Follow The Money

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.
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Guest: Larissa Waters, Australian Greens leader and Senator for Queensland // @larissawaters
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
The case for a gas export tax, explained by Richard Denniss, The Point (March 2026)
Japanese Government collects more tax from Australian gas than Australian Government, the Australia Institute (April 2026)
Australia's Gas Giveaway, the Australia Institute
Santos records nearly $47bn in sales over a decade without paying corporate tax by Matt Grudnoff, The Point (April 2026)
Three ways Australia can tax wealth better by David Richardson and Richard Denniss, the Australia Institute (August 2025)
Inequality, Democracy, and Distributive Justice with Gabriel Zucman, Global Progressive Mobilization on YouTube (April 2026)
Oligarchy or Democracy with Wayne Swan, Global Progressive Mobilization on YouTube (April 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 [email protected]. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 power in parliament.
This episode was recorded live at the Australia Institute’s Politics in the Pub event on Wednesday 15 April. Subscribe now to find out about more live events from the Australia Institute.
Guest: David Pocock, Independent Senator for the Australia Capital Territory // @davidpocock
Guest: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss
Host: Leanne Minshull, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @leanneminshull
Host: Glenn Connley, Senior Media Advisor, the Australia Institute // @glennconnley
Show notes:
Australia's Gas Giveaway, the Australia Institute
The case for a gas export tax, explained by Richard Denniss, The Point (March 2026)
Beer, HECS and visas: things that raise more revenue than the Petroleum Rent Resource Tax (PRRT) by Matt Grudnoff, The Point,
Senate inquiry into taxing gas exports begins as experts call system 'broken' by Tegan George, The Point (April 2026)
Japanese Government collects more tax from Australian gas than Australian Government, the Australia Institute (April 2026)
One Nation and Greens voters strongly support 25% Gas Export Tax: poll, the Australia Institute (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 [email protected]. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 States.
This episode was recorded on Monday 13 April.
Guest: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
After America: Australia and the new world order by Emma Shortis, Australia Institute Press (May 2025)
Vance joyless as US-Iran negotiations fall apart, After America, the Australia Institute (April 2026)
Shorter America This Week: Ceasefire?; Madman theory; Group hugs in space by Emma Shortis, The Point (April 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 [email protected].
Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is no reason our societies can’t change radically, to produce more of what we need and less of the things that are sowing the seeds of our own destruction, says Yanis Varoufakis.
On this episode of Follow the Money, we bring you highlights from the recent Australian tour of economist and author Yanis Varoufakis, with contributions from a cast of very special guests. Across live events in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, they discuss misogyny, political power, the erosion of Palestinian rights, and Yanis’ latest book, Raise Your Soul: A Personal History of Resistance.
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Guest: Yanis Varoufakis, economist & author // @yanisvaroufakis
Guest: Clare Wright OAM, Professor of History and Professor of Public Engagement, La Trobe University // @clarewrighthistorian
Guest: Randa Abdel-Fattah, Future Fellow in Sociology, Macquarie University // @RandaAFattah
Guest: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss
Guest: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis
Guest: Louise Adler AM, former Director, Adelaide Writers’ Week
Guest: Leanne Minshull, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @leanneminshull
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Raise Your Soul: A Personal History of Resistance by Yanis Varoufakis, Penguin Books (November 2025)
A Time for Bravery: What happens when Australia chooses courage?, Australia Institute Press (December 2025)
What’s the Big Idea? 32 Ideas for a Better Australia, Australia Institute Press (December 2024)
Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions: How the People of Yirrkala Changed the Course of Australian Democracy by Clare Wright, Text Publishing (October 2024)
Discipline by Randa Abdel-Fattah, UQ Press (September 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 [email protected]. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petrol and diesel prices are sky high because of the illegal US-Israel war on Iran, but major fuel shortages in Australia are very unlikely.
Matt Grudnoff and Ebony Bennett discuss Australia’s relatively strong position in global energy supply chains. Matt explains why some petrol stations have run low despite overall fuel supplies remaining steady, how the price hikes are fuelling inequality, and why Scott Morrison’s 2021 claim about an electric vehicle policy putting an “end to the weekend” now looks even more absurd than it did at the time.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 31 March.
You can sign the Australia Institute’s petition calling on the federal government to make gas exporters pay their fair share.
Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Fuel costs and RBA hikes equal to a 90 basis point rate rise: 'this is brutal' by Greg Jericho, The Point (March 2026)
Fuelling inequality: The brunt of a global crisis should not be borne by people in poverty by Kristin O’Connell, The Point (March 2026)
The case for a gas export tax, explained by Richard Denniss, The Point (March 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 [email protected]. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.