Petrol and diesel prices are sky high because of the illegal US-Israel war on Iran, but major fuel shortages in Australia are very unlikely.&nbsp; Matt Grudnoff and Ebony Bennett discuss Australia&rsquo;s relatively strong position in global energy supply chains. Matt explains why some petrol stations have run low despite overall fuel supplies remaining steady, how the price hikes are fuelling inequality, and why Scott Morrison&rsquo;s 2021 claim about an electric vehicle policy putting an &ldquo;end to the weekend&rdquo; now looks even more absurd than it did at the time. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 31 March. You can <a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/gas_export_tax_b">sign the Australia Institute&rsquo;s petition</a> calling on the federal government to make gas exporters pay their fair share. Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/mattgrudnoff.bsky.social">@mattgrudnoff</a> Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social">@ebonybennett</a> Show notes: <a href="https://thepoint.com.au/news/260326-fuel-costs-and-rba-hikes-equal-a-90-basis-point-rate-rise-this-is-brutal">Fuel costs and RBA hikes equal to a 90 basis point rate rise: 'this is brutal'</a> by Greg Jericho, The Point (March 2026) <a href="https://thepoint.com.au/opinions/260331-fuelling-inequality-the-brunt-of-a-global-crisis-should-not-be-borne-by-people-in-poverty">Fuelling inequality: The brunt of a global crisis should not be borne by people in poverty</a> by Kristin O&rsquo;Connell, The Point (March 2026) <a href="https://thepoint.com.au/explainers/260323-the-case-for-a-gas-export-tax-explained">The case for a gas export tax, explained</a> by Richard Denniss, The Point (March 2026) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions We&rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>. Subscribe to Follow the Money on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/follow-the-money/id1078781512">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0JOrvYNuhHOwaFuZ7PlW1d?si=e9265dc6a04d40b3">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/follow-the-money/2aeecbb0-b36a-0133-2e57-6dc413d6d41d">Pocket Casts</a> or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.<a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment">Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Petrol and diesel prices are sky high because of the illegal US-Israel war on Iran, but major fuel shortages in Australia are very unlikely.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Matt Grudnoff and Ebony Bennett discuss Australia&amp;rsquo;s relatively strong position in global energy supply chains. Matt explains why some petrol stations have run low despite overall fuel supplies remaining steady, how the price hikes are fuelling inequality, and why Scott Morrison&amp;rsquo;s 2021 claim about an electric vehicle policy putting an &amp;ldquo;end to the weekend&amp;rdquo; now looks even more absurd than it did at the time.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This episode was recorded on Tuesday 31 March.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can &lt;a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/gas_export_tax_b"&gt;sign the Australia Institute&amp;rsquo;s petition&lt;/a&gt; calling on the federal government to make gas exporters pay their fair share.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Guest: &lt;/strong&gt;Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/mattgrudnoff.bsky.social"&gt;@mattgrudnoff&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Host:&lt;/strong&gt; Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social"&gt;@ebonybennett&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://thepoint.com.au/news/260326-fuel-costs-and-rba-hikes-equal-a-90-basis-point-rate-rise-this-is-brutal"&gt;Fuel costs and RBA hikes equal to a 90 basis point rate rise: 'this is brutal'&lt;/a&gt; by Greg Jericho, &lt;em&gt;The Point&lt;/em&gt; (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://thepoint.com.au/opinions/260331-fuelling-inequality-the-brunt-of-a-global-crisis-should-not-be-borne-by-people-in-poverty"&gt;Fuelling inequality: The brunt of a global crisis should not be borne by people in poverty&lt;/a&gt; by Kristin O&amp;rsquo;Connell, &lt;em&gt;The Point&lt;/em&gt; (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://thepoint.com.au/explainers/260323-the-case-for-a-gas-export-tax-explained"&gt;The case for a gas export tax, explained&lt;/a&gt; by Richard Denniss, &lt;em&gt;The Point&lt;/em&gt; (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Theme music:&lt;/strong&gt; Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;We&amp;rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au"&gt;&lt;em&gt;podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;em&gt;Subscribe to Follow the Money on&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/follow-the-money/id1078781512"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Apple Podcasts&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0JOrvYNuhHOwaFuZ7PlW1d?si=e9265dc6a04d40b3"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Spotify&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/follow-the-money/2aeecbb0-b36a-0133-2e57-6dc413d6d41d"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pocket Casts&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;em&gt;or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment"&gt;Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Petrol and diesel prices are sky high because of the illegal US-Israel war on Iran, but major fuel shortages in Australia are very unlikely. 

Prices skyrocket but major fuel shortages "very unlikely"

A 25% gas export tax would drive down gas prices for Australians and collect billions of dollars that can be used to provide better, cheaper health and education services.&nbsp; On this episode of Follow the Money, Rod Campbell and Ebony Bennett discuss the case for a 25% gas export tax and the New South Wales government&rsquo;s ban on new coal mines. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 24 March. You can <a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/gas_export_tax_b">sign the Australia Institute&rsquo;s petition</a> calling on the federal government to make gas exporters pay their fair share. Guest: Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/rodcampbell.bsky.social">@rodcampbell</a> Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social">@ebonybennett</a> Show notes: <a href="https://thepoint.com.au/explainers/260323-the-case-for-a-gas-export-tax-explained">The case for a gas export tax, explained</a> by Richard Denniss, The Point (March 2026) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/tax-gas-exports-invest-in-health-aged-care-new-polls/">Tax gas exports, invest in health/aged care &ndash; new polls</a>, the Australia Institute (March 2026) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/what-the-middle-east-war-means-for-australians-and-gas-companies/">What the Middle East war means for Australians and gas companies</a>, the Australia Institute (March 2026) <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/-no-new-coal-or-gas-is-a-slogan-not-a-policy-bowen/102061144">'No new coal or gas is a slogan, not a policy': Bowen</a>, ABC Radio National (March 2023) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/summer-special-president-tong/">SUMMER SPECIAL | President Anote Tong</a>, Follow the Money, the Australia Institute (January 2017) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4">What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty</a> by Kumi Naidoo, Australia Institute Press (February 2026) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions We&rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>. Subscribe to Follow the Money on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/follow-the-money/id1078781512">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0JOrvYNuhHOwaFuZ7PlW1d?si=e9265dc6a04d40b3">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/follow-the-money/2aeecbb0-b36a-0133-2e57-6dc413d6d41d">Pocket Casts</a> or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.<a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment">Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A 25% gas export tax would drive down gas prices for Australians and collect billions of dollars that can be used to provide better, cheaper health and education services.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;On this episode of &lt;em&gt;Follow the Money&lt;/em&gt;, Rod Campbell and Ebony Bennett discuss the case for a 25% gas export tax and the New South Wales government&amp;rsquo;s ban on new coal mines.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This episode was recorded on Tuesday 24 March.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can &lt;a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/gas_export_tax_b"&gt;sign the Australia Institute&amp;rsquo;s petition&lt;/a&gt; calling on the federal government to make gas exporters pay their fair share.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Guest: &lt;/strong&gt;Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/rodcampbell.bsky.social"&gt;@rodcampbell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Host:&lt;/strong&gt; Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social"&gt;@ebonybennett&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://thepoint.com.au/explainers/260323-the-case-for-a-gas-export-tax-explained"&gt;The case for a gas export tax, explained&lt;/a&gt; by Richard Denniss, &lt;em&gt;The Point&lt;/em&gt; (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/tax-gas-exports-invest-in-health-aged-care-new-polls/"&gt;Tax gas exports, invest in health/aged care &amp;ndash; new polls&lt;/a&gt;, the Australia Institute (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/what-the-middle-east-war-means-for-australians-and-gas-companies/"&gt;What the Middle East war means for Australians and gas companies&lt;/a&gt;, the Australia Institute (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/-no-new-coal-or-gas-is-a-slogan-not-a-policy-bowen/102061144"&gt;'No new coal or gas is a slogan, not a policy': Bowen&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;ABC Radio National&lt;/em&gt; (March 2023)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/summer-special-president-tong/"&gt;SUMMER SPECIAL | President Anote Tong&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Follow the Money&lt;/em&gt;, the Australia Institute (January 2017)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4"&gt;&lt;em&gt;What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; by Kumi Naidoo, Australia Institute Press (February 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Theme music:&lt;/strong&gt; Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;We&amp;rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au"&gt;&lt;em&gt;podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;em&gt;Subscribe to Follow the Money on&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/follow-the-money/id1078781512"&gt;Apple Podcasts&lt;/a&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0JOrvYNuhHOwaFuZ7PlW1d?si=e9265dc6a04d40b3"&gt;Spotify&lt;/a&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/follow-the-money/2aeecbb0-b36a-0133-2e57-6dc413d6d41d"&gt;Pocket Casts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment"&gt;Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A 25% gas export tax would drive down gas prices for Australians and collect billions of dollars that can be used to provide better, cheaper health and education services.

How a gas export tax could transform Australia

Now costing Australian governments $31,020 per minute, fossil fuel subsidies are growing faster than spending on the NDIS. On this episode of Follow the Money, Rod Campbell and Ebony Bennett discuss why it&rsquo;s time to call out the idea that governments can&rsquo;t afford to support Australians in need yet still dish out $16.3 billion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2025-26 alone. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 17 March. <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4">What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty by Kumi Naidoo</a> is available now for just $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping. You can also <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/vantage-point-subscription">subscribe to the Vantage Point series</a> to get four essays a year on some of the most pressing issues facing Australia and the world. Guest: Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/rodcampbell.bsky.social">@rodcampbell</a> Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social">@ebonybennett</a> Show notes: <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/fossil-fuel-subsidies-in-australia-2026/">Fossil fuel subsidies in Australia 2026</a> by Matt Grudnoff and Rod Campbell, the Australia Institute (March 2026) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/australias-great-gas-giveaway/">Australia&rsquo;s great gas giveaway</a>, the Australia Institute (May 2024) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/joseph-stiglitz-on-super-profits-capital-gains-and-why-corporate-tax-is-good-for-democracy/">Joseph Stiglitz on super profits, capital gains and why corporate tax is good for democracy</a>, Follow the Money (February 2026) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions We&rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.<a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment">Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Now costing Australian governments $31,020 per minute, fossil fuel subsidies are growing faster than spending on the NDIS. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;On this episode of &lt;em&gt;Follow the Money&lt;/em&gt;, Rod Campbell and Ebony Bennett discuss why it&amp;rsquo;s time to call out the idea that governments can&amp;rsquo;t afford to support Australians in need yet still dish out $16.3 billion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2025-26 alone.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This episode was recorded on Tuesday 17 March.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4"&gt;&lt;em&gt;What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty&lt;/em&gt; by Kumi Naidoo&lt;/a&gt; is available now for just $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can also &lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/vantage-point-subscription"&gt;subscribe to the &lt;em&gt;Vantage Point&lt;/em&gt; series&lt;/a&gt; to get four essays a year on some of the most pressing issues facing Australia and the world.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Guest: &lt;/strong&gt;Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/rodcampbell.bsky.social"&gt;@rodcampbell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Host:&lt;/strong&gt; Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social"&gt;@ebonybennett&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/fossil-fuel-subsidies-in-australia-2026/"&gt;Fossil fuel subsidies in Australia 2026&lt;/a&gt; by Matt Grudnoff and Rod Campbell, the Australia Institute (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/australias-great-gas-giveaway/"&gt;Australia&amp;rsquo;s great gas giveaway&lt;/a&gt;, the Australia Institute (May 2024)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/joseph-stiglitz-on-super-profits-capital-gains-and-why-corporate-tax-is-good-for-democracy/"&gt;Joseph Stiglitz on super profits, capital gains and why corporate tax is good for democracy&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Follow the Money&lt;/em&gt; (February 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Theme music:&lt;/strong&gt; Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;We&amp;rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au"&gt;&lt;em&gt;podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment"&gt;Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Now costing Australian governments $31,020 per minute, fossil fuel subsidies are growing faster than spending on the NDIS.

Australia’s fossil fuel subsidies are out of control

The Australian government has been trying to placate Trump in order to secure the AUKUS submarine deal &ndash; and now we are seeing the results. On this episode of Follow the Money and After America, Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss the illegal US-Israel war in Iran, the implications of the conflict for the Middle East, and why Australian personnel were on board an American nuclear-powered submarine when it sank an Iranian warship. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 10 March. <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4">What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty by Kumi Naidoo</a> is available now for just $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping. You can also <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/vantage-point-subscription">subscribe to the Vantage Point series</a> to get four essays a year on some of the most pressing issues facing Australia and the world. Guest: Emma Shortis, Director, International &amp; Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/emmashortis.bsky.social">@emmashortis</a> Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social">@ebonybennett</a> Show notes: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/07/labor-fails-to-repudiate-trumpism-australia-is-being-dragged-into-the-us-and-israels-war-against-iran-ntwnfb">Albanese&rsquo;s policy on Iran makes us complicit in the collapse of international rules</a> by Emma Shortis, Guardian Australia (March 2026) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/03/australia-support-us-israel-attack-on-iran-gullible-duplicitous-or-both">Australia&rsquo;s shameless support for the US attack on Iran makes us gullible, duplicitous, or both</a> by Allan Behm, Guardian Australia (March 2026) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-us-and-israel-attack-iran-foment-chaos/">The US and Israel attack Iran, foment chaos</a>, After America, the Australia Institute (February 2026) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/after-america-vantage-point-issue-1">After America: Australia and the new world order</a> by Emma Shortis, Australia Institute Press <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-08/donald-trump-iran-military-actions-australia-response/106411630">Iran strikes are Donald Trump&rsquo;s ninth foreign military action in 14 months</a> by Simon Elvery, ABC (March 2026) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions We&rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.<a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment">Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Australian government has been trying to placate Trump in order to secure the AUKUS submarine deal &amp;ndash; and now we are seeing the results.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;On this episode of &lt;em&gt;Follow the Money&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;After America&lt;/em&gt;, Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss the illegal US-Israel war in Iran, the implications of the conflict for the Middle East, and why Australian personnel were on board an American nuclear-powered submarine when it sank an Iranian warship.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This episode was recorded on Tuesday 10 March.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4"&gt;&lt;em&gt;What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty&lt;/em&gt; by Kumi Naidoo&lt;/a&gt; is available now for just $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can also &lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/vantage-point-subscription"&gt;subscribe to the &lt;em&gt;Vantage Point&lt;/em&gt; series&lt;/a&gt; to get four essays a year on some of the most pressing issues facing Australia and the world.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Guest: &lt;/strong&gt;Emma Shortis, Director, International &amp;amp; Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/emmashortis.bsky.social"&gt;@emmashortis&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Host:&lt;/strong&gt; Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social"&gt;@ebonybennett&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/07/labor-fails-to-repudiate-trumpism-australia-is-being-dragged-into-the-us-and-israels-war-against-iran-ntwnfb"&gt;Albanese&amp;rsquo;s policy on Iran makes us complicit in the collapse of international rules&lt;/a&gt; by Emma Shortis, &lt;em&gt;Guardian Australia&lt;/em&gt; (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/03/australia-support-us-israel-attack-on-iran-gullible-duplicitous-or-both"&gt;Australia&amp;rsquo;s shameless support for the US attack on Iran makes us gullible, duplicitous, or both&lt;/a&gt; by Allan Behm, &lt;em&gt;Guardian Australia&lt;/em&gt; (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-us-and-israel-attack-iran-foment-chaos/"&gt;The US and Israel attack Iran, foment chaos&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;After America&lt;/em&gt;, the Australia Institute (February 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/after-america-vantage-point-issue-1"&gt;&lt;em&gt;After America: Australia and the new world order&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; by Emma Shortis, Australia Institute Press&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-08/donald-trump-iran-military-actions-australia-response/106411630"&gt;Iran strikes are Donald Trump&amp;rsquo;s ninth foreign military action in 14 months&lt;/a&gt; by Simon Elvery, &lt;em&gt;ABC&lt;/em&gt; (March 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Theme music:&lt;/strong&gt; Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;We&amp;rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au"&gt;&lt;em&gt;podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment"&gt;Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The Australian government has been trying to placate Trump in order to secure the AUKUS submarine deal – and now we are seeing the results.

AUKUS drags Australia towards US-Israel war on Iran

The far-right is benefitting from a failing status quo &ndash; but it doesn&rsquo;t have to be this way. On this episode of Follow the Money, author and economist Gary Stevenson joins Ebony Bennett to discuss wealth inequality, the global issue of housing unaffordability, why Australia should tax gas properly, and how many far-right parties have become the Steven Bradburys of global politics. This episode was recorded on Thursday 26 February. <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4">What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty by Kumi Naidoo</a> is available now for just $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping. You can also <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/vantage-point-subscription">subscribe to the Vantage Point series</a> to get four essays a year on some of the most pressing issues facing Australia and the world. Guest: Gary Stevenson, economist and author of The Trading Game // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/garyseconomics.bsky.social">@garyseconomics</a> Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social">@ebonybennett</a> Show notes: <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/tax-beer-drinkers-vs-gas-companies/">Tax: Beer drinkers vs gas companies</a> by Rod Campbell, the Australia Institute (February 2026) <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/submission-to-the-select-committee-on-the-operation-of-the-capital-gains-tax-discount/">Killing the Australian Dream: The failure of the capital gains tax discount</a> by Matt Grudnoff and Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (February 2026) Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions We&rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.<a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment">Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The far-right is benefitting from a failing status quo &amp;ndash; but it doesn&amp;rsquo;t have to be this way.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;On this episode of &lt;em&gt;Follow the Money&lt;/em&gt;, author and economist Gary Stevenson joins Ebony Bennett to discuss wealth inequality, the global issue of housing unaffordability, why Australia should tax gas properly, and how many far-right parties have become the Steven Bradburys of global politics.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This episode was recorded on Thursday 26 February.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/what-we-owe-the-water-vantage-point-issue-4"&gt;&lt;em&gt;What we owe the water: It's time for a fossil fuel treaty&lt;/em&gt; by Kumi Naidoo&lt;/a&gt; is available now for just $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;You can also &lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/vantage-point-subscription"&gt;subscribe to the &lt;em&gt;Vantage Point&lt;/em&gt; series&lt;/a&gt; to get four essays a year on some of the most pressing issues facing Australia and the world.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Guest: &lt;/strong&gt;Gary Stevenson, economist and author of &lt;em&gt;The Trading Game&lt;/em&gt; // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/garyseconomics.bsky.social"&gt;@garyseconomics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Host:&lt;/strong&gt; Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ebonybennett.bsky.social"&gt;@ebonybennett&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show notes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/tax-beer-drinkers-vs-gas-companies/"&gt;Tax: Beer drinkers vs gas companies&lt;/a&gt; by Rod Campbell, the Australia Institute (February 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/submission-to-the-select-committee-on-the-operation-of-the-capital-gains-tax-discount/"&gt;Killing the Australian Dream: The failure of the capital gains tax discount&lt;/a&gt; by Matt Grudnoff and Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (February 2026)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Theme music:&lt;/strong&gt; Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;We&amp;rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au"&gt;&lt;em&gt;podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate" rel="payment"&gt;Support Follow the Money: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The far-right are benefitting from a failing status quo – but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Gary Stevenson on wealth inequality and the rise of the far-right

Economics and politics explained in plain English

Follow The Money

Details

Recent Episodes