The climate wars have been reignited with the Coalition's release of its controversial plan for nuclear power, an option totally rejected by the government. Meanwhile, a report this week from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AMEO) has indicated the government needs to speed up efforts in what has become a challenging energy transition. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen joins…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
After beating a first-term South Australian Liberal government in 2022, Labor premier Peter Malinauskas has gone on to be a reform advocate on issues including social media and politcal donations. His government is looking at a ban on children under 14 accessing social media accounts, with parental consent required for those 14 and 15. Malinauskas is also proposing changes that would ban most political…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Bill Shorten, the minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), is currently in New York at a United Nations conference on the rights of people with disabilities. At the weekend, he'll fly to Europe to represent Australia at a summit in Switzerland aimed at finding international consensus on a peace path for the Ukrainian conflict. In this podcast, Shorten discusses these conferences…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The debate over climate change mostly focuses on how to best to limit emissions in the effort to prevent disastrous global warming. However in a new book, Living Hot, Clive Hamilton and George Wilkenfeld challenge current priorities, arguing rising temperatures can't be contained fast enough and we need to turn our attention to "adaptation". Clive Hamilton, who is Professor of Public Ethics at Charles…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Migration has become a major battleground between the government and opposition. While they have different policies, each side is targeting foreign students in their plans for cuts in the intake. The government will apply caps, decided by the minister, on the numbers of foreign students for particular universities, with some concessions for those institutions investing in new student accommodation…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Housing remains one of Australia's most pressing issues in both state and federal politics. The RBA keeping rates up and high mortgage repayments have left many Australians struggling. For those Australians who don't own a home, it's becoming increasingly hard to get into the housing market. The opposition has blamed the high levels of migration for why Australians feel so much housing pain. Peter…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The energy debate has ramped up, with government and opposition trading blows over their respective plans to secure Australia's energy future. The budget announced big tax incentives for green energy projects. Earlier the government embraced the importance of gas up to 2050 and beyond. The Coalition is still promising its yet-to-be-announced nuclear policy, but that took a hit from a sceptical CSIRO…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday handed down his third budget. It had a second successive surplus and sweeteners, including relief on energy bills, and tax breaks for development of green hydrogen and critical minerals processing. The opposition will back the energy bill subsidy but oppose the tax breaks in the Future Made in Australia policy. In this podcast we were joined by Angus Taylor, who is…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won't cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush through in the last parliamentary sitting, went to a Senate inquiry that reported this week. In dissenting comments, the Coalition urged a number of amendments. On Friday the High Court brings…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The Prime Minister and state and territory leaders met on Wednesday as the national cabinet to discuss a crisis gripping Australia – the horrific number of women murdered this year. The killings have shocked the nation and led to mass demonstrations across the country last weekend. In this podcast, we're joined by Dr Anne Summers, a longtime writer and advocate on women's issues. Half a century ago…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
With Jim Chalmers's third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As this week's consumer price index showed, the battle with inflation has not yet been won. The government can't afford to have an over-generous budget add to inflation and further delay a pre-election reduction…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
After the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in an Assyrian Orthodox Church in Wakeley on Monday, and the killings in Bondi Junction shopping centre just two days earlier, many people in Sydney and in Australia more widely are tense. The shopping centre incident, in which the perpetrator was a mentally-ill 40-year-old man, was not seen by the police as terrorism; the church attack, by a 16-year-old…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The death of Australian Zomi Frankcom and other World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza in an Israeli strike has led to yet more intense and critical scrutiny over how Israel is prosecuting the war against Hamas. This week Foreign Minister Penny Wong has floated the possibility of recognition of a Palestinian state ahead of a two-state solution. Her comments were condemned by Peter Dutton as "irreparably…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The Albanese government and the Australian public are currently focused on the cost-of-living crisis and its impact on household budgets. For Australia's longer-term economic outlook, the government is looking at reforms that are needed to increase competition and our flat-lined productivity. Andrew Leigh is in the middle of this debate. He's Assistant Minister for Employment and Assistant Minister…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Kim Beazley, a former Labor leader, served as Australia's ambassador in Washington between 2010 and 2016. He is widely respected for his expertise in foreign and defence policy. In this podcast episode, Beazley discusses the brouhaha over Donald Trump's denigrating comments about Kevin Rudd, the present Australian ambassador in Washington. We also canvass wider alliance issues and the recent visit…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The United States House of Representatives has passed a bill to force TikTok's owner, ByteDance, to either sell TikTok to a non-Chinese company or face a ban in the US. While the measure won't come into effect until the American Senate agrees, it has re-engaged a debate over TikTok's risk to national security, as well as its impact on young people and the implications for free speech if there was a…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Last week, the ABC's Four Corners investigated the alleged toxic culture towards women at Sydney's elite boys Cranbrook School. The investigation covered harassment and bullying of female staff and other bad behaviour. After further developments, the headmaster, Nicholas Sampson, had resigned by week's end. The scandal has brought back a debate about whether single-sex schools are fit for purpose and…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Last week, ASIO boss Mike Burgess gave his annual assessment of threats to Australia's domestic security. In his speech, Burgess sensationally revealed that a former politician had "sold out their country" to a foreign regime. Burgess's refusal to name the person, citing the need to protect ASIO's tradecraft, invited speculation and debate. Nor would he specify the country, but a subsequent report…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The government has released its Universities Accord report, produced by a committee chaired by Mary O'Kane, a former vice-chancellor at the University of Adelaide. The recommendations will be considered by the Minister for Education, Jason Clare and the government over the coming months, although Clare has given a few hints about what his response might be on certain issues. One proposal Clare clearly…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The March 2 byelection in the outer suburban Melbourne seat of Dunkley is the third byelection this term but the first in a Labor-held electorate. It has been caused by the death late last year of Peta Murphy, after a long battle with cancer. Labor's margin sits at 6.3% in Dunkley, an electorate that has swung between the major parties. Labor goes into the byelection as the favourite, as it seeks to…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The federal government has released its latest implementation plan for Closing the Gap on Indigenous disadvantage. What are multiple gaps are still vast, with many areas not on track to meet their targets. After the failed Voice referendum, the government is looking to the next steps for First Nations people. To discuss this week's policy announcement, the centrepiece of which is a $700 million jobs…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
The government has announced long-awaited fuel efficiency standards, which will place a yearly cap on the total emissions output for new cars sold in Australia. The new regime will move Australia in the direction of comparable countries, but it has its critics. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen joins the podcast to discuss this policy, as well as the government's progress on the energy…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
With the government's changes to the stage 3 tax cuts to favour lower and middle income earners, and a looming by-election in the Victorian seat of Dunkley, eyes are now on the opposition for its response to Labor's new package. In our first podcast of 2024, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor discusses the tax broken promise, where the economy is heading, falling inflation, and more. On the government's…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
It's been a difficult year for the economy, and the year ahead also is looking challenging. Treasurer Jim Chalmers, overseer of the government's economic policy, joins us on the podcast to talk about the latest budget numbers, interest rates, changes to the Reserve Bank board, Australia's debt, cost of living measures and more. On 2024, Chalmers expects Australians to be better off this time next year…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan
Bill Shorten, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Government Services, has released the review of the NDIS, which recommends sweeping changes to the scheme. The reforms to come will see the states take up much of the responsibility for providing services for people with more minor issues, especially children with developmental delays. Shorten joined the podcast to talk about the…
1 animateur: Michelle Grattan