The Politics of Everything

For those who have followed the tortuous path of Australian climate policy over recent decades, a 2024 report [https://www.aemc.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-03/AEMC%20guide%20on%20how%20energy%20objectives%20shape%20our%20decisions%20clean%20200324.pdf]by the Australian Energy Market Commission of a "shadow price" of A$70 a tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent elicits some painful memories.  Meet Ross Garnaut who if you are an economics tragic like me, will be a household name. In brief, Ross is a professorial research fellow in economics at the University of Melbourne. In 2008, he produced the Garnaut Climate Change Review for the Australian government. He is the author of many books, including the bestselling Dog Days, Superpower and Reset. Drawing on his unrivalled expertise in economics, industrial development and climate change, Garnaut makes the case for a levy on the big polluters that will help fund Australia to become a carbon-free energy giant, lower the cost of living and assist the world to cut emissions. His latest book 'Let's Tax Carbon – and other ideas for a better Australia' Garnaut examines Australia's economic history, breaking down which policies have worked and which haven't. He critiques the Albanese government's first term and presents a set of policies that, he argues, can deliver full employment with rising incomes for a growing Australian populations. As well as analysing Australian monetary and fiscal policy, Let's Tax Carbonalso looks overseas to the consequences of Trump and Biden's economic policies and how countries including China, Japan and the United States are responding to climate change. He discusses in this show: 1. Taxing carbon is one of those areas of Australian politics that has stymied or worse still. toppled former Prime Ministers and other leaders for 15 years or so, and seems to be publicly avoided as a policy idea by those in power ever since. Explain why your new book is hinged on this being a great idea for a zero-carbon economy to become a reality? 2. How can Australia lead the way in keys areas like the energy transition, as by global standards we maybe considered an economic 'mid weight' vs a powerhouse like the US or China? 3. The shadow carbon price described in the March 2024 Australian Energy Market Commission is not a cost to be paid by carbon emitters. It's an estimate of the marginal cost of meeting Australia's emission cut target. The $70/tonne figure will be included when calculating the benefits and costs of rule changes. Is that approach the right one? Explain your view and why. 4. With the reality of a second Trump presidency is now confirmed, there concerns his mantra "drill baby drill" means that the focus on "old school energy" from oil and coal remain firmly on his economics agenda 5. Takeaway: What is your final message on The Politics of Taxing Carbon? Connect further: Ross Garnaut [https://www.rossgarnaut.com.au/] Let's Tax Carbon by Ross Garnaut | Black Inc. [https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/lets-tax-carbon]

AI is everywhere and has impacting how we as humanity do our work, build our communities and even how we relax. Do you think much about how tools like generative AI platforms from ChatGPT to Chatbots we use when buying products and services online are changing our existence? Today, as AI-based technologies become more pervasive, machines can augment our cognitive capacity and automate our complex decision-making process in new ways. This has dramatically changed the way we work, leading to the Fourth Industrial Revolution some say. Is this what we want or need? My guest Christ Wright is the CEO and founder of the AI Trust Council, is leading a crucial mission against corruption in big tech, government, and the risks posed by AI. With over 25 years of experience in entrepreneurship and the military, his unique background as a US Army Attack Helicopter pilot, Civilian Commercial Pilot, and CEO of several successful startups makes him adept at navigating complex challenges. As head of the AITC, Chris's commitment to positive change and forward-thinking approach are evident. He is dedicated to optimizing digital trust online and mitigating the potentially negative impact of AI. With his vision, Chris aims to revolutionise the way digital trust is built and maintained in the modern world. In this show hear from Chris on: 1. How did AI first come to your attention? 2. What exactly is speciation, and how does it tie into the idea of changing humanity? 3. What are some of the biggest ways you observe our use of AI changing the way we operate as humans not just in a task-based way but as a functioning society? 4. How do you see AI being misused and does that need regulatory controls and laws to stay up with the pace of AI evolution locally and globally? 5. What do you predict will happen with AI and how we as humans accept or reject it will change in coming years? Right now it is all about exploring its potential. Connect further: (43) Christopher Wright | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwrightaitc/] Artificial Intelligence Trust Council (theaitc.com) [https://theaitc.com/] POE listener offer: Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code "THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING" to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

I met today's guest at the 2024 Stevie's Asia Pacific Awards event in Manila, and as fellow Australian business owners we connected instantly. Domestic violence is more than a domestic issue – it's a well-known national problem in Australia that seems to be a permanent stain on our communities. Recent ABS statistics indicating 41% of Australians have been affected by violence of some kind since the age of 15 and 1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have experienced sexual or physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner. As CEO of The Trauma Recovery Network, Felicia Zsha' Mirzze is an international speaker, advocate, and therapist with a Social Science background with a specialised focus on trauma. Felicia brings a blend of lived experience with a robust academic foundation. Holding a degree in Social Science and Counselling, Felicia is equipped with a wealth of knowledge that extends beyond traditional boundaries. Her academic background includes multiple diplomas spanning Journalism, Legal Services, Community Services, Counselling, and Communication, reflecting a diverse skill set that enriches her perspectives on mental health and well-being. Felicia has presented at the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Conference on Women's Mental Health, The World Conference on Gender and Women's Studies and the Stop Domestic Violence Conference. This is a huge (adult) topic and given its nature won't be suitable for all listeners. Hear from Felicia on: 1. Domestic violence is certainly a national crisis in Australia but it feels like we say that every year. Can you share your perspective on why this seems like an epidemic in our society? 2. What impact does DV based on what you have seen in your own practice? 3. Your work includes advocating for the rights of women with a conviction history. How has this become a focus for you, and I imagine DV is many times a part of these women's stories? 4. What role do governments play in solving DV – can't be about money for new programs alone alone right? 5. How can we break cycles of DV in families from your professional view? Connect further: (3) Felitciana (Felicia) Zsha Mirzze | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/neurovitality/] https://www.neurovhub.com/ www.traumarecoverynetwork.com.au [http://www.traumarecoverynetwork.com.au/] POE listener offer: Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code "THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING" to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

Oil is a divisive issue. Climate change debates remain as heated as ever in Australia with nuclear energy, renewables and the legacy realities of oil and gas necessity remaining at the heart of the story. In the face of our climate crisis, my guest says "today is the time for a wake-up call to the dangers of unchecked power and influence". Royce Kurmelovs's latest written work is titled Slick: Australia's toxic relationship with Big Oil is a damning portrait of greed, ignorance and environmental neglect, leaving not a shred of doubt as to the oil and gas industry's complicity in the climate crisis we currently face. Royce is a journalist and author whose reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, Science, The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, The Monthly, the BBC, Al Jazeera English and other publications. Royce's bestselling first book, The Death of Holden, explored the closure of the Australian car industry on communities across South Australia and Victoria. His critically acclaimed second book, Rogue Nation, published in 2016 documented the fracturing of Australian politics. His third book Boom and Bust presented a portrait of Western Australia after the mining book, while his fourth book Just Money revealed the pyramid of debt on which the Australian economy was built. In short, Royce has some challenging and well-researched ideas for us and in this episode, he discusses: 1. Why did you write your fifth book, Slick, which investigates the Australian oil industry to understand what they knew about climate change when they knew it, and how they worked to make sure nothing was done to address it. 2. How can we get off this oil-reliance train? 3. How can energy remain democratic – as in poorer nations like the Philippines or Africa can't afford to invest in the new technologies needed as fast as say the USA or Australia. What would make that cleaner energy transition fairer and maybe faster? Connect further: (37) Royce Kurmelovs | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/roycekurmelovs/] Royce Kurmelovs [https://www.roycekurmelovs.com/] POE listener offer: Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code "THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING" to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

Traditional leadership tools are failing to meet the challenges and opportunities of the ecosystem we live and lead in now, according to my guest today. Leaders need a flexible and interconnected system of ideas and frameworks to successfully lead for high performance – and the good news is, her new book shows you how. In The Leaders Ecosystem: A Guide to Leading, Exceptionally (Grammar Factory $34.95), Dr Paige Williams provides a unique, practical framework for leaders to successfully lead themselves, others, and systems to feel well and perform well through uncertainty. Paige is also a keynote speaker, organisational psychologist, and Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne. A world leader in positive psychology, and the author of five books on leading well in modern times, Paige is obsessed with one question above all others: 'What does good look like?'. If you are leading now or are likely to become a future leader in your area of speciality or run a business, this is the podcast for you. 1. Do you each recall what you wanted to do for a job when you grew up? And how did your early career take shape to get you where you are now?. 2. What was your childhood career and life dream? Did it work out? 3. Does leading each generation always change and evolve? What is your view and an example please? 4. What is not working now in workplaces and why? 5. How has individualism impacted workplaces? Millennials and Gen Z are sometimes brushed with the general view it is all about them. Is that fair and does that makes them better leaders because they may be less likely to stick to the status quo? 6. How can a leader successfully disrupt cycles of underperformance and reset accountability? 7. Trust, psychological safety, and tapping into our creativity all seem to work well together to lead to overall success – how does an organization foster these to bring out the best in its people? 8. Your #1 business tool or hack (not a smartphone) and what can it do for you that helps? 9. Your biggest life lesson to date and why? 10. How do you define your version of success? 11. Takeaway: What is your final message for us on The Politics of Leading New Generations? Connect further: Website: https://drpaige.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpaigewilliams/