The Bloomberg Australia Podcast

Australia’s political year has opened amid deepening domestic and global tensions. One Nation is now surging in polls, underscoring the erosion of support for traditional parties as cost-of-living pressures and cultural divides reshape the political landscape.
In this episode, Bloomberg’s new Canberra correspondent James Mayger joins the podcast to unpack the fallout from the Bondi attacks, the passage of gun and hate-speech laws through a divided Senate, and how global instability — from US politics to China and Taiwan — is feeding into Australia’s domestic debate and shaping the year ahead.
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The mining sector kicked off 2026 with a bang as Rio Tinto and Glencore confirmed early-stage talks that could create the world’s biggest mining company. In this episode, host Chris Bourke is joined by Bloomberg’s Asia-Pacific head of commodities, Clara Ferreira Marques, to unpack why the deal is back on the table, what’s changed since talks first surfaced last year, and whether the “most obvious” merger in mining can actually get done.
They dig into the race for copper at record prices, the cultural and regulatory hurdles standing in the way, and what a tie-up would mean for rivals like BHP. From coal and China to scale, strategy and leadership, the conversation explores why mining’s long-anticipated M&A wave may finally be taking shape.
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Bondi Beach has long stood as a symbol of Australia’s easygoing spirit—a multicultural meeting place of sunlight, surf and community. But the recent terror attack during a Hanukkah celebration shattered that image, leaving a nation in mourning and reflection. In this episode, host Rebecca Jones is joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist David Fickling to explore why this attack cuts so deeply, not just for those directly affected, but for the Australian identity itself.
They unpack the cultural significance of Bondi, the global ripple effects of local violence, and how public figures and everyday Australians are responding.

You can read David’s column on the terror here: Bondi, and Australia, Get Swept Into a Violent World - Bloomberg
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Australia’s hopes for rate cuts in 2026 have dimmed after RBA Governor Michele Bullock signaled they’re no longer on the table – and that a rate hike is now a real possibility. With inflation proving stickier than expected and price pressures broadening on everything from housing to everyday essentials, markets are beginning to reprice the path for interest rates.
In this episode, Bloomberg’s Swati Pandey breaks down why the RBA is shifting toward a potential tightening bias, how upcoming inflation data could shape the next move, and what it all means for mortgages, the housing market and Australia’s economic outlook.
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From next week, Australia’s under 16s will be prevented from accessing platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook, as the Labor government pushes to curb harms caused by social media.
In our latest podcast, Rebecca Jones asks Bloomberg’s Angus Whitley to unpack the origins of the ban, what both parents and children can expect when it comes into force next week – and what the controversial move means for Big Tech.
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