allan Behm, director of the Australia Institute's International and Security Affairs Program. Check out Allan's Guardian article here Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausi...

The Australian arts industry was one of the earliest economic casualties of Covid-19 as museums, theatres, galleries, festivals and music venues shut down to avoid a public health crisis leading to massive job losses --even as more than ever we rely on music, TV and books to help us cope with isolation. In this episode we're bringing you some special guests from our ‘Economics of a Pandemic webina...

It's early days, but it looks like the measures Australia has taken to stop the spread of Covid-19 appear to be working. But not everyone sees it that way. Many commentators and economists think that the restrictions we’ve put in place go ‘too far’. So we asked chief economist at the Australia Institute, Richard Denniss, what price we really put on human life? Check out Richard's two essays for Th...

A live recording of a webinar with Wayne Swan, ALP President and former Deputy PM and Treasurer who helped steer Australia's economy through the GFC without going into recession, recorded live on Zoom Thursday 9 April 2020. Part of the Australia's Institute's 'Economics of a Pandemic' webinar series. Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausinstitute Host:...

In the middle of this unprecedented health and economic crisis, it is critical we do not let a crisis in our democracy emerge as well. Like Australia, New Zealand has shut down its Parliament due to COVID-19. However, NZ has found a non-partisan alternative to maintain accountability while Parliament is not sitting. Australia Institute executive director Ben Oquist makes the case for an Epidemic R...

The Morrison government performed an enormous and welcome backflip, announcing a $130 billion Jobkeeper package to support workers, through their employer, with a $1500/fortnight wage subsidy. Richard Denniss, chief economist at the Australia Institute unpacks the details. Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at The Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Contributors: Richard Denniss, chief economi...

What does a global pandemic do to the economy? Richard Denniss explains why the government is shutting down whole sections of the economy and unpacks the government's economic survival package. Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at The Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett Contributors: Richard Denniss, chief economist at the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAI This episode was produced by Jennifer...