Power is the only measure of a politician that matters. How they win power. How they wield power. How they lose power. This new edition of an Australian classic features a new introduction by the author taking into account the latest developments in Australian politics. Catch and Kill is an inside account of the beguiling and nomadic nature of that unholy trinity of politics. Taking us into the inner sanctum of state and national politics, Joel Deane investigates how four friends – Steve Bracks, John Brumby, John Thwaites and Rob Hulls – beat the factions, won office in Victoria, achieved progressive reforms, then tried to hijack Canberra. 'We were', Bracks says, 'a government that could catch and kill its own'. Deane joined Per Capita for their September John Cain Lunch to discuss his book. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Recorded 17 September 2025. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
The length of the working day and the challenges of work–life balance are pressing issues for many Australians, as well as lively matters of public controversy. While the winning of the eight-hour day is celebrated as a past industrial achievement, contemporary discussions of working hours often overlook its rich history. Professor of History, Sean Scalmer, will be joined Per Capita for our August John Cain Lunch to discuss his latest book "A Fair Day's Work: the quest to win back time." Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Recorded 20 August 2025. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
The Federal Government recently announced a Productivity Roundtable, indicating that broad tax reform will be part of the discussion to tackle the economic pressures our country faces today, to boost national prosperity, to reduce growing inequality and to improve living standards for future generations. Following the popularity of her keynote speech at the Community Tax Summit in February 2025, Professor Miranda Stewart provided a follow-up address at the July JCL, outlining how Australia's tax system came to be how it is today, the reasons it needs reform and what that reform should look like, in light of the recently announced Productivity Roundtable. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Recorded 16 July 2025. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
Unions are making a comeback. Labour disputes around the world have hit the headlines as unions take action to challenge inequality. But while media coverage has increased, understanding of unions has not. Liam Byrne seeks to illuminate what unionism means, exploring why successive generations of working people organised unions and nurtured them for future generations. Liam spoke at Per Capita's John Cain lunch in June 2025. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
Welcome back to Re:CAP! On this episode, acting Executive Director, Sarah McKenzie is joined by the Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre, Emma Dawson, to chat about how the upcoming federal parliament will be the first gender-equal parliament in Australian history. Read Sarah’s blog on this historical achievement: “A Question of Quotas” If you’re a young policy student or professional looking to network or learn more about passing progressive policies, then check out our Policy Hive. For more on our research and advocacy, visit the Per Capita website. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
Is big policy reform still possible? Does Australia have the political will to tackle generational issues such as climate change, the housing crisis, rising inequality and Closing the Gap? Legendary Labor policymaker Jenny Macklin believes that if Australia wants to remain prosperous and fair, big policy reform is not just possible, it's essential. Listen to our May John Cain Lunch, with Labor’s Jenny Macklin and co-author Joel Deane. Purchase "Making Progress: How good policy happens?" here. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
Gippsland has proudly powered Victoria for generations. Now it’s forging a new energy future, powered by abundant resources of offshore wind and community spirit. Senator Jess Walsh details her experience with Gippsland’s community driven energy shift, the critical role of government in making it happen, and how to cut through the nuclear noise to focus on real, sustainable solutions. Jess spoke at Per Capita's monthly John Cain Lunch in April 2025. Help support our work and be part of change. Donate to Per Capita: https://percapita.org.au/donate/ Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
An inside look at effective policy making, realised through hard-won public policy battles. What does successful public policy look like, and how has it been achieved in Australia? John Brumby and Stuart Kells, co-authors of "In A Better Australia" joined Per Capita for their March John Cain Lunch. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
In the latest episode of Re:CAP, Emma Dawson is joined by professor Miranda Stewart to unpack her keynote address from the Community Tax Summit, as well as discuss some of the other takeaways from the summit. Join our new early career policy network for policy professionals, students and anyone interested in learning more about how they can influence policy and politics to build an Australia based on fairness, shared prosperity and social justice - Per Capita's Policy Hive. For more on our research and advocacy, visit the Per Capita website. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
All our lives, we’ve been told that hard work leads to economic security and a good life. For many younger Australians, particularly those without family wealth, this now feels like a lie. Instead of being able to set up their lives, young people are loaded up with increased education and housing debt, or stuck paying unaffordable rents to grow the wealth of others, all while real wages decline. Hear from Think Forward’s Thomas Walker about the “Tax Wealth Not Work” campaign, and from Per Capita’s Emma Dawson about the upcoming Community Tax Summit. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
Re:CAP is back for 2025 with a new episode covering Per Capita's annual Tax Survey and the upcoming Community Tax Summit. Essential's Peter Lewis joined Emma Dawson for a chat about how the Tax Survey unveils Australian's growing belief that the current tax and transfer system makes income and wealth inequality worse and how this sentiment inspired the formation of the Community Tax Summit, which will take place on the 20th and 21st of Feb. Read the latest Tax Survey here: https://percapita.org.au/our_work/per-capita-tax-survey-2024/ For more info about the Community Tax Summit, visit: https://percapita.org.au/community-tax-summit-2025/ Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
An idealist as well as a pragmatist, and someone who believes passionately in equality, democracy and empowerment, Race Mathews has inspired and mentored many. Drawing on a memoir Race began, but did not finish, and interviews, articles, speeches, books and her own diaries, Iola Mathews, journalist, author and Race’s partner for over fifty years, provides personal insight into the life and work of one of our most highly respected politicians. Recorded 20 November 2024 at Graduate House, Melbourne University. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
Housing affordability is one of the defining issues of the Australian political landscape today. Our housing market and housing policy are failing a significant proportion of the Australian people. This crisis has been long in the making; the result of decades of deliberate choices. Clare O’Neil MP, Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, delivers the John Cain Oration for 2024 at the State Library of Victoria. Recorded Wednesday 13 November 2024. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land. Read the script transcript here.
This week on Re:CAP, Emma Dawson was joined by co-founder and co-CEO for Gender Lens, Tanja Kovac, continuing our dissection of Per Capita’s new report The Way In 2024. The Way In 2024 is the third report in a series which examines the backgrounds of elected members of Federal Parliament. It follows our analysis of the 45th and 46th Federal Parliaments and on this episode, Tanja will help us unpack our findings around gender representation in the 47th parliament. Check out our latest blog post "How the Federal Government Represents You." Read the full report, The Way In 2024. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
Re:CAP returns this week with a new episode that looks at Per Capita’s new report, The Way In 2024. Emma Dawson is joined by Emeritus Redmond Barry Professor Janet McCalman to help us unpack our findings around education pathways into the 47Th parliament. Check out our latest blog post "How the Federal Government Represents You." Read the full report, The Way In 2024, here. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
This month's John Cain Lunch sees the Hon Kevin Bell reimagining ‘the great Australian dream’ of housing as ‘the great Australian right’ to housing. Almost everyone in Australia is feeling the impact of the national housing crisis, which is traumatising individuals, families and communities. Housing: the Great Australian Right argues that governments have the capacity and the power to resolve this national plight. The first step is for Australia to rethink its approach to housing policy and recognise access to housing – having a home – as a fundamental human right. Recorded 18 of September at Graduate House, Melbourne University, Melbourne/Naarm. For more from Per Capita, visit percapita.org.au Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
Kosmos Samaras, one of Australia’s leading experts in political campaigns and polling, addressed our August John Cain Lunch on the electoral challenges facing the ALP due to the changing nature of Australia’s socio-economic demographics. Kos specialises in compiling and interpreting research, statistical data and polling to provide a unique insight into the cause and effects of social and political issues impacting communities across Australia. Recorded Wednesday 21 August at Graduate House, Melbourne/Naarm. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
A lot has happened in the past few months, since we started writing and recording this podcast. It’s lot to catch up on. So, before we end this series, we thought we’d tell you a thing or two about it. Join Emma Dawson, Executive Director of Per Capita, home of the CEH, as she breaks down the latest policy announcements pertaining to housing and what they mean for Australians. Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.
The founder of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square initiative, Peter Lewis, launches the “Civility Manifesto’, a framework for addressing the division at the heart of our broken politics, at Per Capita's July John Cain Lunch. The Civility Manifesto outlines how media, politics and the digital platforms have conspired to build a public discourse driven by conflict and anger, where truth and context are sidelined. Recorded Wednesday 17 July at Graduate House, Melbourne/Naarm. For more from Per Capita, visit percapita.org.au
After three weeks of dissecting the Australian housing market, trawling through history, lived experiences, and academic resources, we’re coming to the end of our journey. In the penultimate episode of Homes Not Houses, Matt Lloyd-Cape and his guests outline potential solutions to the housing crisis. This series is a production of Per Capita and its Centre for Equitable Housing. Help support our work and be part of change. Donate to Per Capita: https://percapita.org.au/donate/ For our references and credits, please visit the Per Capita website.