Paul Austin
@paulnaustin.bsky.social
Media professional. Politics, economics, sport, culture, society, the lot. paul.austin@grattan.edu.au
The Prime Minister seems to have a severe case of fast train fever.
In this comprehensive report, the Grattan Institute shows why bullet trains are a very bad idea for Australia.
#auspol #transport
grattan.edu.au/report/fast-...
In this comprehensive report, the Grattan Institute shows why bullet trains are a very bad idea for Australia.
#auspol #transport
grattan.edu.au/report/fast-...
Fast train fever: Why renovated rail might work but bullet trains won’t - Grattan Institute
Australia should dump the decades-old dream of building an east-coast bullet train. Read our new Grattan Institute report, Fast Train Fever.
grattan.edu.au
February 17, 2026 at 10:58 PM
The Prime Minister seems to have a severe case of fast train fever.
In this comprehensive report, the Grattan Institute shows why bullet trains are a very bad idea for Australia.
#auspol #transport
grattan.edu.au/report/fast-...
In this comprehensive report, the Grattan Institute shows why bullet trains are a very bad idea for Australia.
#auspol #transport
grattan.edu.au/report/fast-...
Reposted by Paul Austin
We need restraint, not a razor
Our CEO, Aruna Sathanapally, in The Australian Financial Review on the 3 things the Treasurer should do in Budget 2026 — and the 1 thing he should not do.
#auspol #TaxReform
Our CEO, Aruna Sathanapally, in The Australian Financial Review on the 3 things the Treasurer should do in Budget 2026 — and the 1 thing he should not do.
#auspol #TaxReform
We need restraint, not a razor - Grattan Institute
3 things the Treasurer should do in Budget 2026 — and 1 thing he should not do.
buff.ly
February 16, 2026 at 5:45 AM
We need restraint, not a razor
Our CEO, Aruna Sathanapally, in The Australian Financial Review on the 3 things the Treasurer should do in Budget 2026 — and the 1 thing he should not do.
#auspol #TaxReform
Our CEO, Aruna Sathanapally, in The Australian Financial Review on the 3 things the Treasurer should do in Budget 2026 — and the 1 thing he should not do.
#auspol #TaxReform
Election 2025: Where the money came from
Clear, cut-through analysis by Kate Griffiths and Matt Bowes from Grattan Institute
#auspol #parliament #democracy
grattan.edu.au/news/electio...
Clear, cut-through analysis by Kate Griffiths and Matt Bowes from Grattan Institute
#auspol #parliament #democracy
grattan.edu.au/news/electio...
Election 2025: Where the money came from - Grattan Institute
New data underscore the need to improve the rules about money in politics.
grattan.edu.au
February 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM
Election 2025: Where the money came from
Clear, cut-through analysis by Kate Griffiths and Matt Bowes from Grattan Institute
#auspol #parliament #democracy
grattan.edu.au/news/electio...
Clear, cut-through analysis by Kate Griffiths and Matt Bowes from Grattan Institute
#auspol #parliament #democracy
grattan.edu.au/news/electio...
The government has promised a $25b boost to hospital funding – but only hints at real reform
Sharp analysis of today’s National Cabinet deal, by @GrattanInst health policy guru @PeterBreadon
#auspol #NDIS
theconversation.com/the-governme...
Sharp analysis of today’s National Cabinet deal, by @GrattanInst health policy guru @PeterBreadon
#auspol #NDIS
theconversation.com/the-governme...
The government has promised a $25 billion boost to hospital funding – but only hints at real reform
The deal struck between states and territories and the federal government follows a long-running standoff. Here’s what’s been agreed, and what’s still missing.
theconversation.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:39 AM
The government has promised a $25b boost to hospital funding – but only hints at real reform
Sharp analysis of today’s National Cabinet deal, by @GrattanInst health policy guru @PeterBreadon
#auspol #NDIS
theconversation.com/the-governme...
Sharp analysis of today’s National Cabinet deal, by @GrattanInst health policy guru @PeterBreadon
#auspol #NDIS
theconversation.com/the-governme...
The quiet – and concerning – slide in school attendance
By The Educator, with a little bit of help from my colleagues at Grattan Institute
#auspol #education
www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/the...
By The Educator, with a little bit of help from my colleagues at Grattan Institute
#auspol #education
www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/the...
The quiet slide in school attendance
England's response offers lessons Australia could adapt
www.theeducatoronline.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:17 AM
The quiet – and concerning – slide in school attendance
By The Educator, with a little bit of help from my colleagues at Grattan Institute
#auspol #education
www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/the...
By The Educator, with a little bit of help from my colleagues at Grattan Institute
#auspol #education
www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/the...
“I'm old enough to remember when people said the grid will never hold up with 20% renewables in it – and the grid is still holding up now.”
Grattan Institute energy expert Alison Reeve on a watershed week on Australia’s long road to net zero.
#auspol
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
Grattan Institute energy expert Alison Reeve on a watershed week on Australia’s long road to net zero.
#auspol
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
For the first time, renewable energy is supplying most of our power
Renewables became the dominant energy supply for an entire quarter in the final three months of last year, helping the grid skate through the early days of a scorching summer.
www.theage.com.au
January 22, 2026 at 1:25 AM
“I'm old enough to remember when people said the grid will never hold up with 20% renewables in it – and the grid is still holding up now.”
Grattan Institute energy expert Alison Reeve on a watershed week on Australia’s long road to net zero.
#auspol
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
Grattan Institute energy expert Alison Reeve on a watershed week on Australia’s long road to net zero.
#auspol
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
How to save the NDIS
By former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry, with a little help from my colleagues at the Grattan Institute
www.theaustralian.com.au/health/carin...
By former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry, with a little help from my colleagues at the Grattan Institute
www.theaustralian.com.au/health/carin...
www.theaustralian.com.au
January 21, 2026 at 1:30 AM
How to save the NDIS
By former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry, with a little help from my colleagues at the Grattan Institute
www.theaustralian.com.au/health/carin...
By former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry, with a little help from my colleagues at the Grattan Institute
www.theaustralian.com.au/health/carin...
There once was a Pommy cricketer called Duckett…
December 23, 2025 at 11:02 PM
There once was a Pommy cricketer called Duckett…
Tackling the school attendance crisis is a moral imperative for Australia’s political class.
An end-of-school-year call to arms by Grattan Institute education policy experts Amy Haywood and Jordana Hunter.
#auspol
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/12...
An end-of-school-year call to arms by Grattan Institute education policy experts Amy Haywood and Jordana Hunter.
#auspol
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/12...
Australia’s school attendance crisis needs urgent national action
School attendance has been sliding for more than a decade, with more than a million Australian students now missing significant classroom time. Governments have set ambitious targets to reverse the tr...
johnmenadue.com
December 18, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Tackling the school attendance crisis is a moral imperative for Australia’s political class.
An end-of-school-year call to arms by Grattan Institute education policy experts Amy Haywood and Jordana Hunter.
#auspol
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/12...
An end-of-school-year call to arms by Grattan Institute education policy experts Amy Haywood and Jordana Hunter.
#auspol
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/12...
The Grattan Institute 2025 Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister (our Top Six books of the year) is out – the honeymoon edition!
Read all about it here:
#auspol #books #writing
grattan.edu.au/news/prime-m...
Read all about it here:
#auspol #books #writing
grattan.edu.au/news/prime-m...
Announcing Grattan Institute’s 2025 Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister - Grattan Institute
We are delighted to announce Grattan Institute's Prime Minister’s Summer Reading List for 2025.
grattan.edu.au
December 1, 2025 at 4:06 AM
The Grattan Institute 2025 Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister (our Top Six books of the year) is out – the honeymoon edition!
Read all about it here:
#auspol #books #writing
grattan.edu.au/news/prime-m...
Read all about it here:
#auspol #books #writing
grattan.edu.au/news/prime-m...
The Saturday Paper:
“Linda Reynolds looks forever like someone about to send her main back to the kitchen. She has been victimised by life. Everything is an injustice and all of it done to her. According to court documents, her middle name is Karen.”
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2025/11/22/l...
“Linda Reynolds looks forever like someone about to send her main back to the kitchen. She has been victimised by life. Everything is an injustice and all of it done to her. According to court documents, her middle name is Karen.”
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2025/11/22/l...
On Linda Reynolds and Janet Albrechtsen
A little over a week ago, Linda Reynolds gave her first interview since winning her defamation case against Brittany Higgins. She gave it to Janet Albrechtsen, the right-wing columnist whose texts and...
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au
November 21, 2025 at 11:22 PM
The Saturday Paper:
“Linda Reynolds looks forever like someone about to send her main back to the kitchen. She has been victimised by life. Everything is an injustice and all of it done to her. According to court documents, her middle name is Karen.”
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2025/11/22/l...
“Linda Reynolds looks forever like someone about to send her main back to the kitchen. She has been victimised by life. Everything is an injustice and all of it done to her. According to court documents, her middle name is Karen.”
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2025/11/22/l...
How to fix public hospital funding
An important new Grattan Institute report that should be compulsory reading for the Prime Minister and the Premiers
#auspol #nswpol #springst #health
grattan.edu.au/report/smart...
An important new Grattan Institute report that should be compulsory reading for the Prime Minister and the Premiers
#auspol #nswpol #springst #health
grattan.edu.au/report/smart...
Smarter spending: Getting better care for every hospital dollar
Australian governments waste $1.2 billion a year on avoidable spending in public hospitals which does nothing to improve patient care.
grattan.edu.au
November 18, 2025 at 10:06 AM
How to fix public hospital funding
An important new Grattan Institute report that should be compulsory reading for the Prime Minister and the Premiers
#auspol #nswpol #springst #health
grattan.edu.au/report/smart...
An important new Grattan Institute report that should be compulsory reading for the Prime Minister and the Premiers
#auspol #nswpol #springst #health
grattan.edu.au/report/smart...
Memo to the Libs and Nats: net zero is not a political plaything or a virtue-signalling culture war trope.
Grattan Institute expert Alison Reeve injects some facts and evidence into Australia’s
energy and climate-change debate.
#auspol #coal
Via The Age
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
Grattan Institute expert Alison Reeve injects some facts and evidence into Australia’s
energy and climate-change debate.
#auspol #coal
Via The Age
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
www.theage.com.au
November 16, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Memo to the Libs and Nats: net zero is not a political plaything or a virtue-signalling culture war trope.
Grattan Institute expert Alison Reeve injects some facts and evidence into Australia’s
energy and climate-change debate.
#auspol #coal
Via The Age
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
Grattan Institute expert Alison Reeve injects some facts and evidence into Australia’s
energy and climate-change debate.
#auspol #coal
Via The Age
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
It’s a mirage of an energy and climate change policy
The Liberals’ plan won’t reduce power prices and it won’t reduce emissions substantially, writes Grattan Institute policy guru Tony Wood in the Financial Review
#auspol #coal #renewables #NetZero
grattan.edu.au/news/a-mirag...
The Liberals’ plan won’t reduce power prices and it won’t reduce emissions substantially, writes Grattan Institute policy guru Tony Wood in the Financial Review
#auspol #coal #renewables #NetZero
grattan.edu.au/news/a-mirag...
A mirage of an energy and climate change policy - Grattan Institute
The Libs’ plan won’t reduce power prices and it won’t reduce emissions substantially.
grattan.edu.au
November 14, 2025 at 7:03 AM
It’s a mirage of an energy and climate change policy
The Liberals’ plan won’t reduce power prices and it won’t reduce emissions substantially, writes Grattan Institute policy guru Tony Wood in the Financial Review
#auspol #coal #renewables #NetZero
grattan.edu.au/news/a-mirag...
The Liberals’ plan won’t reduce power prices and it won’t reduce emissions substantially, writes Grattan Institute policy guru Tony Wood in the Financial Review
#auspol #coal #renewables #NetZero
grattan.edu.au/news/a-mirag...
Melbourne is a great city, but…
Grattan Institute housing policy expert Joey Moloney puts the case for higher density across the suburbs, including Ivanhoe, Fairfield, and Newport
#auspol #springst #planning
grattan.edu.au/news/melbour...
Grattan Institute housing policy expert Joey Moloney puts the case for higher density across the suburbs, including Ivanhoe, Fairfield, and Newport
#auspol #springst #planning
grattan.edu.au/news/melbour...
Melbourne needs lots of new homes—quickly - Grattan Institute
The planning system needs to change so the city can stay great.
grattan.edu.au
November 13, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Melbourne is a great city, but…
Grattan Institute housing policy expert Joey Moloney puts the case for higher density across the suburbs, including Ivanhoe, Fairfield, and Newport
#auspol #springst #planning
grattan.edu.au/news/melbour...
Grattan Institute housing policy expert Joey Moloney puts the case for higher density across the suburbs, including Ivanhoe, Fairfield, and Newport
#auspol #springst #planning
grattan.edu.au/news/melbour...
The longest city is short on homes
Why Perth needs planning reforms, by Grattan Institute housing policy experts Joey Moloney and Ashleigh Chang in today’s West Australian
grattan.edu.au/news/the-lon... #auspol
Why Perth needs planning reforms, by Grattan Institute housing policy experts Joey Moloney and Ashleigh Chang in today’s West Australian
grattan.edu.au/news/the-lon... #auspol
The longest city is short on homes - Grattan Institute
Perth needs planning reform.
grattan.edu.au
November 12, 2025 at 5:22 AM
The longest city is short on homes
Why Perth needs planning reforms, by Grattan Institute housing policy experts Joey Moloney and Ashleigh Chang in today’s West Australian
grattan.edu.au/news/the-lon... #auspol
Why Perth needs planning reforms, by Grattan Institute housing policy experts Joey Moloney and Ashleigh Chang in today’s West Australian
grattan.edu.au/news/the-lon... #auspol
To fix the economy, fix housing.
Brendan Coates, Joey Moloney, and Matthew Bowes summarise their blockbuster new Grattan Institute report on Australia’s housing crisis.
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...
#auspol #nswpol #springst #Insiders
Via Pearls and Irritations
Brendan Coates, Joey Moloney, and Matthew Bowes summarise their blockbuster new Grattan Institute report on Australia’s housing crisis.
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...
#auspol #nswpol #springst #Insiders
Via Pearls and Irritations
To fix the economy, fix housing
Australia’s economy is in a post-pandemic slump. To dig us out, state and federal governments must tackle the chronic shortage of housing in our biggest cities.
johnmenadue.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:42 PM
To fix the economy, fix housing.
Brendan Coates, Joey Moloney, and Matthew Bowes summarise their blockbuster new Grattan Institute report on Australia’s housing crisis.
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...
#auspol #nswpol #springst #Insiders
Via Pearls and Irritations
Brendan Coates, Joey Moloney, and Matthew Bowes summarise their blockbuster new Grattan Institute report on Australia’s housing crisis.
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...
#auspol #nswpol #springst #Insiders
Via Pearls and Irritations
Why Australia needs a housing policy revolution – and what it will mean for your suburb.
Major new Grattan Institute report by Brendan Coates, Joey Moloney, and Matthew Bowes.
#auspol #nswpol #springst #Planning #Heritage
grattan.edu.au/report/more-...
Major new Grattan Institute report by Brendan Coates, Joey Moloney, and Matthew Bowes.
#auspol #nswpol #springst #Planning #Heritage
grattan.edu.au/report/more-...
More homes, better cities: Letting more people live where they want
Three-storey townhouses and apartments should be permitted on all residential land in all capital cities as part of a concerted policy assault on Australia’s housing crisis.
grattan.edu.au
November 5, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Tony Abbott and the Ladybird view of history
Jane Lydon runs the rule over Abbott’s Australia
theconversation.com/tony-abbotts... #auspol
Jane Lydon runs the rule over Abbott’s Australia
theconversation.com/tony-abbotts... #auspol
Tony Abbott’s history of Australia wants us to be proud of men like him
Tony Abbott begins his book Australia: A History, by telling off professional historians – and laments the “cultural confusion” of our present moment.
theconversation.com
November 3, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Tony Abbott and the Ladybird view of history
Jane Lydon runs the rule over Abbott’s Australia
theconversation.com/tony-abbotts... #auspol
Jane Lydon runs the rule over Abbott’s Australia
theconversation.com/tony-abbotts... #auspol
Nice
We’re worth watching!
Grattan Institute has been named in the global ‘100 Think Tanks to Watch 2025’, by the ‘On Think Tanks’ organisation.
We’re delighted by this recognition by our peers, and determined to continue improving public policy in 2026 and beyond.
#auspol
buff.ly/uvXvrE8
Grattan Institute has been named in the global ‘100 Think Tanks to Watch 2025’, by the ‘On Think Tanks’ organisation.
We’re delighted by this recognition by our peers, and determined to continue improving public policy in 2026 and beyond.
#auspol
buff.ly/uvXvrE8
October 29, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Nice
Reposted by Paul Austin
one of the ironclad rules of Australian journalism is that any story about voting must be accompanied by a picture of people voting in swimwear
October 21, 2025 at 4:51 AM
one of the ironclad rules of Australian journalism is that any story about voting must be accompanied by a picture of people voting in swimwear