This week, editor-in-chief James Chessell and Victorian political correspondent Sumeyya Ilanbey on the project that has come to sum up Victoria’s problems, whether it is too big to cancel and how it will play into November’s state election.

This podcast is sponsored by Elston.

Further reading:
The secret tax that says everything about Victorian Labor
The revelation that Labor secretly introduced a tax on public transport users is the latest chapter in a saga in which political momentum has trumped fiscal responsibility. (edited) 
Vic Labor’s secret tax exposes fiscal transparency void
The opposition and leading economists say a charter of budget honesty is needed after the Victorian government introduced a new tax without telling the public. (edited) 
Carroll’s budget scalpel misses the $34b elephant in the room
Premier Ben Carroll is looking to scrape off as many costly, wasteful barnacles he can find before the November 28 state election

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Associate editor Primrose Riordan and courts correspondent Max Mason on why Jon Adgemis is struggling to keep the details of his $1.8 billion financial collapse secret and what his story tells us about the private credit market.

This podcast is sponsored by Westpac.

Further reading:
Jon Adgemis thought he was winning. Then his CFO took the stand
The failed pub baron has been trying to keep the details of his $1.8 billion financial collapse secret. But a chatty former accountant is making that difficult.
Adgemis’ right-hand man alleges tax con funded ‘exorbitant lifestyle’
The business affairs of the former KPMG deal maker-turned-bankrupt are being scrutinised, with allegations of “sham arrangements” to pay for his spending.
From playboy pub baron to bankruptcy: Inside Jon Adgemis’ $1.8b fall
From KPMG consultant to “glamour banker” with the “Midas touch” to junk-debt-laden bankrupt. It’s been a wild ride for Jon Adgemis and Public Hospitality Group.

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Political editor Phillip Coorey on the government’s bet on gambling reform, the problem with "brand Albo" and why there’s nothing funny about the melon incident.

This podcast is sponsored by Westpac.

Further reading:
PM bets on stability pitch as popularity falters
Anthony Albanese celebrated a significant milestone on Friday, but voters have learnt stability and steadiness don’t preclude poor taste.

Migration or superannuation, the spectre of Hanson hangs heavy
Pauline Hanson keeps setting the agenda, whether she means to or not. The government and Coalition are scrambling to follow.

‘Policy capture’: The week that exposed Labor’s gambling ties
An explosive week of public hearings exposed the harms of the gambling industry. So why isn’t the government following its own advice on advertising bans?

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Deputy economics editor Michael Read on what’s going on in the housing market, whether it’s the correction we had to have and why the government doesn't want to call it that.

This podcast is sponsored by Westpac

Further reading:
RBA warns house prices have further to fall
Despite the softness in the housing market, RBA governor Michele Bullock said another interest rate rise remains squarely on the table.
Labor MPs are lost in housing’s hall of mirrors
Prices are falling, but the government is reluctant to claim the credit. So its MPs have resorted to rhetoric about renewed optimism for first home buyers.
Property price slide exposes political peril for Albanese government
As the sharpest housing market correction in almost four years gathers pace, the Albanese government is discovering that voters do not necessarily welcome falling values.

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Angela Macdonald-Smith and Ryan Cropp on the reasons we all stopped freaking out about the oil price and why that was premature.

This podcast is sponsored by Westpac

Further reading:
Labor’s plans to source more fuel leaves shipments stranded at sea
The government has been accused of picking winners for its subsidised import plan, which has created a glut and forced vessels to wait offshore for months.
Ampol rakes it in on refining, trebling first-half profits
Bumper first-half gross profits have been driven by soaring returns on turning crude oil into petrol and diesel during the conflict in the Middle East.
Oil refiners chase sweeter support deal despite surging profits
Ampol and Viva Energy are pushing for a major overhaul of subsidies to keep their refineries running for longer, even as their own earnings are soaring.

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Legal affairs reporter Janek Drevikovsky on why Twiggy is taking on Meta, whether he can win and what happens if he does.

This podcast is sponsored by Westpac

Further reading:
Meta admits it wiped key evidence in Forrest stoush
The social media giant has accepted it should be punished for not preserving copies of Facebook scam ads featuring the mining billionaire’s likeness.
‘Dad, it’s a fraud’: Call that sparked Forrest’s $60m war on Facebook
Why is Andrew Forrest fighting one of the world’s biggest tech companies in one of California’s most storied courts – and spending his own money to do it?
Forrest pressures local ad body to penalise Meta over scam revenue
Andrew Forrest has written to IAB Australia asking for the group to consider Meta’s membership, after news the company made more than $20 billion from scams.

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James Thomson and Ronald Mizen on why CEOs are losing patience with the AI giants, what’s driving the government’s policy shift, and whether Anthony Albanese is overplaying his hand.

This podcast is sponsored by Workday

Further reading: 
Could China’s AI bombshell spark a ‘Lehman Bros moment’ for markets?
A new model that threatens OpenAI and Anthropic could have huge ramifications for global indices, which have soared on the artificial-intelligence trade.
The AI pivot: inside Albanese’s plan to bring big tech to heel
Riding high on global momentum from the under-16 social media ban, the prime minister is stepping up for a high-stakes public brawl with AI tech giants.
National security concerns drove Labor’s pivot on AI
As the technology increasingly encroaches on defence capabilities, cyber experts and the opposition warn that Australia must redouble its efforts to master it.

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How I Made It is back with host Lauren Sams. 

Don’t miss season six as we uncover how Australia’s top entrepreneurs built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way.

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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.

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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