Despite dire warnings from the scientific community and Australia’s Pacific neighbours, the federal government isn’t getting the message.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Tuvalu Minister for Climate Change and Environment Dr Maina Vakafua Talia and Canadian independent Senator Dr Rosa Galvez join us to discuss the need to phase out fossil fuels.

This episode was recorded live on Wednesday 16 September at the Australia Institute’s Politics in the Pub event in Canberra.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest edition in the Vantage Point series, is available now.

Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Guest: The Hon Dr Maina Vakafua Talia, Minister for Climate Change and Environment for the Government of Tuvalu

Guest: The Hon Senator Dr Rosa Galvez, Independent Senator for Québec (Bedford), Canada // @senrosagalvez

Host: Louise Morris, Head of Fossil Fuel Transition, the Australia Institute // @louisemorris

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett

Show notes:

Transition Away from Fossil Fuels: A roadmap for Australia by Hamdi Jama, Rod Campbell & Louise Morris, the Australia Institute (September 2026)

Australia and Canada can learn from each other on climate if we separate action from declaration by Rosa Galvez, Guardian Australia (September 2026)

Albanese's Climate Week speech left out the numbers that matter most by Louise Morris, The Point (September 2026)

Limiting Overshoot - Navigating exceedance of 1.5°C and pathways towards return, United Nations Overshoot Programme (September 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.

Soaring specialist costs, an increasingly complex system, and Australians getting sicker for longer suggest all is not well in Australian health care.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Dr Luke Slawomirski and Matt Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss the soaring cost of specialists, why pushing people towards the private health system doesn’t take pressure off public hospitals, the government’s proposed changes to private health rebates, and how to ensure Australia doesn’t backslide towards US-style health care.

This episode was recorded on Tuesday 15 September.

Correction: During the discussion on Australian specialist costs, Luke mistakenly said that average costs in the Australian Capital Territory are six times higher than Tasmania. They are actually four times higher.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest edition in the Vantage Point series, is available now.

Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Guest: Luke Slawomirski, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the Australia Institute // @lukeslawomirski

Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett

Show notes:

Australia has an illness system, not a health system by Luke Slawomirski, The Point (July 2026)

Millions delay or skip appointments as specialist care become too expensive for many Australians – new research, the Australia Institute (August 2026)

Why scrapping the age-based private health insurance rebate makes sense by Luke Slawomirski, The Point (September 2026)

The quarter of a trillion dollar shortfall leaving states and territories scrambling, the Australia Institute (September 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.

Non-compete clauses suppress wages, reduce productivity and stifle innovation. Now, the federal government is looking to ban them for most workers.

The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the pernicious impact of non-compete clauses and the federal government’s new legislation seeking to ban them for 9-in-10 workers.

This episode was recorded on Tuesday 8 September.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest edition in the Vantage Point series, is available now.

Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Guest: Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury and Federal Member for Fenner // @aleighmp

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett

Show notes:

Reform to non-compete clauses and other restraints – draft legislation, Department of Treasury Consultation Hub

Government seeks to ban non-compete agreements for most workers by Jack Thrower, The Point Live (September 2026)

New data shows many businesses are now using non-compete clauses – and that’s bad for workers by Jack Thrower, the Australia Institute (February 2024)

The great unbinding: non‑competes, freedom and the future of competition, Sydney Institute address by the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP (September 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.