Rephonic
Artwork for What’s the Point?

What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss

The Australia Institute
Australia Institute
Electric Vehicles
One Nation
Gambling Reform Australia
Housing Affordability
Gas Export Tax
Offsets
Nuclear Energy
Gas Industry
Climate Policy
Reserve Bank Of Australia
Productivity Commission
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Negative Gearing
Inflation
Capital Gains Tax
Carbon Credits
Official Interest Rates
Subsidies For Vehicles
Crossbench

What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss cuts through the spin to explain the political and economic decisions shaping the lives of everyday Australians.

Richard connects the dots between policy and politics with sharp analysis. By getting straight to the point, Richard helps listeners understand how democracy works and why it matters.

Presented by the Australia Institute.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes12Founded3 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNewsNews Commentary

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for What’s the Point?

Latest Episodes

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains the goods and services tax. The GST was supposed to grow over time, so that state and territory governments would have a reliable income source to help them fund the important services th... more

The Productivity Commission is a government-funded economic think tank that’s meant to give independent advice about how to make the Australian economy work better. On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss discusses whether it is fit for... more

On this episode of What’s the Point?, Richard Denniss explains how the crossbench works and the politics of deal-making in federal parliament.

This episode was recorded on Friday 21 August.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by ... more

On this episode of What's the Point?, Richard Denniss explains the lack of strong gambling reform, and why gambling losses continue to climb despite widespread calls for change.

Host: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Insti... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Follow The Money
Follow The MoneyThe Australia Institute
After America
After AmericaThe Australia Institute
Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny
Democracy Sausage with Mark KennyThe Australian National University
Grattan Institute
Grattan InstituteGrattan Institute

Recent Guests

Anna Chang
Editor of The Point, guest on this episode
The Point
Episode: What’s the point of housing reform?

Host

Richard Denniss
Host of What's the Point? and presenter of the show

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 27 ratings
  • big complex issues accessible for everyday Aussies

    So good

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    zi ying cav
    Australiaa month ago

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#16
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#46
Australia/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What's the point of the Productivity Commission?
Q: Is the Productivity Commission fit for purpose, and how should we fix it?
The Commission is criticized for a narrow neoliberal focus that correlates with declining productivity growth; the suggested fix is to broaden its mandate, increase its willingness to critique all governments, and perhaps restructure it into a broader body like a Wellbeing or National Interest Commission that tackles climate change, AI, and inequality.
What's the point of the Productivity Commission?
Q: What is the Productivity Commission? Why do we have one? And what is it for?
It's a government funded think tank that provides the government with advice. It costs about $40 million a year, has commissioners, and conducts inquiries to inform policy, but it is not a department and its purpose is advisory rather than implementational.
What’s the point of gambling reform?
Q: So you've talked about the record profits. How big are the profits, Richard?
The five biggest online wagering companies had about $5.4 billion in revenue, with surprisingly low tax contributions, illustrating the discrepancy between losses to the public and profits to the industry.
What’s the point of gambling reform?
Q: So Richard, why are we talking about gambling today? And actually, why is everyone suddenly talking about gambling?
Because Australians are losing record amounts to gambling, and there is a push to implement reforms based on the Murphy Review, though the current proposals are seen as insufficient by the hosts and other stakeholders.
What's the point of the Reserve Bank of Australia?
Q: Are interest rates really the only way to control inflation? What else can be done?
There are multiple levers besides rates, including tax policy, government spending, price regulation, and broader regulatory measures on the banking sector and prices to curb inflation more equitably.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About What’s the Point?

What is What’s the Point? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show consistently cuts through political spin to unpack how policy decisions affect everyday life in Australia. Episodes tackle a mix of economic policy, environmental initiatives, housing, and national politics, often pairing brisk explanations with critical questions about who benefits and how policy design could be improved. A recurring strength is calling out greenwashing and surface-level talking points, while offering concrete policy contrasts—such as the difference between credits and offsets, or the distribution of fiscal benefits from natural-resource revenues. The format leans into insightful debate with expert guests and data-driven reasoning, aiming to help listeners understand complex stakes behind public decisions and how ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for What’s the Point??

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for What’s the Point?. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to What’s the Point? and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does What’s the Point? get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for What’s the Point?, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for What’s the Point??

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for What’s the Point?, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does What’s the Point? have?

To see how many followers or subscribers What’s the Point? has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to What’s the Point??

These podcasts share a similar audience with What’s the Point?:

1. Follow The Money
2. After America
3. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny
4. Australian Politics
5. Grattan Institute

How many episodes of What’s the Point? are there?

What’s the Point? launched 3 months ago and published 12 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact What’s the Point??

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for What’s the Point??

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for What’s the Point? from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for What’s the Point??

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of What’s the Point?. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on What’s the Point??

Recent guests on What’s the Point? include:

1. Anna Chang

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days