Episode 139: Do You Hear What I Hear?

It's February already, which means it's almost time for parliament to start sitting for the year. What can we expect to be on the agenda? As the saying goes, in this world nothing is certain except death and taxes. But what about death taxes? Hear Peter’s thoughts on that topic. And what is it about the current state of Medicare that has Hugh all a-fluster?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Hugh and Peter discuss Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Alice Springs and whether the immediate actions he imposed will be effective in what is a very complex situation. They also think about how The Voice is conflated with other issues before surmising the state of politics in New South Wales. And what are the pressure points of any potential Medicare reform? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a new year, everyone’s refreshed and raring to go, and The Professor and The Hack are no exceptions. So, what can we expect this year? Is it true that ‘inflation’s back because Labor’s back’? Can we look forward to a time when interest rates stop rising or are we headed for a recession? And is it the year of the rat, rabbit or Rabbitoh?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In which The Professor and The Hack spread some Christmas cheer throughout the land! Hugh and Peter take a look back at the year that was 2022, taking in all the highs and lows, winners and losers, before turning their attention to what’s in store in 2023. This episode was also recorded as a video version, so if you want to find out whether PVO did in fact dress for the occasion you can check it out here: https://youtu.be/bGHaIajznQ4 Merry Christmas to all and see you in the new year!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well 2022 is drawing to a close, and there’s no doubt it’s been a pretty busy year in politics. Will the year end on a high for Anthony Albanese? Where will energy prices be in 2023? What are the key takeaways from the new Australian Election Study? And why will The Professor be donning a shirt next week?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may have been the last sitting week of parliament for the year, but it’s been a busy one. Dan Andrews has kept his seat in Victoria, the National Party has announced it will oppose the Voice referendum, and Scott Morrison and his secret ministries are in the spotlight once again as he becomes the first former prime minister to be censured in Australian political history. And as Anthony Albanese visits Gough’s Sydney home 50 years on, we look at the Whitlam legacy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria is headed to the polls this weekend, so what does the future look like for Dan Andrews? We’re seeing major party fatigue amongst voters so will Victorians stick with the devil they know? And with wages still way behind inflation and the banks forecasting interest rate rises to the end of this year and beyond, it’s looking like the dragon that needs to be slayed is still evading capture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hugh’s been in Bali for the G20 summit and dials in direct from his hotel room to fill us in. So much to talk about, including what the future of trade relations between Australia and China is likely to be on the back of Albanese’s meeting with Xi Jinping. Our prime minister has also formed bonds with a number of his international counterparts, including Narendra Modi and Emanuel Macron, but are we on the right path? Closer to home the industrial relations bill gets a bit of a going over. And of course we can’t let this episode go by without discussing Trump’s announcement that he will once again be running for the top job in the US. What's he got to lose?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a bit of an international flavour this week. As the results of the US midterms start to trickle in, The Professor and The Hack ponder the confidence trick that is Trump. And is Putin likely to put in an appearance at next week’s G20 summit? Closer to home we look at the end of the Albanese year, and what could be in store for the government in 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a quarter of Australian households currently worried about how they are going to pay their bills, is the treasurer right when he says it’s time to slay the inflation dragon? And will it actually happen? Further afield, the US is gearing up for next week's midterms, we take a look at the situation in China, and a super spook gives some sound advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.