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Critical Line Item with Tom Ravlic

How do we get back to having a civil discourse about ideas?

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson is troubled by the decline in the quality of discourse in the public square and the impact that has on the way society evolves. He is involved in the Aliance of Responsible Citizenship, a forum that is designed to engage in debate on key issues in a way that explores and probes the consequences of ideas. Anderson also talks about the way in which legislators and public servants need to keep in mind when they are doing their work, and consulting with people outside the 'expertocracy' as he calls it.

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  • Colbeck and the social media ban law

    08:20|
    Senator Richard Colbeck - a coalition senator from Tasmania - delivered a short, pithy address to the Senate last week in defense of proper legislative process. What would supporters of this social media ban think if a law they disliked was rammed through in the same way as this social media ban they were pleased to see pop out of the other end of the sausage machine last week? Give it some thought.
  • Submissions from experts and advocacy groups were ignored - what was the point?

    16:03|
    Many thousands of submissions were made to a parliamentary committee that considered the legislation related to the social media ban for people under the age of 16 with only 107 being uploaded, and quite of few of those opposed the law as proposed. Tom Ravlic looks at some of the ones you might not have heard about and asks whether this is like the Voice Referendum where parts of the community were not successfully carried on a journey.
  • The social media ban law - a personal perspective

    12:45|
    Tom Ravlic reflects on the social media ban law and what people under 16 will miss out on when the legislation comes into force.
  • Taking a look at Australia's economy: the state of the Albanese budget, off budget games, and how best to talk about cost of living

    41:13|
    Australians are heading into an election and the Coalition parties have ensured that economic management and cost of living will be the central issues around which the campaign evolves. Deloitte Access Economics' Stephen Smith walks Tom Ravlic through aspects of its most recent Deloitte Budget Monitor, and touches on better ways of explaining the way government's talk about their economic management.
  • Dickson Decides - a case study of an independent movement

    19:10|
    Independent movements are springing up across Australia to run in the next Federal Election and a recently formed group, Dickson Decides, is seeking to capitalise on the wave of disaffection with major political parties. A founder of the group, Ellie Smith, joins Tom Ravlic to take a look at the electorate, what their aspirations are and what characteristics they want in a candidate to take on the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, and the ALP's Ali France.
  • Unpacking some of the challenges in climate financial disclosures

    32:47|
    Climate financial disclosures will be mandatory for a range of entities from early next year and Xpansiv's chief commercial officer Ben Stuart chews the fat with Tom Ravlic on the rationale behind the changes, some of the compliance challenges and even what Xpansiv as a firm that provides a market for global energy transition is likely to do as it is required.
  • What's wrong with the proposed ban on people under 16 using social media?

    19:59|
    The Australian Government wants to ban under 16-year-olds from having access to social media but this change can have unintended consequences. 6 News founder Leo Puglisi - a broadcaster on and user of social media for some years - lays out his concerns in this conversation.
  • What's up with the new political donation laws in Australia?

    28:31|
    Political donation laws are set to change in Australia and minor parties and independents are concerned about the impact on their ability to enter the fray against the major players. The Australia Institute's Bill Browne outlines key changes, the challenges they present, and other options that smaller players might have to get their message out.
  • The state of play in credit in the hospitality and retail sectors

    19:36|
    Equifax's Scott Mason looks at trends and numbers in terms of credit in the hospitality and retail sectors. He shares observations about where the economy is at and how these sectors are coping at the present time.