AAP Image/Lukas Coch
For all the talk about what government should do about productivity, Australia’s biggest corporations remain inefficient and unwilling to invest.
On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the Australia’s latest economic growth data, Trump’s threat to hit countries with digital taxes with extra tariffs, and this week’s political fight over aged care.
Early bird tickets for our Revenue Summit at Parliament House in Canberra – Hon. Steven Miles MP, Senator David Pocock, Kate Chaney MP, Greg Jericho and more – are available now. You can buy tickets for the early bird price of $99 – available for a limited time only.
Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available to pre-order now via the Australia Institute website.
This discussion was recorded on Thursday 4 September 2025.
Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff
Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek
Show notes:
The big reform that could make our childcare system cheaper and safer by Matt Grudnoff, The New Daily (August 2025)
Media and Democracy, the Australia Institute
National Press Club Address: Paul Schroder, Chief Executive of Australian Super, ABC iView (September 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.
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Markets are predicting two interest rate rises in 2026 but the Australia Institute’s chief economist has urged cash-strapped mortgage holders not to panic just yet.
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
A new report on the amount of revenue expected to be raised by the changes to superannuation tax on balances over $3m highlights yet again how the tax system is weighted in favour of the rich and that the government never gets thanks for doing what conservative forces demand.
