Everything you need to know about Australian public policy.
Grattan Institute is dedicated to developing high quality public policy for Australia’s future. Our...
Crunching the numbers on the Coalition's nuclear plan
Peter Dutton has released the costings for the Coalition's nuclear energy plan, proposing to build seven nuclear power stations at the sites of current coal plants. The Coalition says its plan would be markedly cheaper than Labor's plan to convert to mostly renewable energy by 2050. But a report from CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator suggests that renewables have the lowest cost range of any new electricity generation.
Added to this, debates around energy prices are only going to get bigger as the 2025 federal election draws closer. And in the end, is the ultimate goal of emissions reduction getting lost in the clamour for cheaper bills?
On this podcast, Grattan's energy experts Tony Wood and Alison Reeve provide incisive commentary on the state of energy policy - and they argue that Australia shouldn't jump to Plan B anytime soon.
Links to reports mentioned in the podcast:
- Frontier Economics report https://www.frontier-economics.com.au/economic-analysis-of-including-nuclear-power-in-the-nem/
- CSIRO and AEMO GenCost Report https://www.csiro.au/en/research/technology-space/energy/gencost
- Grattan's submission on nuclear energy https://grattan.edu.au/news/nuclear-energy-for-australia/
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25:29
Prime Minister's Summer Reading List 2024
Each year, Grattan Institute selects its best books of the past 12 months – recommended reading for the Prime Minister, and indeed all Australians, over the summer holidays. From the history of democracy to the stars above, each of these reads put humans squarely in the centre of the frame.
Grattan CEO Aruna Sathanapally, and researchers Jessica Geraghty and Nick Parkinson, discuss why we chose these six pieces.
Read more about these thought-provoking reads on our website: https://grattan.edu.au/news/prime-ministers-summer-reading-list-2024/
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19:05
What the Annual Climate Change Statement means for Australia
Every year, the federal government releases a Climate Change Statement, which documents progress towards Australia’s climate targets. This year’s statement shows Australia’s emissions have fallen and that we are on track to meet the 2030 emissions reduction target of 43 per cent. But hitting this number depends on implementing several policies, including the Capacity Investment Scheme, the Future Made in Australia plan, and The New Vehicle Emissions Standard.
In this Grattan podcast, host Kat Clay and energy expert Alison Reeve discuss what the statement means for Australia, and what the government can do over the next five years to ensure Australia hits the targets.
Further reading
- Annual Climate Change Statement 2024 https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/strategies/annual-climate-change-statement-2024
- Climate Change Authority Annual Progress Report 2024 https://www.climatechangeauthority.gov.au/2024-annual-progress-report-released
- Grattan’s Towards Net-Zero report series https://grattan.edu.au/towards-net-zero/
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17:38
Housing policy heats up
It’s been a big week for housing policy. Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan both announced policies designed to boost housing supply.
Our housing experts Brendan Coates and Matthew Bowes analyse the latest policies, and discuss what else could be done to ease the housing crisis.
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28:50
Should Australia curb negative gearing?
Negative gearing is back on the table with Jim Chalmers asking Treasury to model changes to property tax breaks. It's not a new proposal for Labor, with tax reform a hot political issue in the 2019 election. But at any mention of changes to negative gearing, landlords immediately voice concerns about losing income and having to sell up. Tenants raise issues about increasing rents. And first home buyers wonder if this will worsen their chances of getting into the market.
In this podcast episode, housing experts Brendan Coates and Matthew Bowes make the case for curbing negative gearing and the capital gains tax, a change which could raise billions for the federal Budget and boost home ownership.
Show notes
Why negative gearing should be on the table: https://grattan.edu.au/news/why-negative-gearing-should-be-on-the-table/
On negative gearing and the 2019 federal election: https://grattan.edu.au/news/self-interest-didnt-swing-the-election-results-but-the-scare-campaign-did/
Hot Property: Negative gearing and capital gains tax reform https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/872-Hot-Property.pdf
Everything you need to know about Australian public policy.
Grattan Institute is dedicated to developing high quality public policy for Australia’s future. Our podcasts cover a range of public policy topics focusing on the main issues facing Australia.
Our podcasts concentrate on budget policy, economic growth, energy, health, institutional reform, household finances, school education, and disability policy.
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