Australia Matters

The Government is being grilled by the media about how it will pay for its changed to Medicare – but why are journalists not asking the same questions of Australia’s expensive and unfair tax concessions?

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Hayden discuss the latest monthly inflation data, the proposed improvements to Medicare, and Australia’s misguided obsession with federal budget surpluses.

This discussion was recorded on Thursday 27 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

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Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website.

Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work // @grogsgamut

Host: Hayden Starr, Digital Media Manager, the Australia Institute // @haydenstarr

Show notes:

‘It’s time we asked: what is the cost not just to the budget, but to society, when the richest are helped to get richer?’ by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (February 2025)

‘Superannuation tax concessions are making inequality worse’ by Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (July 2024)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By laying off tens of thousands of federal employees, challenging the authority of judges and throwing erstwhile allies under the bus, the Trump administration is radically reshaping America and its role in the world.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss Trump’s efforts to “rinse” Ukraine for its resources, the administration’s moves to dismantle significant portions of the Federal Government, and how the Australian Government can use its significant bargaining power to push back against the American President.

This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 25 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

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Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website.

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis 

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett

Show notes:

Money Talks: The Australia-America Economic Relationship – Where From and Where To by Joey Herlihy, the Australia Institute (August 2023)

‘How Many Federal Workers Have Lost Their Jobs?’, New York Magazine (February 2025)

‘Dems "pissed" at liberal groups MoveOn, Indivisible’ by Justin Green and Andrew Solender, Axios (February 2025)

Hostile Government Take Over (EDM Remix) @AGiftFromTodd, Vinny Marchi on YouTube (February 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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Trump appears to want a quick and dirty end to Russia’s invasion, but at what cost to Ukraine and to America’s reputation? 

On this episode of After America, Dr Gorana Grgić joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss Trump’s plans for Ukraine, the MAGA movement’s support for Europe’s resurgent far-right parties, and the new Cabinet’s approach to ‘prioritising’ China. 

This discussion was recorded on Thursday 20 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording. 

Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. 

Guest: Gorana Grgić, Senior Researcher, Center for Security Studies, ETH Zürich // goranagrgic.com  

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis 

Show notes: 

Bridges across regions: the effects of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific cooperation on European security architectures by Gorana Grgić, International Politics (January 2025) 

Australia’s strategic thinking on the war in Ukraine, NATO, and Indo-Pacific security by Gorana Grgić, United States Institute of Peace (November 2024) 

A former defense official warns about China's military power, NPR (April 2024) 

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. 

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates for the first time since November 2020 – so is the Australian economy out of the woods?

On this crossover episode of Follow the Money and Dollars & Sense, Greg Jericho and Ebony Bennett discuss what’s going on with inflation, the performance of the Reserve Bank and whether the Government deserves the credit for setting the economy on a better course.

This discussion was recorded on Wednesday 19 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording. 

Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. 

Guest: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute // @grogsgamut

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett

Show notes: 

Corporate profits increase inflation, the Australia Institute (December 2024)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. 

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates for the first time since November 2020 – so is the Australian economy out of the woods?

On this crossover episode of Follow the Money and Dollars & Sense, Greg Jericho and Ebony Bennett discuss what’s going on with inflation, the performance of the Reserve Bank and whether the Government deserves the credit for setting the economy on a better course.

This discussion was recorded on Wednesday 19 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording. 

Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. 

Guest: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute // @grogsgamut

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett

Show notes: 

Corporate profits increase inflation, the Australia Institute (December 2024)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. 

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration is chatting with Putin and telling European leaders that they’re the problem. So what does this mean for Australia?

On this episode of After America, Senator David Shoebridge, the Australian Greens Spokesperson for Defence and Veterans Affairs, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss cultural cringe, the Australian Government’s response to Trump’s tariffs and why the AUKUS submarine deal makes Australia less safe.

This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 11 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website.

Guest: David Shoebridge, Senator for New South Wales and the Australian Greens Spokesperson for Defence and Veterans Affairs // @davidshoebridge

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis

Show notes:

Standing up to Trump with Malcolm Turnbull, After America (November 2024)

Return to Trumpland with Zoe Daniel, After America (December 2024)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And some of you get annexed (maybe).

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor discuss the bogus claims made by American officials about Australia flooding the US market with aluminium, the latest housing data (still no house for Elinor *sadface*) and Australia’s urban-rural divide.

This discussion was recorded on Thursday 13 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website.

Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work // @grogsgamut

Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek

Show notes:

‘Trump’s latest tariff bid shows the old rules of trade no longer apply. Scraps of paper will not save us’ by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (February 2025)

‘Stop the steel’, Follow the Money, the Australia Institute (February 2025)

‘Housing affordability is on a very dangerous path’ by David Richardson and Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (February 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and what they’ll mean for Australia.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Senior Economist Matt Grudnoff joins Ebony Bennett to explain how tariffs work, Trump’s 25 per cent levy on steel and aluminium imports, and how big a deal this will be for Australia.

This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 11 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording. 

Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. 

Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett

Show notes: 

After America, the Australia Institute

‘Trump’s latest tariff bid shows the old rules of trade no longer apply. Scraps of paper will not save us’ by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (February 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. 

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump’s proposal for the US to “own” Gaza and force out the Palestinian population would make it American policy to support “a crime against humanity”, says US foreign policy expert, Matt Duss.

On this episode of After America, Matt Duss, Executive Vice-President at the Washington DC-based Center for International Policy, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss Trump’s Gaza announcement, the freeze on US development funding, and the new Cabinet’s approach to China.

This discussion was recorded on Friday 7 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website.

Guest: Matt Duss, Executive Vice-President, Centre for International Policy // @mattduss

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis

Show notes:

‘Trump’s Gaza Proposal is Less Original Than He Thinks’ by Matthew Duss, Foreign Policy (February 2025)

‘America Is Cursed by a Foreign Policy of Nostalgia’ by Nancy Okail and Matthew Duss, Foreign Affairs (December 2024)

‘Democrats have become the party of war. Americans are tired of it’ by Matthew Duss, The Guardian (January 2025)

The Un-Diplomatic Podcast hosted by Van Jackson, Julia Gledhill and Matthew Duss

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Without addressing the wealth inequality crisis, Australia’s economy and society will suffer.

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Australia Institute Senior Economist and Elinor Johnston-Leek discuss how our housing and superannuation policies are fuelling wealth inequality.

This discussion was recorded on Thursday 6 February 2025 and things may have changed since recording.

Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website.

Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work // @mattgrudnoff

Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek

Show notes:

Superannuation tax concessions are making inequality worse by Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (July 2024)

Income and wealth inequality in Australia by David Richardson and Frank Stilwell, the Australia Institute (July 2024)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support Australia Matters: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.