Last Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia delivered its first rate cut in over four years.

For many, the tumultuous years of rate rises have felt like a cost-of-living gauntlet. Inflation has driven up the cost of household bills, groceries and housing, with families slashing their spending to make ends meet.

Despite the RBA’s independence from government, the rate cut falls under the shadow of a looming election, and both major parties are using the decision to pitch policies that ease the cost-of-living crisis.

On this podcast, host Kat Clay interviews Grattan experts Trent Wiltshire and Jessica Geraghty, on the RBA’s decision, what it means for the election, and Australia’s economic outlook.

Helpful links:

Statement by the Reserve Bank Board: Monetary Policy Decision https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2025/mr-25-03.html

Australia's Productivity Pitch: https://engage.pc.gov.au/projects/productivity-pitch/surveys/idea/survey/your-idea#submissions

Most Australians have enough to enjoy a comfortable retirement. But too many retirees who rent are being left behind.

Today, two thirds of retirees who rent privately live in poverty, including more than three in four single women. And a growing number of older Australians are at risk of becoming homeless. With home ownership falling across the board, it’s only going to get worse.

On this podcast, host Kat Clay discusses Grattan’s new report, Renting in Retirement: Why Rent Assistance needs to rise, with authors Brendan Coates and Matthew Bowes.

Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/renting-in-retirement-why-rent-assistance-needs-to-rise/

Some communities are “GP deserts”, where there are too few GPs to ensure everyone can get the care they need when they need it. These communities are typically sicker and poorer than the rest of Australia, but receive less care and face higher fees.

On this podcast, host Kat Clay interviews health experts Peter Breadon and Wendy Hu on the problem of GP deserts and how governments can fix them.

Read the research: https://grattan.edu.au/news/how-to-eliminate-gp-deserts/

Each year, our staff curate the Wonks' List, a selection of the best technical reads for policy enthusiasts. From the housing crisis to trade policy, each of these works sparks discussion on pressing economic issues. On this podcast, Senior Associates Nick Parkinson and Elizabeth Baldwin break down what made the Wonks' List for 2024, and why.

Read the list: https://grattan.edu.au/news/wonks-list-2024/

Do you find the idea of planning for your retirement overwhelming? If that’s you, you’re not alone.

Our new report shows about 80 per cent of Australians find retirement planning complicated and about 60 per cent of Australians expect that their retirement will be financially stressful.

But there are three things the government could do to simplify superannuation – so Australians can enjoy their retirement.

On the latest podcast, Brendan Coates and Joey Moloney discuss their new report, Simpler super, and how these three reforms could take the stress out of retirement.

Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/simpler-super/

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