Rumours about America's role in the dismissal of Gough Whitlam have circulated for decades – but is there any truth to them? 

On this special episode of Follow the Money, Dr Emma Shortis explores the state of the Australia-United States relationship under the Whitlam government, the machinations at the time around the renewal of Pine Gap, and the previously untold account of Dr Liz Cham, former executive assistant in the office of Prime Minister Whitlam, who recalls handing over a mystery letter to an American official just before the Dismissal.

The interview with Liz Cham was recorded on Thursday 30 October. This episode first aired on After America on Tuesday 25 November

A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available now via Australia Institute Press. Use the code ‘POD5’ at checkout to save $5 off the price – available for a limited time only.

Guest: Elizabeth Cham, fellow at the University of Technology Sydney and former executive assistant in the office of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam

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

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

Scripting and production support: Stephen Long

Sound design and mixing: Simon Branthwaite

Show notes:

Did the CIA overthrow the Whitlam government? by Charlie Lewis, Crikey (November 2025)

What Washington really thought of Whitlam before the dismissal by James Curran, Australia Financial Review (November 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].

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If you or anyone you know needs help, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via their website, www.lifeline.org.au.

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Traditional custodians are fighting back against climate-destroying gas developments being rammed through by Canadian governments.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Hereditary Chief Na’Moks of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, Gwii Lok’im Gibuu Jesse Stoeppler of the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en Nations, and Kai Nagata from not-for-profit Dogwood tell us about their fight to stop gas giants including Woodside on unceded Indigenous lands.

Join Hereditary Chief Na’Moks and Gwii Lok’im Gibuu Jesse Stoeppler at the Stop Woodside in Canada event at Victorian Trades Hall at 6.15pm AEDT on Thursday 11 December.

A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available now via Australia Institute Press. Use the code ‘POD5’ at checkout to save $5 off the price – available for a limited time only.

Guest: Hereditary Chief Na’Moks,Wet’suwet’en Nation

Guest: Gwii Lok’im Gibuu Jesse Stoeppler, Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en Nations and the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition

Guest: Kai Nagata, Communications Director, Dogwood

Host: Leanne Minshull, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @leanneminshull

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

Show notes:

Yintah | Official Trailer | Netflix

The Fight to Save Murujuga, the Australia Institute (May 2025)

Canadian traditional owners fear Australian-style LNG development by Charlie McLean and Chelsea Reid, ABC (December 2025)

The Ksi Lisims LNG project faces significant infrastructure, regulatory and financial risks, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (June 2025)

Canada, don’t make the same mistake with LNG that Australia did by Mark Ogge, The Globe and Mail (July 2025)

Honest Government Ad | Watch out, Canada!, The Juice Media on YouTube (November 2025)

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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These days, Aussie music is falling out of the charts, leaving local acts wondering if they’ll ever see your face again.

INXS. Kyle Minogue. Even the Wiggles. Australia has an incredible musical legacy, but with declining streaming numbers and revenues heading abroad, will the Aussie musician just become somebody we used to know? On this episode of Follow the Money, former Spotify Chief Economist Will Page and Australia Institute Research Manager Morgan Harrington join Ebony Bennett to discuss how to reverse the decline of Australian music.

A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available now via Australia Institute Press. Use the code ‘POD5’ at checkout to save $5 off the price – available for a limited time only.

Aiming Higher: Universities and Australia’s future by Professor George Williams is also available now.

Guest: Will Page, Strategic Advisory, Pivotal Economics

Guest: Morgan Harrington, Research Manager, the Australia Institute // @mhharrington

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

Show notes:

Reversing the decline of Australian music: Australia’s ‘one way valve’ dilemma by Will Page and Morgan Harrington, the Australia Institute (November 2025)

Immy Owusu

RVG

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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].

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Australian scientific discoveries have improved people’s lives and made the economy more productive – so why is the CSIRO being forced to shed workers again?

On this episode of Follow the Money, Matt Grudnoff and Ebony Bennett discuss the latest job cuts at the CSIRO, why this is a missed opportunity as researchers leave the United States, and why science investment matters for productivity.

A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available for pre-order now via Australia Institute Press. Use the code ‘SAVE5’ at checkout to save $5 off the price – available for a limited time only.

Aiming Higher: Universities and Australia’s future by Professor George Williams is also available now.

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

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

Show notes:

If the Government's top priority is productivity, slashing the CSIRO budget does not make sense by Matt Grudnoff, The Point (November 2025)

The Wage Price Index (WPI) shows wages are up. So why doesn't it feel that way? by Matt Grudnoff, The Point (November 2025)

Who needs world-changing, life-saving science when you’ve got rugby league? by Ebony Bennett, The Canberra Times (November 2025)

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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].

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With brave climate leadership, says former South Australian Premier Mike Rann, Anthony Albanese could leave a lasting legacy similar to Bob Hawke with Medicare, Paul Keating with compulsory superannuation and Kevin Rudd with the apology to the Stolen Generations.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Mike Rann addresses the fossil fuel industry’s tobacco-like tactics, South Australia’s leadership of progressive reform, and why policy bravery can be great politics, as he delivered the Australia Institute’s Hugh Saddler Memorial Lecture.

This episode was recorded live on Thursday 13 November.

A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available for pre-order now via Australia Institute Press.

Aiming Higher: Universities and Australia’s future by Professor George Williams is also available now.

Guest: Mike Rann, Chair of the UK Climate Group and former Premier of South Australia // @Mike_Rann

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

Show notes:

Coalition offers crash course on staying in opposition for forever by Ebony Bennett, The Canberra Times (November 2025)

Australia Last: The failure of Australian gas policy by Matthew Saunders and Richard Denniss, the Australia Institute (November 2025)

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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Protecting Australia’s incredible natural environment from bad policy, spurred on corporate interests and a hostile media, can sometimes feel like an impossible task. But sometimes, people power wins out.

On this episode of Follow the Money, former head of the Australian Greens Bob Brown joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the irreplaceable beauty of Australia’s natural environment, the current government’s efforts to change our nature laws, and his latest book, Defiance: Stories from Nature and Its Defenders.

This episode was recorded live on Friday 31 October as part of our Australia’s Biggest Book Club webinar series. Join the Book Club to find out about our upcoming webinars with authors.

Aiming Higher: Universities and Australia’s future by Professor George Williams is available now via Australia Institute Press.

Guest: Bob Brown, environmentalist, author and former head of the Australian Greens

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

Show notes:

Defiance: Stories from Nature and Its Defenders by Bob Brown, Black Inc. (September 2025)

This shocking deal is a gross betrayal of millions of voters by Ebony Bennett, The Canberra Times (October 2025)

The fight to save Murujuga, the Australia Institute (June 2025)

North West Shelf final approval a climate, economic and energy security disaster, the Australia Institute (September 2025)

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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Poor governance, poor policy and decades of neoliberalism have broken Australia’s university sector, with devastating consequences for students and the country.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Richard Denniss and Ebony Bennett discuss the lack of accountability in Australia’s universities, why some institutions’ claims of financial crises aren’t supported by their auditors, and what Australians think about the state of the sector.

Aiming Higher: Universities and Australia’s future by Professor George Williams is available now via Australia Institute Press.

Guest: Richard Denniss, co-CEO, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

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

Show notes:

Australians believe universities are too expensive and not doing their job: polling, the Australia Institute (November 2025)

There is no financial crisis at the University of Newcastle: new analysis, the Australia Institute (October 2025)

The ANU’s hidden $90m budget surplus, the Australia Institute (October 2025)

Failing the test: Australian universities in crisis, Follow the Money, the Australia Institute (May 2025)

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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Australia’s natural environment is in crisis and its wealth is disappearing into the hands of a few powerful fossil fuel companies – but it doesn’t have to be this way.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Rod Campbell and Ebony Bennett discuss the lack of political will to properly protect the natural environment, a proposal for a 25% gas export tax to replace the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax, and new research showing that Adani cost Queenslanders hundreds of millions of dollars by selling coal at mates’ rates.

Strong environment laws stop new coal and gas. You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to genuinely strengthen Australia’s environment laws.

Guest: Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // @rodcampbell

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

Show notes:

Can Albanese claim ‘success’ with Trump? Beyond the banter, the vague commitments should be viewed with scepticism by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (October 2025)

Environment minister could approve projects at odds with nature laws under Labor overhaul by Dan Jervis-Bardy and Adam Morton, Guardian Australia (October 2025)

Adani selling coal to India at mates rates, costing Queenslanders $400 million, the Australia Institute (October 2025)

Progressive patriotism: ACTU’s 25% gas export tax should replace broken PRRT, the Australia Institute (October 2025)

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Donald Trump was relatively drama-free, but the devil is in the detail when it comes to the president’s ‘commitments’ on AUKUS and critical minerals.

On this crossover episode of Follow the Money and After America, Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss why Australia is still unlikely to receive any Virginia-class submarines, why the “shared values” that supposedly underpin the Australia-US alliance are looking increasingly shaky, and Trump’s bizarre AI video showing himself dropping excrement on protesters.

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

After America: Australia and the new world order by Emma Shortis is available via Australia Institute Press.

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

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

Show notes:

Can Albanese claim ‘success’ with Trump? Beyond the banter, the vague commitments should be viewed with scepticism by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (October 2025)

Albanese hints US could still seek changes to Aukus agreement amid review by Josh Butler, Guardian Australia (October 2025)

Trump’s shutdown power play, After America, the Australia Institute (October 2025)

Trump’s tragedy: the US becomes an autocracy and the presidency, a dictatorship by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (October 2025)

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.