A podcast aimed at delving into Australian politics and policy with a focus on environment, wealth inequality and foreign policy. We try to answer the question: why can’t they (the government) just solve big issues with simple solutions?
We started this podcast because we got tired of endless commentary on important policy issues that focused only on politics and not on the policies themselves and their potential outcomes. Politics can determine what policies can pass and in what form, but the more important question is what policies are and what they will and won’t achieve. We try to unpick this and present it in a way that will make sense to people who don’t have time to read all the detail themselves.
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Australian Politics Budget Climate Defence Democracy Economic Policy Electrification Environment Fairness Foreign Policy Free Speech Gas Human Rights Industry Inequality International Law Migration Multicultural National Security Policy Process Racism Renewable Energy Social Cohesion Social Policy Tax US AllianceIs Labor too tame? In person at the ALP national conference [S2-12]
Posted on Thursday, Jul 30, 2026Janaline, Luke and Glenn are joined by former co-host William at the ALP National Conference in Adelaide, where they talk about how the policy sausage is made and debate the pros and cons of behind the scenes negotiations and public stoushes on the conference floor. Is the ALP too tame?This episode was recorded on Friday 24 July, the second day of the 3-day conference.
Why can't they just fix aged care? [S2-11]
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 22, 2026Janaline and Glenn look at the government’s aged care reforms and ask whether they will be sufficient to ensure the system is sustainable in the future, especially given the rate at which Australia’s population is ageing. And given the devastating findings of the Aged Care Royal Commission, how does the government ensure that aged care delivers high quality outcomes for people to live in dignity and comfort?
Is child care working in Australia? [S2-10]
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 15, 2026Janaline, Luke and Glenn look at the history of child care in Australia and ask why you might want people to be qualified to look after your children. It won’t surprise anyone that we disagree that mothers should just be made to stay home to look after their children (not least because it means a lot of women just won’t have them). We also look at how child care is funded and delivered and make the case for a public option, and how to design incentives for the industry to focus on the welfare of children rather than the welfare of shareholders.
What's the government trying to do with the National Disability Insurance Scheme and is it going to work? [S2-09]
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026Janaline and Luke are joined by special guest and disability advocate Andy Shim, a member of the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council, to discuss the government’s proposed changes to the NDIS. Why are they so controversial and are they actually going to work?
Why can't the government ditch AUKUS and the US alliance? [S2-08]
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 1, 2026Janaline, Luke and Glenn look at the AUKUS program and ask why the government can’t just ditch it. And given the erratic decisions coming out of the current US administration, they ask why we wouldn’t just extract ourselves from the US alliance while we are at it.
Why can't we have publicly owned renewable energy? [S2-07]
Posted on Thursday, Jun 18, 2026Renewable energy is really taking off in Australia, but is it fast enough to meet the Government’s target of 82% by 2030? The McKell Institute and the Electrical Trades Union have recently released a report calling for a publicly-owned renewable energy entity to provide affordable, reliable renewable electricity to large industrial projects to accelerate the transition of Australia’s industrial and export base from fossil fuels to clean energy. Janaline, Luke and Glenn discuss the pros and cons of publicly owned energy generation, and the opportunities it can present for Australia’s industrial future. Spoiler alert - we think this is a terrific proposal.
Why should you care about human rights? [S2-06]
Posted on Thursday, Jun 11, 2026Janaline and Luke explore what human rights are, why they matter, and why creating conditional citizens ultimately threatens everyone’s rights.
Will the 2026 Federal Budget reduce inequality or destroy the economy? [S2-05]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 2, 2026Janaline, Glenn and Luke pick apart the 2026 Federal Budget, particularly the revenue measures, but also its potential impact on productivity. Spoiler alert - we think businesses and asset holders should pay tax just like wage earners.
What are One Nation's policies and what would they do? [S2-04]
Posted on Wednesday, May 27, 2026Janaline and Glenn discuss One Nation’s policy positions and what implementing them would mean for Australia.
Government spending: why can't they just balance the budget? [S2-03]
Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2026Janaline, Glenn, and Luke examine the major spending items in the 2026 budget and discuss why governments can’t just balance their budgets.
How can the government raise more revenue? [S2-02]
Posted on Thursday, May 7, 2026Janaline and Glenn discuss different ways of raising revenue for the government and the effects of different approaches on how people behave and therefore how much can be raised.
Why can't they just plug all those tax loopholes? [S2-01]
Posted on Friday, May 1, 2026Welcome to a new season. In our first episode, Janaline, Glenn and Luke consider why the Government can’t just plug the budget’s $200 billion worth of tax loopholes (called ’tax expenditures’). There are lots of reasons, and we think they can and should plug some of them.
Bonus episode: War on Iran and Australia's response [S1-16]
Posted on Saturday, Apr 11, 2026Janaline and William examine the US and Israel attack on Iran, its consequences for the rest of the world and the Australian government’s response.
Housing and cost of rent [S1-15]
Posted on Monday, Mar 9, 2026Janaline and William examine the pros and cons of rent freezes as a cost of living measure and the broader issues of housing affordability.
One Nation overtakes the Coalition in the polls [S1-14]
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026Janaline and William examine the political implications of One Nation overtaking the Coalition in the latest polls and discuss how the Labor Party must adapt to shifting political dynamics.
Australia's new hate speech laws [S1-13]
Posted on Monday, Feb 9, 2026Janaline and William examine hate speech legislation enacted by parliament following the Bondi attack, assess whether such measures were warranted, and consider alternative approaches to addressing antisemitism.
US bilateral relationship and international rules-based order [S1-12]
Posted on Sunday, Feb 1, 2026Janaline and William discuss the state of the international rules-based order and the current dynamics of the Australia-US relationship following Kevin Rudd’s early departure as ambassador.
Venezuela, US foreign policy and Australia's response [S1-11]
Posted on Thursday, Jan 15, 2026Janaline and William examine the consequences of a US attack on Venezuela, its legal standing, diplomatic fallout, and whether Australia should reconsider its alliance with the US under Trump.
Future Made in Australia [S1-10]
Posted on Monday, Dec 29, 2025Janaline and William examine Labor’s Future Made in Australia policy and explore its implications for Australia’s future economic prosperity.
Special episode: EPBC environmental law reform [S1-09]
Posted on Sunday, Nov 23, 2025Callum and Janaline examine the draft environmental law reform advanced through the House of Representatives, addressing the complexity of the legislation and correcting widespread misconceptions.
Gambling reform [S1-08]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 19, 2025Callum and Janaline examine why the federal Labor government is not implementing more ambitious reform to the regulation of gambling and gambling advertising. Spoiler alert — we think they are being lame.
Economic inequality [S1-07]
Posted on Sunday, Nov 2, 2025Callum and Janaline examine economic inequality and what governments can do to address it.
Racism and immigration [S1-06]
Posted on Monday, Oct 6, 2025Callum and Janaline explore immigration, racism, and what it means to be Australian.
Defence spending, national security and AUKUS [S1-05]
Posted on Sunday, Sep 14, 2025Callum and Janaline examine whether Australia needs to boost military expenditure, the genuine strategic challenges facing the nation, and the likelihood of submarine delivery under AUKUS.
Environmental law reform [S1-04]
Posted on Saturday, Aug 30, 2025Janaline and William discuss the politics of environmental law reform and the key changes needed to stop the biodiversity crisis while also making approval processes easier for business.
Tax, superannuation, economic reform and productivity [S1-03]
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2025Janaline and Will examine Australia’s superannuation tax changes, analyse media coverage of the reforms, and explore approaches to a fairer taxation system.
Iran, nuclear proliferation and international law [S1-02]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025William and Janaline examine Australia’s response to the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and the important role of international law in times of crisis.
Why can't they just stop new coal and gas? [S1-01]
Posted on Sunday, Jun 8, 2025William and Janaline examine the gap between climate messaging and actual climate policy, and what stopping new fossil fuel developments in Australia would really mean for global emissions.