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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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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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 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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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 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 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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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 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 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 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 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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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 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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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 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 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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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 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 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 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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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 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 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 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 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 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 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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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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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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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 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 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 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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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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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 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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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 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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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 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 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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• 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 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 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 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 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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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 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 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 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 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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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 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 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, 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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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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