In this wide-ranging QAV Australia episode, Cameron and Tony move from bushfires devastating Victorian horse studs into geopolitics, central bank independence, and the increasingly overt political pressure being applied to the US Federal Reserve. From Kevin Rudd’s exit as ambassador and Trump’s campaign against Jerome Powell, the conversation pivots into market consequences, portfolio performance, and a remarkable year for QAV Light portfolios, which have dramatically outperformed the index. The second half dives deep into practical investing questions from listeners, covering portfolio construction, gearing, drawdowns, and franking credits, before closing with a detailed “pulled pork” analysis of Kip McGrath Education. Along the way, they explore competition dynamics in retail, the limits of diversification, and why growth has quietly dominated returns over the past year.