Critical Line Item with Tom Ravlic

Veteran journalist George Donikian has a range of issues with the way in which journalism is practiced today, and he is unafraid to let you know. He talks with Tom Ravlic about his own history, concerns about the nature of political violence and political expression. And how the damn host pronounces his surname .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia Institute director Emma Shortis is one of several Australians including parliamentarians that want President Joe Biden to pardon Julian Assange, the Australian founder of Wikileaks. Will Biden do so in his final days in the White House? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gordon Traill is a former chef with the Australian Defence Forces and he takes Tom Ravlic on a tour across his almost three decade long career in the armed forces. Traill is a part of an exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance called the 'Taste of Combat' that is on from 2 December 2024 to late 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deakin University Professor Greg Barton explores the definition of terrorism with Tom Ravlic and a range of practical consequences that arise when terrorism is defined in a particular way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The interview Tom Ravlic did recently with Senator Barbara Pocock provided some food for thought for an audience that did not know the South Australia senator and Greens representative at all well. Tom Ravlic asks whether we actually condition ourselves to not listen to people, and to learn what they are all about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The past 12 months have seen a lot of activity in parliamentary inquiries related to accounting firms and consultants. Senator Barbara Pocock tells Tom Ravlic about the inquiries in which she has participated, and that she thinks a lot more work needs to be done. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, Treasury and Employment, joins Tom Ravlic to talk about how the government tests whether policies work, the tax laws impacting companies that operate cross border, and a bit of a chat about what the respective roles for government are the Reserve Bank of Australia. This podcast is the audio of the Ravlic at Large streamed presentation available on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How may people do you listen to with whom you disagree? What do you read on poltics and why? Tom Ravlic suggests that people can do themselves a favour and read more broadly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deloitte Australia's accessibility lead Dani Fraillon is on a mission to try and raise awareness on the importance of creating better workplace environments for disabled people. She is concerned that in 2024 people are still unable to feel comfortable disclosing their disabilities at the office as well as get some form of adjustment that means they can reach their full potential in the workplace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A reflection on a day Tom Ravlic views as one of three important days of the year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deloitte's Vanessa Matthijssen is a member of the Australian Food and Agricultural Industry Taskforce and she has some significant concerns about the current status of the food sector. The taskforce has issued a fairly comprehensive paper that sets out a range of policy ideas but she argues these ideas can only be properly implemented with a higher degree of coordination between the public and private sectors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Ravlic reflects on the social media ban law and what people under 16 will miss out on when the legislation comes into force. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australian voters will be in the midst of an election debate on cost of living and the economy. It isn't always clear to people what politicians are talking about because of the language that is used. The Australia Institute's Greg Jericho offers his perspective on where the Australian economy is at, how think differently about the cost of living debate, and the need for people at the RBA to be able to take criticism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Australian government has a Bill that attempts to get social media companies to better police misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms. It is a bill that has caused a fair degree of concern and Liberal National Party Senator Matt Canavan outlines some of the key provisions that concern him. He also touches on issues of free speech and whether a social media ban for people under the age of 16 makes any sense. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to understand a little of why things are at a flashpoint in the Middle East right now? An expert in radicalisation and extremism, Shane Healy, has an explainer for those unaware of aspects of history on why the Middle East is problematic and how radicalisation can be dealt with in Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senate estimates in the Australian Parliament is a critical forum during which elected representatives ask questions of ministers, department heads and other public servants to work out how prudently taxpayer funds are being spent. Coalition Senator Simon Birmingham give us a quick guide to Senate processes and also points to some of the ways in which Senators might get frustrated with attempts to keep some issues from the view of those that pay them to run the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senator Jordon Steele-John represents the Australian Greens in Australia's Senate/. He is a prominent advocate for the rights of disabled people and in this podcast discusses the recent use by the Prime Minister of language that members of the disabled community found offensive, the status of the process accommodating disabled members of the community in the parliamentary precinct, and also some of the continuing challenges he faces as a parliamentarian with a disability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coalition Senator Jane Hume delivered a recent speech to the Syndey Institute that touched on a range of issues including the need for women to have a greater sense of financial security. It sparked a reaction from The Parenthood CEO, Georgie Dent, and Georgie laid down a challenge to Australia's politicians: fix early childhood education so it is more affordable and accessible people. She argues a range of benefits flow from getting this right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The final report from the Colbeck committee has 12 recommendations that deal predominantly with cleaning up the mechanics of procurement. Senator Barbara Pocock might agree with the 12 recommendations as a starting base but she wants more to happen to deal with boosting the public sector, disciplining consultants, and dealing with some of the evidence the parliamentary committee heard that she feels needs action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many conversations are being held about housing and property and Scott O'Neill, the managing director of Rethink Investing, covers a range of issues in this conversation. He touches on the property market, challenges for new entrants and what people need to do to set themselves up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senator Barbara Pocock represents the Australian Greens in the Senate, and she is heavily involved in kicking the tyres of professional services firms as a member of two parliamentary committees. Pocock shares her perspectives on where the Greens think the public service should head as well as how the inquiries into professional services firms are going. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Consultants and procurement have been at the forefront of parliamentary scrutiny in Australia with and one of the participants in the process of looking at this is Senator David Pocock. He talks in this episode about the various issues the committees are concerned about as well as the issues underlying his concerns about lobbyists and their access to parliament house in Canberra. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kenneth Katzman is a national security expert from the Soufan Center in the United States who has spent many decades studying the Middle East, its politics, and American foreign policy as it relates to the region. He shares his take in this podcast on the Israel-Gaza conflict and what he believes is necessary in order to bring some kind of return to negotiation in that region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author John Kerr has a suite of true crime publications to his hame and his most recent book, The Wieambilla Shootings, sets out his take on the death of two police officers and a Wieambilla local when they were gunned down by conspiracy theorists. Kerr talks about the book and some of the implications of the shootings for the broader communmity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australian Greens' upper house representative Abigail Boyd has cooked up a storm in the NSW parliament as the chair of a committee looking at the way in which consultants are used by the government. The committee is due to report in the new year with only a handful of hearings left. Boyd tells Tom Ravlic that there are a few things the committee will recommend, and some ideas she thinks have merit. What are they? No spoilers - listen up! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist, author and broadcaster Justin Smith speaks about his three books written in recent years including his most recent yarn, called Good as Gold, and he touches on the things that inspire him as a writer. He gives us a unique perspective into his work as well as a broader chat about the troubles of discourse in the community. Can we actually speak freely and have a proper debate? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are corporations and other entities that will be doing their best to understand and implement new standards for narrative disclosure. Sue Lloyd is the deputy chair of the Interational Sustainability Standards Board, and she provides a helicopter view of what this process for setting standards is - and the various implications of the new things people will see when the leaf through corporate reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hallway is a boutique advertising agency that had a great idea and its chief creative office Simon Lee tells Tom Ravlic how this idea - an ad to try to get respectful conversation happening on the Voice - came about. The ad features a kangaroo, an emu, and some noisy galahs. Listen ot the poddie and then watch the short video at https://www.noisygalahs.com/ , Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Commonwealth Parliament has been looking at consultants but it is not the only legislature in the country giving the public service and its outsourced brains a good look. Australian Greens' Abigail Boyd is a member of the NSW Upper House. She is the chair of a committee looking closely at how the NSW government engages and deals with consultants. She reveals the motivations behind the inquiry and talks about some of the things that surprised her even given her experience as a corporate lawyer dealing with banking regulation. Boyd also says that the public service and the consultants it hires are not going to have a quiet time of it. The inquiry will keep on gong until they stop having things to look at .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rehab Management chief executive officer Renee Thronton spends her time looking at workplace issues and she joins Tom Ravlic to explain what the new WorkSafe rules are around the issues of making a workplace psycholofically as well as physically safe for employees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Consulting and accounting firms have been under fire for much of 2023 thanks to the curiosity about their operations expressed by the individuals such as Senator Barbara Pocock, a member of a committee considering what to do with consulting practices that receive government contracts. She updates listeners on her thinking about the sector and the issues that continue to surprise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EY sustainability expert Matt Nelson - also a member of the Australian Accounting Standards Board - explains what sustainability standards are and what you might be able to expect from companies that report sustainability information. This is an emerging area and anybody with investments in companies will see a change in company reports over time. Matt explains why the changes are important. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four Corners joiurnalist Angus Grigg takes us on a deep dive into the Secret State report and what he and the team found when they went looking at the way in which consultants had embedded themselves in the ecosystem in Australia's national capital. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Nick McKenzie has been responsible for breakking some of the biggest stories but none more so that the one that led to a marathon defamation case involving Victoria Cross winner, Ben Roberts Smith, and allegations of war crimes. Nick outlines some of the challenges that played out reporting this story and touches on a series of challenges faced by journalists taking on high profile cases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senator Deborah O'Neill represents the State of NSW in the Australian Senate but is also the chair of the powerful corporations and financial services committee in the Commonwealth Parliament. She got interested in audit a few years back and kick started an inquiry but she's now in the middle of an inquiry into consulting firms and how a government ensures that large global practices keep themselves nice when they take on government contracts. What is her thinking on the way consulting firms behave? Listen in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford has seen everything in entertainment over many years, and he has seen technology shape the way in which reporters work as well as how personalities and those that report on them get feedback from their audience. He talks candidly in this episode about the pros and cons of social media and the whereabouts of a very special watch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australian Greens Senator Barbara Pocock is up to her eyeballs in consulting firms. She and her committee colleagues are busy looking at how the consulting firms are used by the government, how conflicts of interest might be managed and what value the public sector gets from firms. Pocock gives some insight into her thinking on the current problems plaguing Big Four firm PwC as well as a unique perspective on what it was like to try and get funding from government for university research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist, broadcaster and author Tracey Spicer has been looking at the world of IT and the way in which technology has been shaped by men. Technology embeds all sorts of biases within it and Spicer explores what all of this means. She talks about the way smart technology can help people with disabilities, and how she gets cracking when she writes a book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peta Lowe is the Principal Consultant with Phronesis Consulting and Training with extensive experience in dealing with juveniles and programs for countering violent extremism. She is concerned about how debate on the various diagnostic tools used in assessing the threat an individual may pose is being had and that it may not be understood that it is tools as well as practitioner skills and experience that need to be considered when reflecting on how people might be assessed as being dangerous to society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist and broadcaster Kerry O'Brien has a history in reporting on and observing the way in which Australia has treated its Indigenous communities. O'Brien is as supporter of enshrining an indigenous Voice to Parliament into Australia's Constitution and he outlines why in this conversation. A new book. The Voice to Parliament Handbook, has been published by Hardie Grant and both O'Brien and Indigenous author, Thomas Mayo, explain why they believe a Voice to Parliament is essential. O'Brien also touches on concerns he has had with the way Australia's political institutions have been weakened by a range of factors. What factors? Listen and find out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is that time of the year again. EY partner Doug Nixon takes us through some of the key results from and issues face by the banking sector in Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.