Follow The Money

Richard Denniss and Amy Remeikis discuss the dramatic changes in Australia’s political landscape since Labor’s landslide election victory.
In May 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led the Labor Party to a historic victory and the Liberal Party suffered its worst result since World War 2. But with the rise of One Nation at home and crises multiplying abroad, the world already looks very different to how it did at the election.
On this episode of Follow the Money, Australia Institute co-CEO Richard Denniss, Chief Political Analyst Amy Remeikis and Democracy & Accountability Director Bill Browne discuss what’s changed in Australian politics since the last election and where it might go from here.
This episode was recorded live on Thursday 9 July.
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Guest: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss
Guest: Amy Remeikis, Chief Political Analyst, the Australia Institute // @amyremeikis
Host: Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability, the Australia Institute // @browne90
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss, Australia Institute Press (August 2025)
There is no such thing as a safe seat | Fact sheet, the Australia Institute (October 2024)
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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4vs6XeO
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States and territories are missing out on tens of billions in revenue each year because the GST isn’t growing as promised.
On this episode of Follow the Money, Rod Campbell and Matt Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss the reasons why the GST hasn't grown as promised, how exemptions for private schools and private insurance exacerbate inequality, and how governments can ensure they’re providing the high-quality services Australians deserve.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 7 July.
Check out the new Australia Institute podcast series, What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss. It’s available now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite shows.
Guest: Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // @rodcampbell
Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
The cost of slow growth in GST revenue. The growing problem of short-changing the states by Matt Grudnoff, the Australia Institute (September 2025)
GST Reform: How to stop the states being short-changed by Richard Denniss, Matt Grudnoff & Dave Richardson, the Australia Institute (July 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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4vs6XeO
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s flagship climate policy is failing to drive actual emission reductions.
On this episode of Follow the Money, the authors of new Australia Institute research, Dr Fergus Green and Frances Medlock, join Glenn Connley to discuss the major failures of the Safeguard Mechanism, the dodgy “carbon offsets” at the heart the scheme, and what can be done to drive down emissions.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 23 June.
Guest: Fergus Green, co-author of ‘Safeguarding the fossil fuel industry?’ and Associate Professor, University College London // @fergusgreen
Guest: Frances Medlock, co-author of ‘Safeguarding the fossil fuel industry?’ and policy and law reform lawyer
Host: Glenn Connley, Senior Media Advisor, the Australia Institute // @glennconnley
Show notes:
Safeguarding the Fossil Fuel Industry? How Carbon Offsetting Undermines the Safeguard Mechanism by Fergus Green and Frances Medlock, the Australia Institute (June 2026)
The dodgy, so-called “offsets” that undermine Australia’s central climate policy by Fergus Green and Frances Medlock, The Point (June 2026)
Koalas Covering for Coal? Dirty Forest Offset Plan Would Mean More Fossil Fuels, the Australia Institute (June 2026)
Giant gas project earns $90m in ‘free’ carbon offsets by Ryan Cropp, Australian Financial Review (June 2026)
Here are 23 Times Carbon Offsets Were Found to be Dodgy, the Australia Institute (January 2024)
World’s biggest miner BHP backtracks on climate action with key projects put on ice, leaked documents reveal by Christopher Knaus and Adam Morton, Guardian Australia (May 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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4vs6XeO
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australians overwhelmingly support access to abortion care – but there’s a resurgence in anti-abortion politics underway.
On this episode of Follow the Money, Amy Remeikis and Hamdi Jama join Ebony Bennett to discuss the resurgence of anti-abortion politics in Australia, failed legislation in South Australia seeking to restrict late-term abortion, and the influence of far-right politics in the United States and United Kingdom on Australia.
This episode was recorded on Friday 19 June.
Guest: Amy Remeikis, Chief Political Analyst, the Australia Institute
Guest: Hamdi Jama, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the Australia Institute
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute
Support the research powerful interests fear. Make a tax-deductible donation to the Australia Institute's End of Financial Year Appeal before 30 June.
Show notes:
Abortion Access in South Australia by Hamdi Jama and Ebony Bennett, the Australia Institute (June 2026)
Overwhelming support for abortion access, despite election rhetoric: new poll, the Australia Institute (March 2026)
Saving women? Spare me. This is hatred of women at its heart by Ebony Bennett, The Canberra Times (June 2026)
Don’t be fooled, there’s nothing ‘reasonable’ about these rebooted abortion battles by Amy Remeikis, The Point (June 2026)
One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts says he will push for party to adopt blanket abortion ban by Tory Shepherd, Guardian Australia (June 2026)
Image of ‘twin babies’ used by anti-abortion activist appears to show sugar gliders by Tory Shepherd, Guardian Australia (May 2026)
One Nation’s anti‑abortion turn shows MAGA’s creeping power in Australia by Prudence Flowers, The Conversation (June 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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4vs6XeO
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join tens of thousands of Australians calling for a national plebiscite on a 25% gas export tax.
On this episode of Follow the Money, Leanne Minshull and Rod Campbell join Ebony Bennett to discuss Australia’s dud deal on gas and the Australia Institute’s new petition calling on the government to hold a plebiscite on a gas export tax.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 16 June.
Sign the petition calling for a national plebiscite on a 25% Gas Export Tax.
Support the research powerful interests fear. Make a tax-deductible donation to the Australia Institute's End of Financial Year Appeal before 30 June.
Guest: Leanne Minshull, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @leanneminshull
Guest: Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // @rodcampbell
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Let the People Decide: The Case for a Gas Export Tax Plebiscite, Australia Institute webinar (19 June 2026)
Australia's Gas Giveaway, the Australia Institute
The case for a gas export tax, explained by Richard Denniss, The Point (March 2026)
Polling – gas tax and WA, the Australia Institute (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 podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support Follow the Money & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4vs6XeO
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.