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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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, 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 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 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, 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, 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 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.

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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 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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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.

This podcast is sponsored by Australian Unity.

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.

This podcast is sponsored by Australian Unity.

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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