Grattan Institute

Earlier in July, Australia’s compulsory superannuation system turned 30 years old. Alongside Medicare – Australia’s universal health insurance scheme - superannuation is held up as one of the key economic and social reforms of the Hawke-Keating Labor governments of the 1980s and early 1990s. Join Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, Joey Moloney, Senior Associate, and special guest, Emily Millane, Senior Fellow the Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne, as they celebrate the 30th birthday of compulsory super. They ask how superannuation first came about, what it’s achieved in the 30 years since the system began, and how to make the system more equitable in the future.

With the new Albanese government committing to cut carbon emissions by 43% by 2030, along with pressure from newly elected independents and Greens MPs, there’s a sense of hope that that environmental policy will progress beyond the years of the climate wars. But how can Australia get through the mire of years of climate inaction and confusion, to meet net-zero targets while maintaining employment in industry and our mining reliant economy. Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, and Esther Suckling, Graduate Associate, discuss with Kat Clay, how they charted a path in their new report The next industrial revolution. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/next-industrial-revolution

“Stamp duty is the worst tax that any government can have,” says Dominic Perrottet, recently quoted in the ABC. But after talking up stamp duty reform for the past two years, the then NSW Treasurer now Premier Dominic Perrottet’s grand plans ended less with a bang and more with a whimper. The government will allow first home buyers to opt to pay land tax rather than stamp duty. But it falls well short of the kind of reform many were hoping for. In this podcast, Kat Clay and Brendan Coates discuss why stamp duty is such a bad tax and why a land tax would be better, why the NSW government’s efforts to replace one with the other fell short, and what other states should learn from the experience. Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate

The RBA has lifted rates by 0.5% to 0.85%, and there are more rises on the way. And nothing like a rate rise brings about the clamour that back in my day, interest rates were 17%. While talk of cutting back on smashed avocado dogs millennials struggling to get into the housing market, two of our experts recently evaluated the question - is life actually harder for millennials? To read the article in discussion visit: https://grattan.edu.au/news/the-housing-game-has-changed-millennials-have-it-harder/ Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate

The new Energy Minister Chris Bowen said that ‘Australian energy markets are facing a perfect storm.’ But why are electricity and gas prices soaring? Join Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, as she discusses the energy pricing crisis with Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, and Esther Suckling, Graduate Associate.

It wasn’t long ago that Australians lined up around the block to receive a COVID vaccination. Yet the vaccination rate for third doses has almost stalled. Given Anthony Albanese campaigned on better pandemic management, giving the vaccination program a shot in the arm will be his first test. Join Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, and Peter Breadon, Health and Aged Care Program Director, as they discuss Australia's vaccination program.

The Federal Election for 2022 is over, and Anthony Albanese has been sworn in as the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. And while there are still seats remaining to be called, the 2022 election marks a dramatic shift in politics in Australia. This podcast discusses what the election results mean for public policy and what the Federal Government should prioritise going forwards. Danielle Wood, CEO, joins Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, in conversation with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications.

Two years on from the start of the pandemic, Australia’s unemployment rate is now at a near 50-year low of just 4 per cent. The share of under-employed Australians – those in work but who want more hours – is at its lowest level in more than a decade. But what is full employment? Who benefits most when unemployment is low? And what lessons should we learn from our rapid economic recovery from the pandemic? Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, discusses the latest Grattan report, No one left behind: why Australia should lock in full employment, with Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, and Alex Ballantyne, Senior Associate. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/no-one-left-behind-why-australia-should-lock-in-full-employment/

There are three words that strike fear into the heart of any homeowner, and those are: interest rate rise. On Tuesday, the RBA raised the official cash rate by 0.25% to 0.35% and signalled there was more to come. This was swiftly passed onto homeowners, with several banks raising their interest rates on the same day. But should you be worried? Well, it depends on who you are. Join Joey Moloney, Alex Ballantyne, in conversation with Kat Clay, on what the interest rate rise means for homeowners. Articles discussed in the podcast: https://grattan.edu.au/news/australia-is-not-having-the-housing-debate-we-have-to-have/ https://grattan.edu.au/news/interest-rates-are-about-to-rise-how-worried-should-you-be/

The federal election is on. Billboards are plastered with party slogans, campaign ads are all around us, and our social media feeds are flaring up with political spin. Political advertising is a major feature of Australian election campaigns. But sometimes it can be difficult to separate facts from scare campaigns, or even to distinguish a government ad from a party ad. Kat Clay is joined by Deputy Program Director Kate Griffiths, and associate Anika Stobart, to discuss political advertising rules in Australia. Further reading: https://grattan.edu.au/news/the-rules-or-lack-thereof-for-political-advertising/

One of the big winners of last Tuesday’s federal budget were motorists, when Josh Frydenberg announced a 22 cent per litre cut in fuel excise. But what really is the fuel excise tax, and what is it used for? Was it the right economic choice to cut back on fuel excise while petrol is expensive? Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, discusses fuel excise and what governments could do to bring down petrol prices with Marion Terrill, Transport and Cities Program Director, and Lachlan Fox, Associate. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

It’s been a big week in federal politics with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handing down his fourth budget on Tuesday night. Listen to Kate Griffiths, Deputy Director Budgets and Government, as she examines the Budget with Grattan's CEO, Danielle Wood.

Everyone knows a politician loves a hard hat photo. And no more are hard hat photos - and pork-barrelling - seen than in the world of transport projects. The winners are often concentrated in a single electorate, whereas the losers are taxpayers dispersed across the state or country. Listen to Marion Terrill discuss her latest report with Kat Clay, about why there should be stronger guardrails on federal transport spending. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

Australia is squandering the potential benefits of temporary skilled migration. Politically unpopular, politicians often restrict visa sponsorship to fewer, low-skill, low-wage jobs. Instead, governments should be evaluating how best to improve the system to attract global talent, boost the budget, and reduce exploitation. Join Henry Sherrell, Deputy Director, Migration, Will Mackey, Senior Associate, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, as they discuss the new Grattan report on how to fix temporary skilled migration. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

Australia has an enviable universal healthcare system, but there are still gaps where people miss out. Listen to Anika Stobart, Linda Lin, and Kat Clay in conversation on how to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs in Australia and create a fairer health system for those who need it most. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/not-so-universal-how-to-reduce-out-of-pocket-healthcare-payments

Australia needs bold policy reform to build back better after the COVID recession. Our 2022 Orange Book maps out a policy blueprint to reignite wages growth and boost Australians’ living standards. Listen to our CEO and Program Directors discussing their recommendations for the next federal government - whether Coalition or Labor - from the Orange Book 2022.

Home ownership rates are falling fast, especially among the young and poor. For those without access to the Bank of Mum and Dad, buying a home is now an impossible dream, one which has impacts well into retirement. But what if the government could help level the playing field? Join Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, with Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, to talk about his latest piece of research on why it’s time for a national shared equity scheme.

Australia’s unemployment rate is at 4.2% - the lowest in more than a decade. And it’s not too far off slipping below 4%, something that hasn’t happened for half a century. But who deserves the credit? Economic management during pandemic by the Prime Minister and Reserve Bank governor? Or to quote ACTU Secretary Sally McManus in her tweet, that “the reason why unemployment rates are low is because the borders are closed.” Senior associates Alex Ballantyne and Will Mackey fact check these assertions on the podcast, using rigorous data evaluation. Hosted by Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications. Read the article: https://grattan.edu.au/news/shutting-down-migration-did-not-kickstart-the-economy/

Listen to CEO Danielle Wood, with renowned writer Benjamin Law, as they discuss Grattan's top six thought-provoking, compelling, and relevant books from 2021. It was an extraordinary year, and these are extraordinary reads – not only for the Prime Minister, but for all Australians interested in public policy. With introduction by Angharad Wynne-Jones from State Library Victoria, this podcast features discussions with four of the authors, Kate Holden, Rick Morton, Paige Clark, and Brendan James Murray. The full list includes: The Winter Road: A Killing at Croppa Creek, by Kate Holden The School: The Ups and Downs of One Year in the Classroom, by Brendan James Murray Truth-Telling: History, Sovereignty, and the Uluru Statement, by Henry Reynolds On Money, by Rick Morton System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot, by Rob Reich, Mehran Sahami, and Jeremy M. Weinstein She Is Haunted, by Paige Clark For more information visit: https://grattan.edu.au/news/announcing-grattan-institutes-2021-pr

For many parents, the pandemic has brought into sharp focus the role of teachers, and just how much work they do. Not only are teachers expected to teach their core subjects, but supervise lunchtimes and after-school activities, support students’ mental health, and complete a large amount of administration work – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For our latest report, Making time for great teaching, our staff surveyed more than 5000 Australian teachers and school leaders, about the impact of these responsibilities on teachers’ time. The results are dramatic – and here to dig into what they mean for education in Australia, are the authors of the report: Program Director Jordana Hunter, Deputy Program Director Julie Sonnemann, and Associate Rebecca Joiner. Hosted by Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/making-time-for-great-teaching-how-better-government-policy-can-help