Peter Dutton has released the costings for the Coalition's nuclear energy plan, proposing to build seven nuclear power stations at the sites of current coal plants. The Coalition says its plan would be markedly cheaper than Labor's plan to convert to mostly renewable energy by 2050. But a report from CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator suggests that renewables have the lowest cost range of any new electricity generation.

Added to this, debates around energy prices are only going to get bigger as the 2025 federal election draws closer. And in the end, is the ultimate goal of emissions reduction getting lost in the clamour for cheaper bills?

On this podcast, Grattan's energy experts Tony Wood and Alison Reeve provide incisive commentary on the state of energy policy - and they argue that Australia shouldn't jump to Plan B anytime soon.

Links to reports mentioned in the podcast:

- Frontier Economics report https://www.frontier-economics.com.au/economic-analysis-of-including-nuclear-power-in-the-nem/

- CSIRO and AEMO GenCost Report https://www.csiro.au/en/research/technology-space/energy/gencost

- Grattan's submission on nuclear energy https://grattan.edu.au/news/nuclear-energy-for-australia/

Each year, Grattan Institute selects its best books of the past 12 months – recommended reading for the Prime Minister, and indeed all Australians, over the summer holidays. From the history of democracy to the stars above, each of these reads put humans squarely in the centre of the frame.

Grattan CEO Aruna Sathanapally, and researchers Jessica Geraghty and Nick Parkinson, discuss why we chose these six pieces.

Read more about these thought-provoking reads on our website: https://grattan.edu.au/news/prime-ministers-summer-reading-list-2024/

Every year, the federal government releases a Climate Change Statement, which documents progress towards Australia’s climate targets. This year’s statement shows Australia’s emissions have fallen and that we are on track to meet the 2030 emissions reduction target of 43 per cent. But hitting this number depends on implementing several policies, including the Capacity Investment Scheme, the Future Made in Australia plan, and The New Vehicle Emissions Standard.

In this Grattan podcast, host Kat Clay and energy expert Alison Reeve discuss what the statement means for Australia, and what the government can do over the next five years to ensure Australia hits the targets.

Further reading

- Annual Climate Change Statement 2024 https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/strategies/annual-climate-change-statement-2024

- Climate Change Authority Annual Progress Report 2024 https://www.climatechangeauthority.gov.au/2024-annual-progress-report-released

- Grattan’s Towards Net-Zero report series https://grattan.edu.au/towards-net-zero/

It’s been a big week for housing policy. Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan both announced policies designed to boost housing supply.

Our housing experts Brendan Coates and Matthew Bowes analyse the latest policies, and discuss what else could be done to ease the housing crisis.

Negative gearing is back on the table with Jim Chalmers asking Treasury to model changes to property tax breaks. It's not a new proposal for Labor, with tax reform a hot political issue in the 2019 election. But at any mention of changes to negative gearing, landlords immediately voice concerns about losing income and having to sell up. Tenants raise issues about increasing rents. And first home buyers wonder if this will worsen their chances of getting into the market.

In this podcast episode, housing experts Brendan Coates and Matthew Bowes make the case for curbing negative gearing and the capital gains tax, a change which could raise billions for the federal Budget and boost home ownership.

Show notes

Why negative gearing should be on the table: https://grattan.edu.au/news/why-negative-gearing-should-be-on-the-table/

On negative gearing and the 2019 federal election: https://grattan.edu.au/news/self-interest-didnt-swing-the-election-results-but-the-scare-campaign-did/

Hot Property: Negative gearing and capital gains tax reform https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/872-Hot-Property.pdf

Nuclear energy is a hotly contested topic for the upcoming election, with both sides of politics looking for a plan that enables Australia to hit net zero emissions by 2050 while maintaining an affordable, reliable energy supply. Peter Dutton has declared nuclear a central piece of the Coalition's energy plan, but with the policy light on details, there's a lot of questions left behind.

What would a nuclear future look like for Australia? Does it help or hinder the pursuit of net zero? And is it cost effective for Australian taxpayers? All these questions - and more - are answered in this week's podcast with energy expert Alison Reeve, and host Kat Clay.

Gambling is everywhere. And Australia's lax approach to gambling regulation shows. We have the highest gambling losses in the world.

While the federal government is considering banning gambling advertising in the wake of the Murphy Inquiry, Grattan's latest report makes the case for more regulation to minimise gambling harm in Australia.

In this special podcast, authors Kate Griffiths and Elizabeth Baldwin discuss their report, A better bet: How Australia should prevent gambling harm, with host Kat Clay.

Read the gambling report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/a-better-bet-how-australia-should-prevent-gambling-harm/

Who's in the room report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/whos-in-the-room/

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is failing many Australians with profound disability. More than 43,000 people with intensive support packages are seeing little benefit from a scheme that was supposed to give them greater choice and improved independence.

Last year's reports from the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS review called for significant reform and a wider range of housing and support services. But neither report provided a clear and detailed roadmap to improve people's safety and give them alternate options.

And the federal government's recent response to the Disability Royal Commission has kicked some of the more ambitious recommendations made by some commissioners to phase out group homes into the long grass for further consideration.

So how can the government improve housing and support for Australians with intensive needs? Grattan's latest report, Better, safer, more sustainable, argues for four major reforms to improve NDIS housing and living supports. Host Kat Clay is joined by report authors, Sam Bennett and Hannah Orban.

Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/better-safer-more-sustainable-how-to-reform-ndis-housing-and-support/

The 2024 NAPLAN school test results show one in three Australian students are not on track with their learning.

The results also reveal deep inequities in Australian schools. Indigenous children, children from disadvantaged families, and children from regional and remote areas are falling years behind their more advantaged peers as they move through school.

In this special Grattan Podcast, our NAPLAN specialists Amy Haywood and Nick Parkinson identify why students are performing so poorly, and what governments should do to turn this around so all young Australians gain the literacy and numeracy skills they need to have their best chance in life.

Over the past two years, it's been hard to see an end to interest rate rises. Homeowners have been slogged with one mortgage increase after another.  

Despite a couple of months of calm, another potential rate rise is looming on the horizon, with the imminent release of inflation data and a meeting of the RBA in early August.  Kat Clay and Trent Wiltshire, Deputy Program Director Economic Prosperity, discuss whether the interest rates will ever go down again, or if homeowner hell will keep going for a long time to come.

Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate