The Fin: Recent Episodes
Australian Financial Review
A weekly podcast from The Australian Financial Review that examines the biggest stories in business, markets and politics, and why they matter, explained by the best financial journalists in the country.
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Angela Macdonald-Smith and Ryan Cropp on the reasons we all stopped freaking out about the oil price and why that was premature.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac
Further reading:
Labor’s plans to source more fuel leaves shipments stranded at sea
The government has been accused of picking winners for its subsidised import plan, which has created a glut and forced vessels to wait offshore for months.
Ampol rakes it in on refining, trebling first-half profits
Bumper first-half gross profits have been driven by soaring returns on turning crude oil into petrol and diesel during the conflict in the Middle East.
Oil refiners chase sweeter support deal despite surging profits
Ampol and Viva Energy are pushing for a major overhaul of subsidies to keep their refineries running for longer, even as their own earnings are soaring.
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Legal affairs reporter Janek Drevikovsky on why Twiggy is taking on Meta, whether he can win and what happens if he does.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac
Further reading:
Meta admits it wiped key evidence in Forrest stoush
The social media giant has accepted it should be punished for not preserving copies of Facebook scam ads featuring the mining billionaire’s likeness.
‘Dad, it’s a fraud’: Call that sparked Forrest’s $60m war on Facebook
Why is Andrew Forrest fighting one of the world’s biggest tech companies in one of California’s most storied courts – and spending his own money to do it?
Forrest pressures local ad body to penalise Meta over scam revenue
Andrew Forrest has written to IAB Australia asking for the group to consider Meta’s membership, after news the company made more than $20 billion from scams.
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James Thomson and Ronald Mizen on why CEOs are losing patience with the AI giants, what’s driving the government’s policy shift, and whether Anthony Albanese is overplaying his hand.
This podcast is sponsored by Workday
Further reading:
Could China’s AI bombshell spark a ‘Lehman Bros moment’ for markets?
A new model that threatens OpenAI and Anthropic could have huge ramifications for global indices, which have soared on the artificial-intelligence trade.
The AI pivot: inside Albanese’s plan to bring big tech to heel
Riding high on global momentum from the under-16 social media ban, the prime minister is stepping up for a high-stakes public brawl with AI tech giants.
National security concerns drove Labor’s pivot on AI
As the technology increasingly encroaches on defence capabilities, cyber experts and the opposition warn that Australia must redouble its efforts to master it.
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How I Made It is back with host Lauren Sams.
Don’t miss season six as we uncover how Australia’s top entrepreneurs built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way.
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Professional services editor Edmund Tadros on the fallout from the KPMG scandal and what the government might do to bring the big four accounting firms into line.
Further reading: KPMG’s ‘10-hour masterclass in how not to respond to a crisis’By repeating PwC’s crisis-management mistakes, KPMG has forced a reluctant federal government to finally pull the trigger on unprecedented structural reforms. No timeline for big four reform despite PwC, KPMG scandalsAssistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino says reform is “real priority for the government”, but concedes there is “no particular timeline” for new rules. Inside Project Magenta: How Allens gave KPMG a pass on leaksThe law firm cleared the company of partner misconduct without interviewing a single outsider and using a literal reading of the allegations.
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Wealth reporter Andrew Hobbs and property reporter Lucy Slade unpack our national obsession, explain why property has been such a powerhouse, and ask a previously unthinkable question: Is investing in property even worth it anymore?
This podcast is sponsored by Workday
FURTHER READING:
Should you buy an investment property after the budget changes?
New restrictions on negative gearing and capital gains tax alter the appeal of residential property.
Economists say property prices might fall 10pc. So what?
With property prices up 400 per cent since 2000, what does a 10 per cent drop actually mean? And what happened the last time governments made major changes to property taxes?
Sydney renters drowning amid record rent rises
Rental prices are at record highs nationallypushing Sydney’s median to $841 a week, due to the vast shortage of homes available
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Political editor Phillip Coorey on the government’s budget backdowns, the increasingly crowded field in Australian politics and why it will be a bumpy two years to the next election.
This podcast is sponsored by Workday
Further reading:
PM wins round one of the budget battle, at a cost
Proper process, good policy and taxpayers’ money were among the casualties of this week’s rush to legislate the budget.
Finally, the teals discover that the Senate is where it’s at
By forming a new party – Community Strong Australia – lower house independents are finally realising that true policy influence lies in the upper house.
While Hanson stumbles, Taylor’s Coalition is quietly sinking
One polling setback does not a crisis make for One Nation, but it is a reminder that major parties are subject to more questioning and scrutiny.
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Chanticleer columnist Anthony Macdonald and technology editor Paul Smith on the investment case for SpaceX, whether there’s enough money for the other AI mega floats and why Australian investors are all in.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
SpaceX is the first of three sci-fi IPOs with truly insane maths
Elon Musk has shot for the stars with the first of three huge AI-based floats that ask investors to believe the companies can boldly go where no one has gone before.
Fears of ‘AI Strait of Hormuz’ as Trump’s Anthropic ban shocks business
Labor’s Ed Husic and some of Australia’s top tech leaders warn Donald Trump’s export ban on the latest Anthropic AI models exposes a national over-reliance.
How SpaceX turned the IPO curse into a goldmine
The real genius of the company’s historic $2 trillion public listing isn’t the valuation – it’s how it hacked the market’s ultimate gatekeepers: passive funds.
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On The Fin podcast this week, professional services editor Edmund Tadros on the KPMG allegations, and why they might be more damaging than the PwC tax leaks scandal.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
Move over PwC: Why KPMG audit leaks are the ultimate betrayal
Why the big four firm’s misconduct could be worse than the tax leaks scandal, and a blockbuster hearing date is set for June 19. Plus, are you in talent debt?
KPMG audit leaks scandal – everything you need to know
KPMG Australia faces a crisis following a whistleblower’s allegations that partners used confidential client data to win audit work.
KPMG barred from bidding for federal work for three months
The firm has agreed to stop bidding for federal government work while the Finance Department investigates its handling of a whistleblower complaint.
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Associate editor Joyce Moullakis and Chanticleer columnist James Thomson on how Macquarie crashed the big four bank’s mortgage party, why deposits are next and whether the banking bubble is about to pop.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
Macquarie banks on tech nerds to smash big four’s mortgage oligopoly
When it came to building up its retail banking business, the Silver Doughnut has taken inspiration from America’s tech giants – not its banking rivals at home.
The bank bubble is popping. An AI winter may be coming next
Bank stocks have quietly slipped into a correction as the sector is suddenly hit by structural pressures. AI-driven cuts may be the answer to holding the line.
The budget killed our property super cycle. What comes next?
The way the budget has deliberately blown up the 30-year housing super cycle raises uncomfortable questions about Australia’s economic future.
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Senior writer Myriam Robin and energy and climate reporter Ryan Cropp on the gas tax campaign, who’s behind it, why it took Australia by storm and whether it’s a good idea.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Inside the online army fighting the gas tax war (and it’s not over)
How a teacher-turned-podcaster, a heterodox economist and a rugby player sparked a groundswell of discontent.
One Nation backs gas tax and new state-owned projects
Party leader Pauline Hanson will unveil a plan to hit oil and gas companies with a new royalty regime while taking state ownership of new exploration.
Korea Gas accuses government of breaking pledge on LNG contracts
KOGAS Australia said the government’s draft gas reservation plan conflicts with its assurance that long-term LNG sales contracts would not be hit.
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Financial Review tech reporter Paul Smith and business reporter Amelia McGuire on what happens next for Australia’s two tech titans and their billionaire founders, and which company is best placed to weather the SaaSpocalypse.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac
Further reading:
‘A certificate for burnout?’ Inside Canva’s confetti-filled AI pivot
In the midst of the AI-fuelled wipeout of tech firms, Canva and Atlassian spruik similar talking points to very different receptions.
How Mike Cannon-Brookes’ divorce may affect the control of Atlassian
The division of the Atlassian co-founder and CEO’s shares in his divorce settlement with estranged wife Annie could have big consequences for the company.
Cannon-Brookes says Atlassian’s $37b AI fall is rational but wrong
In an interview, the billionaire says the software giant will emerge stronger from the sharemarket sell-off and that he misses running it with Scott Farquhar.
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Financial Review wealth editor Joanna Mather and reporter Andrew Hobbs on how Labor’s new tax rules reshape investment strategies and what that means for you.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac
Further reading:
Albanese says CGT is going back to 1999. That’s not quite trueLabor’s proposed capital gains tax inflation model is different from Paul Keating’s in two ways that mean investors will typically pay more tax.
The game has changed – what investors need to know
The budget measures have jolted many wealth plans. We ask the professionals about tips for first home buyers, property and share investors, retirees and those with trusts.
‘Ludicrous’: Modelling shows bucket companies face even bigger tax hitFurther examination of the budget papers shows the penalty tax rate that will apply to bucket companies could be as high as 70 per cent, tax specialists say.
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Jessica Gardner on why Xi Jinping is the quiet winner from the war, how much the conflict has cost Donald Trump and what it means for the midterm elections and the rest of his presidency.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac
Further reading:
MAGA still supports war strongman Trump. But that’s not enough
On the streets of Miami and Palm Beach, havens for Donald Trump supporters, the president’s war in Iran gets unswerving trust – or at least the benefit of the doubt.
Off the reins: Xi, Trump set for summit with a difference
Neither leader needs any more drama than they already have, so they will instead seek an easy path to stability in the world’s most important bilateral relationship.
Trump says US-Iran ceasefire on ‘massive life support’
The US president accused Tehran of reneging on a promise to drop its nuclear ambitions as part of a deal to end the war, which threatens his meeting with Xi Jinping.
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Phillip Coorey on the first year of the Albanese’s government’s second term, what’s happening with property taxes and how the biggest loser in the budget will be Gen X.
This podcast is sponsored by Westpac
Further reading:
Prime minister arrests popularity decline, One Nation plateaus: poll
Anthony Albanese’s handling of the petrol crisis has improved his personal ratings and is helping to prop up Labor’s vote.
Anthony Albanese sees the populist writing on the wall
As Labor prepares for a Hastie-led opposition, the PM is ready to break promises so Labor can court younger voters and save it from the parties of grievance
CGT change to tax existing investments based on length of ownership
The Albanese government plans to transition investors to a new capital gains tax regime through a hybrid grandfathering system.
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This week, Jesinta Burton and Tom Rabe on the landmark ruling, who won, who lost and why this is just one part of a complex web of legal battles over Gina Rinehart’s fortune.
This podcast is sponsored by Woodside Energy
Further reading:
The sins of the father: Gina Rinehart’s bitter victory
The legal war between the billionaire and her children mirrors the secrecy and power struggles she once faced with the late Lang Hancock.
Battle of the titans gives Pilbara’s quiet achiever his due
Don Rhodes was the man to whom Lang Hancock turned to identify a rich iron ore deposit. Fifty years and a huge court case later, his company is in for a big royalty win.
Rinehart and Rio Tinto to pay, but mining saga cost yet to be revealed
A landmark ruling has found Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting owes the heirs of her father’s former partner millions in royalties on one of the Pilbara’s most valuable iron ore assets.
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This week, editor-in-chief James Chessell and media reporter Sam Buckingham-Jones on the rise and spectacular fall of Antony Catalano.
This podcast is sponsored by Woodside Energy
Catalano’s big play to take on REA and Domain to be mothballed
Staff at the businessman’s regional media empire were told on Friday that the View.com.au platform, only recently bound for the ASX, would instead close down.
The cult of Antony Catalano is coming crashing down
Accused of assaulting his wife Stefanie, the businessman – once dubbed Mr Property – has gone into rehab. The survival of his empire hangs in the balance.
Antony Catalano is losing even more money
The bottom line at Australian Community Media, which Catalano co-owns with Alex Waislitz, has gone from bad to worse.
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This week, political editor Phil Coorey and Redbridge pollster Kos Samaras on the sudden rise of One Nation. What's driving it? How far it could go, and what it says about how Australia is changing.
This podcast is sponsored by Woodside Energy
Further reading:
‘For too long, we’ve turned a blind eye’: Liberals vow hardline immigration approach
Liberal leader Angus Taylor has flagged an end to a non-discriminatory Australian migration policy, promising to use social media to weed out undesirables and to “boot out” visa holders who fail to adhere to a legally binding and enforceable set of national values.
One Nation nears Labor as Coalition vote hits record low
Support for the federal Coalition has hit a new low of 17 per cent, but Labor’s vote is holding steady as Australians overwhelmingly blame Donald Trump for spiralling petrol prices triggered by the war in the Middle East.
One Nation now speaks for a generation politics ignored
The rise of One Nation among Australia’s working- and middle-class battlers is a story of economic decline and political abandonment by Labor and the Coalition.
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This week, motoring writer Tony Davis and reporter Sam Irvine on why Australia is closer than ever to the EV tipping point and whether charging infrastructure and policy settings are keeping pace.
This podcast is sponsored by Woodside Energy
Further reading:
Now’s the time to buy a used EV: What you need to know
Electric cars are smoother, quieter, cleaner, cheaper to run and cheaper to service. And the data shows people are rushing to make the switch.
Australians can’t get enough of this Chinese EV as fuel prices soar
The sales spike came as the Middle East conflict sent fuel prices soaring and despite a decline in overall new vehicle sales.
How the fuel crisis could fix a hole in the EV market
Stephen Yiu lives near a petrol station, and is constantly reminded of his escape from soaring prices as new and used EV sales jump.
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Over a special two-part podcast series, Financial Review journalists Peter Ker and Alex Gow examine the makeup of the archetypal insider trader, scrutinise the trend of non-custodial sentences, and ask ASIC chair Joe Longo if the regulator's recent focus on investigation will lead to more prison time.
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Angira Bharadwaj and Joyce Moullakis on why CBA ended up in the middle of a billion dollar loan fraud scandal, how its spreading to the other banks and who might be behind it.
This podcast is sponsored by Woodside Energy
Further reading:
Escalating $1b loan fraud scandal threatens to engulf top banks
AUSTRAC is investigating a widening mortgage loan fraud scandal, after a syndicate duped Commonwealth Bank into writing $1 billion in loans off fake payslips.
AUSTRAC calls in 10 banks for key meeting on spike in mortgage fraud
The agency requested data from the lenders as it works to assess the extent of the fraud and whether properties funded by criminal proceeds should be seized.
CBA probes $1b in suspected fraudulent home loans, calls in police
The country’s largest bank is working to assess how many loans have been secured based on doctored applications, including documents created using AI.
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In our two-part series, Inside Edge, we go behind the scenes of the corporate regulator's high-stakes war on insider trading. We trace the thin line between a "great piece of gossip" and a federal crime, revealing why this is the easiest law to break-and the hardest to prove.
As a massive new crackdown looms, ASIC boss Joe Longo reveals his growing frustration with the courts: "The sentences aren't as strong as we would like." Find out if you're closer to the edge than you think.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Jonathan Shapiro and Emma Rapaport on what's behind the Magellan and Barrenjoey merger and whether there's enough room for another homegrown investment bank.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Magellan merger delivers billion-dollar bonanza for Barrenjoey staff
Since the merger was announced, Magellan’s shares have risen by more than 33 per cent, lifting the paper wealth of Barrenjoey’s 463 staff to over $1 billion
Booming Barrenjoey swallows parent Magellan after only 5 years
Barrenjoey and Magellan are tying the knot to create a mini-Macquarie in a $1.62 billion deal. We’d tip one side to dominate the merger.
Lowy family takes major stake in Magellan after merger with Barrenjoey
Steven Lowy, a principal of Lowy Family Group, the family’s private investment business and family office, said it had a long history with Magellan.
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Technology reporter Amelia McGuire and Chanticleer columnist Anthony Macdonald on whether Curtis' AI start-up Firmus can live up to the hype.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Firmus lands $600m-plus annual tech giant deal as it eyes ASX float
The artificial intelligence start-up has already announced a $70 billion plan to work with Nvidia and CDC Data Centres on facilities across the country.
Firmus plans mid-year IPO after sealing $14b Blackstone deal
The AI data centre provider co-founded by Oliver Curtis has secured the huge debt facility to build its so-called AI factories across Australia.
The new iron ore: Can AI ‘tokens’ become Australia’s next great export?
Having exhausted excess power in the US, the tech giants want to have AI factories in Australia. Are we the lucky country again, or is it all a trick?
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This week, media reporter Sam Buckingham-Jones on the radio stars' falling out and whether ARN can use it to exit one of the worst deals in Australian media history.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:Kyle Sandilands fires back at ARN: ‘I am not in breach’The high-profile radio personality says his employer denied him due process after it accused him of serious misconduct and cut up a $200 million contract.Jackie O declares: ‘I did not quit’ radio showIn a statement on Friday Jackie Henderson said she was “deeply saddened by the events of the past week” after her radio partnership with Kyle Sandilands ended.Kyle and Jackie O’s radio rift was about more than star powerThe pair’s two-decade run atop broadcasting with the most expensive show of its kind has come to a sudden and acrimonious end. We look inside the implosion. ‘There is no line’: how Kyle Sandilands thrives in the cancel culture era The radio host on his record-breaking contract, expanding business empire and what the PM did at his wedding.
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This week, resources reporter Peter Ker on the challenges ahead for Australia’s iron ore industry, why copper is booming and what miners are doing to ensure the country remains a resources powerhouse.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Iron ore giants face billion-dollar hit from China-backed price switch
A new index for the country’s most lucrative export has been lower than the long-time benchmark for the vast majority of days since it was launched this year.
Size counts in mining’s game of relevance, but not that much Glencore
BHP and Rio shares are at record highs and their bosses are being courted at the White House. So how can Glencore boss Gary Nagle say they’re irrelevant?
Copper displaces iron ore as BHP’s best earner, supercharging profits
The Big Australian, like its rivals, pivoted towards commodities critical to the energy transition, with production of the red metal to grow 25 per cent by 2035.
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This week Technology editor Paul Smith and Chanticleer columnist James Thomson on why financial markets are suddenly spooked, which businesses are most at risk from AI disruption and whether the concern is overblown.
This podcast is sponsored by Vanta
Further reading:
WiseTech drops Australia’s first AI jobs bomb
Rapid, large-scale deployment of artificial intelligence is happening, with the companies most at risk of disruption leading the charge.
AI comes for the software giants, and Australia is no safe haven
One venture capitalist warns there will be “roadkill”. Another says the market is “schizoid”. Artificial intelligence is making tech increasingly turbulent.
Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei warns AI has the potential to tear society apart
Dario Amodei’s Anthropic is behind the most popular AI platform for businesses worldwide, but he has serious worries about the technology tearing society apart.
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Political editor Phillip Coorey and former Labor adviser and columnist Lidija Ivanovski on Angus Taylor’s big move, the threat from One Nation and why this might not be the last leadership contest before the next election.
This podcast is sponsored by Vanta
Further reading:
It’s Timmy v Jimmy, with CGT the first battleground
Jim Chalmers and Tim Wilson both harbour leadership ambitions. Treasury will be their sparring ring, and both will be determined not to come off second best.
Taylor’s big advantage could be 35pc of voters don’t know who he is
The new opposition leader is standing at the bottom of a mountain and there is doubt among many in his own party that he can climb it.
Jane Hume has become the Liberals’ woman problem by tearing down Ley
The new deputy leader might be able to charm some with her confidence and presentation, but her record does not look like that of a champion for working women.
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This week on The Fin podcast: journalist Lucy King on the global scam operators targeting Australian investors, how the brother of Olympic breakdancer Raygun came to be working for them and why they are so hard to shut down.
This podcast is sponsored by Vanta
Further reading:
Raygun’s brother linked to global scam network with nearly 40,000 Aussie victims
An AFR investigation unravels corporate registries to link Brendan Gunn, brother of “Raygun”, with a global network that has fleeced victims of millions.
‘Devastated’: How I lost $500k in a crypto ATM scam
Mary, 85, is one of thousands of victims of Australia’s boom in crypto ATM’s, which suck in $275 million a year, and are the “getaway cars” for scammers.
Modern money laundering explained: Inside a $2.2b crypto heist
The washing of money through digital tokens is fuelling global crime. We trace the funds from the robbery to its final “integration” and explain why Australia needs stronger international rules.
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This week, James Eyers on why key executive and eldest son Peter Fox has taken an unexpected break from the company, what it means for the Linfox succession plan and why handing over mult-billion dollar family fortunes is so hard to do.
This podcast is sponsored by Vanta
Further reading: Peter Fox’s long absence puts Linfox succession plan in the spotlight
For seven decades, billionaire businessman Lindsay Fox has loomed large over the empire he built from one truck. Who will succeed him is an open question.
Peter Fox on extended leave at Linfox as non-family directors step up
The son of the trucking magnate has been on sabbatical since December, with others outside the family appointed chairman of various logistics businesses.
‘We’re not going anywhere’: Peter Fox says Armaguard’s future assured
The Linfox boss hopes an independent pricing model is swiftly approved by the competition regulator, so a new enterprise deal can be struck with the union.
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This week, United States correspondent Jessica Gardner on Trump’s first year back in the White House and Mark Carney's viral speech.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
Rudd’s replacement is no political animal. That’s a good thing
Many believe the role of US ambassador requires a sharp politician, but Greg Moriarty is the technocrat that Australia needs to meet the challenges of the times.
Trump softens on Minneapolis, but Dalio warns of slide to civil war
The US president has signalled a shift in strategy on immigration after the deadly chaos, but global investor Ray Dalio says the “United States is now a tinderbox”.
Carney declares rules-based order dead as Greenland row escalates
The Canadian prime minister warned the world order was breaking, and French President Emmanuel Macron vowed not to give in to “bullies”.
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This week, health editor Michael Smith on why baby-making is such big business and how private equity firms are reshaping the IVF sector.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
Ill-conceived: Inside Australia’s IVF money-making machine
The commercialisation of the industry as private equity owners take over from pioneering doctors has many people very worried.
Monash IVF rejects $300m takeover bid from Genesis Capital as too low
Shares in the fertility group have fallen more than 40 per cent since mistakes were disclosed earlier this year, prompting the PE-led consortium to swoop.
Monash IVF says market share, patients down since embryo mix-ups
Stiff competition and pricing pressure in Victoria has hurt the fertility group’s performance so far this fiscal year.
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Rear Window columnists Mark Di Stefano and Hannah Wootton look back on the action-packed year that was and ahead to what 2026 might bring.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
Cannon-Brookes now travels by private jet Mike Cannon-Brookes, Atlassian co-founder and leading climate change crusader, has recently picked up a private jet.
Dutton left ‘very serious’ cyclone area for Hemmes’ Sydney mansion The opposition leader said people wanted the prime minister “governing, not campaigning” as Queensland braced for Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Billionaires, boardrooms and office romances: Rear Window’s 2025 year-in-review
There was no shortage of hypocrites in corporate and political life in 2025, and a veritable surfeit of illicit office romances.
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This week on The Fin podcast political editor Phillip Coorey and NSW political correspondent Paul Karp on the carnage at Bondi, what is being done to make sure it never happens again and whether it’s enough.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
‘When is the shooting gonna stop?’ 9 minutes of terror on Bondi Beach
At first, the crowd thought it was fireworks; but as the bloodied bodies dropped around them, they realised this was a shooting and they were the targets.
Minns wants new laws to block protests after terror attacks
The NSW government has recalled parliament to legislate caps on gun ownership and new protest restrictions, despite federal Nationals rejecting a gun crackdown.
Just like that, the nation grew accustomed to antisemitism
The government did act to ward off “the long shadows of the past” for Jews, but not enough. And for that, it is exposed.
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This week on The Fin podcast: Greg Bearup and Carrie LaFrenz on what’s behind Australia’s retail crime wave, why Victoria is ground zero and whether facial recognition technology is the answer.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
We met a professional shoplifter to understand this crime’s popularity
Retailers are contending with a new type of player in their industry. Here’s how such offenders became a nationwide phenomenon and scourge of the country.
Facial recognition tech vital to protect staff and shoppers: retailers
Business leaders are ramping up efforts to combat surging crime rates, but their use of new tech is running up against privacy concerns.
Victoria accounts for half the rise in crime at Woolworths stores
The supermarket giant is the latest retailer to use profit season to highlight an increase in crime and aggression against staff.
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Chanticleer columnist James Thomson and technology editor Paul Smith on the multi-trillion dollar AI investment boom, where the opportunities are for Australia and what happens if it goes wrong.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
OpenAI in Australian blitz as it woos start-ups, corporates
The Silicon Valley giant behind ChatGPT will offer free services to major venture capital-backed tech companies as it attempts to steal a march on rivals.
Burry, Buffett and boomers: How markets drive our ugly generation gap
While investors love the contrarian wisdom of Michael Burry and Warren Buffett, capital-soaked markets mean the world they won in is gone, creating deep societal problems.
Reasons the AI bubble doesn’t look like the dotcom crash (yet)It’s the biggest spending spree in history. Is the AI boom a bubble, and what does it mean for investors and the Australian economy if it bursts?
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Senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro on the rise of DroneShield, why its CEO just dumped all his stock and whether the company can restore the faith.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Oleg Vornik defends $50m DroneShield share sale, citing risk to life
While the businessman has been circumspect about the reasons for offloading his entire stake, privately he has given an explanation to some investors.
Inside the two-week unravelling of high-flying tech stock DroneShield
A $70 million share sale by the chief executive, chairman and a third director has opened up a Pandora’s box of questions about its products, and accounts.
DroneShield dream run comes to abrupt end after CEO dumps $50m stake
Shares in the defence technology business crashed almost 30 per cent after Oleg Vornik and two directors sold considerable holdings with little explanation.
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Phillip Coorey and Tony Barry on the decision to dump net zero, the Coalition’s existential crisis and whether Sussan Ley’s leadership can survive.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Andrew and Angus who? Leadership rivals a blank canvas, says poll
More than a third of voters have never heard of Andrew Hastie or Angus Taylor, the men who could challenge Sussan Ley for the Liberal leadership.
One Nation seen as party best suited to handle immigration: poll
While cost of living remains the most important issue for voters, they believe One Nation is the party best suited to deal with immigration policy.
‘Lowest since Federation’: Dire poll for Liberals and Ley as One Nation surges
Voters are more disillusioned than ever with the Coalition after a week of infighting over climate policy, and as support for One Nation hits a new high.
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John Kehoe and Michael Bleby on the RBA’s inflation dilemma, why the next interest rate move might be up and how that will affect the property market.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Investors are flocking back to the property market Three interest rate cuts, double-digit price rises and tepid new housing supply have convinced investors that property is once again a sure bet.
If you’re waiting for another rate cut, read this first The lower speed limit means the economy cannot afford as much income growth for people, and that living standards will increase by less than in the past.
Housing market tipped to cool as rate cut hopes diminish Home prices grew 1.1 per cent in October, the fastest monthly pace in two years but some of the heat may come out soon as borrowing costs stay on hold.
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Health editor Michael Smith discusses CSL’s remarkable story, why investors have lost faith in the healthcare giant and what Trump has to do with it.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
How CSL went from 'bloated bureaucracy' to $145b global behemoth
When Brian McNamee took on the top job at Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, the government-run entity was barely worth the land it was built on.
McNamee vows to stay CSL chairman despite growing investor disquiet
The pharmaceutical giant has avoided a board spill, but a market bloodbath arising from declining US vaccine rates has investors seething.
‘We have to fix this’: Brian McNamee on turning around CSL
CSL was once a market darling, now it’s out of favour and pressure is on board and management to convince sceptical investors of a plan to restructure the business.
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This week on The Fin, Lucy King and James Eyers on Australia’s crypto ATM boom, how they are being used for investment scams and why Australia is being targeted.
This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce
Further reading:
‘Devastated’: How I lost $500k in a crypto ATM scam
Mary, 85, is one of thousands of victims of Australia’s boom in crypto ATM’s, which suck in $275 million a year, and are the “getaway cars” for scammers.
Consumers, banks urge outright ban on crypto ATMs
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will give AUSTRAC powers to restrict the machines, but consumer groups say this won’t stop the danger to older Australians.
Labor to crack down on crypto ATMs amid scam surge
New powers will be handed to regulators to restrict the use of crypto ATMs, which have become a hub for scams and illegal money laundering.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Edmund Tadros and Paul Karp on Deloitte’s stuff-up, why it became a global story and what it means for the way we use, and value, AI.
This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce
Further reading: ‘Oversight was not followed’: Deloitte apologises for AI report
The firm will discipline personnel over a report that had to be reissued after they failed to vet incorrect AI-generated material in the document.
Deloitte’s AI scandal shows consultants need a new strategy
The saga also raises existential questions: for consultants, AI is both a major opportunity and a threat that directly undermines their premium fees.
Deloitte to refund government, admits using AI in $440k report
Deloitte will issue a partial refund to the government after admitting that artificial intelligence had been used in the creation of a report littered with errors.
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This week, senior writer Greg Bearup and Lowy Institute senior fellow Richard McGregor on China's dominance of the local EV and battery market and why that's a security risk.
This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce
Further reading:
Is your Chinese EV a ‘ticking time bomb’?
The rapid uptake of electric cars and home batteries from the Asian nation has put Australia’s energy infrastructure at risk of foreign hijack, experts warn.
China could disable or detonate Aussie EVs, warns top cyber expert
Malcolm Turnbull’s former cybersecurity tsar says Australian government officials should not ride in Chinese-made EVs because of the surveillance risk.
‘Crying shame’: Inside the demise of Australia’s only battery maker
Brian Craighead spent a decade trying to build an industry. He blames a cash crisis, a glut of Chinese product and shambolic federal policies for its failure.
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Andrew Hobbs and Tony Boyd on how investors lost $1.2 billion in Shield, First Guardian and Australian Fiduciaries, and how the gatekeepers let it happen.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
The ‘easy peasy’ approval: Shield exposes $850b super wrap industry
These funds told us they were toxic: how did Macquarie miss it?
How Macquarie ignored its own advice on Shield (and lost $100m)
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Senior reporters Jonathan Shapiro and Primrose Riordan on what ASIC's crackdown on LaTrobe Financial and the Jon Adgemis saga tells us about the private credit market, the risks for super investors and whether the golden run is over.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
- Private credit faces tougher regulation after damning report
- La Trobe investment products hit with stop orders by ASIC
- Deutsche Bank appoints receivers for Adgemis pubs
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Canberra bureau chief Nicola Smith and Washington correspondent Jessica Gardner on the Pacific defence deals and what to expect when Albanese sits down with Donald Trump.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
Trump and Albanese meet, as PM finally lands White House visit
Donald Trump and Anthony Albanese met at a UN reception in New York as it was confirmed they would finally sit down together at the White House next month.
China looms large over PM’s embarrassing setback
Australia faces a diplomatic setback after failing to secure PNG defence treaty, but what it really signals is a growing influence of China in the Pacific.
Tears, forgiveness and fury: Kirk remembered as martyr for free speech
Allies of Charlie Kirk have vowed to carry on his mission to defeat leftist ideology at a packed service that at times looked more like a campaign rally.
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Chanticleer columnist James Thomson and banking reporter Angira Bharadwaj on ANZ’s overhaul, why banks are cutting jobs and whether management has lost control of the message.
This podcast is sponsored by Acenda
Further reading:
ANZ’s pragmatic deal for ‘betraying’ Australia deserves no applause
ANZ has stitched up a pragmatic settlement with ASIC to give Nuno Matos room to launch his reset. But it shouldn’t distract from what has been shabby governance.
‘It’s long overdue’: The cull wiping out thousands of bank jobs
After a spike in staff numbers since the royal commission, three of the big four banks are wielding the axe, with more than 5000 people exiting the industry.
It’s the age of turbulence as Nuno Matos turns ANZ upside-down
Known among some staff as El Nuno, the Lisbon-born chief executive is attracting fear, intrigue and admiration as he cuts staff and overhauls the bank.
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NSW political correspondent Paul Karp and deputy property editor Michael Bleby on the political leaders declaring war on NIMBYs, whether it will help the country meet its housing supply target and why the bigger problem might be a tradie deficit.
This podcast is sponsored by CMC Markets
Further reading:
How the Woollahra development could redraw politics in Sydney’s east
Urban infill doesn’t just reshape the local environment; it can change the political landscape as well.
NSW planning minister says NIMBYs ‘vying to create childless suburbs’
Paul Scully has been pushing for higher densities in Sydney, creating a backlash from residents. He says resistance to housing has become “institutionalised”.
Property supply chief targets capital gains tax breaks in housing ‘war’
As the country begins a discussion about tax, the property industry veteran says the crucial role of housing also demands a big-picture review.
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Rupert Murdoch's eldest son has finally secured control of the family’s sprawling media empire in a multi-billion dollar settlement with his siblings. Media reporter Sam Buckingham-Jones gives his take on the deal that ends a bitter succession battle.
This podcast is sponsored by CMC Markets
Further reading:
Lachlan Murdoch takes family media empire, paying siblings $5b to exit
The deal brings to an end almost two years of bitter legal wranglings over control, cementing Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son’s leadership at News Corp and Fox.6:42Lisa MurrayWendi Deng emerges on Rupert and Lachlan’s side in Murdoch split
Unlike three of their older half-siblings, the businesswoman’s two children with the billionaire patriarch will keep a stake in the family media empire.
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This week on The Fin, workplace correspondent David Marin-Guzman discusses the test case of a compliance company that has been spying on its staff, what it means for work from home and how AI will affect the future of surveillance.
This podcast is sponsored by CMC Markets
Further reading:
Company turned laptops into covert recording devices to monitor WFH
Safetrac says it needed to track work-from-home staff for underperformance, but some employees say the surveillance went too far and police are now investigating.
WFH surveillance case is a wake-up call
The Safetrac case shines a spotlight on the issue of employee surveillance versus the right to personal privacy when staff work from home.
Safetrac surveillance installed without staff agreement: HR manager
The firm, which turned staff laptops into covert listening devices, should have updated its surveillance policy beforehand, its own people manager told WorkCover.
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Political editor Phillip Coorey on the debt bomb facing the next generation, the ‘Braveheart ’situation in parliament and the Iran-led attacks in Australia.
This podcast is sponsored by CMC Markets
Further reading:
The VW, the tobacco kingpin, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard
Sloppy criminals who reused a stolen car for arson attacks on a synagogue and nightclub led spies to uncover a state-sponsored campaign of terror.
PM had no choice but to act after explosive Iran revelations
After years of rejecting overtures to sever ties with Iran, the government was left with no other option.
Talkfest hasn’t started yet. Jim Chalmers says it’s already a win
The treasurer says the build-up to Tuesday’s summit has entrenched the productivity crisis in the political psyche.
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This week on The Fin podcast: senior writer Greg Bearup on why the Mormon Church is buying up vast tracts of Australian farmland and whether it’s in the national interest.
This podcast is sponsored by CMC Markets
Further reading:
Mormon church’s $490m spending spree exposes trade deal blind spot
Farmers fear the American church could change the face of Australian agriculture.
The chequebook of Mormon: $500m on Australian farms in six months
With its immense resources, the US-based Mormon church is buying up vast tracts of Australian farmland. Is this in our national interest?
Wagyu Rich Listers fatten outback portfolio with Qld deal
Peter and Jane Hughes, already among the world’s biggest producers of wagyu beef, have added a central western Queensland cattle property to their operation.
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This week on The Fin podcast: senior writer Myriam Robin on how worried we should be about declining fertility rates, whether they could and should be reversed and why politicians in Australia are so reluctant to talk about it.
This podcast is sponsored by CMC Markets
Further reading:
Can Australia escape the global fertility crisis?
Not too long ago, the world was worried about runaway population growth. But with birth rates falling too fast, the scramble is on to avoid the demographic crunch.
How to fix the economy to make Aussies richer – from people who did
Jim Chalmers’ economic roundtable risks history being repeated because a cautious prime minister has no electoral mandate for sweeping change.
Why Australia is far from full but no one wants to talk about it Angst over house and rental prices is fracturing the fragile bigger-Australia consensus. Yet walking away from a larger population is not an option
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This week on The Fin podcast: senior reporter Jemima Whyte and associate editor Joyce Moullakis on whether Macquarie has lost its edge, who might be in line to take over the top job and what happens when you threaten the pay packets of a millionaires’ factory.
Further reading:
Macquarie scrambled to lobby proxy firms ahead of fraught AGM
The company made the highly unusual move to understand if major investors would reject executive pay plans as it dealt with a backlash.
Glenn Stevens feels the burn from Macquarie’s worried investors
The former RBA governor has seen off a global financial crisis and angry borrowers. Can he turn around an undercurrent of anxiety at the Millionaires Factory?
Macquarie investors deliver wake-up call with strike on executive pay
Investors deliver an embarrassing rebuke to the Millionaires Factory over bonuses amid regulatory woes and the surprise exit of its CFO.
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This week on The Fin, Technology editor Paul Smith talks about his interview with Altman and reveals what it would take for the AI chief to pull the plug.
Further reading:
What OpenAI’s Sam Altman suggests you do to keep your job
The race is on to build machines that can outthink humans. The tech founder in charge of ChatGPT says there is one thing that would make him stop.
‘Try the future’: New ChatGPT AI agents promise to do your jobs
Drawing on three pre-existing OpenAI products, ChatGPT Agent lets users ask AI to take control of multi-step and fairly complex tasks.
OpenAI wants AI tax breaks, promises $115b annual windfall
OpenAI chief economist Ronnie Chatterji has conducted a whirlwind set of meetings in Canberra as the company prepares to launch an AI blueprint for Australia.
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This week on The Fin, North Asia correspondent Jessica Sier and Lowy Institute senior fellow Richard McGregor on whether Panda diplomacy works and why Beijing needs a succession plan.
This podcast is sponsored by Workday.
China ordered this Aussie flower farm to grow rice. Then they found a solution
In a country of 1.4 billion people, keeping everyone fed can be the difference between stability and chaos. The Lynch Group nearly had to tear down its greenhouses.
Beyond the Wall: Albanese’s high-stakes China play
As the prime minister is criticised over the extent of his China sightseeing, the government insists it is playing the long game and that face time matters.
Rumours of Xi’s downfall distract from China’s real challenges
The notion that Xi Jinping is about to be toppled is a distraction from the real cleavages in Chinese politics.
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This week on The Fin podcast, economics editor John Kehoe and senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro on the RBA’s shock decision on interest rates, what it means for the economy and whether the next generation could be the first to be worse off than their parents.
This podcast is sponsored by Workday.
Further reading:
Gen Z will be richer than their parents. But here’s the catch
Sluggish productivity and tax policies rigged against young people mean many are missing out on financial comfort precisely when they need it most.
RBA rate call extraordinaire Rory Robertson makes his last prediction
The economist has spent three decades trying to interpret the smoke signals emanating out of Martin Place. He’s giving up the game as it’s profoundly changing.
Which RBA board members voted for a rate cut?
At least two Labor appointees to the Reserve Bank monetary policy board almost certainly voted for a cut on Tuesday, former insiders believe.
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This week on The Fin podcast, workplace correspondent David Marin-Guzman on what has been done to stamp out a culture of fear and intimidation in the CFMEU and whether it's working.
This podcast is sponsored by Workday.
Further reading:
High Court leaves CFMEU administrator with no more excuses
The failed High Court challenge to the CFMEU administration has cleared a path to cleaning out the union. But the administrator still has to walk it.
High Court ruling on CFMEU a ‘line in the sand’ moment for cleanout
The CFMEU administrator has declared the High Court backing of the administration will make way for systemic industry reforms.
‘Let’s make some money together’: Inside the CFMEU’s bribery scandal
Sometimes it was a foot tap, other times a little kick, but either way cash was passed under the table to the union boss.
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This week on The Fin, Chanticleer columnist James Thomson and Wealth reporter Lucy Dean on the surge in inherited wealth, what’s behind it and what can, or should, be done about it….
This podcast is sponsored by Workday.
Further Reading:
You're probably part of Australia's new inheritocracy
How inheritance is upending the marriage market
How do the 1pc find love? With these high-end matchmaking services
The maths that makes SMSFs a tax reform target for Chalmers
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This week on The Fin podcast: senior reporter Ayesha de Kretser and Chanticleer columnist Anthony Macdonald on Virgin’s return to the market, why it will struggle to stay in its lane and whether Australia can ever sustain more than two airlines.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading: Virgin prepares for IPO take-off in a test for Bain – and the market
Five years after collapsing into administration, the country’s second-largest airline will finally return to the ASX on Tuesday. There is a lot at stake.
IPO market cracks open as Virgin, Greatland shares soar on debut
Fund managers rushed into the airline’s stock in a major win for Bain Capital, which has worked on turning around the business for five years.
Virgin’s future is now in the hands of the markets gods
The problem with listing ceremonies is they look backwards, but investors look forward. The airline did what it must to relist, but now it’s over to the ASX.
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This week on The Fin, professional services reporter Maxim Shanahan on why King & Wood Mallesons is struggling to manage risk and conflicts across its jurisdictions.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
‘We didn’t have a hope in hell’: KWM’s cautionary China tale
A corrupt wind farm deal in Montenegro, a controversial Russian legal conference and the financial problems of one of its most senior executives have thrown the spotlight on the Sino-Australian law firm.
Calls for tougher rules amid KWM drama
The senators who led the inquiry into the PwC tax leaks scandal say King & Wood Mallesons’ troubles expose flaws in the governance of top law firms.
KWM sues former global chief operating officer
King & Wood Mallesons is suing a former member of its international management committee for debt relating to loans worth more than $1 million.
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This week on The Fin, technology editor Paul Smith discusses the AI future and whether it is more likely to be utopia or dystopia.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
Waymo’s robot driver was too scared to take us where we wanted to go
The self-driving taxis are an experience to remember but their post LA-riot nerves rendered them unable to use human logic, and left us stranded.
Apocalypse or a four-day week? What AI might mean for you
If you’re “AGI-pilled” and you believe artificial intelligence will soon surpass humans, you’re probably worried about your job. But insiders reckon that might be the least of our problems.
From ‘lucky country’ to ‘left-behind country’: Matt Comyn’s AI warning
Executives say Australia is in danger of falling behind as the rise of artificial intelligence creates a profound change in the way people and businesses work.
Save 50% or more on unlimited access to the Australian Financial Review in our EOFY sale, ending June 30.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Joanna Mather and Michelle Bowes on how the super tax will work, why it’s so controversial and what people are doing to get ready for it.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
7 ways the wealthiest will beat the $3m super tax
Investment bonds, an early inheritance for the kids or just cop it on the chin? Affected taxpayers are weighing their options.
ATO puts wealthy families on notice over $3m super tax
The new tax is not yet law but the ATO wants to understand the “behavioural responses” to the planned tax that might already be occurring.
There is a case to reform super tax breaks. But not this way
Australia’s tax breaks on retirement balances are generous. But the treasurer is going about reform the wrong way, experts say.
Save 50% or more on unlimited access to the Australian Financial Review in our EOFY sale, ending June 30.
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This week on The Fin podcast, economics correspondent Michael Read on why the Reserve Bank is cutting rates and what it means for people like him trying to buy a house.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
Australia on verge of house price boom: economist
History suggests that once the RBA starts cutting, property fever hits quickly. One prominent expert says a 10 to 15 per cent price rise is coming.
Bullock flags more rate cuts as RBA slashes growth forecasts
Donald Trump’s trade war has forced the RBA to lower its projections for growth in investment, household spending and exports, as it cut the cash rate again.
House price risk won’t stop another rate cut: Bullock
Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock expects state and federal governments to do the heavy lifting on housing affordability.
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This week on The Fin, political editor Phillip Coorey and former Labor adviser and AFR columnist Lidija Ivanovski talk about the decimation of the Opposition, the uphill battle facing Sussan Ley and the fierce debate over the Super Tax.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
The longer the split, the harder it will be to reconcile
Sussan Ley, who used to hold her own in shearing sheds, is playing hard ball.
It took five days for the Coalition to fall apart
Negotiations between the two parties fell at the first hurdle. When parliament resumes, the Liberals will hold all 30 shadow ministries and the Nationals will be on the crossbench.
How Albanese learnt from Labor losers and won big on Saturday
For six months, he has been privately telling his supporters that he had the plan to deliver Labor a second-term majority, and the skill to pull it off.
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This week on The Fin podcast: senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro on Buffett’s legacy and whether his catchphrase ‘never bet against America’ still stands.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Fear, loathing (and hope) as finance’s elite gather in LA
Private equity titans and dealmakers converging at the Milken Institute Global Conference this week were relentlessly optimistic in public, but the tone was different behind the scenes.
US billionaire’s Sydney taxi ride sparks $6.2b super-like initiative
Michael Milken is gathering support for a plan to emulate the Australian superannuation system and give every child a $US1000 share account.
Warren Buffett steps down, delivering a parting shot against tariffs
The disciples of legendary investor Warren Buffett gathered in Omaha seeking reassurances of America’s future, instead they got a bombshell about his future.
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This week on The Fin, James Thomson and Joyce Moullakis on James Hardie’s latest controversy, why shareholders don’t get to vote and what they want to change.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
The great ASX investor uprising delivers very hollow victory
The hated James Hardie takeover of a US group is going ahead, but investors have at least won some important concessions.
Inside the biggest investor uprising in three decades
Investor anger over the James Hardie deal is being compared to 1993’s investor rebellion against Murdoch’s plans for “super voting shares”. Now the ASX is in the gun.
ASX compliance chief rejects rule gaming suggestion
Daniel Moran likened the ASX’s role in the controversial James Hardie transaction to that of a referee on a sporting field.
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This week, political editor Phillip Coorey, economics editor John Kehoe and economics correspondent Michael Read on what the Labor Party will do with its mandate and who the Coalition should put in its new leadership team.
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This week on The Fin podcast: Mark Di Stefano talks about the rise of one of Australian sport’s most powerful men and takes us inside the battle to control the future of racing and rugby league.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Inside the plot to ‘get rid’ of Peter V’landys
In his climb to the top of racing and rugby league, Peter V’landys has broken the rules and challenged the system. But now some in the system are fighting back.
How Peter V’landys built a property empire
Over two decades under the leadership of Peter V’landys, Racing NSW and the NRL have splurged millions of dollars on residential and commercial real estate.
Racing royalty launch broadside against V’landys leadership
Champion trainers Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller are among the authors of a scathing letter about racing governance.
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Phillip Coorey and the panel on the seats that will decide the election, whether the AAA credit rating is really under threat and what Labor and the Coalition aren’t telling us.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Financial Review columnist and former ambassador to China, Geoff Raby on the US-China trade war, what it means for Australia and why Washington and Beijing will do a deal.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband
Further reading:
Australia faces hit from Trump’s trade war
The IMF has cut its growth forecast for the country by half a percentage point, in a sign it won’t be immune from a global slowdown triggered by US tariffs.
Japan eyes pact with China, South Korea as trade war hedge
Tokyo signals renewed interest in negotiations with a personal letter from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China hits back at US with 125pc tariffs
Beijing escalated the trade war with the United States by again raising tariffs and accusing the Trump administration of “unilateral bullying and coercion”.
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This week's podcast guests are Canberra Bureau Chief Tom McIlroy and Foreign affairs and Defence correspondent Andrew Tillet. They join Lisa Murray and Phil Coorey to discuss the coalition's plan to increase defence spending, the erosion of trust in institutions and the potential risks of following American political trends in Australia.
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This week on The Fin, senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro and Chanticleer columnist James Thomson on what's going on in markets, how Australia is more exposed than ever, and why the Trump chaos is changing the world.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
- Trump’s crisis is only beginning. It will make you question everything
- Chalmers is determined not to waste Trump crisis. But it will get ugly
- Viktor Shvets fears ‘Lehman Bros moment’ amid fresh tariff chaos
- The bond market teaches Trump the art of the squeal
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This week, political editor Phillip Coorey, deputy editor, news, Jessica Gardner, economics editor John Kehoe, and senior writer Myriam Robin take apart Labor and the Coalition’s housing policies, discuss why tax reform is so hard and unpack the battle for Kooyong.
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This week on The Fin, Health editor Michael Smith on the battle to save Healthscope, the war between insurers and hospitals and whether private equity is messing up the healthcare system.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
Tensions build between David Di Pilla’s HMC Capital and Healthscope
When the hospitals group ran out of money to pay its rent this year, its landlord responded with a bid to buy the company.
Hedge fund interest in Healthscope triggers break-up concerns
The country’s second-largest private hospital operator is negotiating with lenders to stave off insolvency in the middle of a federal election campaign.
Di Pilla spruiks Healthscope bid, says he’ll keep hospitals running
The veteran dealmaker’s HMC Capital has been eyeing the country’s second-largest operator of private hospitals, and says his proposal is “a serious one”.
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This week, political editor Phillip Coorey, former Labor adviser Lidija Ivanovski and NSW political correspondent Paul Karp talk about how Trump's tariffs decision has changed the focus of the campaign and why betting markets are finally catching up.
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This week on The Fin podcast, North Asia correspondent Jessica Sier and motoring writer Tony Davis on Tesla’s challenges, the rise of BYD and whether a five-minute battery charge could be the real game changer.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading: BYD overtakes Tesla to secure pole position in EV race
The Chinese electric carmaker’s latest full-year financial results reveal the extent of this power shift, with it surpassing the $US100 billion revenue mark.
Tesla’s new strategy as sales fall: Openness (but don’t mention Musk)
The Cybertruck is being shown off at a Sydney expo and executives are free to speak for the first time in years as Tesla takes a new tack amid falling sales.
Trump tariffs deliver body blow to Japan’s auto industry
After embracing the return of a once staunch ally, Japan’s car makers now find themselves on the front line of the trade war despite huge investments in the US.NEW
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This week, political editor Phillip Coorey, economics editor John Kehoe and political correspondent Ronald Mizen talk about who has had the best start, what effect Trump’s tariffs and China’s ‘spy’ ship will have on the election and what happens on the campaign bus.
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With the federal election underway, The Fin is releasing a special weekly podcast for the duration of the campaign called Election 2025.
Every Tuesday, The Fin host Lisa Murray and political editor Phillip Coorey will be joined by The Australian Financial Review’s political experts to break down the critical voter issues, analyse the latest polls and pick out the key battlegrounds.
For the latest updates from the campaign trail and best analysis on the political strategies that will influence the result, tune in to The Fin’s political panels from 5pm, Tuesday.
The Fin: Election 2025 can be found by searching The Fin.
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This week on The Fin podcast, professional services reporter Maxim Shanahan and Rear Window columnist Hannah Wootton on Slater and Gordon’s workplace meltdown and the mysterious woman at the centre of it all.
Quotes in this episode are voiced by AFR staff.
This podcast is sponsored by AICD.
Further reading:
Slaters refers former staffer to police over incendiary mass email
The law firm says a forensic investigation has found the sender of the infamous memo had access to sensitive data and was familiar with its cybersecurity.
A decades-long rap sheet of deceit blows open Slater and Gordon probe
The woman whose first name matches metadata in the rogue salary and performance spreadsheet that erupted into a crisis at the law firm is a convicted fraudster.
We fact-checked the email Slater and Gordon says is largely fiction
The now infamous all-staff email sent to more than 900 Slater and Gordon staffers was unsparing in its criticism of the firm. Here’s what we know about key claims.
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This week on The Fin podcast, political editor Phillip Coorey and economics editor John Kehoe on how both sides of politics are planning to spin the budget, who’s ahead in the polls and why the most important person in this election race might not be Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton.
Further reading:
Chalmers concedes Labor won’t keep its $275 power bill pledge
Jim Chalmers has effectively raised the white flag on the election promise to lower power bills by $275, but says it will be worse under Dutton’s nuclear energy plan.
Dutton coming off the boil as election nears
Peter Dutton’s personal ratings and voter expectations of a Coalition victory have fallen sharply, suggesting Labor attacks on the opposition leader are working.
We wasted a $400b windfall, and now we’ll all have to pay
An audit of federal finances finds Australia has never seen rivers of gold like this, but the hangover will be brutal.
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This week on The Fin podcast, foreign affairs and defence correspondent Andrew Tillett and international affairs expert James Curran on how Donald Trump has disrupted the world order and why we are headed for a khaki-tinged election.
Further reading:
Trump’s tariffs were inevitable. But Albanese could have done more
Levies on Australian steel and aluminium to the US starting on Wednesday will have domestic political fallout.
Albanese rebuffs Trump over call to lift to defence spending
While Labor comes under fire over military readiness, figures show defence spending as a share of the federal budget is at highest in almost a decade.
Richard Marles’ mindless talking points ignore Trumpian change
Elsewhere, Donald Trump’s return is being noticed, and acted upon with decisive swiftness. But it is not happening in Australia yet.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporter Max Mason and Chanticleer columnist James Thomson discuss WiseTech’s tumultuous five months, Richard White’s second coming and whether he should stay in charge.
Further reading:
‘I am WiseTech’: How Richard White regained control of his company
On one side was a group of independent directors with their reputations on the line. On the other, a powerful founder with everything to lose.
The billionaire, his lawyer wife – and the secrets of their explosive relationship
Richard White says he would “take a bullet” for his wife but many of the billionaire’s long-time friends are unhappy about the marriage and the couple’s volatile history.
King Richard’s return gives WiseTech investors a stark choice
Incredibly, Richard White has more power at WiseTech than at any time since it listed in 2016. But that comes with some big consequences for investors.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior writer Myriam Robin and author Neil Chenoweth on the bitter fight for control of the Murdoch empire and why the election of Donald Trump couldn’t have come at a worse time for Rupert’s succession plans.
Further reading:
The Murdochs go to war – through the media
Rupert and Lachlan have failed, for now, to take control of the family trust. But that outcome is by no means the end to hostilities between the media scions.
‘Self-interested people’: Why Murdoch and Trump are back in business
Rupert Murdoch is known for aligning his business interests with the politician of the hour. His appearance with Donald Trump this week was no different.
Logan Roy’s death morphed into a real life Murdoch succession drama
Shortly after the fictional patriarch died on television, the family behind the News and Fox empires began to plot life after their patriarch, Rupert.
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This week on The Fin podcast, editor-at-large Michael Stutchbury and economics correspondent Michael Read on why the Reserve Bank cut rates this week, whether Bullock is ‘one and done’ and how this affects the timing of the election.
This podcast is sponsored by IG.
Further reading:
RBA rate cut more about politics than economics
After roughing up the central bank, Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers should take whatever sliver of bacon the RBA will give financially squeezed voters.
Bullock shifts rate cut expectations after line-ball decision
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese now has just days to decide whether to call a snap election to capitalise on the RBA rate cut or delay to woo voters further.
RBA opens a window for the PM, but will he take the chance?
Anthony Albanese may seek to capitalise on Tuesday’s rate cut with a March 29 election, but he could also decide that it is not enough to sway voters.
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This week on The Fin podcast, AFR Magazine contributor Brook Turner on why Sydney has become the epicentre of this battle and whether there is still a place in Australia for single-sex schools.
This podcast is sponsored by IG.
Further reading:
‘We became a pinata’: The culture war tearing a school apart
How its decision to go co-ed made Newington College in Sydney the country’s most talked-about school.
‘We did not expect the intensity’: Newington hits back at co-ed row
Coeducation is seen as the future of school. So why is Newington College in Sydney at the centre of a debate so hot that parents are withdrawing boys?
Why coeducation is so fraught in Australia
Are single-sex schools – no, make that boys-only schools – deserving of the bad rap they get? Are they hotbeds of toxic masculinity? Are girls better off without boys disrupting their classes and smashing their self-confidence?
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro and technology editor Paul Smith on DeepSeek’s breakthrough, why Australia has banned its use on government devices and what this all means for 'the magnificent seven' US tech stocks that have been pushing markets to record highs.
This podcast is sponsored by IG.
Further reading:
DeepSeek drama: are markets all-in on the most dangerous idea in history?
While investors fret about what the arrival of DeepSeek means for their all-in bet on American artificial intelligence dominance, they’re ignoring even bigger questions.
Is big tech’s AI future really what we’re looking for?
The race is on to build the fastest, most efficient AI models and hopefully tech companies will start developing the products we want to use.
Labor bans DeepSeek from government devices
Australia has banned Chinese artificial intelligence service DeepSeek from government devices over national security concerns.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Europe correspondent Hans van Leeuwen on how companies and governments are responding to Trump, 2.0, whether diversity programs are under threat and why Australians have stopped going to Davos.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
Trump slams Europe, threatens ‘trillions’ in tariffs
The president lambasted Canada’s trade surplus with the US and also fired a verbal volley at the European Union’s restrictions on his country.
CEOs at Davos feel ready, even heady, for Trump 2.0
At the World Economic Forum, much of the global corporate elite is responding with surprising optimism to the new president’s radical and hyperactive agenda.
Has Trump killed DEI? Davos might have the answer
The World Economic Forum summit, where the liberal cosmopolitan elite gathers to network and self-congratulate, will be an early litmus test for Trump 2.0.
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This week on The Fin, Travel editor Fiona Carruthers discusses the outlook for tourism, why flights are getting cheaper, which airlines are likely to give you the best deal and why Greenland is suddenly on everyone’s list.
Further reading:
Europe calling? A guide to predicting the cheapest fares
If you’re wondering whether to book your 2025 flights now or to wait, recent average prices are a handy benchmark.
The hottest travel spots as the economy turns cold
Japan is cool, Bali is always warm, but Vietnam is so hot right now. The cost-of-living pinch is driving Australians to make sure their overseas holiday hits the mark.
Why Australians should ditch Europe this Christmas
After a dire year for the currency, those heading to the northern hemisphere should consider looking elsewhere to get the most bang for their buck.
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In the first of a two-part series, The Fin podcast talks to the critics around the Financial Review newsroom to get their recommendations for film, television, books and music.
Further reading:
The 10 best albums of 2024 (if Taylor Swift isn’t your jam)
Soulful singer songwriters, rising indie superstars, Australian up-and-comers and a floor-filling techno god. Welcome to the year’s best sounds.
12 books fiction lovers will give (or hope to receive)
We asked prominent Australian writers, readers, tome-buyers and page turners to tell us what they are most hoping to get – and send to others.
This might be the most explosive tennis movie ever made
Challengers packs a punch.
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Outgoing Rear Window editor Myriam Robin tells us about the megalomaniac trying to solve Australia’s housing crisis, the column’s biggest scoop and the rebellion underway at the country’s most exclusive clubs.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
Peter V’landys bogged down in a multibillion-dollar property play
The influential CEO of Racing NSW is staring down allegations aired confidentially by purported whistleblowers to a parliamentary inquiry.
Gina Rinehart lobbies NGA to remove portrait Being Australia’s richest resident comes with some perks. Who knew said benefits included a network of flunkies who will bombard a national institution over a painting you don’t like?
Who’s in (and out) at the Australian Club Who coughs up the hefty annual membership fee at Sydney’s Australian Club on Macquarie Street? Why, we’re so glad you asked.
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This week on The Fin podcast, James Eyers on why Donald Trump is a crypto bro, whether Bitcoin’s price will stay at these record levels and how regulators are playing catch up.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
ASIC moves to expand its oversight of crypto and digital assets
The corporate regulator’s new guidance outlines more than a dozen examples of how it intends to assess what is in – and out – of financial services laws.
A bitcoin convention in Sydney rings crypto alarm bells
Bitcoin is up almost 130 per cent this year and the US election result put a rocket under crypto. But there are still plenty of ways to lose money in an (unregulated) bull market.
Bitcoin smashes through $US100,000 as traders eye ‘huge re-rating’
Investors believe the change in attitude towards cryptocurrencies still hasn’t been priced in, making Thursday’s milestone just the beginning.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Chanticleer columnist James Thomson and reporter Hannah Wootton on why ASIC is suing Cbus, what it means for industry funds and whether the ‘super wars’ are back.
This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.
Further reading:
How Cbus’ big party year went horribly wrong
It’s not the biggest or the worst performing of the super funds. So why has Cbus become the poster child for the $4 trillion sector’s problems?
Big Super’s reckoning has arrived
After 32 years of guaranteed inflows from workers and scant scrutiny, the $3.9 trillion industry faces customer fury over service, unclear investment practices and questionable governance.
Super sector’s problems are much bigger than Cbus
The damning review of governance at CBUS shows while industry funds have led the way in gathering and growing assets, they now need to play governance catch-up.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Technology editor Paul Smith and media and marketing reporter Sam Buckingham-Jones on why the ban is being introduced, what it means for children and parents and whether it could cause a rift with the new US President.
This podcast is sponsored by UNSW
Further reading:
Why this former TikTok executive wants a strict social media ban
TikTok hired Felicity McVay to convince Disney, Universal and the AFL to use the platform more. Now she’s campaigning to get children off it.
Canberra takes on big tech – and Gen Alpha – with social media bans
All Australians could be forced to register official identity documents with social media giants to prove they are over the age of 16.
Trump may use tariffs to hit back at PM’s tech crackdown
American and Australian officials are warning the Albanese government that its crackdown on social media platforms could anger the incoming US president into putting tariffs on $33 billion of exports.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Australian Financial Review contributor and former diplomat Geoff Raby on Trump’s world and what it means for Australia and why China and Russia are less close than you might think.
This podcast is sponsored by UNSW
Further reading:
Xi is thumping Putin in the Great Game
Former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby takes a deep dive into the “Chussia” partnership. His conclusions about a rising Sinostan would not please the Kremlin.
Civil servants to flee as Trump ‘drains the swamp’ (again)
Everyone knew Trump’s cabinet picks would be provocative and a purge of government workers was coming. But they have arrived with stunning speed.
G20 goes soft on Russia as Putin threatens to use nuclear weapons
The G20 has ended with a whimper with watered-down statements on Russia, climate change and the Middle East.
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This week on The Fin podcast, investigative reporter Neil Chenoweth and Rear Window columnist Mark Di Stefano on how Chris Ellison’s secret deal with the tax office came to light, why some investors want the founder to stay on and whether Mineral Resources can draw a line in the sand.
This podcast is sponsored by UNSW
Further reading:
Inside the two-week unravelling of Chris Ellison’s hold on MinRes
Monday’s attempt to draw a line in the sand still leaves unanswered questions for shareholders and investigators about the goings-on at Mineral Resources.
Meet Chris Ellison’s personal accountant
Yenna Ong, the number cruncher who managed the Mineral Resources founder’s private affairs, rapidly gained great power. Then just as suddenly, she was gone.
MinRes paid a 70pc mark up to rent Chris Ellison-owned properties
Independent valuations that the owners of the four industrial facilities commissioned themselves indicated that the leases were well in excess of market rates.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporter Simon Evans and Rear Window editor Myriam Robin on Sanjeev Gupta’s flashy property purchase, his financial troubles and the South Australian town caught in the middle.
This podcast is sponsored by UNSW
Further reading:
Whyalla steelworks running out of options as taxpayer rescue resisted
The SA premier says it’s time Sanjeev Gupta took some action, with governments wary of taxpayer funds being siphoned off to overseas parts of GFG Alliance.
The town bearing the brunt of Sanjeev Gupta’s financial nightmare
The British industrialist’s steelworks looms over Whyalla, population 21,900. There’s plenty at stake if things go south.
Sanjeev Gupta buys on Sydney waterfront
The steel magnate is cutting jobs and salaries at the Whyalla steelworks one week, and splashing out for prime Sydney waterfront property the next.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Joe Aston, former Rear Window editor and author of The Chairmain's Lounge, discusses what went wrong for the Qantas, its oversized influence in Canberra, and the extraordinary perks of a Qantas board seat.
Editors note: On Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denied ever contacting Alan Joyce to seek a flight upgrade.
This podcast is sponsored by UNSW
Further reading:
The incredible financial value of a Qantas board seat
The lavish and fudged flight perks of the airline’s executives are revealed in this extract from Joe Aston’s “The Chairman’s Lounge”.
The zombie chairman: How Goyder let Joyce trash Qantas’ reputation
An exclusive extract from Joe Aston’s book The Chairman’s Lounge tells the inside story of how Richard Goyder and his board allowed Alan Joyce to fly Qantas into a reputational disaster.
Albanese faces calls for probe into flight upgrades
David Pocock and Peter Dutton have both called for a probe into whether Anthony Albanese breached the ministerial code of conduct while he was transport minister.
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This week on The Fin podcast, International editor James Curran and US correspondent Matthew Cranston on how Trump has managed to claw back Harris’ lead in the final weeks of the campaign and what Canberra is worried about.
This podcast is sponsored by IG
Further reading:
Trade wars, market jolts: What a Trump win means for Australia
The tax and economic policies of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will have profound effects for Australian investors, exporters and US subsidiaries.
Trump works a McDonald’s fry station as election goes off colour
The former president served up fries in an apron as he poked fun at rival Kamala Harris’ story of working there in the 1980s.
America’s new Asian alliance network will survive beyond Trump
No matter who is in the White House after November 5, the US’ carefully structured latticework of alliances that underpins its regional primacy will continue.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporters Jonathan Shapiro and Jemima Whyte discuss the rise of an unusual tech billionaire, what happens when personal matters become public, and what it means for his listed company, Wisetech.
This podcast is sponsored by IG
Further listening:
How I Made It Podcast: Why Richard White avoids risk at all costs
Further reading:
Richard White’s alleged lover claims he expected sex for investment
In documents filed with the Federal Court, the wellness entrepreneur said a business trip to New York changed when the billionaire booked only one hotel room.
WiseTech board decides White’s alleged affair strictly ‘personal’
The legal stoush between software billionaire Richard White and Sydney wellness entrepreneur Linda Rogan is a “personal” matter according to WiseTech’s board.
Billionaire Richard White attempts to bankrupt alleged former lover
Lawyers acting for Double Bay wellness entrepreneur Linda Rogan say WiseTech Global founder’s legal claim against her is an “abuse of process”
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This week on The Fin podcast, economics correspondent Michael Read and political correspondent Tom McIlroy discuss whether winding-back the two big tax advantages to buying property – negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount – will help solve Australia’s housing crisis.
This podcast is sponsored by IG
Further reading:
These Australians are most likely to negatively gear their properties
The housing policy choices facing voters
We’re more nuanced on negative gearing than five years ago
A quick guide to the politics of housing tax breaks
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This week on The Fin podcast, political editor Phillip Coorey and AFR Magazine editor Matthew Drummond discuss what was behind this year's power moves. And AFR cartoonist David Rowe tells us who is his favourite prime minister to draw.
This podcast is sponsored by IG
Further reading:
- Election season and rates angst are behind this year’s power shifts
Someone wasn’t happy to be on this year’s Power list. But even Power listers have no say in the process.
- Power list reveals diminished influence of Australia’s corporate sector
This year’s list reflects the fading voice of CEOs and the growing size, scale and power of the superannuation sector.
- The Gaza conflict ripped through the arts and ripped it apart
The conflict in Gaza hangs heavily over theatres and galleries, as animosities lead to a wave of resignations, donor withdrawals and boycotts.
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This week on The Fin podcast, BOSS deputy editor Patrick Durkin and senior reporter Max Mason discuss the legal fight over the Pratt packaging fortune.
This podcast is sponsored by IG
Further reading:
- Family trust: Inside the Pratts’ legal soap opera
Richard Pratt carefully designed a succession plan for his three children, Anthony, Heloise and Fiona. But even the best-laid plans can wind up in court.
- Anthony Pratt a witness to father’s love for half-sister: court claim
Billionaire Anthony Pratt and his sisters were witness to the “bonds of love and affection” between their late father and his “love child” Paula Hitchcock, claim new court documents.
- Pratt played Trump better than most, new recordings reveal
Despite privately comparing Donald Trump to the mafia, Anthony Pratt entered an administration whose policies lowered his taxes and benefited his business.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior writer Neil Chenoweth and media and marketing reporter Sam Buckingham Jones on why Lachlan’s position as successor is in doubt, what Rupert is trying to do about it and whether he can win.
This podcast is sponsored by IG
Further reading:
The three headaches of Rupert Murdoch in his battle for control
A bombshell lawsuit between Rupert, Lachlan and his other children begins in Reno, Nevada, next week. Meanwhile, shareholders want change and Foxtel’s for sale.
The Murdoch succession saga is far from over
Two weeks after turning 52, Lachlan Murdoch is facing the worst of worlds. After three difficult decades he’s finally won the race to be Rupert’s successor at the head of News Corp and Fox Corporation. At last, he has the reins, he’s finally the man. Except that his father is still around.
Trouble in the Murdoch trust fund
If you think you’re doing it tough in the COVID-19 lockdown, spare a thought for Rupert Murdoch’s family – they really don’t get on but they’re locked together in a family trust … forever.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Technology editor Paul Smith and Chanticleer columnist Anthony Macdonald discuss the rise of AirTrunk, whether Robin Khuda can grow it to a $100 billion business and what might get in his way.
This podcast is sponsored by IG
Further reading:
Robin Khuda is the ringleader of this year’s biggest M&A deal
The founder of AirTrunk has cashed in on the inexorable rise in demand for processing power and built a vast fortune on the rise of cloud computing.
Inside Project Amidala: AirTrunk’s $24b deal
Four years ago, Blackstone missed its chance to buy up the data centre giant. It wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice, even if it cost $24 billion.
Khuda sets $100b valuation target for AirTrunk’s next trick
Billionaire Robin Khuda has praised his own foresight in investing in data centres tailor-made for tech giants after creating a $24 billion business in less than a decade.
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This week on The Fin, deputy property editor Michael Bleby and luxury property writer Bonnie Campbell discuss why property listings are up as the Spring selling season takes hold and address the all-important question - is now a good time to buy?
This podcast is sponsored by IG
Further reading:
https://www.afr.com/property/residential/a-5m-sydney-home-that-failed-to-sell-shows-level-headedness-is-back-20240818-p5k39y
https://www.afr.com/property/residential/first-look-inside-the-50m-sirius-penthouse-20240828-p5k63f
https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/how-construction-failures-push-up-costs-for-builders-and-consumers-20240826-p5k5hs
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporter Ronald Mizen and media and marketing reporter Sam Buckingham-Jones on the case for and against gambling ad reform, what the government is likely to do and whether it will be enough.
This podcast is sponsored by Team Global Express
Further reading:
Rowland wins some, loses more in gambling advertising debate
Pointless non-disclosure agreements, an agitated backbench – miscalculations have marred long-overdue reform to wagering advertising rules
TV ad ban but not jerseys and field signs is ‘illogical’: bookies Sportsbet, Entain and Pointsbet say they won’t put their logos on sports jerseys or around the stadium during live sport
Gambling ad ban MPs to go over Rowland’s head and lobby PM direct The direct approach over the head of the communications minister illustrates growing frustration in Labor ranks over the party’s position on gambling advertising
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This week on The Fin podcast, United States correspondent Matthew Cranston and International editor James Curran on why the presidential race has been turned on its head, how the candidates and their running mates match up and what they would mean for the world if they make it to the White House.
This podcast is sponsored by Team Global Express
Further reading:
Obamas ignite Harris campaign but warn of tight race
The former president told a roaring crowd the vice president would not be a self-centred leader like Trump, but instead focus on improving Americans’ lives.
Kamala Harris’ big test this week: Policy or personality
All eyes will be on the vice president at the Democratic National Convention as she tries to keep momentum going in the race for the White House.
Democrats now the American dreamers
Democrats have become the true believers in the American mission. Republicans will be more prudential in assessing foreign policy capacities.
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This week on The Fin podcast, professional services editor Edmund Tadros on the rise of a sales-driven culture at PwC, why the firm bungled its response to the tax leaks scandal, and why it has failed to move on.
This podcast is sponsored by Team Global Express
Further reading:
‘We couldn’t believe it’: Insiders reveal how PwC unravelled as scandal broke The inside story of how PwC transformed from dull accountant into a sales-driven firm that would tear itself apart.
‘I’ll make you more money’: Inside Seymour’s CEO pitch
The candidates had unofficial campaign managers and developed manifestos. Lobbying was done in the office, over drinks, during the weekend. And like any good election, the voters’ main concern was what was in it for them.
‘Nerds gone wild’: Inside PwC’s last party before it all blew up
It is the days-long party now described as the last hurrah before the storm of the tax leaks. Within six months, the scandal would change the firm forever.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro on ANZ’s bond trading scandal, whether the bank lied about its market activity to get on the deal in the first place and who should be accountable.
This podcast is sponsored by Team Global Express
Further reading:
ANZ bond trading scandal ‘risks unknown’: Macquarie
Macquarie analysts have run the numbers on what ANZ’s bond scandal could do to its profits whilst conceding some costs are hard to measure.
ANZ says bond trading scandal fallout could extend to the very top
The ANZ board may be forced to take action against the bank’s chief executive Shayne Elliott and other senior managers over the misleading trading data submitted to the federal government and investigations into its workplace culture.
The ANZ scandal is a bombshell in two acts
The issues engulfing the bank’s trading team are not about complicated bond trades. It’s about an alleged double act of deceit and manipulation of the taxpayer.
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This week on The Fin podcast, resources reporter Peter Ker discusses whether Andrew Forrest's green hydrogen dream was a fantasy and what his retreat means for the government’s green energy plans and Fortescue’s future.
This podcast is sponsored by Team Global Express
Further reading:
- Green hydrogen too ‘expensive and inefficient’: Finkel Former chief scientist Alan Finkel – who devised Australia’s first clean hydrogen strategy – now says we are “unlikely to use hydrogen for storage of electricity”.
- Forrest says Element Zero execs burned bridges ‘like Nazis’ Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest has distanced himself from surveillance tactics used against former employees, but fully supported the IP lawsuit against them.
- Labor’s hydrogen dream stalls as Fortescue slims down H2 vision Fortescue will cut 700 jobs and slow its push into green hydrogen in a blow to the Albanese government’s plan to make Australia a hydrogen superpower supported by more than $8 billion of taxpayer funded incentives.
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This week on The Fin, Financial Review workplace correspondent David Marin-Guzman on what was uncovered in his nine-month investigation into the CFMEU, why the response shocked union insiders and whether this time, there might be lasting change.
This podcast is sponsored by Smartsheet.
Further reading:
- ‘The dam is breaking’: Setka resignation blow to culture of fear The CFMEU boss’ departure was a shock even to his own officials, but it is a watershed moment for the culture of silence and intimidation that has ruled the construction industry.
- Caught on film: How Setka and the CFMEU wield their power Videos show John Setka delivering a suitcase message to a rival’s home, and other officials issuing threats and boasting of the union’s total control.
- Albanese to push aside CFMEU bosses The Albanese government will seek to appoint an external administrator to clean up the CFMEU, sidelining its national and state leaders. The MUA is also considering whether to split from the CFMEU.
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In this special bonus episode of The Fin, United States correspondent Matthew Cranston on why Joe Biden pulled out of the presidential race, what happens next and whether Kamala Harris is the candidate to take on Donald Trump.
This podcast is sponsored by Smartsheet.
Further reading:
- Harris is younger and fitter than Biden, but that’s the easy bit The vice president is a more physically and mentally capable campaigner who might cut through to some voters who Biden didn’t reach, but is that enough to beat Donald Trump?
- Biden urges unity to beat Trump after stunning race exit The US president ended his re-election campaign after fellow Democrats lost faith in him. Kamala Harris, 59, immediately accepted his endorsement.
- Trump skips reset moment, doubles down on MAGA magic Donald Trump had the chance of a lifetime to reinvent himself following an assassination attempt. But why on earth would he do that?
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This week on The Fin, economics correspondent Michael Read explains why inflation has proved stickier than expected and raised the stakes for the Reserve Banks's big policy gamble.
This podcast is sponsored by Smartsheet.
Further reading:
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/inflation-hits-six-month-high-raising-risk-of-a-rate-rise-20240626-p5jot7
Investors say there is now a one-in-three chance of an August interest rate rise after inflation accelerated to its highest rate in six months and economists warned price pressures remained too strong.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/rba-won-t-be-influenced-by-europe-and-canada-on-rate-cuts-20240607-p5jk4z
The Reserve Bank of Australia will not be swayed by interest rate cuts in Canada and Europe, says deputy governor Andrew Hauser, as he warns that high inflation is having “toxic” effects on households and preventing businesses from expanding.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/rba-board-split-in-doubt-as-libs-dig-in-20240509-p5in16
Treasurer Jim Chalmers could be forced to shelve his signature plan to create a specialist interest rate-setting board at the Reserve Bank of Australia after a breakdown in talks with the Coalition.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporters Jonathan Shapiro and Aaron Weinman on why private credit is booming, who’s making money from it and what happens if the golden age comes to an end.
This podcast is sponsored by Smartsheet.
Further reading:
‘Marking their own homework’: Inside Australia’s $200b unregulated private credit boom
Credit products are being launched a mile-a-minute, promising plenty of returns buoyed by high rates. But behind the euphoria, there’s plenty of disquiet.
Fortunes to be made as the private credit boom is going public
Once a cottage industry, private credit is now attracting billions of dollars, reshaping the financial system and minting new fortunes.
Wylie’s Tanarra eyes $1b for new credit fund, snares ex-HSBC banker
The firm’s latest tilt at private credit will provide long-term loans for investment-grade companies that typically raise capital in overseas bond markets.
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This week on The Fin, International editor James Curran on why a group of former navy commanders, defence officials and submarine officers believe AUKUS has been set up to fail.
This podcast is sponsored by Smartsheet.
Further reading:
‘A cruel joke’: Why AUKUS might leave Australia stranded
A group of defence experts says that the Albanese government is on course for a financial and strategic AUKUS disaster, in the final part of an exclusive series.
AUKUS ‘moonshot’ may be a tragically expensive failure
It is alarming that both Coalition and Labor politicians fail to acknowledge the risk that Australia could be left with no submarine capability by the end of the 2030s.
Morrison’s ‘longest night’: Inside the making of AUKUS
The military agreement is a mess and risks leaving Australia with no submarine capability at all by the late 2030s. The cloak of secrecy that secured the deal could now be its undoing.3:50Lisa Murray
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Inside the most talked-about stock market float in over a decade.
This week on the Fin, Chanticleer columnist Anthony Macdonald and senior reporter Primrose Riordan on the story behind Guzman y Gomez, why it was one of the most talked-about floats in years and whether the hype is justified.
This podcast is sponsored by Smartsheet.
Further reading:
Guzman y Gomez IPO pop to $3b lifts hopes for listings
The Mexican-themed restaurant chain’s value topped $3 billion on its debut, and there are hopes this will rekindle a stagnating market for local sharemarket listings,
Can Guzman y Gomez’s New Yorker frontman prove everyone wrong?
Managers say the IPO is too riddled with cushy perks for insiders to offer value. Founder Steve Marks disagrees.
Guzman y Gomez float a bet on a maverick founder and his grand plans
The Mexican-themed restaurant chain’s founder is pitching big growth. He’s not an overnight success story, but the riches are there if he can make it work.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Europe correspondent Hans van Leeuwen on why Emmanuel Macron has rolled the dice and whether politics is being dragged to the right.
Further reading:
Macron has poured on the petrol. Someone will get burnt
The President hopes to prove that votes for the right in Europe were just voters venting steam. If he’s wrong, the consequences will be felt far beyond France.
UK’s likely next PM copies Albanese election playbook
Labour leader Keir Starmer unveiled a policy manifesto containing almost no new policies, confirming just a handful of tax tweaks if his party is elected on July 4.
What Aussie business can expect from Europe’s far-right shift
Both sides of politics in Europe will back industrial policies designed to onshore or diversify supply chains – and that’s the space where Australia plays.
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Only 9% of indigenous Australians have native title & they "don't walk around like billionaires". This week on The Fin podcast, Peter Ker and Ronald Mizen talk about whether it’s delivering for Indigenous Australians and why there are now calls for reform.
Further reading:
Call to reform Mabo’s $1b native title dividend
Native title groups hosting Australia’s iron ore industry are holding more than $1 billion of net assets in trusts, but after 32 years of the native title regime, there is little to show for the vast majority of Indigenous Australians.
‘Disgraceful’ government neglect costs Indigenous funds $1b
Two big government funds set up to benefit Indigenous people without native title rights were shackled for decades by the investment equivalent of stuffing money under a mattress.
Long walk to treaty resumes in a fractured federation
The Albanese government has backed away from a promise to strike a treaty with Indigenous Australians. In a federal policy vacuum, some states are picking up the baton.
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This week on The Fin, technology editor Paul Smith and columnist and senior writer John Davidson explain how AI is moving to the edge and what that means for jobs, energy use and investor returns.
Further reading:
Apple’s Siri to get its shot at AI redemption
Once the best (and only) AI assistant on phones and other devices, Siri has fallen into disrepair. Next week, Apple is expected to announce a host of improvements.
Alex Pollak is already investing in ‘the very next’ Nvidia
A shift in where AI queries are being handled has opened up the investment field to more chipmakers, and to apps we haven’t even dreamed of yet.
Why CBA’s AI future needs more reimagining
A US trip left CBA chief executive Matt Comyn with questions to which he doesn’t have all the answers. It’s a common theme across the Australian business world.
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This week on The Fin podcast, economics correspondent Michael Read and education editor Julie Hare explain why net migration spiked, how the government and the opposition plan to rein it in and what deep cuts would mean for universities, the jobs market and economic growth.
This podcast is sponsored by AICD
Further reading:
- Hard truths: What immigration cuts really mean for the economy
The latest migration debate has so far been framed in terms of its benefits, but little regard has been given to the costs of closing the door on skilled workers.
- Hard truths: What immigration cuts really mean for the economy
The latest migration debate has so far been framed in terms of its benefits, but little regard has been given to the costs of closing the door on skilled workers.
- Universities brace for foreign student cuts of up to 95pc
Both sides of politics say the reductions are needed to relieve housing pressure and both plans would deliver a huge shock to the $48b industry.
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This week on The Fin podcast, aviation reporter Ayesha de Kretser on the dramatic downfall of Bonza, the future of regional air travel in Australia and whether it’s possible for another airline to ever thrive in this market.
This podcast is sponsored by AICD
Further reading:
- Better slot access at Sydney might have saved Bonza, says regulator
The ACCC warns that regional travellers risk being left behind by the entrenched duopoly of Qantas and Virgin Australia.
- PE firm behind Bonza, Melbourne Victory calls in insolvency experts
The private equity firm called in advisers overnight to assist with “operational challenges”. It is a major shareholder in the A-League club and budget airline.
- How 777 Partners bad marriage doomed Bonza from the start
Documents pitched to investors prove Bonza could never succeed with the fleet it was leasing – a condition of its relationship with 777 Partners.
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This week on The Fin podcast, wealth reporter Lucy Dean and wealth editor Joanna Mather explain what’s happening in the great wealth transfer and how it will shape the economy, politics and intergenerational rivalry.
This podcast is sponsored by AICD
Further reading:
- Forget Boomers. Millennials, your next landlord could be a best mate
For decades, Millennials and Generation Z have blamed Baby Boomers for locking them out of the housing market. But what happens when wealthy Boomers start to give their kids cash?
- Women overwhelming winners in $5trn Baby Boomer wealth transfer
Women will receive 65 per cent of the nearly $5 trillion due to pass from Baby Boomers and their parents to the next generation in the next decade, a new report finds.
- Not just cruises: Boomers direct spending to kids and grandkids
Financial advisors report many over-65s are helping family members rather than splurging – though travel is a thing.
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This week on The Fin podcast, political editor Phillip Coorey talks about what the government is likely to announce in the federal budget, what that means for inflation and interest rates, and gives his assessment of how Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are faring as we count down to the next election.
This podcast is sponsored by AICD
Further reading:
- Labor election plans start blowing smoke
Labor is banking on at least one rate cut before calling an election. That scenario is no longer guaranteed.
- Chalmers locks in business tax breaks to help Made in Australia
The budget will contain tax breaks for investors to turbocharge the government’s Future Made in Australia Act, Jim Chalmers has confirmed.
- ‘Vigilant’ RBA puts home loan borrowers on notice
Governor Michele Bullock has issued a fresh warning to mortgage holders, two years after the Reserve Bank of Australia began raising interest rates.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Ben Potter and Jacob Greber talk about Peter Dutton’s atomic bet, the economics of nuclear energy and whether the power requirements of the AI revolution change the debate.
This podcast is sponsored by ANZ
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Spotify here
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Apple here
Further reading:
- Dutton’s atomic bet threatens Coalition chain reaction over climate
Rather than keep the heat on Labor’s handling of the cost-of-living pain as inflation stays high, the opposition leader’s nuclear venture risks becoming the story.
- Booming AI demand threatens electricity supply
Regulators are scrambling to factor the explosive growth of data centres into demand projections as one network warns of a 250 per cent surge in power needs.
- Why Dutton is going nuclear
Peter Dutton thinks he can sell nuclear power to the public. The energy industry remains unconvinced by the business case.
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This week on The Fin podcast, before heading home after more than six years based in Shanghai and then Tokyo, Michael Smith talks about the changes in China over that time, what its slowing economy means for Australian prosperity and Japan's new role on the world stage.
This podcast is sponsored by ANZ
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Spotify here
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Apple here
Further reading:
- In six and a half years I witnessed a dark pivot in China
When I first landed in Shanghai on a freezing winter’s night in January 2018, China felt like a place bursting with optimism and opportunity. - Japan is finally waking up from its lost decades. Can it last?
The country is doing defence deals and its economy is powering up. But it has a fight on its hands to keep the momentum going given its structural challenges. - The data that reveals the truth about Australia’s China ties
Although Australia’s relations with China have warmed, key metrics show economic ties are at their lowest levels in more than five years and are unlikely to bounce back.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporter James Eyers takes us inside the high-stakes negotiations over Armaguard's financial future, talks about the big personalities involved and gives his view on whether we are witnessing the death of cash.
This podcast is sponsored by ANZ
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Spotify here
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Apple here
Further reading:
- Inside the battle for Armaguard and the future of cash
The high-stakes negotiations over the financial future for the cash transit monopoly reached a crescendo over Easter. - Linfox lays out its terms for keeping Armaguard afloat
Peter Fox, the company’s executive chairman, says his family are “not beggars here”. He says the cash-in-transit monopoly will keep operating if fees rise - Coles hoards cash over Easter as Armaguard teeters on the brink The Lindsay Fox-controlled monopoly has engaged former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty to lead negotiations with major banks over a rescue package
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This week on The Fin podcast, Lauren Sams talks about the rise of Zoë Foster Blake, takes us inside the deal to regain control of her skincare business and tells us why there is so much takeover activity in the beauty industry.
This podcast is sponsored by ANZ
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Spotify here
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Apple here
Further reading:
- Zoë Foster Blake: ‘I still think it’s hilarious that I’m in business’
This beauty entrepreneur sold her business for a fortune. And then she bought it back for a song.
- Foster Blake sold Go-To stake for $89m. She’s bought it back for a fraction of that
The former Young Rich Lister, along with her co-founder Paul Bates, have taken back control of the skincare brand from the failed BWX Group.
- One of the fastest growing categories for Young Rich Listers – vanity
Australian beauty brands have pushed out the established labels, from toothpaste to tanning, with a little product innovation and a lot of savvy marketing.
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This week on The Fin podcast, property editor Nick Lenaghan and Chanticleer columnist James Thomson on the relentless rise of house prices and the dilemma it poses for the RBA.
This podcast is sponsored by ANZ
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Spotify here
Listen to 5-in-5 with ANZ on Apple here
Further reading:
- Record-breaking house prices make early rate cuts ‘less likely’
Home values nationwide hit new peaks in March, boosted by strong gains in the more affordable markets, but rising prices could also delay rate cuts.
- Why good intentions are no match for housing’s grim reality
Big house price gains in 2025 and 2026 look likely as Australia’s housing supply crisis gets worse
- The housing data that should make the RBA wary of cutting rates
Australia is a nation obsessed with house prices, and with 60 per cent of people planning to buy in the next five years, the central bank is unlikely to be immune from that.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Jonathan Shapiro and Carrie LaFrenz take us inside their shopping experiment and talk about what happens in the luxury grey market and why investors are so polarised when it comes to the high-end retailer, Cettire.
Further reading:
- Cettire’s Texas hold ’em reveals questions about the value of luxury
The red-hot ASX-listed retailer appears to have one figure for customs and another for customers when it comes to its products.
- The market battle over secretive e-commerce play Cettire
There’s smart money on either side of the Cettire trade. But there remain unanswered questions about its closely guarded business model.
- We spent $1300 shopping at Cettire. Here’s what happened
It’s the buzziest stock on the ASX, thanks to “eye-watering” sales and wide margins. Customer reviews aren’t all so glowing. What’s behind the success?
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This week, we are bringing you the first episode of season 3 of Tech Zero, a podcast from resources reporter and regular on The Fin Peter Ker.
Ker and producer Lap Phan talk to Formula 1’s Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds about the championship’s existential threat, what they are doing about it and whether there is a future in zero-carbon fuel.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Zoe Samios on the Matildas' Olympic campaign, the bankability of women’s sport and Captain Sam Kerr’s legal case.
Further reading:
- Australia’s favourite sports team is no longer male. Will the dollars follow?
Matildas merchandise already outsells the Socceroos’ by a factor of two to one. But in the big-money world of major sport, scoring goals doesn’t always move the dial.
- Australia in the box seat to host the 2026 women’s Asian Cup
With money flowing into women’s soccer, registrations up and the Matildas on a roll, it would be the icing on the cake.
- Socceroos, Matildas success boosts cash for Football Australia
Almost $20 million in prizemoney from the Socceroos, a boost in sponsorship and an uptick in merchandise sales nearly doubled Football Australia’s revenue.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Boss editor Sally Patten and reporter Hannah Wootton on why the gender pay gap exists, who are the worst offenders and what can be done to fix it.
Further reading:
Bonuses, overtime drive 19pc gender pay gap
- The median pay gap at businesses with 100-plus employees has been revealed for the first time and professional services and banks recorded some of the worst disparities.
These companies nailed the gender pay challenge. It wasn’t easy
- Companies such as Super Retail Group, Wesfarmers, PwC and Cotton On have the most balanced pay rates between men and women employees.
Family choices explain part of gender pay gap, say bosses
- Corporate leaders say women taking more family responsibilities makes the dominance of men in the highest-paid roles difficult to shift. But some female directors said women “deciding” to take on lower-paid work was a “false choice”.
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This week on The Fin podcast, United States correspondent Matthew Cranston and senior writer Jacob Greber, who covered the last Biden-Trump race, give their predictions for the US election. They discuss why Nikki Haley is staying in the Republican contest, whether the legal cases will help or hurt Trump and how Canberra is preparing for the result.
This podcast is sponsored by Governance Institute of Australia.
Further reading:
- Biden suffers strong protest vote in primary win
The US president easily won the Democratic primary in Michigan, despite significant defections by voters in his party angry at his support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
- Your dinner party guide to the US election
Will the November vote be a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump? With primaries and caucuses in full swing, and candidates dropping like flies, here’s the lowdown.
- Trump, backed by Rinehart, dispatches Haley in South Carolina
Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart backed Donald Trump to be the next US president as Nikki Haley vowed she would stay in the race despite losing her home state to the former president.
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This week on The Fin podcast, workplace correspondent David Marin-Guzman and Boss deputy editor Patrick Durkin discuss the blurred lines between work and home, the push by some companies to get staff back in the office and whether the new right-to-disconnect laws will ever be used.
This podcast is sponsored by Governance Institute of Australia.
Further reading:
- Why we still can’t agree on how to work from home Four years on from the onset of COVID-19, companies and individuals are as far apart on a consensus on this issue as ever. But this year could bring change.
- ‘Horse has bolted’: Burke consults over right-to-disconnect fix Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has initiated a last-minute consultation with business over a technical fix to the right to disconnect.
- Four-day week v office mandate: One size does not fit all Medibank’s Kylie Bishop says its workers on a four-day-a-week trial are less stressed, but JPMorgan says it needs its merchant bankers in the office every day.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Financial Review reporters Jenny Wiggins and Liam Walsh on how IAG became entangled in the Greensill Capital collapse, what’s next in the legal stoush, and why billions of dollars and corporate reputations are at stake.
This podcast is sponsored by Governance Institute of Australia.
Further reading:
- The $7b hangover: How IAG was sucked into Lex Greensill’s vortex One of Australia’s most expensive corporate fights is in court. But how did the insurer targeted in the cases become entangled?
- The battle of Saughall fields: What Lex Greensill did next The fallen Australian billionaire tried to buy 200 hectares of farmland near a village in north-west England so the view from his home isn’t spoiled. Now the town is tearing itself apart over the plan.
- How the Greensill empire was brought down Skittish insurers, wary fund managers, a suspicious regulator and a sceptical press created a pile of tinder that only needed a few sparks to start a fire.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior writer Emma Connors joins us from Jakarta to talk about who is in the race to be the next president of Indonesia and what that will mean for the region and Australia’s nickel miners.
This podcast is sponsored by Governance Institute of Australia.
Further reading:
- Indonesia’s poll frontrunner has bad news for Australian nickel miners
Prabowo Subianto has vowed to continue the turbocharged industry development backed by Chinese investment that has flooded the world with cheap nickel.
- This billionaire used Indonesia’s nickel to squeeze out Australia
Xiang Guangda, founder of Chinese giant Tsingshan Holdings, has invested billions of dollars to elbow competitors aside.
- Why this man is the most disappointed politician in Indonesia
The sudden entry of President Joko Widodo’s son into the election race has upset many plans – particularly those of the minister who thought he had a good shot at the vice presidency.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Political editor Phillip Coorey on the government’s gamble on stage-3 tax cuts, why it will dominate this year’s political agenda and whether there could be an early election.
This podcast is sponsored by Governance Institute of Australia.
Further reading:
Albanese’s version of integrity comes with a means test Aspiration is not part of this government’s vernacular – not right now at least.
Tax cut for top earners halved under stage three changes The federal government will slash the stage three tax cuts for those earning $200,000 from $9075 to $4529.
An ‘almighty wedge’: The PM’s big tax gamble There are eight winners for every loser in Labor’s reworking of the stage three tax cuts. By focusing on middle-income earners, the PM hopes to create big problems for the Opposition.
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The podcast is on holiday right now so we are replaying some of our favourite episodes as part of a summer series.
In March, The Fin spoke with the Australian Financial Review’s Fashion editor Lauren Sams, who was in Paris for fashion week at the time, about the rising fortunes of Bernard Arnault. The founder of luxury fashion powerhouse LVMH, had recently become the first European to rise to the top of the world’s rich lists, knocking tech titan Elon Musk off his perch.
Alas, his time at the top was not to last. A recovery in Tesla’s shareprice reinstalled Musk in the number one spot a few months after Lauren was on the podcast. But Arnault’s fortune has continued to rise. LVMH is a giant with more than 70 brands, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Tiffany and Sephora. And there is speculation in recent weeks of more deals to come.
So please enjoy this discussion with Lauren and AFR Magazine editor Matthew Drummond on the big business of luxury fashion.
Background reading:
https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/fashion-and-style/here-s-what-you-ll-be-wearing-in-2023-20230306-p5cplq
http://afr.com/women-of-influence/grit-and-gut-instinct-take-women-to-top-of-fashion-world-20230226-p5cnqm
https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/fashion-and-style/bernard-arnault-promotes-daughter-delphine-in-lvmh-reshuffle-20230112-p5cc7s
https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/fashion-and-style/the-secret-to-zimmermann-s-31-year-success-staying-in-its-lane-20220606-p5arex
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The podcast is on holiday right now so we are replaying some of our favourite episodes as part of a summer series.
Former Rear Window editor Joe Aston was one of the Australian Financial Review’s most loved and most feared columnists. He had people turning to the back page every morning before they had poured out their coffee. In October, after a twelve-year reign, he decided to call it a day.
The Fin spoke with Joe about his evolution from gossip columnist to campaigning journalist, his struggles along the way and how he held companies like Qantas and PwC to account.
We hope you enjoy this replay of our discussion.
Further reading:
- Joe's farewell column Rear Window’s style evolved (and its rigour improved), but my primary motivation never really changed, and that was to entertain.
- Richard Goyder's pantomime swan song The Qantas chairman has elected to take an excruciating route to the inevitable.
- Sobering thoughts from Rehab Riviera Resisting alcohol is almost the easiest part of early sobriety. Vastly more daunting is the reconstruction of one’s interpersonal skills.
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The podcast is on holiday right now so we are replaying some of our favourite episodes as part of a summer series.
In June, The Fin spoke with AFR Magazine culinary editor Jill Dupleix about a trend in Australian dining that was bugging her.
All the restaurant menus looked the same.
She wrote a story for the magazine about this and on the cover was a photograph of a cracked plate with Kingfish crudo prepared in four different ways.
So please enjoy this discussion with Jill about the broken business model for Australian restaurants and why some food trends have lingered for more than a decade.
Background reading:
Why the world’s best restaurant is taking up residency down under Chef Mauro Colagreco is bringing a team of 20 to create a uniquely Sydney version of his three-Michelin star French diner Mirazur.
Why top restaurateurs are opening spin-offs right next door You can do degustation at Ides in Melbourne, and now you can go next door to March and settle for a bar snack also prepared by chef Peter Gunn.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior reporter Carrie LaFrenz and Chanticleer columnist James Thomson on the story behind the rise of Chemist Warehouse, how the deal with Sigma will work and whether the business’ low-profile founders will cope with being out in the open.
This podcast is sponsored by First Sentier Investors
Further reading:
Inside the Chemist franchisee world There are over 200 managing partners who are shareholders in the discount chain. They are all ambitious pharmacy owners, many with multiple sites.
Chemist Warehouse's 100-year plan to be the next Walgreens Chemist Warehouse chief executive Mario Verrocchi, flagging a 100-year growth strategy, said it was a “life dream” to list the company, which has more than 600 stores in its network.
Why Chemist Warehouse creates a quandary for fund managers After the initial burst of justifiable excitement generated by a chance to look at a business long hidden from public view, fund managers have started to ponder where, when and how Chemist Warehouse might fit into their portfolios.
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This week on The Fin podcast, senior correspondent Jacob Greber talks about whether the government’s new plan will work, how much it will cost and what are the political stakes for the country’s ambitious climate change minister. And Europe correspondent Hans van Leeuwen reports from Dubai on Australia’s role at this year’s COP28 summit.
This podcast is sponsored by First Sentier Investors
Further reading:
- Bowen's energy plan might cost 'tens of billions' The cost of Labor’s freshly minted Capacity Investment Scheme is being hotly debated by energy experts, with most agreeing the Commonwealth faces a material financial exposure, as well as concerns about the government’s refusal to reveal costings.
- Bowen dramatically expands green energy support The Albanese government will supercharge its struggling 82 per cent clean energy goal by dramatically expanding its underwriting of green generation and storage, effectively replacing the Renewable Energy Target favoured by some wind and solar proponents.
- 'A lot of zeroes': Why global CEOs flock to COP In recent years, a ‘climate Davos’ has emerged on the fringes of COP summits, with companies striking deals, swapping notes and talking to politicians.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Chanticleer columnist Anthony Macdonald and senior resources writer Angela Macdonald-Smith on the twists and turns of the Origin takeover saga, why the bid failed and where those billions of dollars might be headed next.
This podcast is sponsored by First Sentier Investors
Further reading:
- Origin shareholders demand demerger, higher dividends in deal fallout
Origin Energy’s board is facing demands to consider a demerger, a beefed-up transition plan and higher dividend payouts after the collapse of a $20 billion takeover plan. - The one question for every director in Origin's $20 billion belly flop
Stability is the new buzzword at Origin Energy. Having tried to upend the joint for the past year, everyone now seems to want stability: the board, management, investors (institutional and retail), even Brookfield. - Brookfield taking ‘suckers for a ride’ in Origin play: Keating
Assets of Origin’s premium quality should not be sold to private equity investors and, worse, sold cheaply, only to be bought back five years later – with the sole aim of delivering unconscionable profits to equity fund investors.
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This week on The Fin podcast, education editor Julie Hare on why young Australians are losing faith in the value of uni and whether the government can turn it around.
This podcast is sponsored by First Sentier Investors
Further reading:
- Have young Australians lost faith in uni? The number of Australian students studying for a bachelor’s degree has fallen more than 13 per cent since 2016, new data reveals, as rising student debt and the booming jobs market turn young people off higher education.
- The income boost from a uni degree is slumping The income boost graduates gain from earning a university degree is declining and greater for those with higher qualifications, such as master’s and PhDs, a study has found.
- The secret plan to control what uni students can study In what would be a radical overhaul of higher education, a major review is considering an external body to oversee all aspects of universities, potentially stripping them of their autonomy and independence.
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This week on The Fin, economics editor John Kehoe on why young Australians are at risk of a poorer future and what can be done to lighten their load.
This podcast is sponsored by First Sentier Investors
Further reading: Why younger Australians are at risk of a poorer future The nation will become older, more indebted, and tax working-age people more over coming decades unless something dramatic changes.
The penny has finally dropped on income tax burden There are at least three achievable ways to alleviate the intergenerational inequities in the tax system to take pressure off workers and not harm economic growth.
Tax system fails every test, says Ken Henry The federal-state tax system “fails” every test, including for economic growth and fairness to younger people, underlining the need for political leadership to deliver more than “mere tinkering”, former Treasury boss Ken Henry says.
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This week on The Fin podcast, Europe correspondent Hans van Leeuwen on the war between Israel and Hamas and whether it could spread across the Middle East. And political editor Phillip Coorey on Australia’s complicated response.
This podcast is sponsored by SAP.
Further reading:
Netanyahu's dilemma Israel, as ever, is caught between its hard-won capacity to fight militarily on its own terms, and its inability to achieve lasting security without the collusion of Washington, and the major Arab capitals too.
Australia a small player in Middle East conflict Anthony Albanese has called for a sense of perspective regarding Australia’s ability to influence events in the Middle East, as he accused the Greens and Coalition of using the tragedy for political gain while the government was trying to minimise civil unrest.
Wong's ceasefire call draws flak from both sides Foreign Minister Penny Wong is under fire on two fronts after she raised the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accusing her of being “reckless” for even broaching the topic while the pro-Palestinian lobby criticised her for not going far enough. (edited)
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This week on The Fin podcast, technology reporter Jessica Sier and United States correspondent Matthew Cranston on the great unravelling of Sam Bankman-Fried, what it was like inside the courtroom and why his legal troubles aren’t yet over.
This podcast is sponsored by SAP.
Further reading:
- Sam Bankman-Fried: the villain in a cinema near you His defence lawyer said the government tried to show the jury “the movie of Sam the villain.” He might have been ahead of his time.
- Sam Bankman-Fried squirms under cross-examination While Bankman-Fried appeared almost chipper while answering questions from his defence lawyer, the mood turned quickly when the prosecution got started.
- Bankman-Fried brought to book Sitting in front of a freshly picked jury and a courtroom jammed with reporters, Sam Bankman-Fried’s trademark unruly curls had vanished after five weeks in a Brooklyn prison.
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This week on The Fin podcast, political editor Phillip Coorey and North Asia correspondent Michael Smith on why Albanese’s China trip is so important, the challenges facing Xi Jinping at home and how China’s slowing economy is changing the game.
This podcast is sponsored by SAP.
Further reading:
- Taiwan warns Albanese - don't be blindsided by China Taiwan’s Foreign Minister has warned Anthony Albanese ahead of his visit to Beijing that China may take advantage of warmer ties with Western democracies to try to isolate Taipei and bring it under Communist rule.
- China sacks defence minister who disappeared two months ago China has sacked its Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu, who disappeared from public view two months ago in what experts believe is part of a purge of Xi Jinping’s top ranks.
- China denies Cheng was a political hostage Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Cheng Lei’s release was the result of the Albanese government’s “persistent” advocacy with the China, which allowed the former television anchor to return to Australia this week after three years in prison.
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This week on The Fin podcast, resources reporters Peter Ker and Elouise Fowler on lithium’s rise and fall and rise again, why the Liontown deal collapsed and whether the critical mineral could become the next iron ore for Australia.
This podcast is sponsored by SAP.
Further reading:
Can brains disrupt Australia's lithium mining brawn Some of the world’s biggest and smallest companies reckon technology can disrupt Australia’s lithium boom by unlocking vast new supplies and crushing prices.
Deal off, Game on: The battle for Liontown is just beginning
Less than five hours after Liontown Resources announced the withdrawal of Albemarle’s $6.6 billion takeover bid, the lithium junior’s biggest shareholder, Gina Rinehart, was busy setting up a new vehicle for her pivot towards critical minerals.
Lithium takeovers ignite the Pilbara Deal fever has swept the Australian lithium, with Chilean giant Socieded Quimica Y Minera set to play a central role in two deals.
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This week on The Fin, Joe Aston on his evolution from gossip columnist to campaigning journalist, what happened when he went too far and life after Rear Window.
This podcast is sponsored by SAP.
Further reading:
- Joe's farewell column Rear Window’s style evolved (and its rigour improved), but my primary motivation never really changed, and that was to entertain.
- Richard Goyder's pantomime swan song The Qantas chairman has elected to take an excruciating route to the inevitable.
- Sobering thoughts from Rehab Riviera Resisting alcohol is almost the easiest part of early sobriety. Vastly more daunting is the reconstruction of one’s interpersonal skills.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on The Fin podcast, political correspondent Tom McIlroy and political editor Phillip Coorey on what the result is likely to be, where the campaign will be won and lost and what happens next.
This podcast is sponsored by Superloop
Further reading:
- Albanese cries over Voice to parliament chance Anthony Albanese has urged Australians preparing to vote No in Saturday’s referendum on the Indigenous Voice to parliament to reconsider, saying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are “reaching out” to the rest of the community for their own survival.
- Albanese will walk away from Voice if voters say no Anthony Albanese says he will walk away from the Indigenous Voice to parliament proposal if voters defeat Saturday’s landmark referendum.
- Why middle Australia is leaning towards No Debate about the details, partisan bickering and indifference about Indigenous affairs are all continuing to hamper the Yes case.
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This week on The Fin, senior writer Neil Chenoweth and Chanticleer columnist James Thomson explain how family politics within the Murdoch empire could shape politics at large in some of the world's major democracies.
This podcast is sponsored by Superloop
Further reading:
https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/the-murdoch-succession-saga-is-far-from-over-20230922-p5e6r5
https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/what-lachlan-murdoch-told-fundies-in-sydney-two-weeks-ago-20230922-p5e6t1
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/there-may-not-be-another-mogul-like-rupert-murdoch-20230920-p5e6c3
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This week on The Fin podcast, media writers Sam Buckingham-Jones and Mark Di Stefano take us inside the crackdown on gambling advertisements, and what it could mean for the future of Australia's biggest sporting codes.
This podcast is sponsored by Australian Unity.
Further reading:
https://www.afr.com/rear-window/sydney-swans-no-d-ckheads-policy-stretches-thin-20230807-p5dujr
afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/how-the-big-banks-help-australians-stop-themselves-from-gambling-20230404-p5cxv3
https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/gambling-ad-ban-would-hurt-footy-and-media-sportsbet-20230512-p5d7zm
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Follow The Australian Financial Review’s newest podcast offering called 15 Minutes with the Boss.
It’s a weekly podcast, in which AFR’s Boss Editor Sally Patten sits down with one of the country's top CEOs and asks them to share all the valuable advice and wisdom they’ve gained during the course of their careers.
They’ll chat about their successes and failures and everything in between.
Here’s a little preview of episode 1 featuring AMP CEO Alexis George, where she chats about everything from her favourite podcasts, dealing with conflict and reveals the best piece of advice she has ever been given and much more.
At the end of the preview, just search 15 Minutes with the Boss to hear the rest of the show.
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This week on The Fin podcast, property editor Nick Lenaghan on the great divide in Australian housing, what the government and industry need to do to fix the supply problem and those explosive comments that made the AFR property summit news around the world.
This podcast is sponsored by Australian Unity.
Further reading:
- Developers scoff at 1.2 m new homes housing target A dysfunctional planning system and huge labour shortage will cripple the Albanese government’s target of 1.2 million new homes in the next five years, despite billions of dollars of public funding pouring into the sector, warn senior property industry figures.
- Something strange is happening in the housing market An economist, a lender and an investor walked into a property summit – and left everyone confused about where the heck the housing market is going next.
- We need pain in the economy: Tim Gurner An edited transcript of the conversation with property developer Tim Gurner at the Property summit.
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This week of The Fin, Brad Thompson and Peter Ker on what’s behind the executive churn at Fortescue, how it will affect the company's green energy reinvention and whether Andrew Forrest is just too hard to work for.
Further reading:
Fortescue partied, then parted ways with its CEO Saturday was the party, Sunday was the departure of a chief executive of just six months. By Monday, hard questions were being asked.
Fortescue Metals CFO quits Fortescue Metals has lost its chief financial officer, Christine Morris, the 11th executive to leave in three years.
Fortescue Investors split over whether Forrest is wrecking or rescuing Fortescue Metals investors are split over whether Andrew Forrest is damaging its culture, with a former major shareholder selling down his stake over fears the company’s chairman might “wreck” the iron ore major.
'Flame Trees' as performed by Jimmy Barnes at the Fortescue 20th anniversary party was written by Steve Prestwich and Don Walker.
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This week on The Fin, aviation reporter Ayesha de Kretser and Rear Window columnist Joe Aston on the early departure and legacy of Alan Joyce, who else should be held to account for the mess Qantas finds itself in and whether the government will have to revisit its decision on Qatar Airways.
Further reading:
Hudson to focus on customers after Joyce exit Vanessa Hudson has vowed to focus on customers as she tries to repair the national carrier’s battered reputation after Alan Joyce abruptly quit as the chief executive of Qantas two months earlier than planned.
Qantas U-turn on credits as ACCC sues over cancelled flights Qantas has scrapped the expiry date on $570 million of flight credits, as it faces allegations from the competition regulator that it sold tickets for thousands of services that had already been cancelled.
Further reading:
Profits and power: Qantas and the Qatar question The government’s decision to block the foreign operator from obtaining more slots has prompted many to query the power of the country’s biggest airline.
What exactly is the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge, and how do you join? There’s much more to the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge than just free canapes and champagne. Here’s how to become a member and what’s on offer once you’re inside
Alan Joyce puts Albo’s son in Qantas Chairman’s lounge It’s easy to forget that Anthony Albanese has been in Canberra for a very long time. Entitlement to largesse is a lifelong practice.
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This week in The Fin podcast, senior writer Neil Chenoweth, professional services editor Edmund Tadros and Rear Window columnist Joe Aston on the tax leaks scandal nine months on, why it can never be business as usual for the big four consulting firms and whether PwC’s Australian business can survive.
Further reading:
- Why fixing PwC gets harder with every passing week The week in the tax leaks saga where it became clear the culture that had developed in PwC’s tax division over the past decade or so will have consequences that stretch far beyond the firm and will take years to play out.
- PwC’s Kevin Burrowes: an American agent on a Maldives holiday Before jetting off last week, Burrowes briefed retired PwC Australia partners on the firm’s global inquiry – being run by Allens Linklaters – into the involvement of PwC partners outside Australia in the tax leaks scandal.
- Expect a fierce response to Labor’s PwC reforms The plan to crack down on misconduct by tax advisers is ambitious. But it faces a long rocky road.
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This week on The Fin, senior correspondent Jacob Greber on the intergenerational report, why Australia is far from full and what needs to change to make a bigger population work.
Further reading:
- Why Australia needs millions more people - and is getting there fast Angst over house and rental prices is fracturing the fragile bigger-Australia consensus. Yet walking away from a larger population is not an option.
- Ageing population driving $140b blowout in spending A doubling of people older than 65 and a tripling of those 85 and over will present major economic challenges over the next 40 years and be a primary driver of increased government spending.
- Productivity leads to prosperity – here’s how to get there Treasury keeps betting that bipartisanship will help Australia to change in ways that are hard to do but much needed.
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This week on The Fin, economics correspondent Michael Read on the changing of the guard at the RBA, whether interest rates have peaked and the number one problem for the economy.
Further reading:
- Inside the downfall of a top central banker Philip Lowe joined the Reserve Bank straight from high school and went on to oversee a period of dramatically shifting economic fortunes. Until his time ran out.
- Lowe warns rent caps will make the housing shortage even worse Imposing rent controls to ease the housing crisis would make the shortage of homes even worse over the long term, outgoing RBA governor Philip Lowe warned on Friday, saying politicians should resist the push for such short-term solutions.
- Bullock to steady RBA after ‘regrettable’ Lowe departure Michele Bullock’s appointment as the next governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia was motivated by a need to restore the bank’s public image and reform its structures after the pandemic, while staying the course on monetary policy.
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Ahead of the final two sentencings in the Plutus tax fraud case, David Marin-Guzman and Neil Chenoweth tell The Fin podcast why it was a Gen Y crime and how it almost never came to light.
Further reading:
- Adam Cranston found guilty in Plutus tax fraud trial After a nine-month trial and almost two months of deliberation, a jury has found Adam Cranston and two of his key co-conspirators guilty of one of the biggest tax frauds in Australia’s corporate history.
- ATO tax fraud: Behind a $191m Gen Y crime wave This is the face of a Millennial crime wave: there's the party guy, there's the bovver boy and then there's Mr Invisible, the guy who leaves no tracks.
- Plutus ATO fraud Part 2: Sex, tax and Instagram The key to any successful fraud is not just to get your hands on the money, it's not leaving any fingerprints afterwards - so exactly when did "Mr Invisible", Adam Cranston, become involved in the Plutus Payroll scam allegations?
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This week in The Fin podcast, technology writer Nick Bonyhady and health editor Jill Margo on how Ozempic has upended the weight-loss industry, the companies trying to make money from it and the health risks threatening to derail its meteoric rise.
Further reading:
- The weight loss cycle: out with Jenny Craig, in with Ozempic Depending who you ask, Ozempic is “phenomenal” for patients or a “dangerous” way of losing weight. Either way, its arrival heralds a new model of medicine.
- Eucalyptus changes tune and begins selling Ozempic Australia’s biggest weight loss drug selling start-up, Eucalyptus, has begun selling Ozempic after previously insisting it only sold medications specifically approved to help people shed kilograms.
If this episode has raised any concerns for you, help is available.
Call Lifeline on: 13 11 14
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This week in The Fin podcast, resources reporter Peter Ker on the split in the Forrest empire, how it came to light and what it means for the iron ore giant and its green energy plans.
Further reading:
- Andrew and Nicola Forrest to pursue separate lives Australia’s richest couple, Andrew and Nicola Forrest, have separated but insist the strategic direction of the mining giant they control, Fortescue Metals Group, will not be affected by their decision to pursue independent lives.
- Forrest split won’t destroy Fortescue, investors say Big investors in Fortescue Metals say the miner can sail through the breakdown of executive chairman Andrew Forrest’s marriage and the subsequent ownership reshuffle that has given Nicola Forrest control of the single biggest Fortescue stake.
- Anonymous Nic emerges from the Forrest split Anyone who thinks Nicola will just quietly go along with whatever Andrew says and does from now is likely mistaken, even if, in regard to Fortescue, they stay on a steady course.
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This week on The Fin, senior reporter Angela Macdonald-Smith and senior writer Ben Potter on the mammoth task ahead to re-engineer the country’s power system, why we are unlikely to meet those 2030 climate targets and how we can get back on track to reach-net zero by 2050.
Further reading:
- Meeting 2030 climate targets close to ‘impossible’ Energy industry leaders are increasingly convinced that Australia will miss its 2030 climate targets, as the pace of adding renewable energy, back-up capacity and transmission falls further and further behind what is needed.
- Phased Eraring shutdown on cards as price worries mount Fortescue Future Industries director and former Reserve Bank deputy Guy Debelle warned that the lagging response in the supply of clean energy poses a risk for prices over the next 10 years as the economy transitions to low-carbon energy.
- Farmers revolt at Victorian power plan Australia hasn’t built transmission projects this large across farm country for decades. The projects are critical to the transition to net zero, but farmers say they’ve been ignored, taken for granted and patronised.
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Today, senior reporter Max Mason on how two former 'besties' turned on each other after their multi-million dollar fraud unravelled, and why it took NAB years to uncover their lucrative scheme. And legal editor Michael Pelly gives his take on what it means for white-collar crime in Australia.
Further reading:
Former NAB chief of staff jailed for fraud The former chief of staff to NAB chief executives Andrew Thorburn and Cameron Clyne has been sentenced to a combined eight years in prison for participating in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.
Lavish lunches key to planning NAB fraud Rosemary Rogers, the former chief of staff to NAB chief executives Andrew Thorburn and Cameron Clyne, and Helen Rosamond, the owner of events company Human Group, met for lavish lunches in Sydney every few weeks to plan their alleged fraud of the big four bank, the Crown alleges.
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This week in The Fin podcast, aviation reporter Ayesha de Kretser and travel editor Fiona Carruthers on why customers love to hate Qantas, when flying will become more affordable and what to do to get cheaper fares in the meantime.
Further reading:
- Why is flying out of Australia still so expensive? Australian travellers are paying about 50 per cent more for international flights than before the pandemic.
- I just flew Qantas Auckland-New York in business – here’s how it went New plane, less flying time overall, no LAX airport: The Australian Financial Review went along for the inaugural ride taking Australians on this new route.
- Pointy end shake up: how first class, premium and business will look soon In the midst of a travel boom, airlines everywhere are sharpening things up at the front of the plane.
- The outgoing Qantas boss opted to buy the flat next door to his home in The Rocks and sell his harbourfront mansion, just 15 months after paying $19m for it.
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This week in The Fin podcast, AFR Magazine culinary editor Jill Dupleix on why Australian dining is stuck in a rut, how the business model for high-end restaurants has changed and what the industry needs to do to regain momentum.
Background reading:
Why the world’s best restaurant is taking up residency down under Chef Mauro Colagreco is bringing a team of 20 to create a uniquely Sydney version of his three-Michelin star French diner Mirazur.
Why top restaurateurs are opening spin-offs right next door You can do degustation at Ides in Melbourne, and now you can go next door to March and settle for a bar snack also prepared by chef Peter Gunn.
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This week in The Fin podcast, investigative reporter Neil Chenoweth and professional services editor Edmund Tadros on the civil war that has broken out within PwC, the financial hit taken by the firm and why this long-running investigation now has a second wind.
Read more on the PwC tax leaks scandal:
- ‘The dog that didn’t bark’: Where was the ATO in the PwC mess? Tax Office chiefs blamed everyone else for what appears a disturbingly ineffective investigation.
- PwC faces fresh probe into its tax leaks scandal The regulator that uncovered the PwC tax leaks scandal has launched a new inquiry into the role of dozens of people who shared confidential government information.
- At PwC partners’ meeting, a firm in civil war Many among the 900-strong partnership fear the firm is descending into a civil war that could take years to recover from.
- PwC sends nine partners on leave, chairman exits PwC will put nine senior partners on leave and will “ringfence” all federal government advisory work as part of a suite of measures designed to signal to the Commonwealth the firm is taking decisive action over its ongoing tax leaks scandal.
- The inside story of PwC’s tax scandal The consultancy is facing one of the biggest crises in its history. This is how it happened.
- Podcast | Why this is just the start of the PwC tax scandal Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros discuss the scandal engulfing the big four firm, how the story broke, who was involved and what happens from here.
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This week in The Fin podcast, technology columnist John Davidson on how long it will be before AI systems are smarter than humans and whether we will survive the transition.
Further reading:
- Is ChatGPT a form of magic or the apocalypse? ChatGPT hit the headlines in November, but it’s based on technology that data scientists have been working on since the 1950s.
- Generative AI replaces crypto as tech’s latest gold rush The world’s biggest software companies - Google’s Alphabet, Microsoft, China’s Baidu, Salesforce and Meta itself - have swarmed into the space ChatGPT opened.
- How Australian workers could be left behind by AI A report commissioned by the government has warned Australia may not have enough skilled workers or computing power to capitalise on the AI revolution.
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This week in The Fin podcast, property editor Nick Lenaghan on why prices are rising, whether it will last and what is wrong with the housing market.
Further reading:
- How to solve Australia’s housing crisis The growth in Australia’s housing stock has dramatically slowed in the last 20 years, a surprising outcome given demand. The blame lies firmly with local councils and state governments.
- Two radical ways to fix Australia’s housing mess Australia’s home ownership rate peaked at 73 per cent in 1966, but is about 63 per cent today. Here are ways to fix a damaging crisis that has morphed into a political, economic and social problem.
- ‘Very early on in this recover’: Demand outstripping supply Buyers – including first home buyers and investors – are racing to lock in deals ahead of the traditional winter slowdown, and that is putting a solid floor under prices.
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This week in The Fin podcast, senior Chanticleer columnist James Thomson on who makes the cut this year, how that has changed over the last four decades and why it matters.
Further reading:
- The biggest hits (and misses) from 40 years of the Rich List Corporate raiders, post-war migrants, tech booms and busts – the annual scorecard of our most wealthy charts the ups and downs of Australian entrepreneurialism.
- The 200 richest people in Australia revealed In another year of the billionaire bingo that names the nation’s wealthiest, mining and manufacturing is up, technology is down and everything old is new again.
- If Rich Listers had to start over in 2023, what would they do? What if you had to build your career from scratch again? We asked 10 Rich Listers, Young Rich Listers and notable entrepreneurs to imagine they were back at the beginning right now
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This week in The Fin podcast, senior reporter James Eyers on Apple’s latest push into financial services in Australia, what it means for the consumer and why it’s threatening the big four banks.
Further reading:
- Apple Pay on a roll and the banks are rattled to their core While Westpac and Tyro touted a deal with Apple this week to let iPhones accept payments, senior bankers are worried about where the tech giant will go next.
- Apple lets iPhones accept payments for Westpac and Tyro The move expands the payments market, generating higher fees for banks and Apple, which is continuing to push for a cashless society.
- Apple Pay costs for Australian banks revealed Apple is raking in more than $110 million in annual fees from Australian banks, an amount that will further rise as paying with mobile phones becomes more common.
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This week in The Fin podcast, senior writer Neil Chenoweth and professional services editor Edmund Tadros on the tax controversy engulfing PwC, how the story broke, who was involved and what happens from here.
Required reading:
- Panic at PwC: how a tax scandal played out behind closed doors In the space of 10 days, an almost daily drumbeat of bad news has reduced the firm and its reputation to a level its partners could have barely imagined at the start of the month.
- The inside story of PwC’s tax scandal The consultancy is facing one of the biggest crises in its history following revelations that dozens of PwC operatives used confidential updates on government tax plans to drum up new clients. This is how it happened.
- For your eyes only: How PwC leaks helped global clients dodge tax Accounting giant PwC Australia charged $2.5 million in fees to advise 14 clients how to sidestep new multinational tax avoidance laws in 2016.
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This week in The Fin podcast, companies editor Vesna Poljak and senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro on the reasons behind the Future Fund’s about face and why its decision was a jolt to the investment industry. And senior correspondent Jacob Greber gives his take on this week’s federal budget.
Required reading:
- Is this the dawn of the age of active investing There was a buzz in the lobby of Sydney Sheraton hotel on Thursday morning among the fund managers in attendance at The Australian Financial Review Alpha Live conference.
- Future Fund to embrace stock picking again The head of the $200 billion Future Fund declared the easy gains fuelled by the era of cheap money is over, and the sovereign wealth giant is prepared to back stock pickers again.
- Future Fund’s seismic revamp to hit active funds The Future Fund, has revealed for the first time the reasons behind its decision to cut active stock pickers in favour of low cost algorithms and passive funds.
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This week in The Fin podcast, political editor Phillip Coorey on what to expect from next week’s federal budget, why this might be the time for brave decisions and what lessons Jim Chalmers can learn from Peter Costello.
Suggested reading:
- Chalmers’ budget warning after RBA shock Treasurer Jim Chalmers has used the Reserve Bank’s shock resumption of interest rate rises to warn that fighting Australia’s 7 per cent inflation rate must come ahead of demands to increase welfare spending in next week’s budget.
- Cutting NDIS waste to save more than $60b in a decade The Albanese government expects to save more than $60 billion over the next decade by cutting the growth rate of the “unsustainable” National Disability Insurance Scheme by almost half within three years, and pushing it lower after that.
- Labor MPs join growing calls to increase the dole Four federal Labor MPs have broken ranks to join calls for the government to increase the JobSeeker payment by $24 billion at next month’s federal budget.
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This week in The Fin podcast, technology reporter Jessica Sier on why MilkRun closed its doors, how its failure marks the end of an era of easy money for start-ups in Australia and what that means for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Further reading:
- MilkRun to close doors, all staff made redundant MilkRun, the rapid local delivery service, will close and make its staff redundant, bringing an abrupt end to a company which raised one of the biggest early-stage funding rounds in Australian venture capital history.
- MilkRun collapse kill “spray and pray”at burned venture capital firms The dramatic collapse of delivery start-up MilkRun has left Australian venture capital firms divided over whether to plough fresh money into capital-efficient companies, or to pull back and wait for cash-burning start-ups to snuff themselves out before re-entering the market.
- MilkRun is last man standing With inflation surging in the US and Australia and central banks raising interest rates in the first half of the year, the category of high-growth, high cash-burn start-ups is out of fashion among investors.
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This week in The Fin podcast, wealth editor Aleks Vickovich on the noisy minority opposing the superannuation tax reforms, why they are angry and where the government goes from here. And reporter Hannah Wootton on what Millennials think about the debate.
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This week in The Fin podcast, senior writer Neil Chenoweth on the events leading up to the multibillion-dollar legal battle and what it means for the Murdoch media empire. And reporter Mark Di Stefano tells us about the money and the PR machine behind the case.
Background reading:
- Murdochs can’t avoid testifying Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan, cannot avoid testifying at trial if they are subpoenaed by Dominion Voting Systems in the company’s $US1.6 billion ($2.4 billion) defamation suit over Fox News’s airing of false claims that it rigged the 2020 presidential election, a judge said.
- Jury to weigh Murdochs’ role in Fox-Dominion trial One of the most closely watched US defamation cases in decades is set to begin on Thursday as a Delaware court picks a jury to decide whether Fox News should pay Dominion Voting Systems $US1.6 billion ($2.4 billion) for spreading election-rigging falsehoods.
- ‘Really crazy stuff’: Emails reveal Murdoch trashing Trump poll claims Emails and texts unearthed as part of a major US defamation case against Fox Corporation reveal Rupert Murdoch labelling the Trump campaign’s false claims about election fraud as “really crazy stuff” and “damaging”.
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This week in The Fin podcast, South-East Asia correspondent Emma Connors on how India is poised to overtake China as the world's most populous nation, why this historic shift will change the balance of power and what it means for the global economy and Australia's trade with the region.
Background reading:
- China’s drop in births triggers a new global challenge China is facing a demographic crisis after deaths outstripped births last year for the first time since the country was ravaged by famine under Mao Zedong’s rule in the 1960s.
- Why Australia needs India more than ever (in five charts) Not since China’s rapid rise in the 1990s have people been so excited about what the Australian DFAT describes as an ‘unprecedented economic opportunity’.
- Modi’s India: Condoms, contradictions and global ambitions In April, India will pass China to become the world’s biggest country by population, and it’s flexing its muscles from the G20 stage.
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This week in The Fin podcast, senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro on how the latest financial crisis spread across the globe, what Australian banks and regulators are doing about it and where the next fire might start.
Background reading:
- The dark side of Australian banking exceptionalism Making too-big-to-fail banks even bigger might not be the solution the global banking system needs or wants.
- Total wipeout for Credit Suisse hybrid holders rattles debt investors The total loss for hybrid holders, who have fared even worse than lower ranking equity holders, could have widespread ramifications in already skittish fixed income markets.
- Where the banking crisis goes next The speed with which the banking crisis has rolled out, and government support has rolled in, raises big questions for investors.
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This week in The Fin podcast, reporter Michael Read on what has caused this rental squeeze, how it’s affecting the economy and what’s being done to fix it.
Background reading:
- Record monthly rent surge is a timebomb for inflation Asking rents in capital cities jumped a record-breaking 2.4 per cent in the past 30 days, triggering fears that the increase will further stoke inflation.
- Why rents are only going higher In the past 12 months, rents surged at a record-breaking pace of 14.6 per cent for houses and by 17.6 per cent for units as vacancies plummeted to a record low.
- The suburbs that are home to Sydney’s biggest NIMBYs Councils in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and lower north shore are the city’s most anti-development local government areas, with new research showing aggressive NIMBYism is driving property prices higher amid chronic under-building.
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From Monday, March 20 on the How I Made It podcast, you’ll hear stories from women who’ve faced down enormous challenges to take a simple idea and build a business.
They’re changing the face of Australian business and paving the way for a new generation of female leaders.
We’ll uncover the daily hacks they use to get ahead and they’ll share some unique challenges that, rightly or wrongly, get thrown at them simply because they’re women.
Listen to Female Founders fortnightly on the How I Made It feed, as we reveal how these entrepreneurs got their businesses off the ground and the sacrifices made in the relentless pursuit of success.
Brought to you by The Australian Financial Review in partnership with Charter Hall. Follow us wherever you get your podcast.
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This week in The Fin podcast, national reporter Samantha Hutchinson on why the NSW race is tight, whether the Coalition government can cling onto power and what message that would send to Peter Dutton.
Background reading:
- Chris Minns, the pragmatist aiming for the top After 12 years in the wilderness, the Labor leader thinks the timing is finally right to seize the top job in NSW.
- Dominic Perrottet: The ‘anti-pollie politician’ He’s a fierce economic and social conservative at heart. But he’s also been billed as one of the most innovative political leaders in the country.
- Perrottet’s future fund for kids to cost up to $710 million per year The proposal, the centrepiece of the Liberal’s reelection pitch, has come under fire from economists.
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Today on The Fin, Fashion editor Lauren Sams tells us what’s happening on the runways in Paris, why Gen Z is so interested and how it’s reshuffling the rich lists. And AFR Magazine editor Matthew Drummond gives his take on the biggest challenge facing luxury brands.
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This week in The Fin podcast, senior correspondent Jacob Greber on how close we are to the point at which every Australian’s next car decision is electric. And motoring writer Tony Davis on what’s out there to buy.
Background reading:
- Motoring groups offer qualified support for Labor’s emissions standard Australia’s peak motoring body backed by 8.7 million car owners has endorsed Chris Bowen’s push to introduce an emissions standard on new vehicles but cautioned against wiping out ever-improving hybrid and internal combustion engine technology.
- Tax breaks for EVs to save drivers about $30,000 Electric vehicle fleet and lease companies are bracing for an explosion in demand after the government clinched a crossbench Senate deal to exempt low-and-zero emission cars from fringe benefits tax, potentially saving buyers more than $30,000.
- Which EV will you choose Stock shortages and a limited choice of models made finding the right electric vehicle hard work for many Australians. That is about to change.
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This week in The Fin podcast, economics editor John Kehoe on why Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe is facing an uphill battle to keep his job and what that means for the economy.
Background reading:
- Replacing Philip Lowe at the RBA is not so easy There’s a handful of candidates in the mix to succeed Philip Lowe, but the dilemma for Jim Chalmers is there is no obvious replacement.
- The day RBA boss Philip Lowe nearly died The central bank chief had felt tired as he walked offstage at a conference on financial stability in Ottawa on May 5, 2016. He thought it was jet lag. It wasn’t.
- Lowe briefs traders at Barrenjoey after rates meeting Philip Lowe attended the investment bank’s event after declining to make a public address on the outlook for monetary policy, which he has done after the first RBA board meeting of the year since 2017.
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Ahead of next week’s one-year anniversary, Europe correspondent Hans van Leeuwen on what happens next in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Background reading:
- Ukraine braces for air assault, West scrambles for more supplies Western countries are scrambling to find enough weapons to shore up Ukraine’s defences, as reports suggest Russia is massing aircraft on the border in preparation for an all-out assault.
- Zelensky tours Europe seeking aircraft to push back Putin Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky is making a lightning visit to London, Paris and Brussels, pressing the case for more weapons ahead of an expected Russian onslaught in coming weeks.
- Inside the mission to turn Ukrainians into war heroes Olena, a 46-year-old woman with a teenage daughter back home in Kyiv, is standing in helmet and flak jacket atop a classic rolling green hill in south-west England.
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Economics correspondent Ronald Mizen on why Australia’s corporate regulator is facing its biggest shake-up in 15 years, and whether Joe Longo is up to the challenge.
Background reading:
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/asic-chairman-gave-abject-apology-for-emotional-outburst-20230125-p5cff7
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/longo-s-asic-reset-aims-for-faster-enforcement-20230117-p5cda1
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/asic-let-wagyu-and-shiraz-narrative-get-twisted-says-watchdog-20230121-p5cefg
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Tech editor Paul Smith explains the hype around chatGPT, why its release forced Google to declare a code red, and whether it's coming for your job.
Background reading
- Is ChatGPT a form of magic or the apocalypse? ChatGPT hit the headlines in November, but it’s based on technology that data scientists have been working on since the 1950s.
- How the sudden rise of AI is shaking your white-collar world Generative AI has caused a storm by automating high-paying professional skills. Now Aussie businesses are trying to determine how to get the best out of it.
- It ‘could be decades’ before ChatGPT knocks out prize-winning thinking The rapid adoption of the AI chatbot has experts concerned that the internet will drown under a torrent of untrustworthy and low-quality content.
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This week on The Fin podcast, political reporter Tom McIlroy and Lowitja Institute chairman Selwyn Button explain what’s at stake in the federal government’s push to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the Constitution.
Background reading:
Slow progress closing Indigenous employment gap
Better policy and a greater say: what the Voice will really mean
Half of Australians support Indigenous Voice plan
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Background reading:
- What history tells us about falling house prices (in five charts) Past property cycles provide lots of clues about when the market is likely to recover, and what to look for.
- The suburbs handing landlords $22,000 a year Rising interest rates have slashed the number of suburbs where investors can buy a cash flow-positive property, but there are still treasures to be found.
- What it’s like to live on a stunning $50m Sydney beachside block Lang Syne owner Dimity Griffiths reveals the story of life in one of Australia’s best locations – and why she’s selling after 63 years.
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North Asia correspondent Michael Smith explains China’s U-turn on COVID-zero, whether it will work and what it means for both the global economy and Xi Jinping’s grip on power.
Background reading:
- How Xi’s great COVID-19 pivot is actually going Experts and even China’s own health authorities are now predicting 90 per cent of the country’s 1.4 billion people will become infected in the fast-paced reopening.
- Mass lockdowns or mass deaths: Xi’s COVID-19 dilemma Following a week of extraordinary protests, China has reached the point of no return. How Xi manages the road out from his COVID zero policy will reverberate around the world.
- 'I feared being disappeared': Inside my escape from China Welcome to life in Xi Jinping’s China. Where the authorities can enter your home in the middle of the night to intimidate and harass you when you are not even suspected of a crime.
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This week in The Fin podcast, markets editor Vesna Poljak and senior reporter Jonathan Shapiro explain the rise and fall of billionaire money manager Hamish Douglass and Magellan.
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Resources reporter Peter Ker on the remarkable remaking of Andrew Forrest from mining magnate to green hydrogen crusader, what his plan is and whether he can actually pull it off.
Background reading:
- Bike not the only thing to lose paint from Debelle’s exit A bike crash left Guy Debelle using crutches at public events recently. But his exit for legitimate health issues won’t spare Fortescue from pain.
- ‘The lazy will be left behind’: Forrest’s three lessons on climate The Fortescue boss paused for breath to talk to The Australian Financial Review about why, when most CEOs are skipping COP27 this year, he has doubled down.
- This man says he can solve the energy crisis. Will anyone believe him? Saul Griffith says subsidising the electrification of households would slash emissions and, eventually, energy costs. But can his pitch win local support?
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This week in TheFin podcast, tech reporter Jessica Sier and host Lisa Murray examine the downfall of crypto’s “good guy”, why it took investors and regulators by surprise and whether crypto can survive.
They unpack whether the collapse of the FTX exchange is crypto’s Lehman or Enron moment and how far the contagion might spread given 44 per cent of Australians own crypto.
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Tech columnist John Davidson on the Medibank hack, how it happened, and why Russian criminals may not be the biggest threat to your data.
Background reading:
- Inside Australia’s most invasive data hack “We will do everything in our power to inflict as much damage as possible to you,” hackers told Medibank last month. This is how the negotiations unfolded.
- How to avoid joining Optus and Medibank on the cybersecurity walk of shame We’ve interviewed some of the world’s top cybersecurity experts and asked them one question: how do you dodge the cyberattacker’s bullet?
- Medibank mystery: Was a user credential all that was needed for the hack? How does a compromised password let a data thief access the most sensitive of customer data: health records?
- What personal data do scammers want from you (and how will they use it)? From credit card details to your email address and date of birth, there’s plenty of personal information that could be used to scam you, if it falls into the wrong hands.
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Chanticleer columnist James Thomson on what the boardroom fight means for AGL Australia and why big companies around the world are watching closely.
Background reading:
- 'Lights would go out' under Cannon-Brookes' 1.5 degree target AGL Energy chairman Patricia McKenzie said the faster closure of coal power plants as demanded by the company’s biggest shareholder Mike Cannon-Brookes is just not possible.
- Cannon-Brookes’ big win in AGL proxy war puts heat on board Proxy advisers have backed Mike Cannon-Brookes’ nominees for the AGL board, and opened a potential new line of attack for the billionaire.
- Three megatrends collide in Cannon-Brookes, Brookfield’s AGL bid The speed of the energy transition, the rise and rise of private capital and the emergence of billionaire activists are all at play in the offer.
For more stories about business, markets and politics, subscribe to The Australian Financial Review at afr.com/subscribe
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Jemima Whyte on the audacious rise of Barrenjoey, the first Australian investment bank since Macquarie, why its attracted controversy and what's next as deals stall and the era of cheap money ends.
Background reading
- Barrenjoey costs soar The group said $44.4 million of “establishment costs” were incurred for the year, on top of operating expenses of more than $200 million.
- How to build an investment bank after a false start The key meeting in the establishment of Barrenjoey – which has stoked envy, frustration and fascination in equal measure among rivals – was one that occurred quietly.
- Australia’s top five deal makers in 2022 There’s plenty of work to go around, but the cream of the crop in the investment banking sector emerged in the past year.
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Special correspondent Misha Zelinsky talks about what it’s like covering the war on the ground as Ukrainians prepare for their biggest test yet – winter.
Background reading:
- Special delivery: The VC bringing aid to the Ukrainian front line Misha Zelinsky and venture capitalist James Spenceley travel 3000km to deliver ambulances to fighters at the sharp end of Putin’s war.
- ‘If Putin is looking for capitulation, then the attacks have failed’ After the all-clear was given following the missile attacks on Kyiv, lines for barber shops, cafés and restaurants quickly formed
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Today in The Fin, The Australian Financial Review's political editor Phillip Coorey on Labor’s “monumental challenges”; energy prices to be a “real killer”; and does Treasurer Jim Chalmers even get along with the PM?
Background reading:
- NDIS under review as it blows out to $50b
- Floods to push up food prices and worsen deficit, says Jim Chalmers
Subscribe to The Australian Financial Review here.
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The Fin is a weekly podcast from The Australian Financial Review that takes you behind the deal, inside the boardroom and along the corridors of power.
Every week we focus on one important story. Join us to hear our take on the money, power and personalities behind the news.
Search The Fin and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.
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