The Professor and The Hack

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...

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.

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Hugh’s been in Bali for the G20 conference 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...

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.

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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.

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The Albanese government has just delivered its budget, the first for Labor in nearly 10 years, and there’s a lot to unpack.

At a time when we’re experiencing the highest inflation rate in Australia since 1990, Hugh and Peter look at who the winners and losers were in this week's federal budget.

What happens when economic theory becomes lived reality?

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It’s nearly budget time, again. That’s two this year. It’s an unusual situation, but an exciting time for anyone who loves policy and economics, including PVO.

So is the forecast gloomy or bright? The Professor and the Hack deep dive into the realities of what we can expect – and it’s a complex mix.

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Millions of Australians are this week coming to terms with their information being compromised in the Optus data breach. But what about the pollies having access to a lot of our personal information that’s stored in their database. It’s exempt from the Privacy Act, but is it safe?

Also up for discussion this week are the Stage Three Tax cuts and whether the National Integrity Commission does have teeth.

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As the world mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, The Professor and The Hack take a moment to reflect on times past and times to come.

Hugh and Peter also discuss the Integrity Commission, and think about what we can expect from the upcoming economic statement.

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So much to talk about this week. The interest rate rises just keep on coming, with the fifth one in as many months just announced.

Can you believe it’s been 30 years since superannuation was introduced? Paul Keating can, and has had something to say this week.

And why are the Greens and Matt Canavan suddenly seeing eye to eye?

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