Follow The Money

The Australia Institute
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  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Economics and politics explained in plain English

  1. 6D AGO

    Australia’s climate crossroads

    With a leading role in this year’s United Nations climate conference, the Australian government has an opportunity to show genuine solidarity with its Pacific neighbours and climate-vulnerable communities at home. On this episode of Follow the Money, Kumi Naidoo, South African human rights and climate advocate, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the need for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, why it’s past time for the Australia government to stop coal and gas expansion, and his new Vantage Point essay, What We Owe the Water. This episode was recorded on Monday 9 February 2026. What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty by Kumi Naidoo, is available now for just $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping. You can also subscribe to the Vantage Point series to get four essays a year on some of the most pressing issues facing Australia and the world. Guest: Kumi Naidoo, President, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative // @kuminaidoo Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: "A drowning memory": the Pacific Island communities fighting for their survival, Follow the Money, the Australia Institute (March 2025) Foreign aid and climate finance, Australia’s dismal track record by Matt Saunders and Richard Denniss, the Australia Institute (November 2025) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min

  2. FEB 4

    "They rushed this": why the Reserve Bank got it wrong by raising rates

    With inflation driven by Christmas holidays and data centres for artificial intelligence, the RBA didn’t need to raise the interest rate this week, argues Matt Grudnoff. On this episode of Follow the Money, Matt Grudnoff joins Ebony Bennett to discuss big economic reform opportunities facing the government and why the Reserve Bank of Australia is so cautious about cutting rates, yet so quick to hike them up. Join economist, author and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and friends in Adelaide on Sunday 1 March and in Sydney on Thursday 5 March. Tickets are selling fast, so get yours now. Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Hasty decision inflicts more pain and will cost jobs, the Australia Institute (February 2026) Australian high schools the most expensive in the world – new research, the Australian Institute (February 2026) Treasurer Jim Chalmers on the likelihood of an interest rate rise today, Radio National Breakfast, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (February 2026) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min

  3. JAN 28

    How Australia can chart its own course in an uncertain world

    The Australian government can’t keep its head in the sand and hope the chaos of the Trump administration will just go away. Dr Emma Shortis and Greg Jericho join Glenn Connley to discuss how Australia can navigate what Canadian PM Mark Carney calls the Trump “rupture”. A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available now via Australia Institute Press. Use the code ‘POD5’ at checkout to save $5 off the price – available for a limited time only. Guest: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis Guest: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute // @grogsgamut Host: Glenn Connley, Senior Media Advisor, the Australia Institute // @glennconnley Show notes: After America, the Australia Institute Dollars & Sense, the Australia Institute The IMF’s banal language is sane-washing an economic crisis created by the egomaniacal Donald Trump by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (January 2026) What the IMF actually said about Australia’s economy by Greg Jericho, The Point (January 2026) Shorter America this week: Trust is rust; It’s the white supremacy, stupid; Five Eyes goes cross-eyed by Emma Shortis, The Point (January 2026) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min

  4. JAN 21

    Does the government understand its own hate laws?

    The government passed new gun control and hate speech legislation in a special parliamentary sitting, but what impact will they have on Australian democracy? Amy Remeikis and Bill Browne join Ebony Bennett to discuss how having fewer guns in the community will make Australians safer. However, the complex anti-hate legislation that was rushed through at the same time could have serious consequences for Australian society. A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available now via Australia Institute Press. Use the code ‘POD5’ at checkout to save $5 off the price – available for a limited time only. Where it all went wrong: the case against John Howard by Amy Remeikis is available for pre-order now. Guest: Amy Remeikis, Chief Political Analyst, the Australia Institute // @amyremeikis Guest: Bill Browne, Democracy & Accountability Director, the Australia Institute // @browne90 Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: Federal Government passes new firearm, hate speech laws, The Point (January 2026) The Point Live with Amy Remeikis, The Point (January 2026) Every four hours, a gun is stolen in Australia, the Australia Institute (October 2025) Australia’s Gun Ownership Scorecard: A Growing Problem in Need of Reform, the Australia Institute (January 2025) Attorney-General attempts to explain extent of hate speech laws | 7.30, @ABCNewsInDepth on YouTube (January 2026) Would half of Australians prefer a One Nation MP to a Labor one? by Bill Browne, The Point Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  5. JAN 14

    Parliament returning early to debate new anti-hate & gun laws

    Richard Denniss discusses the government’s response to the Bondi terrorist attacks, the chaos of the Trump administration and how to protect Australia’s democracy. On this episode of Follow the Money, Richard Denniss and Ebony Bennett discuss the political and policy response to devasting Bondi terrorist attacks, the cancellation of Adelaide Writers’ Week, Trump and the Australia-US alliance, and what to look out for in federal politics in 2026. A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available now via Australia Institute Press. Use the code ‘POD5’ at checkout to save $5 off the price – available for a limited time only. Dead Centre: how political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is also available now. Guest: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett Show notes: ‘Engaging with people you disagree with is part of democracy. Silencing authors is not.’ by Richard Denniss, The Point (January 2026) After America podcast, the Australia Institute After America: Australia and the new world order by Emma Shortis, Australia Institute Press (May 2025) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    42 min

  6. JAN 7

    What can be done to fix the PALM scheme? | PALMed Off, Episode 4

    What would it take to make the PALM scheme a genuine win-win for Australia and its neighbours? In the fourth and final episode of PALMed Off, host Morgan Harrington canvases some of the proposed solutions to the problems facing the PALM scheme, including an amnesty for disengaged workers and ensuring that everyone working in Australia has the right to leave their employer. PALMed Off is a special four-part series of Follow the Money exploring the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, an Australian Government guestworker program that could be putting people from nine Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste at risk of modern slavery. The interviews for this podcast were recorded between June and August 2025. Host: Morgan Harrington, Research Manager, The Australia Institute // @mhharrington Interviewees: Ken Dachi (Welcoming Australia), Dr Lindy Kanan (researcher), Dr Matt Withers (ANU), (Waskam) Emelda Davis (ASSI-Port Jackson Chair), Thomas Costa (Unions NSW), anonymous former PALM workers Scripting and production support: Stephen Long, Senior Fellow & Contributing Editor, the Australia Institute Sound design and mixing: Simon Branthwaite Show notes: ‘The PALM Scheme: Labour rights for our Pacific partners’, The Australia Institute (December 2023) “If I stay like this, how can I benefit my family?” Initial findings on disengagement from the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme by Kirstie Petrou, Matt Withers, Kaya Barry and Emily House, Griffith University (December 2025) Australian South Sea Islanders – Port Jackson: publications Theme music: ‘Mumbwe’ by Tio, with thanks to the Wantok Music Foundation We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    12 min

  7. JAN 7

    Is Australia failing its duty of care? | PALMed Off, Episode 3

    PALM visas holders do not get Medicare (outside of a trial limited to 200 people), so what happens when they are injured, get sick or fall pregnant? In episode three of PALMed Off, host Morgan Harrington hears how a lack of affordable medical care can have dire consequences for PALM visa holders and discusses the problems faced by women who fall pregnant whilst working in Australia. PALMed Off is a special four-part series of Follow the Money exploring the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, an Australian Government guestworker program that could be putting people from nine Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste at risk of modern slavery. The interviews for this podcast were recorded between June and August 2025. 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, chat online or video call via their website. Host: Morgan Harrington, Research Manager, The Australia Institute // @mhharrington Interviewees: Ken Dachi (Welcoming Australia), Dr Lindy Kanan (researcher), Dr Matt Withers (The Australian National University), (Waskam) Emelda Davis (ASSI-Port Jackson Chair), Thomas Costa (Unions NSW), anonymous former PALM workers Scripting and production support: Stephen Long, Senior Fellow & Contributing Editor, the Australia Institute Sound design and mixing: Simon Branthwaite Show notes: ‘It’s not illegal to be pregnant’ by Lindy Kanan, DevPolicy Blog (May 2025) ‘Reproductive Health and Rights for PALM Scheme Workers – Statement’, Australian Women’s Health Alliance (May 2025) Theme music: ‘Mumbwe’ by Tio, with thanks to the Wantok Music Foundation We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    13 min

  8. JAN 7

    Workers are people, not commodities | PALMed Off, Episode 2

    Where do the thousands of people who have left the PALM scheme, but stayed in Australia, go? How do they survive without a valid visa and, more importantly, what does the future hold for them? In episode two of PALMed Off, host Morgan Harrington travels to Leeton, New South Wales, a town that’s become a safe haven for some of the estimated 7,000 people who have ‘disengaged’ from the PALM scheme. We find out what leads people to make the difficult decision to walk away from their employer and speak to some of the community members trying to help them. PALMed Off is a special four-part series of Follow the Money exploring the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, an Australian Government guestworker program that could be putting people from nine Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste at risk of modern slavery. The interviews for this podcast were recorded between June and August 2025. Host: Morgan Harrington, Research Manager, The Australia Institute // @mhharrington Interviewees: Ken Dachi (Welcoming Australia), Paul Maytom (Leeton Multicultural Support Group), Ian Bull (member of St. Peter’s Anglican congregation, Leeton), (Waskam) Emelda Davis (ASSI-Port Jackson Chair), anonymous former PALM workers Scripting and production support: Stephen Long, Senior Fellow & Contributing Editor, the Australia Institute Sound design and mixing: Simon Branthwaite Show notes: ‘Towards a Fair and Sustainable PALM Scheme’, PALM position paper from the Mayoral Alliance for the Pacific, Welcoming Communities ‘Meat the Reality: Unpacking the Exploitation of PALM Scheme Workers in Australia’s Meat Industry’ by Ema Moolchand and Professor Shelley Marshall, RMIT University (February 2025) Theme music: ‘Mumbwe’ by Tio, with thanks to the Wantok Music Foundation We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    12 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Economics and politics explained in plain English

Information

  • Creator
    The Australia Institute
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    404
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Australia Institute
  • Show Website
    Follow The Money

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