Follow The Money

Treasurer Jim Chalmers outlines the big challenges facing Australia and the importance of changing the status quo – a situation that is clearly not working for many Australians. In this special episode of Follow the Money , the Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Treasurer of Australia, addresses the loss of control many Australians feel right now, the rise of the far-right in Australia, and the importa...

Australia is a rich country, but for many younger Australians, the ability to share in that prosperity is increasingly out of reach. On this episode of Follow the Money , Senator Barbara Pocock, Australian Greens Spokesperson for Housing & Homelessness, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the housing crisis, its long-term impacts on the lives of younger Australians, and her proposals to turn the si...

Australia’s multibillion-dollar online gambling industry is effectively regulated by a Northern Territory body with no full-time staff, says Independent MLA Justine Davis. On this episode of Follow the Money , Justine Davis, Independent Member for Johnston in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss Australians’ extraordinary gambling losses, the fede...

Despite dire warnings from the scientific community and Australia’s Pacific neighbours, the federal government isn’t getting the message. On this episode of Follow the Money , Tuvalu Minister for Climate Change and Environment Dr Maina Vakafua Talia and Canadian independent Senator Dr Rosa Galvez join us to discuss the need to phase out fossil fuels. This episode was recorded live on W...

Soaring specialist costs, an increasingly complex system, and Australians getting sicker for longer suggest all is not well in Australian health care. On this episode of Follow the Money , Dr Luke Slawomirski and Matt Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss the soaring cost of specialists, why pushing people towards the private health system doesn’t take pressure off public hospitals, the gov...

Non-compete clauses suppress wages, reduce productivity and stifle innovation. Now, the federal government is looking to ban them for most workers. The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the pernicious impact of non-compete clauses and the federal government’s new legislation seeking to ban them for...

After years of scandals, it’s time to break up Australia’s ‘big four’ consultancy firms. On this episode of Follow the Money , Josh Bornstein and Skye Predavec join Ebony Bennett to discuss Australia’s scandal-plagued big consultancies, the impact of governments’ “orgy of outsourcing” to these firms, and why breaking up the ‘big four’ is...

The government took on housing investor tax concessions to bring prices down, but more action is needed to address the rental affordability crisis. On this episode of Follow the Money , Maiy Azize and Matt Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss how the government’s changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing are allowing more first-homebuyers to enter the market, the data revealing tha...

Australians have been dudded by the gas industry. It’s past time governments admitted it . Dr Richard Denniss, Australia Institute co-CEO and author of More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia , joins Ebony Bennett to discuss why Australia gives away gas to multinational corporations and why similarly dud deals could happen with Big Tech and other industries if we don’t lea...

The federal government’s response to the Murphy inquiry into online gambling harms has been “appalling”, says Andrew Wilkie MP. Andrew Wilkie MP, Independent Member for Clark, joins the Australia Institute’s Noah Schultz-Byard to reflect on the government’s gambling reforms, making polluters pay for the damage they do to the climate, and the state of Australian politi...

A recent decision by the New South Wales state government is a crack in the wall of Australian climate inaction. On this episode of Follow the Money , Leanne Minshull and Rod Campbell join Glenn Connley to discuss dodgy carbon credits, the Great Koala National Park in New South Wales, the federal government’s upcoming review of the Safeguard Mechanism, and the demise of Climate Active. This...

Much of the world is moving away from fossil fuels, so why is Australia’s gas industry still expanding? On this episode of Follow the Money , renewable energy entrepreneur Assaad Razzouk joins Australia Institute co-CEO Leanne Minshull to discuss how the war on Iran is accelerating the global shift away from fossil fuels and why Australia risks being left behind. This episode was recorded We...

No one knows what’ll happen at the November midterms or the next presidential election. Is the Australian government prepared for the worst-case scenario? On this episode of Follow the Money , Dr Emma Shortis joins Glenn Connley to discuss the upcoming midterm elections in the United States, how the Trump administration has been chipping away at the guardrails of American democracy, and whet...

Introducing The Australia Institute's new podcast series, What's the Point? with Richard Denniss . Subscribe to the show on  YouTube ,  Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify  or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. *** On this episode of What’s the Point? , Richard Denniss discusses how global gas industry has pulled off the greatest con in Australia’s history, a...

Richard Denniss and Amy Remeikis discuss the dramatic changes in Australia’s political landscape since Labor’s landslide election victory. In May 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led the Labor Party to a historic victory and the Liberal Party suffered its worst result since World War 2. But with the rise of One Nation at home and crises multiplying abroad, the world already looks...

States and territories are missing out on tens of billions in revenue each year because the GST isn’t growing as promised. On this episode of Follow the Money , Rod Campbell and Matt Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss the reasons why the GST hasn't grown as promised, how exemptions for private schools and private insurance exacerbate inequality, and how governments can ensure they’...

Australia’s flagship climate policy is failing to drive actual emission reductions. On this episode of Follow the Money , the authors of new Australia Institute research, Dr Fergus Green and Frances Medlock, join Glenn Connley to discuss the major failures of the Safeguard Mechanism, the dodgy “carbon offsets” at the heart the scheme, and what can be done to drive down emissions....

Australians overwhelmingly support access to abortion care – but there’s a resurgence in anti-abortion politics underway. On this episode of Follow the Money , Amy Remeikis and Hamdi Jama join Ebony Bennett to discuss the resurgence of anti-abortion politics in Australia, failed legislation in South Australia seeking to restrict late-term abortion, and the influence of far-right politi...

Join tens of thousands of Australians calling for a national plebiscite on a 25% gas export tax. On this episode of Follow the Money , Leanne Minshull and Rod Campbell join Ebony Bennett to discuss Australia’s dud deal on gas and the Australia Institute’s new petition calling on the government to hold a plebiscite on a gas export tax. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 16 June. Sign...

Private schools have a “parasitic relationship” with public education, says Jane Caro. On this episode of Follow the Money , recorded live at Politics in the Pub in Canberra, Jane Caro joins Dr Alice Grundy to discuss how Australia came to the most expensive place in the developed world for families to send a child to high school and Jane’s essay for Australia Institute Press, Ri...

Journalist and author Antoinette Lattouf tells the inspiring stories of women’s courage and conviction – and how they have changed our country . Recorded live as part of our Australia’s Biggest Book Club webinar series, Antoinette Lattouf joins Ebony Bennett to discuss her landmark legal battle with the ABC and her latest book,  Women Who Win: Celebrating courage, conviction...

The government’s latest reforms don’t do nearly enough to protect Australians from gambling harm. On this episode of Follow the Money , Martin Thomas from the Alliance for Gambling Reform and Morgan Harrington from the Australia Institute join Ebony Bennett to discuss how Australians came to have the biggest per capita gambling losses in the world, how online sports betting is turbocha...

Six months out from an election, Victoria has been left with no political donation laws after the High Court ruled them unconstitutional. On this episode of Follow the Money , Bill Browne joins Ebony Bennett to discuss why the High Court voided Victoria’s undemocratic political donations laws. They examine what this could mean for other jurisdictions and why a principled, transparent approac...

Australians are crying out for big, brave reforms from governments. The long-overdue changes to housing tax concessions in this budget suggest the federal government may be starting to get the message. On this episode of Follow the Money , Matt Grudnoff and Ebony Bennett discuss the government’s important changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, its “brutal&rdquo...

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...