The Stutchbury Sessions

Is the 2020s an echo of the 1970s for classical liberalism? In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions [https://thestutchburysessions.podbean.com/], Michael Stutchbury recaps the CIS Consilium, exploring how free enterprise, free trade, and limited government are under assault from both the left and the populist right. Featuring insights from Andrew Neil on the plight of mainstream conservatism and Dave Rubin on the liberal side of MAGA, Stutchbury discusses globalization, immigration, tariffs, big government deficits, and the future of western liberal values amid rising populism. 👉 Join CIS: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ [https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/] 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ [https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/] 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/ [https://www.cis.org.au/]

Subscribe to The Stutchbury Sessions on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stutchbury-sessions/id1704929503], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0eQtJ5hQnFbb0rBEXUH8Vy], Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/471ac560-3a67-4eb7-941d-8173868ec95d/the-stutchbury-sessions], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-stutchbury-sessions-141121135/], PlayerFM [https://player.fm/series/3546144] or listen in your browser [https://thestutchburysessions.podbean.com/].   In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions, host Michael Stutchbury reflects on his recent conversation with Sir Frank Lowy — the 95-year-old founder of the Westfield shopping centre empire and one of Australia’s most successful 20th-century immigrants. Speaking from his Sydney home ahead of returning to Israel, Sir Frank offered a rare and emotional perspective on the country that gave him refuge and opportunity — and the unease he now feels about the rise of antisemitism in Australia. “I am 95 years old and came here when I was 21, and I prospered, and people prospered with me,” he said. “Now I am at an absolute loss to describe what has happened to Australia.” To learn more about our research in this area, please click here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-new-intolerance-antisemitism-and-religious-hatred-in-a-fracturing-civic-compact/ [https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-new-intolerance-antisemitism-and-religious-hatred-in-a-fracturing-civic-compact/]

Australia’s “renewables honeymoon” is ending and the energy bill is coming due. In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions, we unpack the myth that government planning can fix every problem, from the $52 billion NDIS blowout to Labor’s net zero ambitions. Drawing on Friedrich Hayek’s timeless warning against the “conceit of planners,” Michael Stutchbury explores how Australia’s big-spending policies, from the NBN to Gonski and now the renewables transition, have delivered diminishing returns, rising costs, and lost productivity. Stutchbury also covers: * Why Australia’s decarbonisation plan may never meet 2030 or 2050 targets * The real reason power prices keep rising despite “free” solar and wind * How subsidies and political conceit mask the true costs of energy policy * Why a new political bargain — including nuclear and gas — may be inevitable This is a must-listen for anyone interested in energy policy, economic reform, Hayekian economics, and the future of net zero in Australia. Research mentioned: The Renewable Energy Honeymoon: starting is easy, the rest is hard: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-renewable-energy-honeymoon-starting-is-easy-the-rest-is-hard/ [https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-renewable-energy-honeymoon-starting-is-easy-the-rest-is-hard/]  The New Leviathan: A National Disability Insurance Scheme: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-new-leviathan-a-national-disability-insurance-scheme-3/ [https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-new-leviathan-a-national-disability-insurance-scheme-3/]  Gorillas In The Mist. How government obscures its spending: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/gorillas-in-the-mist-how-government-obscures-its-spending/ [https://www.cis.org.au/publication/gorillas-in-the-mist-how-government-obscures-its-spending/]  Subscribe to The Stutchbury Sessions on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stutchbury-sessions/id1704929503], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0eQtJ5hQnFbb0rBEXUH8Vy], Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/471ac560-3a67-4eb7-941d-8173868ec95d/the-stutchbury-sessions], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-stutchbury-sessions-141121135/], PlayerFM [https://player.fm/series/3546144] or listen in your browser [https://thestutchburysessions.podbean.com/].

Iron, Ideas, and Abundance: Supply Side Mistakes and Lessons  This week on The Stutchbury Sessions, Michael reflects on his recent visit to Western Australia, the engine room of the nation’s prosperity.  From the billion tonnes of iron ore dug out of the Pilbara to the decades-long export ban that once kept Australia poor, this episode revisits how lifting restrictions unlocked one of the greatest booms in our history. It’s a lesson in abundance: when governments get out of the way, entrepreneurs and investors unleash prosperity. Read our recent productivity research:  Addressing Australia’s Productivity Problem. CORE Blueprint to Unshackle Productivity: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/addressing-australias-productivity-problem-core-blueprint-to-unshackle-productivity/ [https://www.cis.org.au/publication/addressing-australias-productivity-problem-core-blueprint-to-unshackle-productivity/]  The Productivity Problem. Australia’s Growth Slump Is Undermining Prosperity: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-productivity-problem-australias-growth-slump-is-undermining-prosperity/ [https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-productivity-problem-australias-growth-slump-is-undermining-prosperity/]  👉 Help Solve Australia's Productivity Problem: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ [https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/] 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ [https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/] 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/ [https://www.cis.org.au/]

Why are Australians voting for bigger government? In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions, we explore the paradox of a wealthy nation choosing more handouts, higher spending, and larger public debt. From cost-of-living subsidies to universal childcare, Australians are increasingly embracing policies that expand the welfare state, even as they fuel deficits and weaken productivity. Drawing on CIS research from Robert Carling and recent remarks by Liberal leader Sussan Ley, we unpack the rise of “voting for a living,” where more than half of Australians now rely on government for most of their income. What does this mean for future taxpayers, younger workers, and Australia’s long-term prosperity? Join us as we tackle the culture of dependency, the risks of a $1 trillion public debt, and the political challenge of saying no to endless handouts. Read or listen to Robert Carling's Research: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/leviathan-on-the-rampage-how-the-growth-of-government-is-draining-australias-economic-vitality/ [https://www.cis.org.au/publication/leviathan-on-the-rampage-how-the-growth-of-government-is-draining-australias-economic-vitality/] 👉 Help Shrink the Government: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ [https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/] 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ [https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/] 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/ [https://www.cis.org.au/]