What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss

Senate Estimates is a government and department accountability mechanism. It’s a process where Senators get to look under the hood of Federal Departments and ask, among other things, how is taxpayer money being spent? In this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explores why Estimates matter for democracy, and ways it can be improved.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute //@richarddenniss

Order More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia, Richard Denniss’ Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press.

Show notes:

Aussies pay more tax on beer than international gas companies pay on tens and billions of dollars worth of our offshore gas they export | David Pocock, via Facebook
David Pocock is right: more tax is raised from beer than from petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) | The Point

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to[email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Alex Fein, researcher and strategist at Redbridge, joins Richard Denniss to discuss why so many Australians are angry right now, the real message many voters are sending to the political establishment, and the dirty secret about productivity.

This episode was recorded on Friday 16 October.

Read more on The Point.

Guest: Alex Fein, Research and Intelligence Principal, Redbridge Group // @auspoldaily

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Show notes:

Raw Power: Going Beyond What One Nation Is Selling by Alex Fein, The Point (June 2026)

It's time to call it what it is: Foreign Interference by Alex Fein, The Point (June 2026)

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, Australia Institute Press (August 2026)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss discusses the important distinction between consumerism and materialism and why being ‘materialistic’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

This episode was recorded on Thursday 1 October.

Read more on The Point.

Enter the code CURED to get 25% off Curing Affluenza: How to buy less stuff and save the world by Richard Denniss via Australia Institute Press.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Show notes:

Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP | Bernie Fraser Oration 2026, the Australia Institute

Revenue Summit 2026, the Australia Institute

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, Australia Institute Press (August 2026)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains the theory of ‘trickle-down’ economics – and why so much of the money seems to be trickling the other way.

This episode was recorded on Thursday 24 September.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now.

Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Read more on The Point.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Show notes:

Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP | Bernie Fraser Oration 2026, the Australia Institute

Revenue Summit 2026, the Australia Institute

Dead Right: How Neoliberalism Ate Itself and What Comes Next by Richard Denniss, Black Inc. (June 2018)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains what’s really driving inflation in Australia and why interest rates aren’t actually the only way to control it.

This episode was recorded on Friday 11 September.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now.

Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Read more on The Point.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Show notes:

Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP | Bernie Fraser Oration 2026, the Australia Institute

Revenue Summit 2026, the Australia Institute

Wages are not to blame for rising inflation by David Richardson, Greg Jericho & Matt Saunders, the Australia Institute (February 2026)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister said he wants to promote ‘progressive patriotism’ – but his policies tell a different story. In this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard explains the dangers of centrism and what progressive politics actually looks like.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now.

Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now.

Read more on The Point.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Producer: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Show notes:

Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP | Bernie Fraser Oration 2026 tickets

Revenue Summit 2026 tickets

Six weeks after Albanese pledged renewable-powered data centres, he’s already made an exception by Tegan George, The Point (August 2026)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss examines Australia’s artificial intelligence boom and the political fight over who reaps the rewards.

This episode was recorded on Friday 4 September.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now.

Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Read more on The Point.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Producer: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Show notes:

Climate Integrity Summit 2026 livestream tickets

Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP | Bernie Fraser Oration 2026 tickets

Revenue Summit 2026 tickets

Six weeks after Albanese pledged renewable-powered data centres, he’s already made an exception by Tegan George, The Point (August 2026)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains the goods and services tax. The GST was supposed to grow over time, so that state and territory governments would have a reliable income source to help them fund the important services they provide long into the future. Richard looks into whether it is actually working as intended.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute //@richarddenniss

Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Climate Integrity Summit 2026 livestream tickets.

Order More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press.

Show notes:

GST Shortfall | The Australia Institute

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Productivity Commission is a government-funded economic think tank that’s meant to give independent advice about how to make the Australian economy work better. On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss discusses whether it is fit for purpose.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute //@richarddenniss

Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Climate Integrity Summit 2026 livestream tickets.

Order More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press.

Show notes:

I want to see the Productivity Commission abolished – and even I think Labor’s attack on it was unfair | The Point

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains how the crossbench works and the politics of deal-making in federal parliament.

This episode was recorded on Friday 21 August.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now.

Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Read more on The Point.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Show notes:

Climate Integrity Summit 2026, the Australia Institute

National Gambling Toll, the Australia Institute

The case for a gas export tax, explained by Richard Denniss, The Point (March 2026)

There is no such thing as a safe seat | Fact sheet, the Australia Institute (October 2024)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.