The influence of the gas and coal industry on our politicians and policymakers is an open secret in Australia. What is less well understood is why this small industry, with little economic significance, wields such apparent power and how easy it would be to free our democracy from its grip. Richard Denniss, Royce Kurmelovs, Ross Garnaut and Sarah Hanson-Young talk through the issues with chair Natasha Mitchell.

SPEAKERS:

Ross Garnaut is the professorial research fellow in economics at the University of Melbourne. He has held senior roles in universities, business, government and other Australian and international institutions. In 2008 he produced the Garnaut Climate Change Review for the Australian Government. He is the author of many books, including the bestselling Dog Days, Superpower and Reset. 

Sarah Hanson-Young has been a senator for South Australia since 2008 and has worked hard to represent her home state and give a voice to those often forgotten about in Canberra. Sarah acts as the Greens spokesperson for arts and communications, and environment and water. In 2008, Sarah published her work En Garde, which sparked a national conversation about sexism in Australian politics. 

Richard Denniss is the Executive Director at The Australia Institute. He is a prominent Australian economist, author and public policy commentator. Formerly a regular columnist for Australian Financial Review and The Guardian, he has published six books, including Econobabble, Curing Affluenza, Dead Right: How Neoliberalism Ate Itself and What Comes Next? and Big: The Role of the State in the Modern Economy.

Royce Kurmelovs is an Australian freelance reporter and author covering the intersection of class, finance and climate change. He is the author of critically acclaimed books covering inequality and the finance industry, the decline of automotive manufacturing in Australia, the rise of the far right, and the mining boom. His fifth book, SLICK, was released in July 2024.

Natasha Mitchell is a multi-award-winning journalist, radio presenter, podcaster and documentary maker. She is host of ABC Radio National’s Big Ideas program, was founding host and producer of the radio show and podcast All in the Mind, hosted the ABC’s daily social affairs program Life Matters, and was founding host and producer of Science Friction.

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