On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains why government spending isn’t to blame for higher inflation in Australia right now and why arguments about whether the government spends too much or too little are simplistic; how the money is spent matters.

This episode was recorded on Friday 6 November.

Read more on The Point.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Host: Anna Chang, Managing Editor, The Point // @annachang

Show notes:

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, Australia Institute Press (August 2026)

Rate rises won’t bring down oil prices or stop the data centre boom by Matt Grudnoff, The Point (October 2026)

Brutal interest rate hike won’t address main causes of inflation, Follow the Money, the Australia Institute (November 2026)

Six ways to save the Commonwealth billions, fairly and efficiently by Matt Grudnoff and Greg Jericho, The Point (November 2026)

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. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains why the artificial intelligence (AI) industry is banking on mass unemployment, the impact of AI on superannuation, and what happens if the AI bubble bursts.

This episode was recorded on Friday 30 October.

Read more on The Point.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss

Host: Glenn Connley, Senior Media Advisor, the Australia Institute // @glennconnley

Show notes:

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, Australia Institute Press (August 2026)

'Not an unintended consequence': Mass unemployment is the AI business model by Tegan George, The Point (October 2026)

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. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senate Estimates is a government and department accountability mechanism. It’s a process where Senators get to look under the hood of Federal Departments and ask, among other things, how is taxpayer money being spent? In this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explores why Estimates matter for democracy, and ways it can be improved.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute //@richarddenniss

Order More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia, Richard Denniss’ Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press.

Show notes:

Aussies pay more tax on beer than international gas companies pay on tens and billions of dollars worth of our offshore gas they export | David Pocock, via Facebook
David Pocock is right: more tax is raised from beer than from petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) | The Point

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 topodcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Support What's the Point? & the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/4bkeiGc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.