Grattan Institute (Grattan Institute)

COVID has compounded the effects of career breaks for women. Just six months out of work can add another $100,000 to the average $2 million lifetime earnings gap between men and women with children in Australia. This International Women’s Day, listen to Danielle Wood, CEO, Kate Griffiths, Fellow, and Tom Crowley, Associate, on how the COVID recession has affected women, now and into the future, and what we can do to ‘build back better’. Read our full report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/womens-work

At the start of March, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released its final report into aged care and laid out an extensive plan to overhaul the aged-care system. There’s no doubt that aged care must be reformed. But with an overwhelming number of recommendations, where do we even begin? Listen to this informed discussion with Anika Stobart, Associate with the Grattan Health Program, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications.

Chances are, if you’re on the market for a new property, or are trying to sell, you might have noticed how bonkers the Australian property market is right now. Queues of thirty people at open inspections isn’t unheard of in metropolitan areas, and prices are skyrocketing due to demand. It’s an unexpected outcome - the start of the COVID pandemic saw predictions that house prices would fall 10-to-20 per cent. One year on and Australian house prices are now surging at their fastest rate since 2003. After all the talk of crashing house prices a year ago, it’s enough to give would-be homebuyers whiplash. Listen to Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, and Brendan Coates, Household Finances Program Director, tackle the very real problem of housing affordability.

Achieving net-zero emissions sometimes sounds like an unachievable dream. With the political football of climate policy, and the current reliance on gas and coal-fired electricity sources, you’d be forgiven for becoming despondent about Australia ever getting to net-zero. But, at least in the electricity sector, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Join Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, with Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, and James Ha, associate, in conversation about their new report, Go for Net Zero: A practical plan for reliable, affordable, low-emissions electricity.

All of us at some point in our lives have reaped the benefits of Medicare – whether that’s bulk billing a doctor’s appointment or receiving a more serious hospital procedure for free. When Medicare was introduced in the early 80s, the Minister for Health Dr Neal Blewett described it as ‘a simple, fair, affordable insurance system that provides basic health cover to all Australians’. But what about ‘a simple, fair, affordable aged care system that provides basic cover to all older Australians’. We have medicare, so why not a universally funded aged care system? Join Kat Clay and Anika Stobart, Associate, in conversation tackling this big question of why Australia should have a universal aged care system. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

Australia has a new Minister for Women’s Economic Security in Jane Hume. But with an enormous gender gap in lifetime earnings between men and women, the significant job losses for women during the pandemic, and some women facing poverty in retirement, it’s hard to know which issue to start with. Listen to Rebecca Joiner, Tom Crowley and Kat Clay discuss how to fix the lifetime earnings gap.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – for wonks that is. The Federal Government will soon release their May budget. But with economic recovery high on the agenda in the wake of COVID-19, you might be wondering where the government will be spending big – or slashing costs. Listen to Danielle Wood, Grattan CEO, in conversation with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, on what the upcoming budget might mean for you.

Taxpayers end up paying too much for major road and rail projects in Australia because governments don’t drive a hard bargain on contracts with the big construction firms. But what can governments do to make sure they get the best bang for the taxpayer's buck? Join Marion Terrill, Transport and Cities Program Director, Owain Emslie, Senior Associate, and Lachlan Fox, as they discuss infrastructure spending, contracts, and competition.

With Australia's borders closed because of the pandemic, it's no wonder that migration is at an all-time low. Yet the COVID crisis provides a unique opportunity to reset Australia's skilled migration program. Listen to Economic Policy Program Director Brendan Coates, and Senior Associate Will Mackey, in conversation with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications about their new report: Rethinking permanent skilled migration after the pandemic. Read the report online: https://grattan.edu.au/report/rethinking-permanent-skilled-migration-after-the-pandemic/

Australia’s vaccine rollout has been a train-wreck. Missed deadlines. A lack of transparency. Not to mention, expensive. And data published by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald suggest that a third of Australians are hesitant about getting vaccinated. A lack of information and confusing messages about who can get vaccinated, where, and when, have left everyday Australians reluctant to get the jab. Join Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, in discussion with Stephen Duckett, Health and Aged Care Program Director, on how to fix Australia's COVID vaccine rollout. Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate

In June 2020, Grattan Institute published a report called COVID catch-up: helping disadvantaged students close the equity gap. What we didn’t know was the impact this report would go on to have across Australia. One year later, half-a-billion dollars of funding has been dedicated to tutoring programs from both NSW and Victorian governments, and students are now getting the very real support they need. It’s proof of the power of good policy research to change Australia for the better. Join Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, Jordana Hunter, Education Program Director, and Julie Sonnemann, Education Fellow, as they chart the course of this impactful report – and where education policy can go from here. Take the education survey: http://ow.ly/xR0D50Fex6Q Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate

The federal government’s Your Future, Your Super Bill, which passed Parliament in June, is the latest in a long line of reforms aimed at reining in Australia’s woefully high superannuation costs. But how many of us really understand whether our super fund is performing well – or not? Join Brendan Coates, Grattan's Economic Policy Program Director, Xavier O’Halloran, Director of Super Consumers Australia, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, as they break down the complexities of superannuation reform. Your Super comparison tool: https://www.ato.gov.au/YourSuper-Comparison-Tool/

Australia’s state and territory governments have all committed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 - or earlier. And the Federal Government has indicated they’d like to meet that goal too. But to get there, Australia needs to dramatically cut its emissions across each sector of the economy. Some sectors, such as transport, have had lower emissions since the COVID-19 pandemic, but those emissions are set to rebound to pre-pandemic levels. Australia is not on track for net zero, and urgently needs good policies to push its emissions down. Join Alison Reeve, Energy and Climate Change Fellow, and James Ha, Associate, as they discuss their new report series Towards Net Zero with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications.

Australia’s governance is going backwards. Without change, there is little prospect for many substantial policy reforms that would increase Australian prosperity. Should we pine for the golden years of Australian policy reform, or is there a way forward from here? Listen to Grattan’s founding CEO, John Daley, in conversation with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, on his last Grattan report, Gridlock: removing barriers to policy reform. Read the report on our website: https://grattan.edu.au/

Compared to the rest of the world, Australia has fared incredibly well throughout the global COVID pandemic. We have had fewer cases and deaths than most countries, fewer days in lockdown, and one of the shortest recessions. But that’s not to say maintaining this suppression strategy hasn’t been easy. Sydney is experiencing a large Delta outbreak yet; Victoria just came out of its fifth lockdown. With only 14 per cent of Australians fully vaccinated, and vaccine supplies still constrained, it feels like there is no end in sight. Other countries like the UK and US are beginning to reopen and go back to life as normal, yet Australia is still shut off from the rest of the world. But the good news is, vaccines give us a way out. The wonder of vaccines is that they can carry us out of this mess to a world where lockdowns are no longer needed, and COVID is not a major public health threat. Join Tom Crowley, Will Mackey, Anika Stobart, and Brendan Coates, as they discuss their latest report Race to 80: our best shot at living with COVID, and how Australia can end lockdowns and start to reopen its border once 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/race-to-80/

Australia faces the great challenge of climate change. If we keep going the way we are going, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned the earth is likely to see a 1.5C increase in temperature by 2030, resulting in increased catastrophic weather events such as drought, fire and flood. These warnings call for urgent change. In 2020, the industrial sector was responsible for 31% of Australia's emissions. And our emissions in the sector have only increased over the past fifteen years. But how can we reduce carbon emissions in the industrial sector while maintaining jobs and the economy? Listen to Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications in conversation about their new report, Towards Net Zero: Practical policies to reduce industrial emissions. Read the report online: http://grattan.edu.au/

With NSW and Victoria in lockdown, cases rising every day, protesters clashing in the streets, and Delta reaching our most vulnerable remote communities, you might be feeling that the only light at the end of the tunnel is the successful vaccination rollout to Australia. But even the modelling around vaccinations is fraught with differing opinions. At what point should Australia open up? 70% vaccination rate? 80%? Should we even come out of lockdowns if we reach these targets? Listen to Stephen Duckett, Health and Aged Care Program Director in conversation with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, about what’s going on with Australia’s vaccine rollout. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

On Sunday, Dads across Australia were celebrated by their families for Father’s Day – whether in-person or virtually. But for new dads, Australia has one of the least generous parental leave schemes in the developed world. And Australian fathers have been reluctant to access what little leave is available to them. To coincide with Father’s Day, the Grattan team has released a new report – Dad Days: how more gender-equal parental leave would improve the lives of Australian families. Discussing their report is Danielle Wood, CEO, and Owain Emslie, Senior Associate, with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications.

Children aged 12 and over will be eligible for vaccination from September 13. While this is great news for parents with children over 12, it’s left many parents of young children concerned. After all, what happens to unvaccinated kids when we open up? And when they go back to school and childcare, is there a plan for managing the inevitable outbreaks? Jordana Hunter, Education Program Director, and Anika Stobart, Associate with Grattan’s health program, answer some of the most common questions about children and COVID in the latest podcast with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

Most Australians wouldn’t have given too much thought to the Reserve Bank of Australia. Apart from when it changes official interest rates following its monthly meetings, the role and importance of the RBA, and its governor Phil Lowe, is little understood or even acknowledged. But the Reserve Bank is now facing rare criticisms by leading economists for not having met its core targets for nearly a decade. And this week, international think tank the OECD has called for a review of the RBA. A call since endorsed by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who said he’d consider a review after the next election. And with the Federal ALP previously calling for an independent review of the Reserve Bank in April, it’s increasingly likely the RBA will next year face its first independent review in 40 years. Watch Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, discuss the role of the RBA and whether it should be reviewed with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communication. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

In 2019, the agriculture sector was responsible for 15% of Australia's carbon emissions. But how do you take action in a sector where most emissions come from animals like cows and sheep? It's also a sector which is vulnerable to climate change. Changes in rainfall patterns, threats of heatwaves and bushfires, all threaten the livelihoods of farmers. Join Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, discussing the third report in Grattan's series on how Australia can reach net zero, with Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, and James Ha, Associate. To read the report in discussion visit: https://grattan.edu.au/report/towards-net-zero-practical-policies-to-reduce-agricultural-emissions/

Net zero emissions. It’s the target everyone is talking about, from the Federal Government, to foreign governments, and from boardrooms to broadsheets. Although achieving net zero emissions globally is essential for limiting climate change, the target and how we get there are not very well understood. And one of the most contentious issues is offsetting: can we really pay others to reduce their emissions, or pay to suck carbon out of the atmosphere, to balance out our own emissions? Join Tony Wood, the Director of Grattan’s Energy and Climate Change Program, and Alison Reeve, Deputy Director, as they discuss their latest net zero report with co-author, James Ha, Associate.

Earlier this month, The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, or APRA for short, wrote to home loan lenders across the country to recommend strengthening mortgage lending assessments. The reason for this? The explosive and rapid increase in housing prices due to extended lockdowns and low-interest rates, and a rapid growth in bank lending to buy them. Households are borrowing more money than ever to reach the extraordinary prices needed to secure a home. But is this the right move? Who does it help and who does it hurt? And will it be enough to restrain a market that doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. Or are there more changes yet to come? Join Kat Clay, Grattan's Head of Digital Communications, in conversation with Brendan Coates, on how to rein in property prices in Australia, and whether we should.

Australians have a passionate love affair with cars. We use them to travel this vast and wide country, to visit friends and family, and carry our tools. Not to mention, do burnouts. But cars and their by-products also have a detrimental effect on our environment, health and wellbeing. And reducing our emissions from cars is just one of the puzzle pieces in reaching net zero by 2050. So, what policies can government put in place to make sure Australians can continue to enjoy cars, while reducing the negative social and environmental effects? To hear about their new report, The Grattan car plan: practical policies for cleaner transport and better cities, join Ingrid Burfurd, Senior Associate, and Lachlan Fox, Graduate Associate, with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, on the Grattan podcast.

Last week, the Federal Government released their plan to meet Australia’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. It’s a major breakthrough in Australia’s climate war, but is it enough? Just in time for the Glasgow climate conference COP26, Grattan’s climate change and energy team have released the last report in their report series, Towards net zero: A practical plan for Australia's governments. On this podcast are Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, and James Ha, Associate, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, discussing where Australia’s governments should start in the quest for net zero. To read the report series visit: https://grattan.edu.au/towards-net-zero/

At COP26, 197 countries signed the Glasgow climate pact, which aims to phase down unabated coal power throughout the world. Find out what happened at COP26 and the impact these decisions will have on Australian climate policy, in a conversation with Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, and James Ha, Associate. Read the Towards Net Zero report series: https://grattan.edu.au/towards-net-zero/

After years where inflation has been low and stable, suddenly there’s lots of talk about inflation. But how worried should we be? And what does it mean for the Australian economy, for interest rates and for Australian workers’ wages? Join Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, Alex Ballantyne, Senior Associate, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, as they tackle whether or not we should be worried about inflation.

The John Button Oration provides the opportunity for a prominent Australian to give a talk on policy in honour of the legacy of John Button. This year the oration was given by Grattan CEO, Danielle Wood, on the topic of The Next Generation’s Australia. We are grateful to the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne School of Government for hosting this event, and Professor John Howe for his introduction. To read the full text of Danielle's speech, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/news/john-button-oration-the-next-generations-australia/

In May 2021, the Federal Government announced a $18 billion package in response to the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Eighty thousand additional home care packages were announced to help reduce the significant waiting lists. But has this been enough to help provide care to some of our most vulnerable community members? Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, and Stephen Duckett, Health and Aged Care Program Director, discuss his new report on how to further improve home care.

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

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-prime-ministers-summer-reading-list/

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/

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 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.

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 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/

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/

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.

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/

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/

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/

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/

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.

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 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.

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

“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

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

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.

Jobs for mates – it’s frustrating when it happens in everyday life. Even more so when it happens at the highest levels of politics. A plum job as Trade Commissioner for a former Deputy Premier. A spot on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a former staffer. State and federal governments make hundreds of appointments each year to public boards and tribunals – and many of them go to people with political connections. While it may seem harmless – after all, ‘everyone does it’ – it can have pervasive consequences for Australia’s democracy. Listen to Danielle Wood, CEO, Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Anika Stobart, Associate, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, discuss Grattan's latest report New politics: A better process for public appointments. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/new-politics-public-appointments

The hospital system is at risk of breaking under the pressure of rising COVID cases. Hospitals are understaffed due to thousands of workers in isolation. Patients are being treated in corridors. Elective surgery has been cancelled. Emergency departments are overflowing with patients, without enough beds and staff to treat them. Most recently, NSW nurses protested to raise attention of the seriousness of these issues – it’s not just about an exhausted workforce, it seriously impacts patient outcomes. But what to do about it? On the Grattan Podcast, Peter Breadon, Health and Aged Care Program Director, and Owain Emslie, Senior Associate, join host Kat Clay, to discuss how to respond to surging COVID hospitalisations in the Australian health system. Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate/

Is it worth it? It’s the question that should be asked whenever governments come up with a shiny new infrastructure idea. But too often, major projects are announced as election promises, without evaluating the cost and the value of the project to taxpayers. And while cost-benefit analyses might not seem like the sexiest thing to accompany election promises, there’s a genuine opportunity for the new Prime Minister to reform infrastructure funding in Australia. Host Kat Clay is joined by Marion Terrill, Grattan’s Transport and Cities Program Director. Relevant research: Megabang for megabucks: driving a harder bargain on megaprojects: https://grattan.edu.au/report/megabang-for-megabucks/ Roundabouts, overpasses, and carparks: Hauling the federal government back to its proper role in transport projects https://grattan.edu.au/report/roundabouts-overpasses-carparks-hauling-the-federal-government-back-to-its-proper-role-in-transport-projects/

With massive worker shortages across the country, migration is expected to feature heavily in the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit, which brings together employers, unions, and governments to discuss the economic challenges facing Australia. Business groups are demanding the permanent migration intake be lifted to at least 200,000 for the next two years. Parts of the union movement have warned against relying too heavily on temporary migration, pointing to repeated cases of exploitation of migrant workers. Watch Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, in conversation with Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, discuss what the migration priorities for the government should be at the summit. To read the report in discussion, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/report/fixing-temporary-skilled-migration/

From sports rorts to regional slush funds, there seems to be no end of pork-barrelling scandals , where governments have been caught using public money to target certain voters for political gain. This week the Grattan podcast discusses the second report in the New Politics series, on what governments can do to stop pork-barrelling. Host Kat Clay is joined by Grattan’s CEO, Danielle Wood, and her co-authors Kate Griffiths and Anika Stobart from Grattan’s Budgets and Government team. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/new-politics-preventing-pork-barrelling/

Trucks. They deliver essential items – especially in the COVID lockdowns – but most of us want them off our local streets. Whether it’s the pollution or the noise, there are serious side-effects to trucks in urban areas, especially when the ageing fleet isn’t keeping up with the latest technologies. But how to reduce the health and environmental risks of trucks, while maintaining this vital mode of transport? Join Kat Clay as she interviews Marion Terrill, Program Director, and Ingrid Burfurd, Senior Associate, about the latest Grattan Report, The Grattan truck plan: practical policies for cleaner freight. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/grattan-truck-plan/

Last week, MPs, business leaders, unions, and economists met at the national Jobs and Skills Summit to discuss the future of the jobs market in Australia. High on the priority list were the skills shortages felt across Australian workplaces, increasing productivity, and improving the migration system. On this podcast, host Kat Clay interviews Grattan CEO, Danielle Wood, who gave the opening address at the summit. She is joined by Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director. Read Danielle's opening remarks from the conference: https://grattan.edu.au/news/think-big-a-new-mission-statement-for-australia/

In this Henry George lecture for Prosper Australia, Grattan’s Brendan Coates shows how expensive housing sits at the heart of some of Australia’s most pressing policy challenges. Read the full speech: https://grattan.edu.au/news/the-great-australian-nightmare/

The rumours are swirling. The US economy might be headed for a recession. And what happens in the international market significantly impacts Australia. Many commentators are concerned that we too might be headed for a recession. But is this an accurate prediction, or are there ways Australia can weather the storm? Host Kat Clay is joined by Trent Wiltshire, Deputy Program Director, Migration and Labour Markets, to see if the rumours are true.

If you’ve been watching TV or reading the paper, chances are you’ve seen an ad spruiking the achievements of federal and state governments, from the next big transport project to how they’re reducing the cost of living. While some of these ads are worthwhile—such as encouraging people to get vaccinated—others masquerade as subtle political ads on the taxpayer dime. So, what can be done to prevent such blatant misuse of taxpayer-funded advertising? Join host Kat Clay, as she discusses the latest report in the New Politics series, with co-authors Kate Griffiths and Anika Stobart. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

For teachers, deciding what to teach and how to teach it can be a big part of their job. Great teaching inside the classroom relies on great planning and preparation outside of the classroom and this takes time. But how do teachers find the time for this kind of curriculum and lesson planning? For our latest report, Ending the lesson lottery: How to improve curriculum planning in schools, our staff surveyed more than 2,000 Australian teachers and school leaders, about curriculum planning practices in their schools and what help they need. Listen to host Kat Clay in conversation with Senior Associate Amy Haywood, and Associate Nick Parkinson, on how to improve curriculum planning in Australian schools. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/ending-the-lesson-lottery-how-to-improve-curriculum-planning-in-schools/

The Victorian Government’s announcement of the revival of the State Electricity Commission, alongside bold targets for climate change and renewables, is the most dramatic in the last 25 years of Australia’s energy system. Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, and Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, break down this announcement and what it means for Australian policymakers, industry, and consumers. Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate/

Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down his first budget on Tuesday night, amid the usual fanfare of speculation, promises, posturing, and of course, photo ops. In this special Grattan podcast episode, Danielle Wood, CEO, and Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, cut through the fanfare to the heart of this federal budget, and what it means for Australia's economic future.

One of the biggest announcements of the October federal Budget was the National Housing Accord, with the goal to build one million new, well-located homes over five years from 2024. Host Kat Clay and Economic Policy Program Director, Brendan Coates, discuss this ambitious goal, and how it could ease the housing crisis. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

It won’t come as a surprise to the mums listening to this podcast, but there’s a price to pay for being a mother. Whether it’s the countless extra hours of unpaid labour, losing out on a promotion because you’ve got to pick the kids up from school, or even choosing to work part-time, this all has an enormous impact on lifetime earnings for Australian mothers. In this podcast, Kat Clay interviews Natasha Bradshaw, co-author of a Treasury paper on children and the gender earnings gap, alongside Owain Emslie, Grattan senior associate, on his policy recommendations to reduce the motherhood penalty. Read the Treasury paper: https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-10/p2022-325290-children-gender-gap.pdf Read Dad Days: https://grattan.edu.au/report/dad-days/ Read Cheaper Childcare: https://grattan.edu.au/report/cheaper-childcare/ Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate/

The Safeguard Mechanism is a key policy in Australia’s fight against climate change, which caps emissions from big industrial facilities and other large polluters. Greenhouse gas emitters, from LNG platforms to mines to airlines, must keep their emissions below a baseline, or pay. Now it faces reform, as the Albanese government has committed to amend the mechanism, to meet the 2030 target of cutting emissions to 43% below 2005 levels. But as ever, the devil is in the detail. Host Kat Clay is joined by Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, and Esther Suckling, Associate, to discuss the Safeguard Mechanism design issues facing the government. Read the Safeguard Mechanism reform paper: https://storage.googleapis.com/converlens-au-industry/industry/p/prj2135e8da0cf17d76c70fc/public_assets/Safeguard-Mechanism-consultation-paper.PDF For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

It’s hard to believe that Australia’s universal healthcare system, Medicare, is almost forty years old. Over that time, Australians’ health needs have changed significantly. We’ve got an ageing population, and mental illness and chronic disease are on the rise. GPs’ work is more complex – and Medicare hasn’t kept up. Our latest report, A new Medicare: Strengthening general practice, calls on Government to overhaul a system that is reaching a mid-life crisis. Host Kat Clay is joined by the authors of the report, Health Program Director, Peter Breadon, and Visiting Fellow Danielle Romanes, to discuss how to strengthen general practice in Australia.

Listen to Grattan CEO Danielle Wood in conversation with renowned journalist Eleanor Hall, as they discuss Grattan's top six thought-provoking, compelling, and relevant books from 2022. It’s been an extraordinary year, and these are extraordinary reads – not only for the Prime Minister, but for all Australians interested in public policy. Danielle and Eleanor were introduced by the CEO of State Library Victoria, Paul Duldig, and joined by the authors of three of these wonderful books, Debra Dank, Sam Vincent, and Jessica Au. The Grattan Institute 2022 Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister is: Career & Family: Women’s Century-Long Journey toward Equity – Claudia Goldin We Come With This Place – Debra Dank My Father and Other Animals – Sam Vincent Cold Enough for Snow – Jessica Au Buried Treasure – Jo Chandler (in the Griffith Review) Healing: Our path from mental illness to mental health – Thomas Insel Read more about the books: https://grattan.edu.au/news/announcing-grattan-institutes-2022-prime-ministers-summer-reading-list/ Purchase the books from Readings: https://www.readings.com.au/collections/grattan-institute-prime-ministers-summer-reading-list-2022#

A small crack in children’s foundational learning can be exacerbated as the years go on. Unless it’s addressed quickly, children get stuck in a vicious cycle, falling further and further behind their counterparts. Which is where small-group tuition comes in. Featuring host Kat Clay, with Julie Sonnemann, Principal Advisor, and Anika Stobart, Senior Associate. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/tackling-under-achievement/

Fuel tax – you might not know much about it, but winding back the 8 billion a year in fuel tax credits given to businesses could reduce the budget deficit by 4 billion dollars. Listen as host Kat Clay, interviews Marion Terrill, Transport and Cities Program Director, and Natasha Bradshaw, Associate, on their latest report, Fuelling budget repair: How to reform fuel taxes for business. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/fuelling-budget-repair/

It’s a long way to the top if you want to reform the Australian health system. Prime Minister Albanese has promised an Australian Centre for Disease Control, and it’s the subject of our new report ACDC: Highway to health. While the call for an ACDC comes out of the wake of the pandemic, you’d be forgiven for thinking its role is to deal with infection control. But Grattan's report focusses on the ACDC’s role to prevent chronic diseases. Report authors Peter Breadon, Program Director, and Lachie Fox, Associate, discuss the broader role of the ACDC with host Kat Clay. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/acdc-highway-to-health/

If you step into a newly built school these days, chances are they look very different to your childhood classroom. Instead of a standard classroom with four walls, you’re likely find a large room that contains two or three classes, with no wall to separate them, and ample room for teachers and students to move between the ‘classroom’ spaces. Listen to host Kat Clay in conversation with Senior Associate Anika Stobart, and Education Researcher Brigitte Garbin, about how open-plan classrooms might be harming our children's learning. Read the article discussed: https://grattan.edu.au/news/faddish-classroom-design-may-be-harming-our-children/

With tight housing supply in Australia, it’s a landlord’s market, and renters are queuing out the door in a fight to get a lease. But what’s driving this rental nightmare? Is it inflation? Housing availability? The Phillip Lowe effect? This rental nightmare raises even bigger questions for Australia: whether we can fix housing. Because the impacts aren’t just on buildings – there are very real effects on tenants, especially women, seniors, and low-income earners. Listen to host Kat Clay, in conversation with Trent Wiltshire, Deputy Program Director and Joey Moloney, Senior Associate, about what's causing Australia's nightmare rental market, and whether we can fix it.

The Albanese government has declared that they will increase the earnings tax rate on super accounts with a balance of over $3 million, much to the chagrin of the wealthy. While this has made prime fodder for comedians to mock the rich, there’s a more serious issue at play here. Super tax breaks need reform, and the budget deficits need to be repaired. Watch Economic Policy Program Director Brendan Coates, Senior Associate Joey Moloney, and host Kat Clay, discuss whether the government should be cutting tax breaks on multi-million dollar super balances. Read the Money in Retirement report https://grattan.edu.au/report/money-in-retirement/

In the past year, Australians have been navigating the rising cost of living, including increased electricity and gas bills. One tool which gives us an insight into electricity prices for the next financial year is the default market offer (DMO), a draft of which has recently been released by the Australian Energy Regulator. The DMO suggests electricity prices will rise by an average of 20 per cent in the coming year. In this podcast, Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Program Director, and Alison Reeve, Energy and Climate Deputy Program Director, discuss what the DMO means for electricity prices and consumers, in a conversation facilitated by Esther Suckling, Associate.

Every five years the Productivity Commission releases an inquiry into Australia’s productivity, with their latest five-year report released just last week. In it, they outline the case for advancing prosperity through building an adaptable workforce and creating a more dynamic economy, just to name a few. But Australia is facing a number of productivity challenges in the face of an uncertain world, which may hamper our economic growth in the years to come. Listen to host Kat Clay, in conversation with Grattan’s CEO, Danielle Wood, on why productivity matters. Read the report: https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/productivity/report

Less tax is paid on super savings than other forms of income. But if we want a fair and sustainable superannuation system, reform to super tax breaks is essential. On a recent podcast Grattan addressed the question of super tax breaks for balances with over $3 million. But reforming super is a much broader task, that if successful, will result in a fairer system which could repair the budget by billions. Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, and Joey Moloney, Senior Associate, discuss their new report with host Kat Clay.

The Australian Government is on track for more than 25 years of budget deficits. It’s a record that points to major structural issues with the budget. Tough decisions on spending and tax reform will be needed to avoid pushing the cost of today’s spending onto future generations. Grattan’s latest report offers a ‘menu of options’ to repair the budget. Host Kat Clay discusses these recommendations with report authors Danielle Wood, Kate Griffiths, and Iris Chan. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/back-in-black-a-menu-of-measures-to-repair-the-budget/

Last week, the federal government released their long awaited National Electric Vehicle Strategy. At the heart of the policy is a fuel efficiency standard, which sets a limit for carbon emissions from vehicles, to incentivise the sale of electric vehicles. Listen to Marion Terrill, Transport and Cities Program Director, Lachie Fox, Associate, and host Kat Clay, discuss this new strategy, and whether it goes far enough. National Electric Vehicle Strategy: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-electric-vehicle-strategy.pdf The Grattan Car Plan: https://grattan.edu.au/report/grattan-car-plan/ The Grattan Truck Plan: https://grattan.edu.au/report/grattan-truck-plan/

The federal government recently released their Review of the Migration System. The review has revealed a broken system in dire need of reform. To quote the report, “Australia now has a migration program that fails to attract the most highly skilled migrants and fails to enable business to efficiently access workers.” But how to fix it? Discussing the report and their policy recommendations are Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, Tyler Reysenbach, Associate, with host Kat Clay. Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate/ Read the Review of the Migration System: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/reports-and-pubs/files/review-migration-system-final-report.pdf

This year, the Budget is officially back in black. On Tuesday, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced an expected budget surplus, the first in 15 years. The budget included measures to address the cost of living, provide more support to vulnerable Australians, and healthcare reforms. Watch Iris Chan, Fellow, discuss the federal Budget with Grattan's CEO, Danielle Wood. Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate Read the Back in Black report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/back-in-black-a-menu-of-measures-to-repair-the-budget/

Housing is in crisis. Rents are surging. Interest rates continue to go up, with fears of another rate rise on the horizon. The 2023 federal Budget went some way to address the rising cost of living. But despite the increase to Rent Assistance, these policies don’t go far enough to address the long-term lack of housing supply. Host Kat Clay is joined by Brendan Coates, Economic Policy Program Director, and Joey Moloney, Senior Associate, to discuss why housing was the biggest missed opportunity in the federal Budget. Read Grattan's previous work on the Social Housing Future Fund: https://grattan.edu.au/news/a-place-to-call-home-its-time-for-a-social-housing-future-fund/ Donate to Grattan: https://grattan.edu.au/donate/

The serious problem of migrant worker exploitation shot to prominence in 2015, when a joint Fairfax Media and Four Corners report uncovered widespread underpayment of 7-Eleven employees. Recent governments have taken some steps to reduce exploitation, such as increasing maximum penalties for firms that knowingly underpay their workers and making improvements to the small claims process. But these changes don’t go far enough, and progress has stalled since the pandemic. Our new report, Short-changed: How to stop the exploitation of migrant workers in Australia, provides solutions to stamp out the exploitation of migrant workers. Trent Wiltshire, Deputy Program Director, discusses the report with co-authors Brendan Coates, Program Director, and Tyler Reysenbach, Associate. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/short-changed-how-to-stop-the-exploitation-of-migrant-workers-in-australia/

Australia’s vehicle regulation regime is so far out of step with other countries that vehicle manufacturers freely admit this country is a dumping ground for higher-emitting old models. According to Volkswagen, Australia is an ‘automotive third world’ and a ‘dumping ground for older and less-efficient vehicles’. In Australia, cars, utes, and SUVs contribute about 11% of our annual CO2 emissions. Which is why addressing car emissions is a key part of getting Australia to net-zero by 2050. Encouraging drivers to transition to electric vehicles is an obvious part of the solution, but a patchwork of policies currently regulates car emissions. Listen to Marion Terrill, Transport and Cities Program Director, Natasha Bradshaw, Associate, and host Kat Clay discuss why an emissions ceiling is the best option to reduce vehicle emissions.

Many Australians use gas for cooking, heating, and hot showers. But Australia won't hit its net zero emissions target by 2050 unless it gets off gas. To do this, we need to move our homes to efficient electric appliances. Listen to the authors of Grattan's latest report, Getting off gas, discuss why, how, and who should pay for this change. Featuring Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, and Esther Suckling, Associate. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/getting-off-gas

Independent MP and former GP Sophie Scamps has introduced a bill into federal parliament that would restrict junk food advertisements aimed at children. This isn’t the first time a ban on junk food advertising has been floated. But there are more reasons than ever to make it happen. Listen to Peter Breadon, Health Program Director, in conversation with host Kat Clay, to discuss the bill, and what governments should do to decrease childhood obesity. Donate to Grattan: grattan.edu.au/donate

The RBA has held off on raising the cash rate - for now. This comes as a sigh of relief to home owners, who have slogged through 12 rate rises since May 2022. But with warnings of further rate rises, many people are questioning whether they’re the only way to stop inflation. Listen to Trent Wiltshire, Deputy Program Director of Economic Policy, and Joey Moloney, Senior Associate, discuss how to stop inflation with host Kat Clay. For more information, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/

The federal government has called a 90-day snap review of the Infrastructure Investment Program. The program was originally intended to fund projects of national significance, but has since ‘drifted away’ from those lofty ambitions. But should the federal government be involved in infrastructure funding at all? Grattan Institute research has shown that federal funding of state and local infrastructure projects is often an exercise in pork-barrelling. After all, local road roundabouts and train-station carparks aren’t exactly the Sydney Opera House. In this special Grattan Podcast, our transport and cities experts Marion Terrill and Natasha Bradshaw discuss with host Kat Clay how federal infrastructure money should be best used.

This year, the NAPLAN report card will look very different. For the first time, parents will be told whether their child has met the new “proficient” benchmark for their level, in reading, writing, numeracy, and grammar. With four proficiency categories, all with new terminology, what does this mean for parents and teachers? Grattan Institute Associates Nick Parkinson and Dominic Jones discuss the new-look NAPLAN.

Early education and care are hugely important. It’s where children are first exposed to the education system, in a period that’s crucial for their brain development. It's also important for the economy – particularly for supporting women back into the workforce. So why is it so expensive, even with government subsidies? Listen to Grattan CEO Danielle Wood, in conversation with Grattan Fellow Iris Chan, on how to make childcare cheaper.

Grattan Institute’s work on housing policy keeps coming back to one basic idea: Australia needs more housing in the areas where people want to live and work. So why hasn’t Australia built enough homes to keep prices under control? Because of the land-use planning regulations that dictate what gets built where. Those planning regulations have a status-quo bias. They give too much say to people who oppose development or change – the so-called ‘NIMBYs’, or ‘Not-in-my-backyard’. Enter the ‘YIMBY’ movement: enthusiastic young people who say ‘Yes-in-my-backyard’. In this special Grattan podcast on Australia’s housing crisis, our Senior Associate, Joey Moloney, and guests Jono O’Brien and Melissa Neighbour from the YIMBY movement discuss this grass-roots movement that aims to revolutionise the housing debate and make it easier for young Australians to get a roof over their heads.

Dubbed by some as the “world’s worst electric vehicle policy”, Victoria introduced a per-kilometre charge on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in 2021. EV drivers were so riled up about the charge that they headed to the High Court to fight it. We’re now awaiting the High Court’s decision, which will determine whether state governments have the constitutional authority to impose the tax. But is it really such a bad policy? And, more broadly, why is Australia so far behind other countries in making the switch from high-polluting petrol and diesel vehicles to EVs? In this latest Grattan Podcast, our transport experts Marion Terrill and Natasha Bradshaw discuss the implications of the High Court case for revenue-raising, electric vehicle take-up, and the future of road-user charging.

The 2023 NAPLAN school test results released this week show that 1 in 3 Australian students are not on track with their learning. The results also reveal deep inequities in Australian schools, with more than half of disadvantaged students performing below expectations. In this special Grattan Podcast, our NAPLAN specialists Anika Stobart and Nick Parkinson discuss why Australia is performing so poorly, and what governments should do to turn this around so all students have the literacy and numeracy skills they need to have their best chance in life.

Grattan Institute CEO Danielle Wood delivered the annual Giblin Lecture in Hobart last week. A partnership between the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian branch of the Economic Society of Australia, the lecture is named for the eminent Australian economist, Lyndhurst Falkiner Giblin. Danielle used the occasion to issue this plea: “Let’s drop the petty generational warfare, and work together to ensure that the Australia we leave to our children is better than the one we inherited.” And she set herself this tough task: “I want to explore the issues that young people tell us are keeping them up at night, and let them know why this has happened but also what we might as a nation do about it.” In this special edition of the Grattan Podcast, we present a recording of Danielle delivering the lecture, complete with slides.

Last year, the federal government struck a Housing Accord with the states. Together, they committed to build 1 million new, well-located homes across Australia over the next five years. But sky-rocketing rents have turned up the heat on governments to do much more. Last month, National Cabinet responded. The new target is 1.2 million homes over five years, with the federal government offering financial rewards to whichever states do the most to get us towards the new target. And the Prime Minister and the Premiers also promised a better deal for renters. Will it be enough? In this special Grattan Podcast, our housing experts Brendan Coates and Joey Moloney unpack the National Cabinet package, explain why it’s important, and identify the next challenges for policy-makers as they struggle to make housing more affordable for more Australians.

Our governments know a lot about us. They hold data on how much we earn, how much tax we pay, our health records, business earnings, even whether we have a fishing license. As we saw during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, data on the spread of the virus and the pace of the vaccine rollout was vital for keeping us safe and holding our governments to account. Government data is also essential for informed public policy debates, and it’s invaluable for researchers and others who advocate for better public policy. But a lot of government data in Australia is locked up behind closed doors. And when governments do make data available, it is often published in ways that are difficult to understand and unwieldy for researchers to use. In this special Grattan Podcast, Grattan data specialist Tyler Reysenbach is joined by Adam Sparks, a Senior Research Scientist with Western Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and Matt Cowgill, Senior Economist at SEEK, to talk about how our governments could get better at data, and how things could be improved in ways that would improve public policy and, ultimately, the lives of all Australians.

After four years, 32 public hearings, 8,000 submissions, and almost 10,000 people sharing their experience, the Disability Royal Commission has handed its final report to the federal government. Throughout the investigation, the commission heard horror stories of abuse, neglect, coercion, unscrupulous NDIS providers, and severe underpayment of workers with disability. With more than 200 recommendations, the government has an enormous task ahead of it to improve the lives of Australians with disability. This podcast pinpoints some of the most important recommendations, and identifies where the government should start. The report release coincides with the launch of Grattan Institute’s Disability Program, supported by the Summer Foundation. Grattan’s podcast host Kat Clay is joined by our Disability Program Director, Sam Bennett, and researcher Hannah Orban.

Australia faces stiff competition to attract the best students to study and stay in Australia. But a growing cohort of international students are being left behind on temporary visas, struggling to pursue their chosen careers. Grattan's latest report, Graduates in limbo: International student visa pathways after graduation, shows how government can fix visa pathways to give talented graduates a chance to shine, without offering false hope to students. Associate Tyler Reysenbach, is joined by Program Director Brendan Coates and Deputy Program Director Trent Wiltshire, to talk about what the federal government can do to reform the graduate visa system. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/graduates-in-limbo/

This month, Claudia Goldin made history for being the third woman to win the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences. As much as this is an outcome to be celebrated as a milestone for women in economics, as an economist, Goldin has shifted the world’s understanding of women’s labour market outcomes. Her influential research examines the reasons for the gender pay gap, and the educational, medical, and cultural progressions which prevent – or enable – women to work. The recent introduction of paid parental leave changes to the House of Representatives is just one way to increase women’s workforce participation in Australia. But are there more ways for Australia to improve economic outcomes for women? This podcast examines Goldin’s research, and what it means for Australia – and especially, Australian women. Helpful links Announcement of Claudia Goldin's Nobel win https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2023/press-release/ Career and Family by Claudia Goldin: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691201788/career-and-family Greedy jobs, labour market institutions, and the gender pay gap by Kristen Sobeck: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4306651 Children and the Gender Earnings Gap: Evidence for Australia by Elif Bahar, Natasha Bradshaw, Nathan Deutscher and Maxine Montaigne https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-03/p2023-372004.pdf On the Origins of Gender Roles: Women and the Plough https://scholar.harvard.edu/nunn/publications/origins-gender-roles-women-and-plough

Salt is sneaking into Australian diets, worsening our health outcomes from salt-related diseases. And while Australia has a target to reduce salt intake by 30 per cent by 2030, our food policies lag behind other countries. But are our diets just a matter of personal responsibility? Or does the government have a greater role to play in reducing salt in our diets? Listen to Peter Breadon, Health Program Director, Lachlan Fox, Associate discuss Grattan’s latest report, Sneaky salt: How Australia can shake its salt habit. Hosted by Kat Clay. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/sneaky-salt/

Is tax reform in Australia an impossible dream? Danielle Wood addresses this question in her Freebairn Lecture, given in honour of Professor John Freebairn AO. In this special podcast presentation, she argues that tax reform is essential to rebuild the budget, improve equity, and break down the age segregation in the current tax system. Audio courtesy of the University of Melbourne Faculty of the Business and Economics. Read the full text of the speech: https://grattan.edu.au/news/tax-reform-in-australia-an-impossible-dream/