Professional services editor Edmund Tadros on the fallout from the KPMG scandal and what the government might do to bring the big four accounting firms into line.

This podcast is sponsored by Workday

Further reading: 
KPMG’s ‘10-hour masterclass in how not to respond to a crisis’
By repeating PwC’s crisis-management mistakes, KPMG has forced a reluctant federal government to finally pull the trigger on unprecedented structural reforms.
No timeline for big four reform despite PwC, KPMG scandals
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino says reform is “real priority for the government”, but concedes there is “no particular timeline” for new rules.
Inside Project Magenta: How Allens gave KPMG a pass on leaks
The law firm cleared the company of partner misconduct without interviewing a single outsider and using a literal reading of the allegations.

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Wealth reporter Andrew Hobbs and property reporter Lucy Slade unpack our national obsession, explain why property has been such a powerhouse, and ask a previously unthinkable question: Is investing in property even worth it anymore?

This podcast is sponsored by Workday

FURTHER READING: 
Should you buy an investment property after the budget changes? 
New restrictions on negative gearing and capital gains tax alter the appeal of residential property.

Economists say property prices might fall 10pc. So what?
With property prices up 400 per cent since 2000, what does a 10 per cent drop actually mean? And what happened the last time governments made major changes to property taxes?

Sydney renters drowning amid record rent rises
Rental prices are at record highs nationallypushing Sydney’s median to $841 a week, due to the vast shortage of homes available

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Political editor Phillip Coorey on the government’s budget backdowns, the increasingly crowded field in Australian politics and why it will be a bumpy two years to the next election.

This podcast is sponsored by Workday

Further reading:

PM wins round one of the budget battle, at a cost
Proper process, good policy and taxpayers’ money were among the casualties of this week’s rush to legislate the budget.
Finally, the teals discover that the Senate is where it’s at
By forming a new party – Community Strong Australia – lower house independents are finally realising that true policy influence lies in the upper house.
While Hanson stumbles, Taylor’s Coalition is quietly sinking
One polling setback does not a crisis make for One Nation, but it is a reminder that major parties are subject to more questioning and scrutiny.

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Chanticleer columnist Anthony Macdonald and technology editor Paul Smith on the investment case for SpaceX, whether there’s enough money for the other AI mega floats and why Australian investors are all in.

This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.

Further reading:

SpaceX is the first of three sci-fi IPOs with truly insane maths
Elon Musk has shot for the stars with the first of three huge AI-based floats that ask investors to believe the companies can boldly go where no one has gone before.
Fears of ‘AI Strait of Hormuz’ as Trump’s Anthropic ban shocks business
Labor’s Ed Husic and some of Australia’s top tech leaders warn Donald Trump’s export ban on the latest Anthropic AI models exposes a national over-reliance.
How SpaceX turned the IPO curse into a goldmine
The real genius of the company’s historic $2 trillion public listing isn’t the valuation – it’s how it hacked the market’s ultimate gatekeepers: passive funds.

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On The Fin podcast this week, professional services editor Edmund Tadros on the KPMG allegations, and why they might be more damaging than the PwC tax leaks scandal.

This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.

Further reading:
Move over PwC: Why KPMG audit leaks are the ultimate betrayal
Why the big four firm’s misconduct could be worse than the tax leaks scandal, and a blockbuster hearing date is set for June 19. Plus, are you in talent debt?
KPMG audit leaks scandal – everything you need to know
KPMG Australia faces a crisis following a whistleblower’s allegations that partners used confidential client data to win audit work.
KPMG barred from bidding for federal work for three months
The firm has agreed to stop bidding for federal government work while the Finance Department investigates its handling of a whistleblower complaint.

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Associate editor Joyce Moullakis and Chanticleer columnist James Thomson on how Macquarie crashed the big four bank’s mortgage party, why deposits are next and whether the banking bubble is about to pop.

This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.

Further reading:
Macquarie banks on tech nerds to smash big four’s mortgage oligopoly
When it came to building up its retail banking business, the Silver Doughnut has taken inspiration from America’s tech giants – not its banking rivals at home.
The bank bubble is popping. An AI winter may be coming next
Bank stocks have quietly slipped into a correction as the sector is suddenly hit by structural pressures. AI-driven cuts may be the answer to holding the line.
The budget killed our property super cycle. What comes next?
The way the budget has deliberately blown up the 30-year housing super cycle raises uncomfortable questions about Australia’s economic future.

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Senior writer Myriam Robin and energy and climate reporter Ryan Cropp on the gas tax campaign, who’s behind it, why it took Australia by storm and whether it’s a good idea.

This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband

Further reading:
Inside the online army fighting the gas tax war (and it’s not over)
How a teacher-turned-podcaster, a heterodox economist and a rugby player sparked a groundswell of discontent.
One Nation backs gas tax and new state-owned projects
Party leader Pauline Hanson will unveil a plan to hit oil and gas companies with a new royalty regime while taking state ownership of new exploration.
Korea Gas accuses government of breaking pledge on LNG contracts
KOGAS Australia said the government’s draft gas reservation plan conflicts with its assurance that long-term LNG sales contracts would not be hit.

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Financial Review tech reporter Paul Smith and business reporter Amelia McGuire on what happens next for Australia’s two tech titans and their billionaire founders, and which company is best placed to weather the SaaSpocalypse.

This podcast is sponsored by Westpac

Further reading: 
‘A certificate for burnout?’ Inside Canva’s confetti-filled AI pivot
In the midst of the AI-fuelled wipeout of tech firms, Canva and Atlassian spruik similar talking points to very different receptions.
How Mike Cannon-Brookes’ divorce may affect the control of Atlassian
The division of the Atlassian co-founder and CEO’s shares in his divorce settlement with estranged wife Annie could have big consequences for the company.
Cannon-Brookes says Atlassian’s $37b AI fall is rational but wrong
In an interview, the billionaire says the software giant will emerge stronger from the sharemarket sell-off and that he misses running it with Scott Farquhar.

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Financial Review wealth editor Joanna Mather and reporter Andrew Hobbs on how Labor’s new tax rules reshape investment strategies and what that means for you.

This podcast is sponsored by Westpac

Further reading: 
Albanese says CGT is going back to 1999. That’s not quite true Labor’s proposed capital gains tax inflation model is different from Paul Keating’s in two ways that mean investors will typically pay more tax.
The game has changed – what investors need to know
The budget measures have jolted many wealth plans. We ask the professionals about tips for first home buyers, property and share investors, retirees and those with trusts.
‘Ludicrous’: Modelling shows bucket companies face even bigger tax hit Further examination of the budget papers shows the penalty tax rate that will apply to bucket companies could be as high as 70 per cent, tax specialists say.

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Jessica Gardner on why Xi Jinping is the quiet winner from the war, how much the conflict has cost Donald Trump and what it means for the midterm elections and the rest of his presidency.

This podcast is sponsored by Westpac

Further reading:
MAGA still supports war strongman Trump. But that’s not enough
On the streets of Miami and Palm Beach, havens for Donald Trump supporters, the president’s war in Iran gets unswerving trust – or at least the benefit of the doubt.

Off the reins: Xi, Trump set for summit with a difference
Neither leader needs any more drama than they already have, so they will instead seek an easy path to stability in the world’s most important bilateral relationship.

Trump says US-Iran ceasefire on ‘massive life support’
The US president accused Tehran of reneging on a promise to drop its nuclear ambitions as part of a deal to end the war, which threatens his meeting with Xi Jinping.

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