Episodes
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
The new fuel efficiency standards regime will move Australia in the direction of comparable countries, but it has its critics. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen joins the podcast to discuss this policy and more.
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Angus Taylor on tax and the economy
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
In our first podcast of 2024, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor discusses the tax broken promise, where the economy is heading, falling inflation, and more.
Friday Dec 15, 2023
Friday Dec 15, 2023
Treasurer Jim Chalmers, overseer of the government's economic policy, joins us on the podcast to talk us about the latest budget numbers, interest rates, changes to the Reserve Bank board, Australia's debt, cost of living measures and more.
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Bill Shorten on making the NDIS fit for purpose
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Bill Shorten, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Government Services, has released the review of the NDIS, which recommends sweeping changes to the scheme. The reforms to come will see the states take up much of the responsibility for providing services for people with more minor issues, especially children with developmental delays.
Shorten joined the podcast to talk about the way ahead for a scheme that has run off the rails and become financially unsustainable.
Friday Dec 01, 2023
Friday Dec 01, 2023
Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, next week heads to COP28 in Dubai, leading the Australian delegation. He joins the podcast to talk about the meeting, which he hopes will be easier than last year's was.
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Greens Senator Barbara Pocock – who has a background in economics and industrial relations and formerly worked at the Reserve Bank, in the federal public service and as an academic – has been in parliament only since the 2022 election, But she has already made a mark.
Pocock has been one of the federal parliamentarians who has been holding the big consultancy firms to account this year.
PWC especially has felt the heat over its improper use of confidential government tax information for its commercial gain. The behaviour of the other consultancies has also been under strong scrutiny. Pocock and other members of parliament have shown how the parliamentary committee system can be used to great effect to hold big companies accountable when other avenues fail.
In this podcast, the Greens senator talks of the need for action to bring greater transparency.
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Last week the High Court ruled that holding high-risk asylum seekers in indefinite detention was unconstitutional. As a consequence of the court decision, more than 80 people, some of whom were convicted of serious crimes including murder and rape, have been released. The government is now expected to rush in legislation to deal with the fallout.
In this podcast, Liberal senator and Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security James Paterson joins The Conversation to discuss the High Court’s ruling, his concerns about increasing anti-Semitism across the country, the rising cyber risks, and Australia’s future relations with China.
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
As climate minister in the former Labor government, Greg Combet has endured the rigours of the “climate wars”. He oversaw the highly contentious move to put a price on carbon, which ultimately came to grief under the Abbott government.
Fast forward a decade: now Combet has been appointed by Anthony Albanese to chair the government’s new Net-Zero Economy Agency. This agency, due later to become a statutory authority, is described on its website as:
responsible for promoting orderly and positive economic transformation across Australia as the world decarbonises, to ensure Australia, its regions and workers realise and share the benefits of the net zero economy.
Combet joins The Conversation to discuss the enormous challenges of Australia’s transition to renewable energy, its complications, and what is necessary to achieve our 2030 and 2050 commitments.
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report this week calling on Australia to raise interest rates again, adding to the speculation the Reserve Bank will increase the cash rate on Tuesday.
If that happens it will be yet another blow to many household budgets, already under strain from the rises in the prices of food, fuel and power.
In this podcast, independent economist Chris Richardson joins The Conversation to discuss the expectations about a rate rise, “sticky” inflation, the fall in the standard of living, the difficulty of the government responding to the cost-of-living crisis, and a bleak prospect as we go into 2024, before we reach some light at the end of a long tunnel.
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
In this podcast, the Minister for Trade and Special Minister of State Don Farrell joins The Conversation to canvass Australia's prospective trade agreement with the EU, relations with China, and electoral reform