The Morrison Government's Your Super, Your Future legislation has taken superannuation in a new direction, applying strict performance benchmarks to funds, stapling super to individuals as well as trying to improve integrity and transparency. But has this legislation led to perverse incentives in the industry which leads to lower performance and worse outcomes for some fund members? On this episode we weigh up the impacts of Your Super, Your Future.

Guests: Lorenzo Casavecchia - Associate Head of External Engagement of the Finance Department at the UTS Business School and Kris Glover - Senior Lecturer at the Finance Discipline Group at the UTS Business School.

Big tech is literally changing the way we live. With the speed of innovation and lack of regulation, issues of dignity and ethics seem to often fall by the wayside as the influence of large platforms grows. On today’s show we explore centering dignity in the tech start-up and entrepreneurial space.

Guests: Lorenn Ruster, PHD candidate at the ANU School of cybernetics & Anne-Marie Elias – Professional Fellow at UTS Startups.

Gig work has provided countless Australians with unprecedented occupational flexibility. At the same time, the Labor Government has proposed legislation which looks to afford gig workers entitlements like minimum pay, leave and superannuation. One clear dilemma is how to implement these entitlements without compromising flexibility and the business model of tech startups like Uber, Airtasker and Menulog. This episode we discuss the potential impact of the proposed legislation on gig work.

Guests: Giuseppe Carabetta, Associate Professor of employment law at the UTS Business School and Katie Sweatman, employment, industrial relations and discrimination lawyer at Kingston Reid.

The Big Issue have been fighting homelessness in Australia for decades, and now they have a new project, in collaboration with the NSW Land Registry Service. Homes for Homes allows homeowners to pledge a tiny portion of the sale price of their property to help develop social and affordable housing. There's much to be admired about the Homes for Homes model, and this week on the show we take a look at how it works.

Guests: Adam Bennett - Adjunct Professor at UTS and outgoing CEO of Land Registry Services NSW and Tracy Longo - National Operations Manager of Homes for Homes. 

Goal enabling technology is the integration of goal setting into tech-based products and services. Things like step-counts, savings targets and fitness goals all have a general benefit to app users and tech companies, however the specifics of how to optimise goals in apps is not well-known. This episode we explore new research and modelling around the most effective ways to utilise goal enabling technology.

Guest: Jake An, UTS Business School lecturer

Australia's social security system is notoriously difficult to navigate. It's also punitive in nature. So why are some of our most vulnerable people finding getting a leg up so hard? This episode we explore the complexity of social security, and how things can change.

Guests: Leanne Ho - CEO of Economic Justice Australia and Julius Golab - solicitor at the Welfare Rights Centre.

Amid a perpetual rise in interest rates, the NSW Government have announced their First Home Buyer Choice scheme. A reform to stamp duty which gives first home buyers the option to opt out of stamp duty - and into an annual tax. This episode, we explore stamp duty as an impediment to property purchasing, and how the NSW government’s policy might affect housing affordability. 

Guests: Harry Scheule - Professor of Finance at the University of Technology Sydney and Simon Pressley - Founder, and head of property market research at Propertyology.

What will Australia look like in 2030? Rocky Scopelliti is a futurologist, an author, a speaker and a researcher of the confluence of demographics and technological change. He joins the show this week to talk about the major trends that will affect the trajectory of Australia as we move into the next decade.

Contract brewing is having your brand's beer made by a third party, at a facility often far from the stated home of your label. This episode we discuss the opportunity contract provides industry up-starts and also the stigma that is often associated with the practice.

Guests: Pavlina Jasovska – Lecturer in International Business and Strategy at the UTS Business School, and Sam Maccaulay - Senior lecturer in strategy and innovation at the University of Queensland.

Over the last two years global supply chains have been massively disrupted and are still on their way to recovery. This episode we ask the question of how to we strength supply chains and build in resilience to copy with unforeseen events.

Guest: Sanjoy Paul from the UTS Business School

Buy now pay later apps have seen a boom in the last five years. But as with any emerging industry, regulation is lagging. This episode we look at the growth of buy now pay later and what might the industry see in the future.

Guests: Thomas Matthys from the UTS Business School and Nikesh Lalchandani from the Emerging Payments Association of Asia.

Why do we follow the crowd? When is it a good idea and when is it not? Michelle Baddeley from the UTS Business School is the author of the book Copycats and Contrarians. She joins the show to talk about the concept of herding and how it manifests in the business world.

The use of AI in marketing is growing rapidly. This week we take a look at how it's used, how much it's growing - and whether AI presents a danger to marketing jobs.

Guests: Tae Woo Kim and Ashish Sinha from the UTS Business School.

For this very special episode, we bring you address by Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. This address was from an event organised as part of the UTS Vice Chancellor's Democracy Forum. Professor Stiglitz's address is followed by a conversation with UTS behavioural economist Michelle Baddeley. The theme of this episode is Government's role in innovation.

Sydney University recently reported by far their largest surplus in history. Almost a billion dollars, compared to a 20 year average of just over $120 million. A huge profit, even through the crippling effects of the pandemic. So what happened? Dr David Bond, senior lecturer at the UTS business school has been looking into it. He joined Think Business Futures to tell us what he found.

Following from last week's show about educating entrepreneurs, this week we take a look at the story of a startup and its founder. We explore the highs and lows - and what entrepreneurship looks like from the ground. Mark Curry is the CEO of Savvy Beverages, an award winning nutrition business that makes healthy products that enhance energy and mental wellbeing.

Are entrepreneurs born with the characteristics that make them who they are, or is it something you can teach? This episode we explore what entrepreneurship means today and how to educate people to become entrepreneurs.

Guests: Martin Bleimel, Associate Professor and the Director of Research at the Transdisciplinary School at UTS and Jochen Schweitzer, Associate Professor of Strategy and Innovation and the Director of Entrepreneurship at the UTS Business School.

Each month, Australians produce tens of thousands of tonnes of E-waste. This week we explore the problem, and the opportunity for business to turn this trash into treasure.

Guests: Maruf Chowdhury, Senior lecturer and expert in closed loop systems and supply chain sustainability at the UTS business school and Lisa Saunders, Co-Founder and CEO of Arnie’s Recon.

A significant yet largely un-recognised aspect of domestic abuse is financial or economic abuse. It manifests as the restriction of a person's financial independence and often limits one's ability to take action to change their situation. This episode we discuss the prevalence of economic abuse, how to identify it and what can be done to make change.

Guest: Kathy Walsh - Professor of finance and master of financial planning course director at the UTS business school.

Australians living with disability often face enormous challenges when travelling. From using digital devices to purchase tickets, to boarding planes, to finding accessible attractions at a destination - the experience of travel and tourism is not equal for all Australians. This episode we look at the challenges and opportunities of accessible tourism.

Guests: Simon Darcy, Professor of Social Inclusion at the UTS Business School and Ben Gauntlett, Disability Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Modern business is now more than ever grappling with the question of sustainability. Is it possible for businesses to have a positive impact on the world while maintaining longevity, profitability and shareholder satisfaction? This episode we look at the mechanisms business use to contribute to sustainability, and what may be needed to make sustainable business a reality.

Guests: Melissa Edwards, Director of the Executive MBA program at the UTS Business School and Tim Williams, Lecturer at the UTS Business School Management Discipline Group.

Many modern companies incorporate social or environmental principles into their structures. Is this incremental progression enough? Or do we need a complete restructure of incentives in order to see the change that's needed. This episode we look at the potential future for business & social impact.

Guests: Bronwen Dalton, Director of the Masters of Not-for-Profit and Social Enterprise Program at the UTS business school & Claire Wright, business historian at the UTS Business School.

With a new government in office - housing affordability remains a big concern. The big questions are: What effect will rising interest rates have on house prices? And how far will the suite of Labor housing policies go in addressing the challenges for first home buyers? On this episode - we delve into these questions and try to unearth the harsh truth.

Guests: Harry Scheule - Professor of Finance at the University of Technology Sydney Business School & Simon Pressley - Founder and head of property market research at Propertyology.

Aged care is often described as being in crisis due to things like neglect, poor nutrition and under-staffing. However another crisis of aged care is found in the finances - with many residential homes either lacking financial viability, or not meeting the minimum standards parties are proposing ahead of the election. This episode we explore a new report by the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative that aims to provide ongoing insights into the finance of aged care.

Guests: Dr. Nicole Sutton & Dr. Nelson Ma - UTS Business School

Sports betting and advertising is ubiquitous throughout the channels of any regular sports fan. With sports codes, media, advertising and betting agencies all being interdependent - where does the boom in ads, odds and engagement end? This episode we explore the good, the bad and the fascinating impact sports betting is having on sports culture.

Guests: Adam Cohen, Lecturer for Sport Management at the UTS Business School & David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research at the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University

NSW Teachers haven't gone on strike for over ten years but this week they'll walk off the job to raise their voice about unfair pay and workload conditions. So how did we let such a fundamentally important profession get to this place? This week we look at the current state of teachers conditions in NSW and what needs to change.

Guest: Mihajla Gavin - Senior Lecturer in employment relations and human resource management at the UTS Business School.

In the lead up to the election, the establishment of a Federal corruption commission is an important issue for voters - but how exactly does federal corruption intersect with the private sector? On today's episode we dive into the impact of corruption on democracy and what attributes a Federal commission needs to have in order to clean ups politics.

Guests: Marie dela Rama - lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney and Adam Graycar - professor of public policy and director of the Stretton Institute at the University of Adelaide.

Covid's catastrophic impact on the tourism sector has exposed many of the industry's vulnerabilities when it comes to managing crisis. So what has tourism learnt from the pandemic, and how will it move forward? This episode we look at how tourism was crushed by Covid, how it responded and what's in store for the future.

Guest: David Beirman - Adjunct Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney Business School and author of Tourism Crises and Destination Recovery.

The second wave feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s brought sweeping changes to women's roles in both business and politics. This episode we explore the history of women in leadership. We ask what does the landscape of women in leadership looks like today? What the continuing barriers are, and how we can progress to not only increase the number of women in leadership positions but also to expand the diversity of women in these roles.

Guests: Claire Wright - business historian at the University of Technology Sydney Business School and Blair Williams - Research Fellow and Lecturer with the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at the Australian National University.

The 2022 Budget was described by many as a cash splash focusing on temporary fixes and pre-election problem solving. With inflation, interest rates and the cost of living set to be a continuing challenge - what options are available to governments to help address these issues long term? Has the global playing field that budget forecasts are based on changed? And how can reform take place when big economic policy announcements seem too politically dangerous for either party?

Guests: David Bond: Senior Lecturer at the UTS Business School & Cameron Curko - Head of Macroeconomics and Strategy at Pitcher Partners Accountants.

The pandemic has completely overhauled our relationship with work. Priorities are shifting with an increasing number of people looking for job satisfaction and a harmonious work/life balance. One proposed solution is a shift to a four day work week. On this episode we discuss what four day work week can look like, and how companies and individuals maintain productivity working less hours.

Guest: Rowena Ditzell - PHD candidate and lecturer at the UTS business school, currently researching the four day work week.

Most media outlets talk about Russian sanctions in reference to their effect on an economy... But what about their impact on people? Does forcing a recession on a nation of mostly innocent civilians require a deeper level of ethical enquiry? And are the associated business boycotts and pullouts a moral decision, or they just what's best for the corporate bottom line?

Guests: Carl Rhodes - Dean and Professor of Organisation Studies at the UTS Business School & Steven Hamilton - Visiting Fellow at the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at The Australian National University.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the what, where, when and how we shop - presenting a range of opportunities for business unlike anything we've seen before. So what are the changes? And how can businesses capitalise?

Guest: Ofer Mintz - Associate Head of the UTS Marketing Department and Author of The Post Pandemic Business Playbook.

Crypto is here to stay. Individuals, businesses and banks have all jumped on board - so its time to ask some simple questions. Do we pay tax on crypto? If so, when? And in an ever-evolving, technologically driven, decentralised world - how will tax authorities keep up?

Guests: Roman Lanis - Associate Professor from the UTS School of Accounting and Shane Brunette - Founder of Sydney-based tech start-up Crypto Tax Calculator.

Over the past 18 months, COVID has demonstrated the need for a well funded health system. The cost of dealing with a pandemic has been most clearly borne by our hospitals. So how does the Australian healthcare system stack up comparatively?

Guests:

• Kees Van Gool, Deputy Director and Professor at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at UTS and researcher on the ICCONIC project

In the past few years, businesses have begun signalling their support for traditionally progressive ideas like marriage equality and environmental sustainability. This has been called woke capitalism, where multinational corporations enter the public sphere by taking and amplifying political positions. Corporations talk a good game on social credibility, but can we rely on them when the going gets tough? Or are they just following public sentiment to profit? And how does this newfound corporate morality impact on liberal democracies?

Guest:

• Carl Rhodes, Professor of Organisation Studies and Dean of the UTS Business School and author of Woke Capitalism: How Corporate Morality is Sabotaging Democracy

We’re coming up to the most wonderful time of year - Christmas. Tinsel is up and Mariah Carey is blaring through shopping centre speakers. Most retailers make around 30% of their annual income from this time alone. But is consumer confidence still high after a long year of covid lockdowns? And will issues with global supply chains led to empty stockings under the chimney?

Guests:

• Sanjoy Paul, senior lecturer in operations and supply chain management at UTS
• Brian Walker, CEO and founder of Retail Doctor Group

While the attention is on COP26 and Glasgow, there was a less discussed meeting of international leaders going in Rome. On Sunday, the leaders of the G20 endorsed the OECD changes to international tax laws designed to crack down on multinational companies. Tax havens and profit shifting are key targets, as well as creating new rules for the digital era and ending the race to the bottom for corporate taxation. So, what's in the rules? Who are the winners and losers? And will it actually work?

Guests:

• Roman Lanis, associate professor in accounting at UTS
• Miranda Stewart, professor in tax law at Melbourne University

As Australia heads towards reopening its international border for the first time since the pandemic began, migration has been flagged as critical to the Australian economic recovery. Last year was the first time that more people left Australia than arrived since World War 2. Immigration has been critical to Australian economic growth for nearly 80 years, but has the way temporary migrant workers have been treated soured the appeal? Will there be an influx of migrants to help Australia grow its way out of debt?

Guests:

• Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics at UTS
• Gabriela D'Souza, senior economist, Committee for the Economic Development of Australia

Technology platforms have become ubiquitous in our lives, effectively public utilities despite being run by private corporations. For years, Google operated on an ethos of "Don't be evil" before quietly retiring the phrase from their code of conduct. More and more questions are being asked about how these businesses are run and their overarching impact on our lives, as well as the access they have to our information. Facebook has been the subject of numerous inquiries of late regarding its internal leaks about conduct.

This week, Rana Foroohar, global business columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times and global economic analyst for CNN joins Roy Green, emeritus professor at UTS for a wide-ranging conversation about big tech, its expansive reach and whether a big state can reign in these platforms.

This is an edited conversation taken from the UTS Vice Chancellor's Democracy Forum 2021.

The plant-based meat industry in Australia is booming. Australians forked out $185 million for meat alternatives in 2020, and the industry is only set to grow from here. As more of us look to ditch meat, or eat less of it, there are questions being asked about the seemingly healthy alternatives. Many are highly processed to simulate meat, which raises the question: just how "plant-based" are they? How much bigger will this industry get? Are we headed for a world without meat, or is it just phoney baloney?

Guests:

• Natalina Zlatevska, Associate Professor of Marketing at UTS
• Hope Johnson, Senior Lecturer of Business and Law at Queensland University of Technology

Producer / Presenter: Josh Green

Evergrande is the name on everybody’s lips. China’s second largest property developer is struggling to service debts of up to US$300 billion. With Evergrande in a trading halt and on the verge of collapse, there's a broader question to ask about what this means for Australia. Australian iron ore has helped build the Chinese property market which has been the engine of their economic growth. If the Chinese economy suffers a slowdown, will this impact Australian exports? What should the trading relationship between these two countries look like?

Guests:

• James Laurenceson, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at UTS
• Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist at Institute for Public Policy and Governance at UTS
• Bob Gregory, Professor Emeritus at the Research School of Economics at ANU and former member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Board

After a slow start, Australia is surging ahead in vaccine uptake. The number of Australians who are unsure whether they’ll get the jab has plunged from heights in May of 29% down to around 9%. As NSW and Victoria get closer to restarting their economies, vaccine saturation is going to be critical to reaching herd immunity whilst limiting the number of people who will get a serious infection. So how do we identify and break through those final barriers of vaccine hesitancy to keep people safe while reopening Australia? Is FOMO going to be enough to convince free riders to get off the sidelines and get vaxxed?

Guests:

• Leonora Risse, economist and senior lecturer at RMIT University
• Ofer Mintz, associate head of the marketing department at UTS Business School
• Paul Burke, deputy director of the Centre for Business Intelligence and Data Analytics at UTS Business School

Are you thinking of quitting your job? You're not alone. Overseas, people are switching careers or leaving the workforce in such volumes that it's being called The Great Resignation. COVID-19 has shifted many people's priorities or motivated some to pursue their dream career, while others are sick of employers putting excessive demands on their time. Australians have remained loyal to their employers so far, but this week we're asking whether the big quit is coming down under.

Guests:

• Kyoung-Hee Yu, associate professor at UTS
• Cat Wratten
• Nusardel Oshana
• Liam Unwin

Public universities in Australia are in a dire state. This week, two reports outlined that 1 in 5 academics have been made redundant over the past year and that the government’s changes to funding student places, last year’s Job-Ready Graduates program, cshe.unimelb.edu.au/lh-martin-institute/fellow-voices/the-rhetoric-and-reality-of-job-ready-graduates">doesn’t cover the cost of cuts made in years prior. International students were the third largest export in Australia prior to COVID-19, and universities have become heavily reliant on their fees to cover teaching and research costs. But with borders closed and no additional government support forthcoming, can these institutions continue to meet demand as the financial support runs dry?

Guests:

• Alison Barnes, NTEU national president
• Mark Warburton, honorary senior fellow at the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education
• Roy Green, emeritus professor at UTS

It’s no secret that water is essential to life as we know it. By 2025, it’s estimated that over 60% of the world will live in water stressed areas. So it’s no shock that access to and ownership of water is big business. Australia has the most sophisticated market system for the trading of water entitlements, predominantly built around the Murray-Darling Basin. But does the market work effectively? Should something as valuable as water be commoditised like shares?

Guests:

• Mike Young, professor of water policy at the University of Adelaide
• Scott Hamilton, author of Sold Down the River

To lead or not to lead, that is the badly paraphrased question. Trendsetters and thought leaders proliferate across every aspect of our lives, from our workplaces to our social media. But what makes a leader? Does leadership just come down to how many people follow you on LinkedIn? Or is there something more intangible than that? Does the cream always rise to the top?

Guests:

• Dan Caprar, associate professor at the University of Sydney
• David Goldbaum, associate professor in economics at UTS.

Semiconductors are the tiny microchips that are critical to the operation of electronic devices. Working from home means that people want newer smarter devices, driving demand for semiconductors up. At the same time, its fragile global supply chain has been impacted during the pandemic. Industries relying on these tiny silicon chips, like carmakers, are losing money and running out of chips. How did this happen? And should Australia start making its own chips to build up sovereign capability?

Guests:

• Jim Rabeau, director of quantum technologies future science platform at CSIRO
• Moira Scerri, lecturer in strategic supply chain management at UTS

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report is yet another warning to decarbonise the economy as soon as possible. To reach net zero, countries are putting a price on carbon emissions through cap and trade schemes or taxation. The EU and US are looking at going one step further by considering additional tariffs on trade partners who lack an emissions trading system through border adjustment mechanisms. The Australian government is hostile towards emissions targets, let alone carbon pricing. So will we continue to hold out against meaningful change or will we be forced to take action in order to keep up with our trading partners?

Guests:

• Bob Carr, former Foreign Minister and Industry Professor of Climate and Business at UTS
• Nicki Hutley, economist and councilor to the Climate Council

Afterpay is the darling of the financial world following its acquisition by US payments fintech Square in the largest acquisition in Australian corporate history, valued at $39 billion AUD. It caps off a monumental run for the pioneer of the Buy Now, Pay Later market. The payment scheme allows its target users to purchase goods upfront and pay them off over 4 fortnightly installments. So is this credit by another name operating in a regulatory loophole? Or is this modern day form of lay-by the future of payments? Square seems to think so, but will they be paying in 4 fortnightly installments too?

Guests:

• James Sleep, policy advisor at Financial Counselling Australia
• Marta Khomyn, post-doctoral researcher in economics at UTS
• Lien Duong, senior lecturer in economics and finance at Curtin University

Around the world, house prices are surging. In Australia, house prices are climbing at their fastest annual rate in 17 years. This is propelled by a combination of low interest rates and government stimulus along with a small number of properties on the market and a strong demand from people looking to buy. To be fair, it always feels like house prices are impossibly high in state capitals like Sydney or Melbourne, with young people feeling locked out from owning their own patch of affordable land. So how can we change this? What policy levers can be pulled to burst the bubble and make housing more affordable for Australians?

Guests:

• Janet Ge, Associate Professor in the School of Built Environment at UTS
• Matt Grudnoff, senior economist at The Australia Institute
• Saul Eslake, economist at Corinna Economic Advisory

As NSW faces a protracted lockdown, stimulus is back on the agenda to keep the economy from crashing and burning. The Federal government has come out with a COVID-19 disaster payment while avoiding the magic word on everyone's lips: JobKeeper. Do we need to bring back a new refined version of the wage subsidy program or will the current stimulus plan be enough to save businesses?

Guests:

• Mary Aldred, CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia
• Peter Docherty, Associate Professor of Economics at UTS
• Steven Hamilton, Assistant Professor at George Washington University and Chief Economist at Blueprint Institute

It may be 2021 but the 2020 Olympics are only just about to get underway. Tokyo has been a saga, with spectators banned from attending due to COVID-19 outbreaks and calls for the event to be cancelled. With Brisbane working hard to get a guernsey and host the 2032 Olympics, we're asking: are the Olympics fit enough to go the distance?

Guests:

• David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society at WSU.
• Tim Harcourt, Chief Economist with the Institute of Public Policy and Governance at UTS.

Well, the financial year has come and gone, and you may have received emails or phone calls or postage from any number of charities calling for tax-deductible donations. The not-for-profit sector makes up 11% of the economy, employing around 1.4 million Australians.

Indeed, a glimpse at the sector in 2019 paints a rosy picture of a broad industry made of large businesses and smaller volunteer outfits, a sector growing in donations, assets and government support. But this was before the pandemic where operations were shuttered and volunteers were sent home while at the same time, demand for services increased.

To discuss a sector under pressure, I was joined earlier by Dr Bronwen Dalton, Head of the Department of Management at the UTS Business School and co-ordinator of the Masters of Not-for Profit and Social Enterprise Management and Tim Costello, Chair of the Community Council for Australia.

More and more, companies are investing based around the buzzword of ESG.

That stands for Environmental, Social, Governance, which broadly describes the non-financial factors that are increasingly important to investors. These can include incorporating gender diversity in a company board, to not supporting carbon emitting investments or other such ethical commitments.

As the European Union and the United States take steps to regulate the ESG investing industry, the question is whether Australia can match up in a socially conscious manner.

Cassandra Williams, Certification and Ratings Manager at the Responsible Investment Association Australiasia and Danielle Logue, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Business and Sustainable Development at the UTS Business School joined me to discuss this further.

Where did you go to school? Over the last 30 years, non-government schools have doubled in size as more and more parents are opting for greater school choice. How these schools are funded has been a point of contention.

School funding is provided by partnerships between the federal and relevant state governments. Private schools are predominantly funded by the federal government, while public education is mostly drawn from state funding. A funding model for private schools is set to come in next January, but will this ensure all independent schools are fairly funded? And is the amount of money going to private schools fair and equitable when compared to the staffing and resources struggles of public schools?

This week, host Toby Hemmings was joined by Glenn Fahey, research fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies and Associate Professor Jane Hunter from the University of Technology Sydney School of Education to discuss how money is spent on private and public education in a post-Gonski world.

They say confidence is key to many things in life, but when a pandemic brings a city to a lurching halt, how does it bounce back?

As restrictions in Melbourne begin to ease, and government stimulus payments attempt to stem the bleeding, how will Melbournians regain the spring in their step when it comes to spending?

It’s a question for a behavioral economist really, and today, we’re joined by Professor Michelle Baddeley from the UTS Business School, to help us understand why confidence is key.

The Chinese Government have made a monumental policy shift, announcing that it will allow couples to have up to three children, after census data showed a steep decline in birth rates.

China scrapped its decades-old one-child policy in 2016, replacing it with a two-child limit which has so far failed to generate the uptick in the birth rate needed to keep pace with the countries rapidly ageing population.

An online poll conducted by state media outlet Xinhua news found 29000 out of 31000 respondents would never dream of having three children, so will the governments easing of the rules make any difference?

And, iron prices are once again unsettling nerves, as Chinese regulators attempt to cool-off the countries white-hot recovery in manufacturing and industry. Joining the program today, Professor James Laurenceson from the Australian China Relations Institute and Industry Professor and Chief Economist with the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute of Public Policy and Governance, Professor Tim Harcourt.

It’s been a big week since the Treasurer handed down the Budget 2021, but the biggest story- and certainly biggest handout- was in the Aged Care Sector. $17.7 billion dollars has been allocated to making a once in a generation change to a sector that has been plagued by horror stories from the Royal Commission, underpaid staff and limited career opportunities.

But is almost $18 billion dollars enough when the funding is set to be drip fed over a five year period? The Treasurer announced the plan as ‘practical’, but what do the experts think?

The Morrison government has announced the New Home Guarantee will allow 10,000 first home buyers to purchase a new home with a deposit of just 5 per cent, while over the next four years the Family Home Guarantee will let 10,000 single parent families put down a deposit of only 2 per cent.

But can we bank upon the housing market with interest rates at uneasily low levels? What happens when they jump? To break this down today is Professor Harry Schuele, Professor of Finance at the University of Technology, Sydney. An expert on the housing market, and a long time contributor to Think: Business.

Australia has had a touchy relationship with Multinationals since the economy was opened to the world during the Hawke-Keating years.

But now, the distinction between those well-known multinationals in primary industries such as Rio Tinto or Adani Mining, and the new-age arrivals like Facebook, Google, Netflix and Spotify, is making the argument about why less corporate tax gives Australia competitive advantage a little harder to argue.

When I ask you what the cost of climate change is, you’re most likely to answer with a bigger macroeconomic picture.

But what are the actual figures?

Natural disasters already cost Australians over $13 billion on average every year, expected to rise to $39 billion per year by 2050. The National Climate Disaster Fund is a proposal by independent think-tank the Australia Institute for an independently administered fund to reduce the cost burden of natural disaster response and recovery to Australian households, businesses and taxpayers.

Joining me today is the Australia Institutes Principle Climate Advisor Mark Ogge.

This week, we’re taking on the biggest news story in the country.

The gates have been opened across the ditch, and the New Zealand-Australia travel bubble, an idea first floated in April of last year, is finally upon us.

Joining me today to help 'burst the bubble' is Senior Lecturer in the Management Discipline Group at the UTS Business School, co-chair of the CAUTHE (Council of Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Educators), and member of DFAT’s Consular Consultative, Dr. David Beirman.

It's time to dive to periscope depth and take a closer look at the Federal Government's $90 billion dollar Future Submarine Deal.

With former Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton now sworn in as Defense Minister, many are expecting a decision on whether to stay the course with this white elephant of a defense contract, or simply torpedo the whole thing and start again.

We ask former Submariner, and now Independent Senator for South Australia Rex Patrick, why the largest defense contract in Australian history could be already dead in the water.

It's time to find that je ne sais quoi which makes a Submarine float.

Earlier this year, struggling businesses GameStop (NYSE: GME) and AMC Entertainment Holdings saw their stock prices skyrocket overnight, thanks to a short squeeze initiated by a group of investors on Reddit.com.

It was r/wallstreetbets, a coalition of largely amateur investors on the site- known as the front page of the internet- that created a surge of interest in a number of stocks being shorted by some of Wall Street’s largest hedge funds.

It was seen as a brave new form of financial activism by some, and a terrifying new brand of speculation by others.

Today, Think: Business looks back on those whirlwind months of January and February, when it seemed like occupy wall street had moved online.

Joining me to discuss this today is Noam Korbl, Director of Compare Forex Traders, an Australian online trading platform.

And Professor Michelle Baddeley, Professor in Economics and Director of Research and Development at the UTS Business School.

They say there's never a bad time to buy Real Estate, but do we believe it?

Predictions in March of last year were dire, with a 30% drop in market value expected across the country. Instead, figures suggest the real situation may be the exact opposite. Auction clearance rates are at record highs, asset prices are through the roof, and first home buyers are leading the charge with a 50% share of purchases over 2020.

But, with all this hot-air in the system it isn’t easy to imagine one enormous bubble.

In this, our glorious return to the airwaves, we ask;

What does the global pharmaceutical industry have to gain from the roll-out of vaccines?

Household names like Pfizer are their own kettle of fish, but for the AstraZenecas and Novavaxs of the world, it’s a rare coalition of public goodwill and government assistance that could fundamentally change the industry moving forward.

But, when a global health crisis greases the wheels of the world's pharmaceutical regulatory bodies; what happens when the virus is controlled?

Joining me today to discuss this is Jennifer Herz, Managing Director of Biocelect, an Australian company now partnered with Novavax to deliver 51 million doses of the global brands Covid19 vaccine, ofcourse pending approval by the TGA.

And Dr. John Rose, Professor and founding Director of the Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (BIDA) Research Centre in the UTS Business School.

How many pubs, clubs or restaurants have you signed into over the last few weeks using a QR code on your phone?

It’s become the go-to method for digitally tracing outbreaks and hot-spots of COVID19 in NSW, as well as other countries like Singapore.

Around 2.2 million NSW residents now have the Service NSW app on their smartphone, up from 1.7 million last month, while another 5 million have a MyServiceNSW account.

But, how exactly does one run an operation of this magnitude? And more importantly, how does the data on millions of private citizens stay private?

Joining the program today is NSW Minister for Customer Service, The Honorable Victor Dominello MP.

Today, the 24th of November 2020, marks the release of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative's new roadmap to reshape the countries financial system in the wake of droughts, bushfires and a global pandemic.

Comprising of 80 organisations across major banks, insurers, super funds, civil society, and stakeholders, the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative has handed down 37 recommendations that will enable the financial services sector to deliver a transition to a net zero, resource-efficient and inclusive economy.

Joining me today to discuss the road map, are three contributing academics from the University of Technology Sydney.

Dr. Scott Kelly, Research Director at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney.

Professor Robynne Quiggin, Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement), The Dean's Unit at The University of Technology Sydney

And Dr. Deborah Cotton, Senior Lecturer in the Finance Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney.

It was one of the founding fathers, and the United State’s third President Thomas Jefferson who said of the presidency ; “No man will ever bring out of that office the reputation which carries him into it. The honeymoon would be as short in that case as in any other, and its moments of ecstasy would be ransomed by years of torment and hatred.’

In today’s episode, we’re taking a wider scope, and asking; ‘What happens to the rest of us with the United States under new management?’

Joining Max Tillman is University of Technology Industry Professor, and Former Australian Foreign Minister, The Honourable Bob Carr and Associate Dean of Research and Development for The Dean's Unit at The University of Technology Sydney, Michelle Baddeley.

Well, the quadrennial circus of rallies, rhetoric and state roll-calls has finally reached its last stop on the road.

And by roughly lunchtime, the world will most likely know whether the polls were right, or whether- once again- political science’s own creation will turn on its masters as the polls did in 2016.

Joining me today is Professor Lionel Page, from the Economics Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney’s Business School. Professor Page has just released some new research, including an article in The Conversation, outlining the possible effects of political polls on voter patterns, and whether they are a blessing or a burden for the modern democracy…

Criticism has been leveled at the Federal Government's $240 million Women’s Economic Security funding package, that aims to support a return to the workforce for many women, greater opportunities in STEM industries, and channels for female entrepreneurs and start-ups.

It’s a mere fraction of the spending, but how little is too little to help women who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic?

To discuss this, I’m joined today by Katherine O’Regan, Executive Director of The Sydney Business Chamber, and Dr. Alice Klettner, Senior Lecturer at The University of Technology Sydney's Business School.

It was the 18th century philosopher Voltaire who once said; ‘“The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”

And, with the Federal Budget’s delivery in health funding of a record $115.5 billion in 2020–21- and $467 billion over the forward estimates-there’s more than enough to amuse ourselves with here at Think Business Futures.

It’s a lot of money, a dizzying amount, but what are the real stories behind that wall of zeroes?

Joining me today to pull apart the portfolio is Dr Stephen Duckett, Health Program Director at the Grattan Institute and former Departmental Secretary to the Australian Government Department of Human Services and Health from 1994 to 1996.

The full, unabridged interview with former ANZ chief economist Warren Hogan on this year's Federal Budget.

We covered the murky waters of R&D tax incentives in this week's coverage of The Federal Budget 2020. But for those who's curiosity was piqued, Nicole gives further detail on the evolution of the R&D tax incentive scheme from the Turnbull days of 2016 until now.

Deck the halls with forward estimates!

Christmas for the finance world has finally arrived, with the Federal Budget 2020 putting pen to paper on a fiscal year for the ages.

And with a deficit to the piercing tune of $213 billion dollars, this year’s tea leaves do not paint a pretty picture.

Can we hitch our recovery wagon to tax cuts?

Will big-spending in business add up alongside a continuation of social distancing?

As they say in economics, ‘You can never judge a budget until it’s at least a week old.’

Joining me to find out whether this financial Christmas we'll be getting a new bike, or a pair of socks is Nicole Sutton from the UTS Business School’s accounting discipline, Richard De Abreu Lourenco with the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at the University of Technology Sydney and UTS Business School Industry Professor Warren Hogan.

You’ve probably heard of Flappy bird, and you’ve definitely heard of Fruit Ninja and Temple Run. Little did you know, those games were developed in Australia. And despite their global popularity and literally billions of downloads, the domestic game deployment industry can’t seem to get past the first level.

In anticipation of this evening’s budget, the Australian video game industry have asked for a 30% refundable tax offset and a restored Interactive Games Fund for video game development to be featured in the 2020-2021 Federal Budget.

Joining us today is Ron Curry, CEO of the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA), Australia’s industry body for game developers.

The last time the Liberal Party turned their heads to energy, we had the NEG, which drove a factional wedge between the party room and led to the downfall of a PM. This time, it’s a global pandemic. You’d think once bitten twice shy, but politics is full of surprises.

Are we going to be lifted above the pandemic by a hydrogen powered economy? Or is it just a lot of hot air?

Max Tillman is joined by Richie Merzian, Climate & Energy Program Director at the Australia Institute. And Dr. Paul Brown, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Trans-disciplinary Innovation at the Centre for Business and Social Innovation at The University of Technology Sydney.

How far would you be willing to get financial data on your super fund? A quick google search? Some clandestine cyber-sleuthing? Or, would you sign up to 20 odd super funds as a member, in the hopes of gaining access that way?

Well, that’s exactly what today’s guest, Dr. Thulaisi Sivapalan, a recent PhD graduate from the UTS Business School, did for his thesis. And if you're wondering where the ‘fun’ in super fund went, or if it ever existed at all, today’s episode may have the answer.

On July 31st, The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission introduced it's draft news media bargaining code.

Under the code, Google and Facebook would be forced to pay for Australian news published on their sites to help fund public interest journalism.

It’s being characterised as a Mexican stand-off between the giants of modern tech, and Australia’s consumer watchdog; but is that necessarily true?

And, should Facebook and Google submit to the ACCC’s new guidelines; what effect could this world first agreement have upon Google and Facebook’s position in other markets around the world?

Joining me today to go behind the Facebook Wall is Dr. Ofer Mintz, Associate Head (External Engagement) of the Marketing Department and a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

And Professor Glenn Withers, Professor of Economics at The College of Business and Economics at ANU and a member of the Public Interest Journalism Initiative.

In today’s episode, we’re tackling the wave of mass redundancies that have swept millions of Australians out of reliable work, and left many wondering what there chances are when the dust settles; and the job they once had is no longer required?

Our guest today is Associate Professor Jonathan Tyler from the Accounting Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney’s Business School.

We’re all anxiously awaiting news in 2020 about a successful vaccine for COVID19, with the Australian Government securing a ‘letter of intent’ with Oxford University and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

But, as we do at Think: Business Futures, it is important to take a closer look at the petri dish, and find out whether the vaccine could bust the virus, or break the bank?

Joining us is Dr. Richard De Abreu Lourenco, Associate Professor at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at the University of Technology Sydney.

And Jennifer Herz, managing director of Biointellect, an Australian strategic planning and market research firm for the biopharmaceutical and medical device sector.

In the words of the world’s most successful investor Warren Buffet, there are only two rules to playing the stock market.

“Rule number one: Don’t lose money. Rule number two: Don’t forget rule number one.”

It’s a dangerous hunting ground for the average punter, but, that hasn’t deterred many from trying to make a quick buck between the breakneck speed of peaks and troughs in the COVID economy.

Associate Professor Gerhard Van de Venter, from the University of Technology Sydney’s Business School, is currently working on a deeper study into whether these investors are playing to win, or bound to loose.

In late March, the Victorian government put private security firms in charge of hotel quarantine in Melbourne.

Since then, a long list of breaches of quarantine conditions by private security personnel, including sleeping with guests, allowing fresh-air breaks or bursting into rooms frantically searching for the TV remote have become public knowledge.

But is the industry at large to blame? Or have a few bad apples ruined the whole bunch?

Joining Max Tillman today for our weekly round is Bryan De Caires, CEO of Australian Security Industry Association, the nation’s peak industry body for the security sector.

And Professor Emmanuel Josserand, a Professor of Management at the University of Technology Sydney and Director of the Center for Business and Social Innovation.

It seems that it often takes a national crisis for cracks in a system to become visible.

And under the harsh light of COVID19, the aged care sector has revealed systemic issues in it’s ability to provide adequate care, workers and now, protection against an invisible enemy.

Joining host Max Tillman is Professor Michael Woods, Professor of Health Economics at the Center for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) at the University of Technology Sydney. He is on the Board of the Australian Digital Health Agency and is a member of the Aged Care Financing Authority.

Joining Professor Woods is Ian Henschke, chief advocate for National Seniors Australia.

We all know big life events like marriage, parenthood, job loss and the death of a loved one can affect our well-being; but by how much and for how long?

In today's episode, we talk about happiness in the language of numbers, and talk to one particular researcher who has put a value on the effects of love, grief and everything in between.

In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing whether women’s sport should do more to welcome the rivers of gold from sports betting.

Dr. Adam Cohen is a Lecturer in Sport Management at The University of Technology Sydney, who’s piece for The Conversation in March, entitled ‘Can gambling juice fandom for Women’s Sports?’ makes the case that when a fan places a bet, it motivates them to watch a sport and root for a team they might otherwise have little interest in.

For women’s sport, with the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on the horizon, that increased interest and better fan retention is worth debating.

Joining Dr. Cohen is Margaret Quixley, the Campaign Director for #EndGamblingAds for the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

This week, we take a closer look at the role of Artificial Intelligence in marketing. We already accept the fact that Amazon, eBay and Spotify can predict what we want to buy, or how we’re feeling.

But are there greater ethical questions hidden within those ones and zeros?

Joining us today is Dr. Tae Woo Kim, lecturer in the marketing discipline group from the University of Technology Sydney’s business school, who has recently released a research paper on Artificial Intelligence and Persuasion in marketing.

And Naomi Simson, one of Australia’s most recognisable entrepreneurs and Co-founder of Big Red Group, who are the Australian and New Zealand distributor for Albert AI; an marketing Artificial Intelligence that processes and analyses audiences for it’s clients.

In the last few weeks, a conga-line of some of the world’s largest companies have announced pay cuts for their CEO’s and boards of directors.

In Australia alone, $25 million dollars in base pay for company directors and CEO’s has been waved in what appears to either be a sign of solidarity, or a sign that ‘recovery’ is a long way-off.

But, with feathers being ruffled on the top-floor; and COVID’s role as the ultimate corporate disrupter, does waving the CEO’s salary give any hope to the rest of the workforce, or is it the corporate canary in the coalmine?

Joining us is is Vishy Narayaran; Chief Digital & Information Officer at PwC Australia, Dr. Anna Loyeung, Senior Lecturer in the Accounting Discipline Group at The University of Technology Sydney’s Business School and Dr. Samir Ghannam, also a lecturer in the accounting discipline group.

Last week, Federal Education Minister The Hon. Dan Tehan announced a raft of changes to the higher learning sector. Degrees deemed 'job-focused' will see a decrease in costs for students, while those determined not to be are going to be a lot more expensive for the average undergraduate.

In today's episode, we discuss what this means for the future of learning, and the role of the university in this brave new world with Professor Michelle Baddeley , behavioral economist and Associate Dean (Research and Development) at the University of Technology Sydney and Professor Kieth Dobney is the Head of School for School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry at the University of Sydney.

Last Sunday, The Federal Government unveiled their Return to Sport Toolkit, a road map for the glorious return of community and professional sport. But, it is not without its catches.

Gone are handshakes, high fives, oranges at halftime and the familiar chanting wall of parents that populate the member’s end of every suburban park. Clubs at all levels will not require a COVID19 safety coordinator, which seems like a much harder task than running the barbecue or being a touch judge.

And in the professional ranks, the major codes have descended into talk of broadcast deals and steals over the last few months as the pressure mounts to secure playing time. Far more importantly, the future of elite women’s sport is at a fascinating crossroads, with COVID’s cleaning of the slate, and a potential women's Football World Cup on the horizon, it’s an interesting time to be in the space.

Joining us is Dr. David Bond, Course Director for the Master of Business Analytics at the University of Technology Sydney’s Business School, Gen Simmons , Deputy Chair of Women Sport Australia and John Didulica, Chief Executive of Professional Footballers Australia.

Well, first we had Jobseeker, JobKeeper, and now in the naming tradition of COVID stimulus packages, we now have HomeBuilder. And while the Government’s plans to break the champagne over the bow were slightly interrupted by a need to ‘get off the grass’, the latest economic injection has raised voices on both sides of the political divide.

Joining the panel today is Federal Shadow Housing Minister, The Hon. Jason Clare and Master Builders Association of NSW Executive Director Brian Seidler.

This week, we ask; what impact have barley tariffs had on grain growers in Australia? What fears do the agricultural sector harbor for the future? And for the scores of Australian businesses that operate in other industries in China, including the countries booming e-commerce trade, how important is knowing the right people on the mainland, and what effect will the US China trade deal have?

Joining the discussion today is Professor Kathy Walsh, Professor of the Finance Discipline Group at the University of Technology’s Business School, Brett Hosking, Chairperson of Grain Growers Australia and Nicholas Henderson, Director of China Practice for Management consultancy firm Asialink Business.

In this week's edition of Think: Business Futures, our gaze turns to the often tumultuous relationship between Australia, and our largest trading partner, The People's Republic of China.

Is brash ‘megaphone diplomacy’ the right move? Are there alternatives to Chinese markets elsewhere in the world? And, most importantly, how does Australia traverse the next few months as a middle power wedged between the twin axes of the US and China?

Joining the program is former Foreign Minister, N.S.W Premier and now Industry Professor at the University of Technology’s Institute for Sustainable Futures and Business School, Professor Bob Carr and the Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) Professor James Laurenceson.

Well, how much would you fork out for a stake in an airline?

On this week's episode, we take a closer look at the Queensland Government's potential stake in Virgin Australia, why inter-state tourism is the best next step and what the future of travel could look like.

Joining the program today is Mr Timothy Mander, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Treasurer for the State of Queensland, Doctor David Beirman , senior lecturer in the Management Discipline Group specialising in tourism at the University of Technology Sydney's Business School and Daniel Gschwind, Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.

Well, should Australians get a fair go and a first go at jobs in the post-covid economy? Labor Home Affairs Spokesperson Kristina Kennelly certainly thinks so, and the senator is not alone.

Immigration reform will be one of the key talking points as Australia scales down its global isolation and begins the economic and social re-building effort, but is immigration, and immigrants, a fair scapegoat?

Joining the program this week is Mohammad Al-Khafaji, Chief Executive Officer of Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia, Professor Peter McDonald, University of Melbourne Professor of Demography and Professor Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics at UTS.

On this week's addition of Think: Business Futures, we ask; what is the state of the NDIS during COVID19?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme has a particularly interesting role to play in ensuring that some of Australia’s most vulnerable are shielded from the physical, and by extension, economic impacts pf COVID19. But how important a piece of national infrastructure is the NDIS at a time like this?

This week's panel is Andrew Hyland, CEO of NDIS provider Lifestyle Solutions, Professor Simon Darcy from the UTS Business School, and The Hon. Bill Shorten, Federal Shadow Minister for the NDIS and Government Services.

Could commodities be the light at the end of the COVID19 tunnel?

Australia has the second-largest accessible reserves of iron ore in the world, the fifth-largest reserves of coal and significant gas resources, so it isn't hard to imagine how the answers to our economic questions could be lying beneath our feet the entire time.

To help unpack what COVID19 has done to commodity markets is Dr Christina Nikitopolous, Senior Lecturer in the Finance Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney’s business school, Professor Warren Hogan, the former Chief Economist for big-four member ANZ, Matthew Doman, Director of External Affairs for The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association and Greg Bussen, secretary for the CFMEU’s Mining and Energy Western Australia District.