Episoder

  • Federal politics got interesting this week when our very own James Massola and David Crowe reported that the Labor government has asked the Treasury to model cuts to negative gearing tax concessions, a policy that has previously caused Labor plenty of electoral pain.

    The Prime Minister and his frontbench are being very coy about any proposed changes to the tax treatment of investment properties.

    Are changes to negative gearing an option the government is really considering? How would they argue the case to cut the concessions this time, given they have tried and failed to do so before? And would changes to negative gearing make any difference to house prices anyway?

    Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss are chief political correspondent David Crowe and national affairs editor James Massola.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • The Albanese government came to power promising to ease the housing crisis by increasing supply. But has its housing agenda stalled?

    This week, the Greens hardened their opposition to two key elements of the government’s housing policy.

    The Prime Minister has urged the Greens to “get on with it” and wave the plans through. So will Labor be able to secure its agenda? And if not, who will pay the political price?

    Plus we have a look at the war of words between the business lobby and the government. Is this just the usual tension we often see between a Labor government and corporate interests? Or is it something more significant?

    Joining Jaqueline Maley to discuss, is federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal and chief economic correspondent Shane Wright.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • Mangler du episoder?

    Klikk her for å oppdatere manuelt.

  • Snapchat is officially on notice. As are Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

    This week the Prime Minister and his communications minister Michelle Rowland announced they will introduce a ban on young people using social media. But they were short on detail, including exactly what age the government would require teens to be before they could access social media.

    Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton promised the minerals industry that a Coalition government would be the “best friend” of miners.

    Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss, are chief political correspondent David Crowe and shadow communications minister David Coleman.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • This week’s National Accounts figures showed that GDP growth was the weakest annual figure since the 1990s recession, not counting the pandemic.

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the soft growth reflected the “impacts of global economic uncertainty, higher interest rates and persistent but moderating inflation”. But Chalmers also seemed to blame the Reserve Bank, saying the RBA is “smashing” the economy with interest rates.

    Meanwhile, The Age and SMH exclusively reported this week that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vented his frustration to his cabinet colleagues over the mishandling of the possible new census questions about gender and sexuality.

    Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss, is chief political correspondent David Crowe, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright, and national affairs editor James Massola.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • The Albanese government has told the university sector it has to slash foreign students by 53,000 places by next year. The universities say this will financially devastate them, but the government has pledged to halve net migration by next year, and something has to give.

    Plus, this week, members of the militant CFMEU hit the streets in major capitals to protest the Government’s decision to place the controversial union into administration.

    Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent David Crowe and Australian National University professor Andrew Norton.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • In this special episode of Inside Politics, Treasurer Jim Chalmers sits down with Jacqueline Maley, chief political correspondent David Crowe and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright to talk about tax, housing and the cost of living crisis.

    The Treasurer acknowledges how high mortgages are impacting ordinary Australians, and talks about what the Government is focusing on in the upcoming mid year budget. Plus he shares some words of wisdom he lives by every day.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • After a six-week break over winter, the Parliament was a fiery place this week.

    Labor framed the next election as one between the “mainstream vs the maddies”, and the opposition is homing in on its framing of the prime minister as dishonest.

    But, as has been the case so many times in the past year, the parliament again convulsed over the war in Gaza. Opposition leader Peter Dutton started a sharp immigration row when he called for Palestinians to be blocked from Australia because they may sympathise with Hamas. The vehemently pro-Israel leader sought to portray Labor as weak on the Gaza issue by questioning their approach on the refugee intake.

    But how will this play out in electorate, and how has the government responded?

    Joining Paul Sakkal are chief political correspondent David Crowe and home affairs and immigration reporter Natassia Chrysanthos.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • This week the boss of the Australian spy agency, ASIO, lifted the terror threat level from possible to probable. The last increase in the threat level was in 2014, and it was in response to Islamic extremism.

    This time, the risk to society is different - it is the risk of young men, especially, being radicalised online by a grab-bag of conspiracy theories and far-right grievances, and carrying out a lone wolf attack.

    So what are the social conditions that have led to this evolving threat to our safety? And what can our security agencies do to make us safer?

    Plus, we take a look at the decision by the Reserve Bank to leave rates on hold and the effect this will have on the fortunes of the Albanese government.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • Australians are buying way less stuff. Households are draining their savings.

    Yet at the same time, we’ve been hearing months of warnings that the Reserve Bank might again hike mortgage rates.

    That all changed on Wednesday when a key data set was released. It showed the prices of goods and services were still rising higher than we would like, but not quite as quickly as some feared.

    Today, senior economic correspondent Shane Wright joins Paul Sakkal to unpack what the latest data tell us about our economy, and whether mortgage holders might see some relief.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • The cost of energy generation went up over winter.

    That doesn’t mean power bills are about to spike however - retail prices are set once a year by a regulator, which means that households aren’t about to see a change in the cost of their electricity any time soon.

    But the increased cost of generating power could have big impacts on the economy, politics and households.

    Also, two long-serving Labor ministers are retiring from politics, ahead of the next federal election. Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney, and Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Conner will leave parliament at the election, and the Prime Minister will use their retirements to reshuffle his cabinet this weekend.

    Today, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley and national affairs editor James Massola on what government’s are doing to fix our energy market and what a reshuffle means for Labor.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • Unions and Labor are intertwined. The oldest Labor Party in the world traces its roots to the shearers strike of the 1890s.

    At that time, powerless workers decided to band together to create a political party and take on big business.

    The aims of unions underpins a lot of what Labor does when it holds power. Many of its MPs worked for unions. But what happens when one misbehaves? Misbehaves badly.

    There have long been suggestions and reports of bully-boy tactics in the rough world that is the building industry. But reports in The Age and SMH revealed so much more than the odd bad apple.

    Labor is already sagging in the polls. A new union scandal now threatens to derail the government’s winter agenda and opens it up to the long-standing charge of being too close to trade unions.

    Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and political reporter Angus Thompson join Paul Sakkal to discuss the CFMEU scandal and what it means for the government.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • They’re worn by the hundreds of lobbyists who are granted access to the building and the politicians who work inside it.It’s a lucrative business - lobbyists charge handsomely to help big firms get access to large federal deals.

    And with billions of dollars of government contracts up for grabs - including $22.7 billion for Labor’s made in Australia plan - a new class of Labor-allied lobbyists has emerged.

    This has heightened concerns about the power of top lobbyists and renewed calls for more transparency about the access they get to the country’s decision makers.

    Today, Chief political correspondent David Crowe talks to Paul Sakkal to discuss this lobbyland and the rise of Labor insiders becoming guns for hire, as well as the emergence of a new group called The Muslim Vote that is also trying to influence politics.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • After a tumultuous couple of weeks in Canberra, senator Fatima Payman has quit the Labor party. On Thursday, Payman emotionally announced her decision to leave the party that helped her gain a senate seat in the 2022 election, saying she had exhausted every option to raise her concerns about the government’s position on Palestinian recognition. Today, political correspondents Paul Sakkal and Angus Thompson talk to Jacqueline Maley about the split between Payman and the Labor party and its ramifications.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • "My name is Julian Paul Assange."

    These were the first words spoken by the Wikileaks founder and high-profile long-time former prisoner as he finally faced court to answer charges this week. Assange accepted a deal to plead guilty of violating US espionage law and appeared on Wednesday in a court in the obscure US Pacific island territory of Saipan.

    He was sentenced to time already served and boarded a flight home to Canberra, Australia. He arrived home on Wednesday evening to a cold Canberra evening, a triumphant fist raised.

    So how big a political coup is Assange’s release? Who has been working on it and for how long? Why has Albanese made it a project of his government?

    And, the temporary defection of Labor Senator Fatima Payman to the Greens.

    Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent David Crowe, national security correspondent Matthew Knott, and live from Saipan, North Asia correspondent Lisa Visentin.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • This week Opposition leader Peter Dutton unveiled the Coalition’s plans for its nuclear energy policy. In doing so, he drew the battle lines for the next election, with the Albanese government firmly backing in its own plan to lower emissions using renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar.

    Plus, this week Australia hosted a visit from the Chinese Premier Li Qiang. So did the visit improve relations with our largest trading partner, or set them back?

    Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe, and national climate and environment editor Nick O’Malley and national affairs correspondent Matthew Knott, join Jacqueline Maley.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • This week, opposition leader Peter Dutton indicated he would not commit to a climate change target for 2030 until after the election. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hit back, saying the Coalition policy would mean energy shortfalls and higher bills. This development sets up the next election as a battle between the major parties on global warming.

    Also, there has been discontent among Liberal party members - particularly senator Hollie Hughes, who was recently kicked off a winnable spot on the senate ticket.

    Today, national affairs editor James Massola and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss what these climate battle lines mean.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • Amid the national debate about immigration levels, it was reported this week that yoga instructors, martial artists and dog handlers have been put above some construction trades on the nation’s draft priority skills list for migrants.

    This is despite a desperate need for tradies to build more homes to address the nation’s housing crisis.

    Plus, a look at another important skills shortage - in our armed forces.

    Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss all this is chief political correspondent David Crowe and national affairs editor Matthew Knott.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • The Albanese government faced relentless pressure this week as it scrambled to replace a ministerial direction linked to tribunal decisions that has allowed serious criminals to stay in Australia.

    The Prime Minister has also been forced to defend embattled Immigration Minister Andrew Giles in parliament - as public servants revealed some criminals including murderers and sex offenders were not required to wear ankle monitors under immigration detention laws.

    The Coalition has stepped up its calls for Giles to go, detailing cases where the Administrative Appeals Tribunal allowed non-citizens to stay in Australia, despite their history of often violent offending.

    Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss these developments is chief political correspondent David Crowe and migration reporter Angus Thompson.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • This week we look at two stories about our public servants. The first story is about the faceless kind of public servant who toil in government departments, and the second story is about the political public servants at the heart of the Albanese government, as we discuss the different public and private roles of ministers.

    Joining Jacqueline Maley is national affairs editor James Massola and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • The government handed down its third federal budget this week, and it was the usual blizzard of figures.

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers gave us hand-outs, grand plans for the future and some heroic predictions on inflation figures.

    Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and national affairs editor James Massola join Jacqueline Maley to unpack the budget as a political document - will it help the government win the next election, and will the voting public believe all the promises made about the future of the economy?

    Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

    Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.