Follow The Money

Journalist and author Antoinette Lattouf tells the inspiring stories of women’s courage and conviction – and how they have changed our country.
Recorded live as part of our Australia’s Biggest Book Club webinar series, Antoinette Lattouf joins Ebony Bennett to discuss her landmark legal battle with the ABC and her latest book, Women Who Win: Celebrating courage, conviction and change.
The original conversation was recorded live on 29 May 2026. Stay across all of our events and webinars by signing up to our newsletter.
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Guest: Antoinette Lattouf, journalist and author of Women Who Win: Celebrating courage, conviction and change // @antoinettelattouf
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Women Who Win: Celebrating courage, conviction and change by Antoinette Lattouf, Penguin (April 2026)
Josh Bornstein: Working for the Brand, Australia’s Biggest Book Club, the Australia Institute (November 2024)
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
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The government’s latest reforms don’t do nearly enough to protect Australians from gambling harm.
On this episode of Follow the Money, Martin Thomas from the Alliance for Gambling Reform and Morgan Harrington from the Australia Institute join Ebony Bennett to discuss how Australians came to have the biggest per capita gambling losses in the world, how online sports betting is turbocharging the damage caused by gambling, and the government’s straw man argument about “balance” when it comes to reform.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 26 May.
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Guest: Martin Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for Gambling Reform
Guest: Morgan Harrington, Research Manager, the Australia Institute // @mhharrington
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Polling – banning gambling advertisements, the Australia Institute (May 2026)
Teenage gambling in Australia by Matt Saunders and Morgan Harrington, the Australia Institute (April 2025)
Worth a Punt – 2% Levy on Gambling Revenue Could Replace Free-To-Air Advertising Spend by Stephen Long and David Richardson, the Australia Institute (August 2024)
‘A thousand days of inaction on gambling reform’ by Tim Costello, The Saturday Paper (March 2026)
New research shows kids are targeted with alcohol, gambling and junk food ads online, Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (June 2024)
Football’s secret gambling deal exposed | Four Corners, Australian Broadcasting Corporation on YouTube (June 2023)
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/3RR3KYd
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six months out from an election, Victoria has been left with no political donation laws after the High Court ruled them unconstitutional.
On this episode of Follow the Money, Bill Browne joins Ebony Bennett to discuss why the High Court voided Victoria’s undemocratic political donations laws. They examine what this could mean for other jurisdictions and why a principled, transparent approach to political donations reform is needed – not legislation that skews the system in favour of major parties.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 19 May.
Visit The Point for research, analysis, explainers and factchecks from experts at the Australia Institute and beyond.
Guest: Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability, the Australia Institute // @browne90
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Victoria’s donation restrictions are unconstitutional – what happens now? by Bill Browne, The Point (April 2026)
Open letter calls on Victorian Parliament to make election donation laws fair and transparent from Australian Democracy Network, Accountability Round Table, Transparency International Australia, Human Rights Law Centre, the Australia Institute and many other integrity and community organisations (May 2026)
High Court shines a light on how major parties have stacked the system in their favour by Bill Browne, The Point (April 2026)
High Court gives Victoria a chance to rethink its unconstitutional, undemocratic political donation laws, the Australia Institute (April 2026)
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/3RR3KYd
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Australians are crying out for big, brave reforms from governments. The long-overdue changes to housing tax concessions in this budget suggest the federal government may be starting to get the message.
On this episode of Follow the Money, Matt Grudnoff and Ebony Bennett discuss the government’s important changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, its “brutal” cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and why some “broken promises” may not be such a big deal in the eyes of Australians.
This episode was recorded on Wednesday 13 May.
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Guest: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Budget 2026: What the government’s housing tax changes mean for first home buyers and housing affordability by Matt Grudnoff, The Point (May 2026)
Budget 2026: Government targets investor tax breaks and trust loopholes in housing reform package by Tegan George, The Point (May 2026)
Budget 2026: Treasurer's speech, annotated by Greg Jericho, The Point (May 2026)
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/3RR3KYd
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After major missteps, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is falling well short of the gold standard for integrity bodies.
On this episode of Follow the Money, journalist and writer Nick Feik joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the NACC’s handling of its Robodebt investigation, its decision not to hold public hearings so far, and concerns about the legal experience required of some senior leaders.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday 5 May and some things may have changed.
The latest Vantage Point essay, Rich Kid Poor Kid: The Battle for Public Education by Jane Caro, is available now for $19.95. Use the code 'PODVP' at checkout to get free shipping.
Guest: Nick Feik, journalist and writer // @nickfeik
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Built to fail? NACC: the integrity body undermined from the start by Nick Feik, Michelle Fahy & Elizabeth Minter, The Point (April 2026)
Resignation of Deputy Commissioner highlights need for transparent, merit-based NACC appointments, the Centre for Public Integrity (May 2026)
National Anti-Corruption Commission: Reforms Needed, the Australia Institute
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Support the research powerful interests fear: https://theaus.in/3RR3KYd
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.