

EVs driving “discretionary” spending, so will the RBA slam the brakes?
Australia’s economy is not overheating, so why are experts predicting a rate hike? On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg gets triggered by the growth figures, before he and Elinor discuss how the states and territories have missed out on a lazy quarter-trillion and why access to specialist heal…

Will the data centre “boom” make us better off?
Profits are surging and living standards are not. Will the AI boom be any different? On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Angus discuss the carve-out for Queensland and Northern Territory data centres that’ll allow them to run off coal and gas, the skyrocketing profits of some of Australia…

Wage earners falling behind as major corporations rake it in
The latest data show real wages are going backwards, but Reserve Bank keeps seeing ghosts. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor discuss another quarter of no “wage-price spiral”, plus the passage of massive NDIS cuts and gambling legislation through parliament. This discussion was …

Should superannuation be used to control inflation?
Interest rates are the bluntest, sharpest tool. Is there a better way? On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor discuss why superannuation could be a better way to control inflation than interest rates, the continued hand-wringing about house prices falling a tiny bit after skyrocketin…

Confused about interest rates and inflation? You’re not alone
A new Reserve Bank survey shows most Australians don’t assess the relationship between inflation and interest rates “correctly” – but there’s much more to it. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor go back to the basics of inflation, living costs and interest rates to show that how th…

We're quadrillionaires. Also, things seem terrible.
Wealth on Earth is up, apparently. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor discuss the better-than-expected inflation figures, the global oversupply of once-in-a-lifetime crises, and what the ominous-sounding ‘global balance sheet’ tells us about wealth on Earth. This discussion was r…

Labor contemplates a "fairer return" for Australia's resources
Despite no action on a gas export tax in the government’s May budget, calls are growing louder for a fair return on Australia’s resources from within the Labor Party. On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg returns! He and Elinor discuss the ALP National Conference in Adelaide, the economic impac…

BONUS | What's the point of a gas export tax?
Introducing The Australia Institute's new podcast series, What's the Point? with Richard Denniss. Subscribe to the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. *** On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss discusses how global gas industry has…

Big Tech promises the world with AI. Australians shouldn’t believe them.
The tech industry talks about huge investment in Australia. That sounds great, but who’ll actually benefit? On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt Grudnoff joins Elinor to discuss Anthony Albanese’s speech on artificial intelligence, lessons for data centre regulation from Australia’s experience…

Australia’s gambling toll grows as government sidesteps total ad ban
An outright ban on gambling advertising would be extremely popular – so why isn’t the government doing it? On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt Grudnoff joins Elinor to talk about the federal government’s “piss poor” online gambling reforms and the push to pay super to under 18s. This discuss…