Dollars & Sense

• Robodebt and super tax: Rob the poor, feed the rich?

  When our most vulnerable are treated with suspicion, and our wealthiest get massive tax cuts, what does that say about our priorities? On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt tells Elinor about the massive class action lawsuit settlement the Government made with the victims of Robodebt, Labor potentially getting cold feet on superannuation tax concession reform, and what they both tell us about how Australia views our poorest and wealthiest people. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 11 September 2025 and things may have changed since recording. Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia // @mattgrudnoff.bsky.social Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: The Australia Institute Revenue Summit 2025 ‘The changes to superannuation tax concessions are needed and very fair’ by Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (May 2025) 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] Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Productivity crisis? Australia’s “lazy” oligopolies could step up

  For all the talk about what government should do about productivity, Australia’s biggest corporations remain inefficient and unwilling to invest. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the Australia’s latest economic growth data, Trump’s threat to hit countries with digital taxes with extra tariffs, and this week’s political fight over aged care. Early bird tickets for our Revenue Summit at Parliament House in Canberra – Hon. Steven Miles MP, Senator David Pocock, Kate Chaney MP, Greg Jericho and more – are available now. You can buy tickets for the early bird price of $99 – available for a limited time only. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available to pre-order now via the Australia Institute website. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 4 September 2025. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: The big reform that could make our childcare system cheaper and safer by Matt Grudnoff, The New Daily (August 2025) Media and Democracy, the Australia Institute National Press Club Address: Paul Schroder, Chief Executive of Australian Super, ABC iView (September 2025) 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] Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• How not to impose a tariff

  Postal services around the world have suspended services to the United States in response to the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff policies. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss why the latest inflation data isn’t anything to panic about, the case for economy-wide price gouging laws, and why Australia Post has stopped sending many packages to the United States. Early bird tickets for our Revenue Summit at Parliament House in Canberra – Hon. Steven Miles MP, Senator David Pocock, Kate Chaney MP, Greg Jericho and more – are available now. You can buy tickets for the early bird price of $99 – available for a limited time only. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via the Australia Institute website. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 28 August 2025. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: Price gouging: AGL and Origin by Dave Richardson, the Australia Institute (December 2024) Trump’s tariffs won’t wreck Australia’s economy. But America’s could be cooked. Dollars & Sense (April 2025) 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] Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Red mist over the red tape cop-out

  Some regulations are good. Some are not. But cutting mystery ‘red tape’ is not panacea for improving productivity growth. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the big fine handed to Qantas, how a training levy on businesses could improve productivity, the misunderstandings around the causes of Australia’s housing crisis, and the latest from the government’s economic reform roundtable. Sign our petition calling on fossil fuel producers to pay a climate disaster levy. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available to pre-order now via the Australia Institute website. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 21 August 2025. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: SA algal bloom underlines urgent need for National Climate Disaster Fund, the Australia Institute (August 2025) Productivity in the Real World: What it is, what it isn’t, and how to make it work better for workers by Jim Stanford, the Australia Institute (July 2025) 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] Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Price gouging is profitable, more news at 11

  Turns out being Australia’s Biggest Bank is very profitable when there isn’t much competition… On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the RBA cutting interest rates five weeks too late, Australia’s biggest bank posting its biggest profit ever in an uncompetitive banking sector, and why Albanese seems to be putting a damper on expectations ahead of the economic roundtable next week. This discussion was recorded on Thursday 14 August 2025 and things may have changed since recording. Order What's the Big Idea? 32 Big Ideas for a Better Australia now, via the Australia Institute website. Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff.bsky.social Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek Show notes: ‘Climate and the Economic Reform Roundtable’ by Jack Thrower and Rod Campbell, the Australia Institute (August 2025) ‘Solving the crisis: Raising the living standards of Australian workers’ by Lisa Heap, the Australia Institute (August 2025) 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] Dollars & Sense: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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