The Fin

Senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro and associate editor Primrose Riordan on how Bathla built its property empire, why it all fell apart and why its effects will be felt well beyond western Sydney.
This podcast is sponsored by Elston.
Further reading:Living in ‘half a house’: How Bathla turned cheap housing into a nightmareThe downfall of the developer has left families stranded in half-built homes and sent shockwaves through the private credit market.This developer could be private credit's ticking time bombBathla Group, a property developer has almost $3.2 billion in debt, it will be private credit investors who could lose out.Bathla’s collapse has property insiders panicking like it’s 2007Australia’s ever-rising property market has masked all manner of sins, particularly in private credit, which has been shown up for its lack of discipline.
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This week, editor-in-chief James Chessell and Victorian political correspondent Sumeyya Ilanbey on the project that has come to sum up Victoria’s problems, whether it is too big to cancel and how it will play into November’s state election.
This podcast is sponsored by Elston.
Further reading:The secret tax that says everything about Victorian LaborThe revelation that Labor secretly introduced a tax on public transport users is the latest chapter in a saga in which political momentum has trumped fiscal responsibility. (edited)
Vic Labor’s secret tax exposes fiscal transparency voidThe opposition and leading economists say a charter of budget honesty is needed after the Victorian government introduced a new tax without telling the public. (edited)
Carroll’s budget scalpel misses the $34b elephant in the roomPremier Ben Carroll is looking to scrape off as many costly, wasteful barnacles he can find before the November 28 state election
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Associate editor Primrose Riordan and courts correspondent Max Mason on why Jon Adgemis is struggling to keep the details of his $1.8 billion financial collapse secret and what his story tells us about the private credit market.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac.
Further reading:Jon Adgemis thought he was winning. Then his CFO took the standThe failed pub baron has been trying to keep the details of his $1.8 billion financial collapse secret. But a chatty former accountant is making that difficult.Adgemis’ right-hand man alleges tax con funded ‘exorbitant lifestyle’The business affairs of the former KPMG deal maker-turned-bankrupt are being scrutinised, with allegations of “sham arrangements” to pay for his spending.From playboy pub baron to bankruptcy: Inside Jon Adgemis’ $1.8b fallFrom KPMG consultant to “glamour banker” with the “Midas touch” to junk-debt-laden bankrupt. It’s been a wild ride for Jon Adgemis and Public Hospitality Group.
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Political editor Phillip Coorey on the government’s bet on gambling reform, the problem with "brand Albo" and why there’s nothing funny about the melon incident.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac.
Further reading:PM bets on stability pitch as popularity faltersAnthony Albanese celebrated a significant milestone on Friday, but voters have learnt stability and steadiness don’t preclude poor taste.
Migration or superannuation, the spectre of Hanson hangs heavyPauline Hanson keeps setting the agenda, whether she means to or not. The government and Coalition are scrambling to follow.
‘Policy capture’: The week that exposed Labor’s gambling tiesAn explosive week of public hearings exposed the harms of the gambling industry. So why isn’t the government following its own advice on advertising bans?
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Deputy economics editor Michael Read on what’s going on in the housing market, whether it’s the correction we had to have and why the government doesn't want to call it that.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac
Further reading:RBA warns house prices have further to fallDespite the softness in the housing market, RBA governor Michele Bullock said another interest rate rise remains squarely on the table.Labor MPs are lost in housing’s hall of mirrorsPrices are falling, but the government is reluctant to claim the credit. So its MPs have resorted to rhetoric about renewed optimism for first home buyers.Property price slide exposes political peril for Albanese governmentAs the sharpest housing market correction in almost four years gathers pace, the Albanese government is discovering that voters do not necessarily welcome falling values.
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