The Australia Institute

The biggest problem with the gas problem in Australia, this gas issue, is whatever you do with taxes.

So the Australia Institute and Punter's Politics and those guys, they want a 25% tax across the board, right, off the top.

to get around all the games to do with gaming royalties and the PRRT, et cetera.

Someone like Gerard Rennick, he thinks more like an accountant.

They just want to suffocate the economy with this one blunt instrument, rather than being surgical and say, hang on, what are the actual factors that are driving inflation? What can we do to address those factors? And a lot of it has to do with what are the things that the government is prepared to invest in? Because that's what governments have got away from.

Now, the think tank, I'm trying to remember the name of the economist recently.

I don't think it was the Australia Institute.

It was something else.

It recognises that our current laws don't do enough to stop Australia from being complicit in these crimes through things like charity work, institutional partnerships, investments, military trade and embedded personnel.

The Red Lines legislation would address these gaps, and the Australia Institute is a proud supporter.

But the government has blocked a Senate inquiry into the bills.

It's not that it won't support the legislation, it's that it won't even allow a proper conversation about it in Parliament.

I thought that's where it was, but maybe it was behind the soundbar, but actually it was stuffed inside my travel documents for my European holiday.

My guest today, I think, I know in fact he has a word to describe my affliction this morning, but I'm going to put that thought on hold for the moment because first, Richard Dennis is the director of the Australia Institute.

Good morning, Richard.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Now, the Australia Institute, before we go into my travails, my woeful start to the day, tell me about the Australia Institute.

Who are you and what do you do?

So the Australia Institute's a think tank.

I'm pleased to welcome to our program here on Radio Northern Beaches, Dr. Greg Jericho.

who's the chief economist with the Australia Institute and has spent many years writing about private health insurance in Australia and its condition.

Greg is also a journalist, particularly these days with The Guardian, a Walkley Award-winning journalist.

So thanks very much for joining us here on Radio Northern Beaches, Greg.

So you're going in for your... knee reconstruction whatever don't worry you're covered you've paid your health insurance now they've become very much like uh car insurance where oh you've got an excess you know and it's almost become that case as people know with with car insurance that it's almost like oh i've had a a little ding oh look it's not even worth my bother claiming it because i'm gonna have to most of it will be i'll be paying the excess you know because i've got a 500 excess or whatever on a thing that'll cost 600 bucks to to fix you know it's almost and if i claim oh that'll go and my fees will go up and things like that so yeah

greg i mean so not not only is the coverage of stuff that you're paying for considerably narrowed but you're paying much higher premiums and you're also getting huge and growing out-of-pocket uh expenses as you said because of exclusions and fees.

Here on Radio Northern Beach's Community Voices, I'm talking with Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at the Australia Institute, about the state and condition of private health insurance in Australia.

This approach to a privatised but heavily publicly subsidised scheme was brought in about 25 years ago under coalition governments.