Kill The Cost-of-Living CERBERUS! Banks, Housing & Energy | Citizens Report 15 October 2026

Australia's cost-of-living crisis has three major pressure points: banking, housing and energy. This week Elisa Barwick and Robert Barwick examine how Australia's big four banks, the housing crisis and energy market are driving up costs—and what can be done to change things. They discuss bank profits, branch closures, access to cash and the case for a public bank; housing affordability, rent caps and expanding public housing; and Western Australia's gas reservation policy and its potential to reduce energy prices on the east coast. They also examine Pauline Hanson's changing position on gas reservation and the influence of banking lobbyists on Australian politics. The discussion then turns to Australian sovereignty, the US alliance, AUKUS and the Iraq War, before examining the ABC's Four Corners report on Chinese electric vehicles and cybersecurity. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction 2:09 How Big Banks Drive Up Costs and Close Branches 7:22 Public Banking: An Alternative to the Big Four 12:28 One Nation, Bank Lobbyists and Political Influence 23:16 Banking Accountability and the Royal Commission 27:20 Australia’s Housing Affordability Crisis 30:07 Rent Caps, Public Housing and Lessons from History 35:30 New Zealand’s Social Housing Model 38:59 WA Gas Reservation: Can It Lower Energy Prices? 44:49 Pauline Hanson’s Gas Reservation Policy Reversal 47:45 How Australia Can Bring Down Energy Costs 49:25 AUKUS, the US Alliance and Australian Sovereignty 56:27 Four Corners, Chinese EVs and Cybersecurity --------------------- ARTICLE: How Western Australia stared down the gas lobby by Richard Bardon, Australian Alert - https://citizensparty.org.au/how-western-australia-stared-down-the-gas-lobby EVENT: Citizens Party (WA)- Perth Seminar - Saturday, October 24, 2026 (9:30AM - 4:30PM) Book online: https://donorbox.org/events/966408/ FEATURED SPEAKERS - Dr Andy Schmulow - Associate Professor of Law and ACP NSW Senate candidate Australia’s fiercest crusader against financial, corporate and government corruption. - Dr Brian Walker MLC - Member of WA’s Legislative Council Outspoken member of Western Australia’s Parliament against the dangers of AUKUS for the people of Perth. - Robert Barwick - ACP National Chairman and VIC Senate candidate Leads the party’s interventions against the destruction of essential services like post offices and against police-state laws. --------------------- Become a member of the Australian Citizens Party: https://citizensparty.org.au/membership?utm_source=Soundcloud&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=20261015_cit_rep Donate to support the Citizens Party campaigns: https://citizensparty.org.au/donate?utm_source=Soundcloud&utm_medium=end_screen&utm_campaign=cit_rep_donation&utm_content=20261015_cit_rep For cheques and direct deposits, call 1800 636 432 Sign the Citizens Party Petition to Save Australia's post offices!: https://info.citizensparty.org.au/save-post-offices Subscribe to the Australian Alert: https://info.citizensparty.org.au/subscribe?utm_source=Soundcloud&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=AAS_subscibe&utm_content=20261015_cit_rep Sign up for ACP Email Alerts: https://citizensparty.org.au/join-email-list?utm_source=Soundcloud Follow us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CitizensPartyAU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CitizensPartyAU X: https://x.com/CitizensPartyAU TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@citizenspartyau YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CitizensPartyAU LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/citizenspartyau Telegram: https://t.me/CitizensPartyAU #CostOfLiving #AustralianPolitics #CitizensReport #HousingCrisis #BankingReform #PublicBank #GasReservation #EnergyPrices #AustralianSovereignty #AUKUS #OneNation #PaulineHanson #ChineseEVs #CitizensParty #AusPol