Follow The Money

Houses should be a place to live, not a ladder to wealth. On this episode of Follow the Money , acclaimed financial journalist Alan Kohler joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the policies that created Australia’s housing crisis and what governments can do to fix it. This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 10 December 2024 and things may have changed since recording. Order What's the Big Idea? 32...

Amy Remeikis joins us to reflect on Anthony Albanese’s turbulent year as Prime Minister and preview the federal election campaign. On this episode of Follow the Money , Australia Institute Chief Political Analyst Amy Remeikis joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the slings and arrows of the political year, why Australia doesn’t use its power on the international stage, and how next year’s federal electi...

Independent MP Helen Haines joins us to talk about how a deal between the Government and the Opposition could swing Australia’s electoral laws in their favour. On this episode of Follow the Money , the Hon Helen Haines MP, Independent Member for Indi, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the Government’s Electoral Reform Bill, its potential impact on new and independent candidates, and the future of Aus...

More frequent and severe disasters are sending insurance costs through the roof, creating a north-south divide in Australia. On this episode of Follow the Money , Walkley Award-winning journalist Stephen Long joins Alice Grundy to discuss climate change, skyrocketing premiums and serious impact they’re having on inequality. This discussion was recorded on Wednesday 13 November 2024 and things may...

The United Nations climate change negotiations are skirting around the critical issue of phasing out fossil fuels and are in desperate need of reform, says Sandrine Dixson-Declève. On this episode of Follow the Money , Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of the Club of Rome, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss phasing out fossil fuels, the false narratives being peddled about the green transition, an...

With its democracy under assault, America needs a friend, not a flunkey. On this episode of Follow the Money , Australia Institute International & Security Affairs Advisor Allan Behm joins us to discuss the “unachievable” AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, Australia’s ‘fear of abandonment’, and how the outcome of the presidential election might change US foreign policy. This discussion was recorded...

He lost the Queensland election, but former Premier Steven Miles may have saved the furniture by putting forward popular, progressive policies that voters responded to. On this episode of Follow the Money , Australia Institute Executive Director Richard Denniss joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the fake fight between the new Queensland Premier and Peter Dutton over nuclear power and the fallout from...

Excessive secrecy in government decision-making makes Australia less safe, not more. On this episode of Follow the Money , Bill Browne, Democracy & Accountability Director at the Australia Institute, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss whistleblower protections, improving the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and why Australia may be the world’s most secretive democracy. This discussion was reco...

Press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno joins us to discuss how conflict in the Middle East is reverberating through Australia, and reconciliation one year after the Voice referendum. On this episode of Follow the Money , Paul Bongiorno, columnist for The Saturday Paper and The New Daily , joins Ebony Bennett to discuss culture wars in Australia, two upcoming elections, and the reaction to Anthony Al...

Australian superannuation funds have been investing in nuclear weapons, according to new research. On this episode of Follow the Money , Margaret Beavis, Co-Director of Quit Nukes, and Adam Gottschalk, Anne Kantor Research Fellow at the Australia Institute, join us to discuss how some superannuation funds invest Australians’ retirement savings nuclear weapons. This discussion was recorded live on...

Senator Nick McKim joins us to discuss the ACCC legal action against Coles and Woolworths and why the government should have the power to break up the Big Two. On this episode of Follow the Money , Greens Senator Nick McKim, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Grocery Prices, joins us to discuss regulating the major supermarkets and his famous grilling of the former Woolies CEO. Join President...

By relying on uncertain and unethical carbon offsets to combat the climate crisis, society is setting itself on a path to destruction, George Monbiot says. On this episode of Follow the Money , George Monbiot, Guardian columnist and co-author of The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism , joins the Australia Institute’s Polly Hemming to discuss the impact of neoliberalism on our...

The mining industry had a pre-election sook last week about government policy, but its claims about being the ‘backbone’ of the economy are more spin than substance. On this episode of Follow the Money , Australia Institute Executive Director Richard Denniss joins Ebony Bennett to discuss mining’s latest PR offensive and why politicians shouldn’t fear standing up to the industry. Join President Jo...

The Reserve Bank is home to the experts on monetary policy – but what happens when they get it wrong? On this episode of Follow the Money , Greg Jericho and Matt Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss the latest GDP figures, the real drivers of inflation and how the Reserve Bank misread the state of the economy. This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 10 September 2024 and things may have changed...

Mark Kenny joins us to discuss the government’s census own goal and Australia’s flagging economy. On this episode of Follow the Money , Ebony Bennett discusses the latest in federal politics with Professor Mark Kenny, former Chief Political Correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald , The Age and The Canberra Times . This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 3 September 2024 and things may have cha...

On this episode, we discuss regulating the digital giants, the challenge of artificial intelligence and restoring trust in the media. The media industry has changed radically over the last three decades, transformed by the 24-hour news cycle, social media and the tech giants, and now artificial intelligence. On this special episode of Follow the Money , recorded live at Politics in the Pub in Canb...

Australia’s flawed tax system means that there’s never been a better time to be ultra-wealthy in Australia, despite some people struggling to put food on the table. We’re told it’s a cost-of-living crisis, but not everyone is feeling the pinch. New Australia Institute research shows that the ultra-rich are getting richer, thanks in part to Australia’s distorted tax system. On this episode of Follo...

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz joins us to discuss how to create a fairer, freer society and the “fertile field” neoliberalism has created for demagogues. Columbia University Professor and former World Bank Chief Economist Joseph E Stiglitz joins Ebony Bennet on this episode of Follow the Money to discuss inequality and the rise of Trump, Australia’s “environmental deficit” and his...

We discuss declining social cohesion, the Prime Minister’s visit to the Northern Territory and the cabinet reshuffle with veteran journalist Paul Bongiorno. Are the home affairs and immigration portfolios a poisoned chalice for the new minister, Tony Burke? And are the opposition’s attacks on the government over the economy having an impact ahead of the election? On this episode of Follow the Mone...

Super tax concessions make inequality worse and are at risk of becoming more expensive than the aged pension. Superannuation tax concessions are meant to encourage saving for retirement, but the system is being gamed to help the wealthiest avoid paying tax. Australia Institute Chief Economist Greg Jericho joins Ebony Bennett on this episode of Follow the Money to bust some super myths and discuss...

On this special crossover episode of Follow the Money and After America , we discuss Biden’s decision to drop out of the campaign and why Democrats have rallied around Kamala Harris as the presumptive nominee. Ebony Bennett and Dr Emma Shortis, host of the Australia Institute’s After America podcast, reflect on Joe Biden’s legacy, his endorsement of Kamala Harris and what it could mean for the ele...

The rise of independents and minor parties means that Labor and the Coalition can no longer take any race for granted. It’s said that ‘disunity is death’ in Australian politics, but – as several major party politicians found out in the 2022 election – falling in behind an unpopular policy agenda can be pretty dangerous for your career as well. On this episode of Follow the Money , Australia Instit...

Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai faces life in prison in Hong Kong, but his son Sebastien and renowned human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson are leading the charge to set him free. After escaping mainland China in the bottom of a fishing boat at the age of 12, Jimmy Lai went on to become one of the most influential people in Hong Kong. But now the founder of Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy newsp...

Introducing After America, a new Australia Institute podcast hosted by Dr Emma Shortis. Can Biden recover from a disastrous debate performance? What does the release of Julian Assange reveal about the Australia-US relationship? And is Trump’s authoritarian behaviour really an outlier in American political history? On the first episode of After America , Dr Emma Shortis reflects on the first presid...

Careless political finance reforms could shift the balance in Australian democracy in favour of special interests. Will the government’s political finance reforms keep vested interests out of politics or ensure the major parties dominate Australia’s political landscape? Could South Australia’s proposed political donations ban become a model for the rest of the country? And what home-grown innovati...