What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss

Senate Estimates is a government and department accountability mechanism. It’s a process where Senators get to look under the hood of Federal Departments and ask, among other things, how is taxpayer money being spent? In this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explores why Estimates matter for democracy, and ways it can be improved.
Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute //@richarddenniss
Order More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia, Richard Denniss’ Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press.
Show notes:
Aussies pay more tax on beer than international gas companies pay on tens and billions of dollars worth of our offshore gas they export | David Pocock, via Facebook
David Pocock is right: more tax is raised from beer than from petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) | The Point
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 topodcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Alex Fein, researcher and strategist at Redbridge, joins Richard Denniss to discuss why so many Australians are angry right now, the real message many voters are sending to the political establishment, and the dirty secret about productivity.
This episode was recorded on Friday 16 October.
Read more on The Point.
Guest: Alex Fein, Research and Intelligence Principal, Redbridge Group // @auspoldaily
Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss
Show notes:
Raw Power: Going Beyond What One Nation Is Selling by Alex Fein, The Point (June 2026)
It's time to call it what it is: Foreign Interference by Alex Fein, The Point (June 2026)
More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, Australia Institute Press (August 2026)
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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss discusses the important distinction between consumerism and materialism and why being ‘materialistic’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
This episode was recorded on Thursday 1 October.
Read more on The Point.
Enter the code CURED to get 25% off Curing Affluenza: How to buy less stuff and save the world by Richard Denniss via Australia Institute Press.
Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss
Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang
Show notes:
Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP | Bernie Fraser Oration 2026, the Australia Institute
Revenue Summit 2026, the Australia Institute
More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, Australia Institute Press (August 2026)
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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains the theory of ‘trickle-down’ economics – and why so much of the money seems to be trickling the other way.
This episode was recorded on Thursday 24 September.
More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now.
Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.
Read more on The Point.
Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss
Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang
Show notes:
Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP | Bernie Fraser Oration 2026, the Australia Institute
Revenue Summit 2026, the Australia Institute
Dead Right: How Neoliberalism Ate Itself and What Comes Next by Richard Denniss, Black Inc. (June 2018)
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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains what’s really driving inflation in Australia and why interest rates aren’t actually the only way to control it.
This episode was recorded on Friday 11 September.
More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now.
Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.
Read more on The Point.
Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss
Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang
Show notes:
Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP | Bernie Fraser Oration 2026, the Australia Institute
Revenue Summit 2026, the Australia Institute
Wages are not to blame for rising inflation by David Richardson, Greg Jericho & Matt Saunders, the Australia Institute (February 2026)
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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.