Follow The Money

The federal government’s response to the Murphy inquiry into online gambling harms has been “appalling”, says Andrew Wilkie MP.

Andrew Wilkie MP, Independent Member for Clark, joins the Australia Institute’s Noah Schultz-Byard to reflect on the government’s gambling reforms, making polluters pay for the damage they do to the climate, and the state of Australian politics.

This episode was recorded live ...

A recent decision by the New South Wales state government is a crack in the wall of Australian climate inaction.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Leanne Minshull and Rod Campbell join Glenn Connley to discuss dodgy carbon credits, the Great Koala National Park in New South Wales, the federal government’s upcoming review of the Safeguard Mechanism, and the demise of Climate Active.

This episode was recorded Tuesday 4 Augus...

Much of the world is moving away from fossil fuels, so why is Australia’s gas industry still expanding?

On this episode of Follow the Money, renewable energy entrepreneur Assaad Razzouk joins Australia Institute co-CEO Leanne Minshull to discuss how the war on Iran is accelerating the global shift away from fossil fuels and why Australia risks being left behind.

This episode was recorded Wednesday 8 July.

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No one knows what’ll happen at the November midterms or the next presidential election. Is the Australian government prepared for the worst-case scenario?

On this episode of Follow the Money, Dr Emma Shortis joins Glenn Connley to discuss the upcoming midterm elections in the United States, how the Trump administration has been chipping away at the guardrails of American democracy, and whether the Australian government is pre...

Introducing The Australia Institute's new podcast series, What's the Point? with Richard Denniss.

Subscribe to the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

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On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss discusses how global gas industry has pulled off the greatest con in Australia’s history, and why Australians are living with the cons...

Richard Denniss and Amy Remeikis discuss the dramatic changes in Australia’s political landscape since Labor’s landslide election victory.

In May 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led the Labor Party to a historic victory and the Liberal Party suffered its worst result since World War 2. But with the rise of One Nation at home and crises multiplying abroad, the world already looks very different to how it did at the...

States and territories are missing out on tens of billions in revenue each year because the GST isn’t growing as promised.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Rod Campbell and Matt Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss the reasons why the GST hasn't grown as promised, how exemptions for private schools and private insurance exacerbate inequality, and how governments can ensure they’re providing the high-quality servic...

Australia’s flagship climate policy is failing to drive actual emission reductions.

On this episode of Follow the Money, the authors of new Australia Institute research, Dr Fergus Green and Frances Medlock, join Glenn Connley to discuss the major failures of the Safeguard Mechanism, the dodgy “carbon offsets” at the heart the scheme, and what can be done to drive down emissions.

This episode was recorded on Tuesda...

Australians overwhelmingly support access to abortion care – but there’s a resurgence in anti-abortion politics underway.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Amy Remeikis and Hamdi Jama join Ebony Bennett to discuss the resurgence of anti-abortion politics in Australia, failed legislation in South Australia seeking to restrict late-term abortion, and the influence of far-right politics in the United States and United K...

Join tens of thousands of Australians calling for a national plebiscite on a 25% gas export tax.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Leanne Minshull and Rod Campbell join Ebony Bennett to discuss Australia’s dud deal on gas and the Australia Institute’s new petition calling on the government to hold a plebiscite on a gas export tax.

This episode was recorded on Tuesday 16 June.

Sign the petition calling for a national ...

Private schools have a “parasitic relationship” with public education, says Jane Caro.

On this episode of Follow the Money, recorded live at Politics in the Pub in Canberra, Jane Caro joins Dr Alice Grundy to discuss how Australia came to the most expensive place in the developed world for families to send a child to high school and Jane’s essay for Australia Institute Press, Rich Kid Poor Kid: The battle for publ...

Journalist and author Antoinette Lattouf tells the inspiring stories of women’s courage and conviction – and how they have changed our country.

Recorded live as part of our Australia’s Biggest Book Club webinar series, Antoinette Lattouf joins Ebony Bennett to discuss her landmark legal battle with the ABC and her latest book, Women Who Win: Celebrating courage, conviction and change.

The original conversatio...

The government’s latest reforms don’t do nearly enough to protect Australians from gambling harm.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Martin Thomas from the Alliance for Gambling Reform and Morgan Harrington from the Australia Institute join Ebony Bennett to discuss how Australians came to have the biggest per capita gambling losses in the world, how online sports betting is turbocharging the damage caused by gambling,...

Six months out from an election, Victoria has been left with no political donation laws after the High Court ruled them unconstitutional.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Bill Browne joins Ebony Bennett to discuss why the High Court voided Victoria’s undemocratic political donations laws. They examine what this could mean for other jurisdictions and why a principled, transparent approach to political donations reform is n...

Australians are crying out for big, brave reforms from governments. The long-overdue changes to housing tax concessions in this budget suggest the federal government may be starting to get the message.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Matt Grudnoff and Ebony Bennett discuss the government’s important changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, its “brutal” cuts to the National Disability In...

After major missteps, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is falling well short of the gold standard for integrity bodies.

On this episode of Follow the Money, journalist and writer Nick Feik joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the NACC’s handling of its Robodebt investigation, its decision not to hold public hearings so far, and concerns about the legal experience required of some senior leaders.

This episode was recor...

How have a select few accumulated such colossal wealth while many Australians struggle?

On this episode of Follow the Money, Senator Larissa Waters, leader of the Australian Greens, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the causes of Australia’s housing crisis, making gas exporters pay their fair share, and the Greens’ new ‘tax the 1%’ campaign.

The latest Vantage Point essay, Rich Kid Poor Kid: The Battle for Publ...

Australia is one of the largest exporters of gas in the world, yet beer drinkers pay more tax than the gas industry pays in Petroleum Resources Rent Tax.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Senator David Pocock and Dr Richard Denniss join Leanne Minshull to discuss the case for a 25 per cent gas export tax, why Australians currently get so little in return for the country’s finite resources, and how the gas industry wields p...

With President Trump spewing threats at friends and foes, the American government has gone off the rails.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss Trump’s genocidal threats against Iran, his efforts to subvert US democracy, his administration’s growing isolation from long-time allies, and why it’s time for the Australian government to reassess its relationship with the United ...