On The Call

With the federal budget less than two weeks away, surging inflation and a war-driven energy shock are forcing the government to rewrite its budget narrative in real time.Meanwhile, Senator Tim Ayres backs ‘balanced’ immigration, defends the National Reconstruction Fund and targets hyperscalers for more AI dealsWe discuss:CPI at 4.6% and what it means for the budgetWhy "resilience" is Labor's new budget buzzwordThe blame the government may be subjected to if high fuel prices continueCapital gains tax reform and the housing affordability debateWhy no one in Canberra wants to talk about the skills shortageThe migration debate and One Nation's anti-growth agendaThe National Reconstruction FundTim Ayres’ comments to Capital Brief on hyperscalers and AI infrastructure On The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centres of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's best journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussion on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weekly newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/newsletters/the-edition/

Canva has launched Canva AI 2.0 in the design giant's biggest transformation yet. Meanwhile, healthcare company Cochlear saw its share price crash 40% on an earnings downgrade.We discuss:Capital Brief's scoop on Canva's IPO timingCanva's AI 2.0 and the end-to-end design pivotThe death of seat-based SaaS pricingIs Canva building AI or just wrapping it?Cochlear's 40% single day share price collapseMiddle East disruption and weakening consumer sentimentWhy healthcare stocks aren't always defensiveOn The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centre of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's best journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussion on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weekly newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/

The latest Capital Brief/DemosAU poll shows Australians want the government to keep its distance from US President Donald Trump as the Middle East conflict deepens.The poll shows that 47% of Australians disagree with the statement that the US was a "reliable military ally", compared with 28% who agreed and 25% who did not know.Meanwhile, corporate regulators APRA and ASIC have urged corporate Australia to get its house in order as Anthropic's latest model Mythos raises cyber risk.We discuss:The news of the day: Allbird's pivot from shoes to AIWhat the latest Capital Brief/DemosAU poll shows about Australians souring on TrumpHow One Nation navigates rising support with fading Trump approvalGlobal right-wing parties vs America FirstAnthropic's Claude Mythos model explainedWhy regulators are urging corporate Australia to prepareWhy super funds are seeking ACCC approval to share cyber intelOn The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centres of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's best journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussion on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weekly newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/newsletters/the-edition/

The US-Iran war entered a chaotic new chapter following the unravelling of a short-lived ceasefire, with Israel striking Lebanon and Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz once again.Meanwhile, AI infrastructure company Firmus raises $750 million at an $8 billion valuation as it barrels towards its highly anticipated IPO.We discuss:The collapse of the US-Iran ceasefire.Market reaction and oil prices.How Australian political leaders have responded to Trump's inflammatory war rhetoric.Iran's meme war and the new frontier of digital propaganda.Firmus's $750 million raise and Nvidia's circular investment strategy.Firmus' IPO roadshow and the Tasmanian bet.On The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centres of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's best journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussion on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weekly newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/

This week Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei signed a memorendum of understanding with the Australian government during his tour in the country. During the trip Amodei spoke to a roomful of politicians in Canberra, telling them that the technology his company builds could upend labour markets supercharge cyberattacks, and arrive faster than any government is equipped to handle.Meanwhile Canva has moved to rally fears of job cuts after a since deleted internal post from co-founder Cliff Obrecht sent alarm bells ringing inside the company.We discuss:Anthropic's Australia tour & MOUAnthropic's safety-first positioningAnthropic's political positioning and AI doomsaying as a strategyXero and Anthropic's dealCanva's job cut fearsThe Jevons ParadoxDonald Trump's national address and Anthony Albanese's national address.On The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centres of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's best journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussion on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weekly newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/

This week Capital Brief revealed that Canva has acquired Melbourne-based digital out-of-home advertising startup Doohly for $30 million.The Australian design software giant is accelerating its push into broader marketing technology ahead of its well anticipated IPO.Meanwhile One Nation's result in South Australia has become a warning shot for the major parties.We discuss:Canva's Doohly acquisition and its broader goal to own end-to-end marketing.How Canva's acquisition spree forms its AI defence strategy.Figma's performance since its IPO in July 2025.The future of physical advertising.One Nation's performance in the South Australia elections.Drivers behind the right-wing surge.Generational discontent in the major political parties.One The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centres of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribes live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussion on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weekday newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/

Furniture retailer Koala has announced a $68 million IPO on the ASX - a scaled-back but closely watched float.Meanwhile, Atlassian's mass layoffs have rattled staff and raised deeper questions about the company's future amid the SaaSpocolypse.We discuss:Koala's IPO pricing Why the float was shelved last year and why they're pushing ahead nowThe scarcity of consumer brand stocks on the ASXFounder Dany Milham's previous failure with Milkrun and Australia's maturing attitude towards failureThe surprising connection between Koala and healthtech EucalyptusAtlassian's 1,600 job cuts and why it's been hit hard by AI evolutionThe cultural shift inside Atlassian ahead of the layoffsOn The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centres of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussion on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weeklday newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/newsletters/the-edition/

With the war in Iran intensifying, markets continue to swing wildly. This week saw $90 billion wiped off the ASX as oil prices jumped. While the market has since rebounded, investors are left guessing whether US president Donald Trump will hold firm or blink.Meanwhile, Capital Brief and the Tech Council of Australia co-hosted an event at Parliament House on digital regulation. Assistant productivity minister Andrew Leigh delivered a keynote on the government's plan to boost innovation.We discuss:ASX sell off and market swingsThe TACO tendencyRBA rates decision and corporate response amid conflict in the Middle EastAustralia's exposure to the Strait of HormuzLabor's balancing act ahead of the budgetCapital Brief's event with the Tech Council of AustraliaDr. Andrew Leigh's argument on the role of policy in tech innovationAtlassian layoffsOn The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centres of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussions on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weekday newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/newsletters/the-edition/

Amid intense geopolitical instability - a war in Iran, oil prices surging and markets destabalised - the Australian government is pulling together its May budget which is expected to tie together its ambitious plans with a fresh nation building agenda.This week we saw a glimpse of what that might look like. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote an Ideas piece for Capital Brief on why Labor is backing the high speed rail project.In other news this week, fund manager Magellan and investment bank Barrenjoey announced a merger and Capital Brief investigated a very secretive venture capital fund.We discuss:The Prime Minister's pitch for high speed rail.Why Australia has been discussing the high speed rail project for decades.Political voices skeptical of the project.The merger story of Magellan and Barrenjoey.The merged entity's possible future as the next Macquarie.Our investigation on VC fund Marbruck.On The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia's centres of power.Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief's journalists to dissect what we're watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers live.Subscribe to join our weekly live discussions on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT: https://www.capitalbrief.com/on-the-call/Sign up to our free weekday newsletter, The Edition: https://www.capitalbrief.com/newsletters/the-edition/

On The Call is a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia’s centres of power. Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down each week with our journalists to dissect what we’re watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers, live.

One Nation is on the brink of overtaking Labor on primary votes, according to the latest Capital Brief/Demos AU findings. In the same week, Australia’s first major AI-related job cuts landed as a viral “AI doomsday” blogpost rattled Wall St.Host Harshdeep Kaur is joined by editor in chief John McDuling and ideas editor James Hennessy for this week’s conversation.We discuss:What the latest Capital Brief/Demos AU poll shows about One Nation's continued rise.Whether or not this polling surge is merely a "protest vote".The role of immigration policy in driving voters to the right.How One Nation is picking up votes from the GreensAI skepticism amongst Australians.Wisetech attributing its job cuts to AI.Safety Culture founder returns as CEO to rebuild the company as AI threat on SaaS ramps up.Citrini Research's viral blogpost and "ghost GDP"On The Call, a weekly live conversation with the Capital Brief newsroom on the stories driving the agenda in Australia’s centres of power. Host Harshdeep Kaur sits down with Capital Brief’s journalists to dissect what we’re watching and why it matters, and answer questions from our subscribers, live. Subscribe to join our weekly live discussion on Thursdays at 12pm AEDT.Sign up to our free weekday newsletter, The Edition.