This week the Australia Institute released the biggest most comprehensive analysis of federal government grants programs ever undertaken, which revealed that $3.9 billion spent by federal grants programs with ministerial discretion has clearly skewed towards marginal Coalition seats in particular, at the expense of safe Labor seats and, to a lesser extent, safe Coalition seats. It's public money, but there is little transparency about how it is spent or who gets the money.Recorded live on 30 November 2021, things may have changed since recording.The Australia Institute // @theausinstituteHost: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Bill Browne, senior researcher, Democracy & Accountablity program // @Browne90Hannah Melville-Rea, Anne Kantor Fellow // @HannahMelReaProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

<div>This week the Australia Institute released the biggest most comprehensive analysis of federal government grants programs ever undertaken, which revealed that $3.9 billion spent by federal grants programs with ministerial discretion has clearly skewed towards marginal Coalition seats in particular, at the expense of safe Labor seats and, to a lesser extent, safe Coalition seats. It's public money, but there is little transparency about how it is spent or who gets the money.</div><div>Recorded live on 30 November 2021, things may have changed since recording.</div><div><a href="http://australiainstitute.org.au/" target="_blank">The Australia Institute</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/theausinstitute" target="_blank">@theausinstitute</a></div><div>Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, Australia Institute // <a href="http://twitter.com/ebony_bennett" target="_blank">@ebony_bennett</a></div><div>Guests:</div><div>Bill Browne, senior researcher, Democracy &amp; Accountablity program // <a href="https://twitter.com/Browne90" target="_blank">@Browne90</a></div><div>Hannah Melville-Rea, Anne Kantor Fellow // <a href="https://twitter.com/HannahMelRea" target="_blank">@HannahMelRea</a></div><div>Producer: Jennifer Macey // <a href="https://twitter.com/jennifermacey" target="_blank">@jennifermacey</a></div><div>Theme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions</div>

Economics and politics explained in plain English

Economics and politics explained in plain English

Follow The Money

Politics and the economy explained in plain English

Politics and the economy explained in plain English

This week the Australia Institute released the biggest most comprehensive analysis of federal government grants programs ever...

Skewed: How grants with ministerial discretion are biased towards Coalition seats

It’s going to be difficult to tackle bogus environmental claims from the private sector until the government itself stops greenwashing, Polly Hemming says on this episode of Follow the Money.

There’s a global crackdown on greenwashing underway, but not everyone is getting the message – not even the Australian Government. On this episode of Follow the Money, the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program Director Polly Hemming joins Ebony Bennett to discuss state-sponsored greenwashing.

This episode was recorded on Tuesday 30 April 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Polly Hemming, Climate & Energy Program Director, the Australia Institute // @pollyjhemming

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett

Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey

Additional editing: Emily Perkins

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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’s going to be difficult to tackle bogus environmental claims from the private sector until the government itself stops greenwashing, Polly Hemming says on this episode of Follow the Money.
There’s a global crackdown on greenwashing underway, but not everyone is getting the message – not even the Australian Government. On this episode of Follow the Money, the Australia Institute’s Climate &amp; Energy Program Director Polly Hemming joins Ebony Bennett to discuss state-sponsored greenwashing.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 30 April 2024 and things may have changed since recording.
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/">australiainstitute.org.au</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/theausinstitute">@theausinstitute</a>
Guest: Polly Hemming, Climate &amp; Energy Program Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://twitter.com/pollyjhemming">@pollyjhemming</a>
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://twitter.com/ebony_bennett">@ebony_bennett</a>
Producer: Jennifer Macey // <a href="https://twitter.com/jennifermacey">@jennifermacey</a>
Additional editing: Emily Perkins
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.

Australia’s state-sponsored greenwashing

As the government shelves important reform to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, the Knitting Nannas are getting out into their communities and demanding an end to fossil fuel projects.

They may not fit the stereotype of activists, but the Knitting Nannas are a force to be reckoned with. In their own words, they “sit, knit, plot, have a yarn and a cuppa, and bear witness to the war against the greedy, short-sighted corporations”. On this episode of Follow the Money, Kathy McKenzie and Marie Flood from the Sydney Knitting Nannas, along with the Australia Institute’s Mark Ogge, join us discuss the future of activism and why it’s time to stop new fossil fuel projects.

This episode was recorded on Tuesday 19 March 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

Find out more about the Knitting Nannas at knitting-nannas.com. Hear all the sessions from our Climate Integrity Summit 2024 on our website.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Kathy McKenzie, Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends

Guest: Marie Flood, Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends

Guest: Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor, the Australia Institute // @MarkOgge

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett

Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey

Additional editing: Emily Perkins

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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.

As the government shelves important reform to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, the Knitting Nannas are getting out into their communities and demanding an end to fossil fuel projects.
They may not fit the stereotype of activists, but the Knitting Nannas are a force to be reckoned with. In their own words, they “sit, knit, plot, have a yarn and a cuppa, and bear witness to the war against the greedy, short-sighted corporations”. On this episode of Follow the Money, Kathy McKenzie and Marie Flood from the Sydney Knitting Nannas, along with the Australia Institute’s Mark Ogge, join us discuss the future of activism and why it’s time to stop new fossil fuel projects.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 19 March 2024 and things may have changed since recording.
Find out more about the Knitting Nannas at <a href="https://knitting-nannas.com/">knitting-nannas.com</a>. Hear all the sessions from our Climate Integrity Summit 2024 on our <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/event/climate-integrity-summit-2024/">website</a>.
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/">australiainstitute.org.au</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/theausinstitute">@theausinstitute</a>
Guest: Kathy McKenzie, Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends
Guest: Marie Flood, Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends
Guest: Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkOgge">@MarkOgge</a>
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://twitter.com/ebony_bennett">@ebony_bennett</a>
Producer: Jennifer Macey // <a href="https://twitter.com/jennifermacey">@jennifermacey</a>
Additional editing: Emily Perkins
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.

As the government shelves important reform to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, the Knitting Nannas are getting out into their communities and demanding an end to fossil fuel projects.

The Knitting Nannas redefining the face of activism

Freedom of Information laws have helped the public uncover information governments would prefer to keep secret, but the system is failing.

Strong Freedom of Information laws are critical to Australia’s democracy, but delays and government resistance are undermining people’s faith in the system.On this episode of Follow the Money, former independent Senator for South Australia Rex Patrick and Australia Institute Senior Economist Matthew Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss why transparency matters and what can be done to improve the dire state of the system.

This episode was recorded on Tuesday 16 April 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Rex Patrick, former Senator for South Australia // @MrRexPatrick

Guest: Matthew Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @MattGrudnoff

Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett

Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey

Additional editing: Emily Perkins

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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.

Freedom of Information laws have helped the public uncover information governments would prefer to keep secret, but the system is failing.
Strong Freedom of Information laws are critical to Australia’s democracy, but delays and government resistance are undermining people’s faith in the system. On this episode of Follow the Money, former independent Senator for South Australia Rex Patrick and Australia Institute Senior Economist Matthew Grudnoff join Ebony Bennett to discuss why transparency matters and what can be done to improve the dire state of the system.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 16 April 2024 and things may have changed since recording.
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/">australiainstitute.org.au</a> // <a href="http://twitter.com/theausinstitute">@theausinstitute</a>
Guest: Rex Patrick, former Senator for South Australia // <a href="https://twitter.com/MrRexPatrick">@MrRexPatrick</a>
Guest: Matthew Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://twitter.com/MattGrudnoff">@MattGrudnoff</a>
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://twitter.com/ebony_bennett">@ebony_bennett</a>
Producer: Jennifer Macey // <a href="https://twitter.com/jennifermacey">@jennifermacey</a>
Additional editing: Emily Perkins
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by 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 <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.

Freedom of Information laws have helped the public uncover information governments would prefer to keep secret, but the system is failing.

Skewed: How grants with ministerial discretion are biased towards Coalition seats

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