AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
On our 100th episode of Dollars & Sense, we discuss why the Reserve Bank always seems to prioritise inflation over employment in its interest rate discussions.
Greg and Elinor discuss the Reserve Bank’s predictable rates decision, Microsoft’s decision to refund some customers after pressure from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, and whether Australia’s tobacco excise has become self-defeating.
Aiming Higher: Universities and Australia’s future by Professor George Williams is available now via Australia Institute Press.
This discussion was recorded on Thursday 6 November 2025.
Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute // @grogsgamut
Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek
Show notes:
The RBA predicts inflation will rise faster than wages. Let’s hope it’s wrong by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (November 2025)
Explainer: Illegal smoking police raids are being done to raise tax by Greg Jericho, The Point Live (November 2025)
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.
It comes as the Albanese Government announced it was opening new areas in Commonwealth waters for offshore gas exploration.
Australia’s main mining lobby group, the Minerals Council of Australia, has been running ads that say the mining industry paid $59 billion in tax in 2023-24, and that this is more tax paid than every other industry combined
The release of the mid-year fiscal and economic outlook (MYEFO) has revealed the cost of the changes to the superannuation tax concessions made by the government and the continued failure of the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax (PRRT) to deliver fair benefits to Australians
