The proposed NSW public sector wage freeze was supposed to ease pressure on the budget, but Australia Institute research shows it would cost jobs and harm regional economies.

NOTE: This episode was recorded just hours before the NSW Upper House voted down the pay freeze and the NSW Government will now take the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission.

Read the Australia Institute's research paper on the impacts of a wage freeze here.

Visit tai.org.au for our latest pandemic economic research and analysis // @theausinstitute

Host: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett

Guests: Richard Denniss, chief economist of the Australia Institute // @RDNS_TAI

Producer: Jennifer Macey, with help from River McCrossen and Jack Wallner. And a special thank you to all the journalism students at the University of Wollongong for their production help during this special season of Follow the Money.

Theme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum