Australia Matters

From Gaza to AUKUS, pressure for change is building on Australian foreign policy.

On this special crossover episode of Follow the Money and After America, Dr Emma Shortis joins Glenn Connley to discuss the Australian protests calling for more action to protect Palestinians, the momentum against the troubled AUKUS submarine pact, and Trump’s decision to fire his chief of labour statistics after job growth slowed.

This discuss...

Inflation is at its lowest level since March 2021, and below the RBA’s target in five capital cities. If there isn’t a rate cut coming soon, Greg will be absolutely flummoxed. 

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor unpack how the latest inflation figures only make it more obvious the RBA should have cut interest rates at their last meeting, and why some people who are unemployed are not looking fo...

Nearly three decades after the Port Arthur massacre, there are more guns than ever before in Australia and there is still no national firearms register.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Alice Grundy and Skye Predavec join Ebony Bennett to discuss how the Howard Government’s brave reforms in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre are falling short of its aims – and what federal, state and territory governments can...

By courting neo-cons and failing to address cost of living concerns, have establishment Democrats signed the party’s death warrant?

On this episode of After America, Assistant Professor Musa Al-Gharbi joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the catastrophic failure of the Democrats to effectively resist Trump’s agenda and whether a new generation of leaders can turn the party around.  

This discussion was recorded on...

Also: the country is not too reliant on income tax.

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, replacement Matt (Greg Jericho) and Elinor debunk some long-standing myths about the Australian economy, discuss cuts to HECS and examine the latest in Trump’s beef beef.

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available for pre-order now via the Australia Institute website.

This discussion was recorde...

Tasmanians have returned another power-sharing parliament – it’s now up to the major parties to make it work.

Australians have elected power-sharing parliaments in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania – and a single party almost never has a majority in the federal Senate. On this episode of Follow the Money, Leanne Minshull and Eloise Carr join Ebony Bennett to discuss why collaborative p...

It’s only been SIX MONTHS.

On this episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis and Angus Blackman take a step back to reflect on what’s happened since Trump was inaugurated in January.

Tl;dr: it's all pretty grim.

This discussion was recorded on Monday 21 July 2025.

1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737...

The Australian Government doesn’t allocate spending to health or education as a proportion of GDP. Why should defence be any different?

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the Prime Minister’s China trip, why spending more on defence doesn’t necessarily make us safer, and the unusual situation whereby our biggest bank thinks we should tax wealth better.

You can sign our petition calling...

Amy Remeikis and Matt Grudnoff preview the first parliamentary sitting week.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Amy Remeikis and Matt Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett discuss the political relevance of the housing crisis, the storm-in-a-teacup over some Treasury subheadings, and #NotAllEconomists.

You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS.

Dead Centre: How political pra...

A 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals would help Big Pharma make bigger profits, but it’d be a disaster for Americans’ health.

Dr Ruth Mitchell, neurosurgeon and Nobel Peace Prize winner with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss why a growing number of Australians want an AUKUS review, Trump’s pharmaceuticals tariffs, and what the US President can learn from J...

Nuclear weapons are still a threat to humanity. In our age of uncertainty, Australia isn’t doing enough to rid the world of these weapons.

On this episode, Paul Barclay is joined by Dr Tilman Ruff, co-founder of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) to discuss Australia's role in trying to rid the world of nuclear weapons, including renouncing protection by nuclear weapons, the need to sign the Treaty o...

The Reserve Bank’s shock decision not to cut rates will hurt mortgage holders and the economy.

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, substitute Greg (Matt Grudnoff) returns to discuss Trump’s Big Pharma tariffs, the privatisation of childcare, and why the RBA got it wrong in its latest interest rate decision.

This discussion was recorded on Wednesday 9 July 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

Host: ...

By limiting generous tax concessions for the wealthy and collecting revenue from Australia’s natural resources, the Government could fund health and education systems that work properly.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Matt Grudnoff joins Ebony Bennett discuss Government’s productivity agenda, why the GST is failing to do the job it was designed for, and how 91 millionaires managed to pay no tax.

Guest: Matt Grudno...

The legislation will turbocharge inequality and the climate catastrophe – and it’s all part of the administration’s plan to radically reshape American society.

On this episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis discusses how Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will further redistribute wealth from lower and middle class people to the richest Americans, before Josh Bornstein joins the show to discuss the ...

After the failure of the Voice referendum, achieving justice for Indigenous Australians remains more important than ever. This demands keeping hope alive.

On this episode, Thomas Mayo joins Paul Barclay to discuss the Voice referendum, the use of Indigenous issues as a political football, disinformation in the media and social media, truth in political advertising laws, and the continuing importance of the Uluru Statement and a voi...

Positive gearing is so FY21-22.

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, substitute Greg (Matt Grudnoff) and Elinor discuss the 91 millionaires who paid zero tax, the grim reality driving the gender pay gap, and why negative gearing is back on trend (but still making housing less affordable).

This discussion was recorded on Thursday 3 July 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, ...

Labor won big and the Coalition got “smashed”, but the major parties have never been more reliant on preferences.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Bill Browne joins Ebony Bennett discuss the extraordinary scale of Labor’s victory in the May federal election, what the devastating result might mean for the Coalition, and why a large crossbench in federal parliament could be here to stay.

Guest: Bill Browne, Dire...

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that the United States had signed a trade deal with China. Did it though?

On this episode of After America, Professor James Laurenceson, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the Trump administration’s confused approach to China and how Australia is navigating these complex relationships.

This discussion was recorded on Friday 13 June ...

The climate crisis is an inequality crisis. Australia needs to pay attention to equity and inclusion and enable sustainable development for countries in energy poverty.

On this episode Sunita Narain joins Paul Barclay to discuss the need for inclusive and equitable growth in tackling climate change, pollution and congestion in Delhi, renewable energy in India and how climate change and climate justice will affect global migration.

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