Each year the federal government spends upwards of a billion dollars of public money on external consultancies, but most of the work is kept secret from the public. It's a big issue for government transparency as huge questions remain over the Morrison government on questions of accountability and integrity.Recorded live on 26 October 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 // @Browne90Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

<div>Each year the federal government spends upwards of a billion dollars of public money on external consultancies, but most of the work is kept secret from the public. It's a big issue for government transparency as huge questions remain over the Morrison government on questions of accountability and integrity.</div><div>Recorded live on 26 October 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>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

Economics, politics and policy explained in plain English.

Economics, politics and policy explained in plain English.

Each year the federal government spends upwards of a billion dollars of public money on external consultancies, but most of the work is...

Talk isn't cheap

Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai faces life in prison in Hong Kong, but his son Sebastien and renowned human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson are leading the charge to set him free.

After escaping mainland China in the bottom of a fishing boat at the age of 12, Jimmy Lai went on to become one of the most influential people in Hong Kong. But now the founder of Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy newspaper is facing the possibility of life in prison under China’s repressive national security law. On this episode of Follow the Money, Sebastien Lai and Jennifer Robinson, legal counsel to Julian Assange, join Ebony Bennett to discuss the fight to free Mr Lai and the global threats to freedom of the press.

This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 2 July 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai // @SupportJimmyLai

Guest: Jennifer Robinson, legal counsel to Jimmy Lai and Julian Assange // @suigenerisjen

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

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.

Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai faces life in prison in Hong Kong, but his son Sebastien and renowned human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson are leading the charge to set him free.
After escaping mainland China in the bottom of a fishing boat at the age of 12, Jimmy Lai went on to become one of the most influential people in Hong Kong. But now the founder of Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy newspaper is facing the possibility of life in prison under China’s repressive national security law. On this episode of Follow the Money, Sebastien Lai and Jennifer Robinson, legal counsel to Julian Assange, join Ebony Bennett to discuss the fight to free Mr Lai and the global threats to freedom of the press.
This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 2 July 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: Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai // <a href="https://x.com/SupportJimmyLai">@SupportJimmyLai</a>
Guest: Jennifer Robinson, legal counsel to Jimmy Lai and Julian Assange // <a href="https://x.com/suigenerisjen">@suigenerisjen</a>
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://twitter.com/ebony_bennett">@ebony_bennett</a>
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>.

Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai faces life in prison in Hong Kong, but his son Sebastien and renowned human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson are leading the charge to set him free.

The fight to free Jimmy Lai

Introducing After America, a new Australia Institute podcast hosted by Dr Emma Shortis.

Can Biden recover from a disastrous debate performance? What does the release of Julian Assange reveal about the Australia-US relationship? And is Trump’s authoritarian behaviour really an outlier in American political history?

On the first episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis reflects on the first presidential debate performance and the release of Julian Assange, before former BBC United States correspondent Nick Bryant joins the show to discuss the country’s long history of authoritarianism.

You can subscribe to After America on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 25 June and Monday 1 July 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Nick Bryant, former BBC correspondent and author of The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself // @NickBryantNY

Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis

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.

Introducing After America, a new Australia Institute podcast hosted by Dr Emma Shortis.
Can Biden recover from a disastrous debate performance? What does the release of Julian Assange reveal about the Australia-US relationship? And is Trump’s authoritarian behaviour really an outlier in American political history?
On the first episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis reflects on the first presidential debate performance and the release of Julian Assange, before former BBC United States correspondent Nick Bryant joins the show to discuss the country’s long history of authoritarianism.
You can subscribe to After America on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/after-america/id1751661496">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/788c8nelszhzvsxwTzQzGS?si=f6efacfdd2c14e3f">Spotify</a> or wherever you get your podcasts.
This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 25 June and Monday 1 July 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: Nick Bryant, former BBC correspondent and author of The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself // <a href="https://x.com/NickBryantNY">@NickBryantNY</a>
Host: Emma Shortis, Senior Research for International &amp; Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://x.com/EmmaShortis">@EmmaShortis</a>
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 <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>.

Introducing After America, a new Australia Institute podcast hosted by Dr Emma Shortis.

Introducing After America

Careless political finance reforms could shift the balance in Australian democracy in favour of special interests.

Will the government’s political finance reforms keep vested interests out of politics or ensure the major parties dominate Australia’s political landscape? Could South Australia’s proposed political donations ban become a model for the rest of the country? And what home-grown innovations have insulated Australia from some of the democratic backsliding seen in the United States? On this episode of Follow the Money, the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Director Bill Browne joins Ebony Bennett to discuss political finance reform.

This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 2 July 2024 and things may have changed since recording.

australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute

Guest: Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability program, the Australia Institute // @Browne90

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

Show notes:

Principles for fair political finance reform by Bill Browne, The Australia Institute (August 2023)

SA’s political donation ban ambitious, but must safeguard diversity of voices, The Australia Institute (June 2024)

Honest Government Ad | How to Rig Elections, Juice Media

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.

Careless political finance reforms could shift the balance in Australian democracy in favour of special interests.
Will the government’s political finance reforms keep vested interests out of politics or ensure the major parties dominate Australia’s political landscape? Could South Australia’s proposed political donations ban become a model for the rest of the country? And what home-grown innovations have insulated Australia from some of the democratic backsliding seen in the United States? On this episode of Follow the Money, the Australia Institute’s Democracy &amp; Accountability Director Bill Browne joins Ebony Bennett to discuss political finance reform.
This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 2 July 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: Bill Browne, Director, Democracy &amp; Accountability program, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://x.com/Browne90">@Browne90</a>
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://twitter.com/ebony_bennett">@ebony_bennett</a>
Show notes:
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/principles-for-fair-political-finance-reform/">Principles for fair political finance reform</a> by Bill Browne, The Australia Institute (August 2023)
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/sas-political-donation-ban-ambitious-but-must-safeguard-diversity-of-voices/">SA’s political donation ban ambitious, but must safeguard diversity of voices</a>, The Australia Institute (June 2024)
<a href="https://youtu.be/N3WTlyuhDs0?si=7adN8Doaxg6wgNM5">Honest Government Ad | How to Rig Elections</a>, Juice Media
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>.

Careless political finance reform could shift the balance in Australian democracy in favour of special interests.

Talk isn't cheap

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