Good gas? Reforming the energy system after COVID-19

Listen to CEO Danielle Wood, in discussion with renowned journalist and broadcaster Geraldine Doogue, as we reveal our top six thought-provoking, diverse, and relevant books and articles from 2020. 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. Featuring an introduction by CEO of State Library Victoria, Kate Torney, and interviews with four of the featured authors, Alex Miller, Clare Wright, Evelyn Araluen, and Marian Wilkinson. Grattan’s 2020 list is: The Carbon Club, Marian Wilkinson, Allen & Unwin Fire Front: First Nations poetry and power today, edited by Alison Whittaker, UQP Good Economics for Hard Times, Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Public Affairs How the dark gets in, Clare Wright, Meanjin Max, Alex Miller, Allen & Unwin Men at Work: Australia’s Parenthood Trap, Annabel Crabb, Black Inc. You can read more about our list here: https://grattan.edu.au/news/announcing-grattan-institutes-annual-summer-recommended-reading-list-for-the-prime-minister/

20 Joulu 20201h 18min

2020 was an enormous year for Australia, but it's also been a big year for the Grattan Institute. We've seen bushfires, the coronavirus crisis, and the huge fiscal and societal effects of the pandemic. In a special podcast, Grattan Institute CEO, Danielle Wood, reflects on the year that was, the enormous impacts that Grattan has had on public policy, and the future of our research for 2021. To donate to Grattan, visit: https://grattan.edu.au/donate

18 Joulu 202021min

Australia is getting hotter, and Australians’ health is being harmed. Our health sector must do more to adapt to the reality of climate change. This podcast discusses Grattan's last report for the year, Climate change and health: preparing for the next disaster, with Will Mackey, Senior Associate, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications. Read the report: https://grattan.edu.au/report/climate-change-and-health-preparing-for-the-next-disaster/

7 Joulu 202016min

In 2020, the out of sight, out of mind attitude to older Australians had deadly consequences. By the end of Australia’s second wave in October 2020, there had been about 2,000 COVID-19 cases and 680 deaths in residential aged care – mostly in Victoria – accounting for about 75 per cent of Australia’s COVID-19 death toll. This rate of deaths in residential care is much higher than many comparable countries. Back in October of this year, Anika Stobart, Associate, and Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communication, discussed the rights of older Australians on the podcast, and our proposed rights-based framework for reforming the aged care system. This time, they discuss Grattan's newest report: Reforming aged care: a practical plan for a rights-based system.

29 Marras 202020min

Last week the Victorian Government announced a $5.4 billion dollar Big Housing Build, billed as a ‘landmark investment in social housing.’ The plan will build more than 12, 000 new homes in Victoria, including more than 9300 new social housing properties, and upgrades to existing public housing facilities. Likewise Western Australia, Tasmania, and NSW have all announced social housing building projects as part of their economic recovery strategies. But why is building social housing both an economic and societal win? Listen to Brendan Coates, Household Finances Program Director, in conversation with Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications, on why social housing is good stimulus.

22 Marras 202018min

Far from fuelling the recovery from the COVID recession, natural gas will inevitably decline as an energy source for industry and homes in Australia. Listen to Tony Wood, Energy Program Director, and Guy Dundas, Energy Fellow, bust the three biggest myths around a gas-led recovery in their latest report: Flame out: the future of natural gas in Australia. Hosted by Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications. You can read the report in discussion here: https://grattan.edu.au/report/flame-out-the-future-of-natural-gas

15 Marras 202020min

Australian governments are currently fast-tracking transport projects, hoping for an infrastructure-led recovery from the COVID-19 recession. But our infrastructure pipeline is already bulging with several megaprojects underway across the country. And the history of such projects in terms of cost is not great. Governments have often ended up spending millions - and even billions - more on these projects than they first told the public they would. Listen to Senior Associates Owain Emslie and Greg Moran, in conversation with Paul Austin, about their latest report: The Rise of Megaprojects: Counting the cost.

8 Marras 202019min

This week Victoria reached 0 COVID cases and 0 deaths – in what has affectionately been dubbed ‘Donut Day’. It’s been a hard-won road with the dramatic shutdown of the entire state for 112 days. Hospitality, retail and the arts have been hard hit, not to mention the tragic deaths and illnesses due to the virus itself. But in reaching zero, Victoria has achieved a world first. No other place in the world has tamed a second wave this large. Listen to Kat Clay in conversation with Tom Crowley, Grattan associate, about how Victoria's response compares to other countries around the world. Read the article in discussion on our website: https://grattan.edu.au/news/at-zero-new-cases-victoria-is-on-top-of-the-world/

29 Loka 202019min