The Money ABC listen

New research suggests that the increase in vaping across Australia will cost the health system an extra $180 million each year and that’s a conservative figure.

Vaping has been framed as a way to stop smoking tobacco, however it can also be a gateway to taking it up. It’s estimated that 13 per cent of people who vape transition to cigarettes.

The Australian government has called vapes a public health menace and introduced restrictive anti-vaping policies. But are these policies intended to drive positive change giving rise to a dangerous black-market?

Guests:

Professor Louisa Collins, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Dr James Martin, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Deakin University

Becky Freeman, Associate Professor of Public Health, Sydney University

Twice a year most Australians are made to deliberately mess with our body clocks. When we go into daylight saving and when we come out.

Many of us love the longer summer evenings. What we don’t love is the sleep adjustment that makes us feel tired, fuzzy and out of sorts.

There are plenty of arguments about whether daylight saving is a good or bad thing.

So in this episode we look at the costs and benefits and whether it’s time to rethink the concept.

Guests:

Dr Thomas Sigler, Associate Professor, University of Queensland

Allison Schrager, Economist & Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute

Dr Yevgeny Mugerman, Senior Lecturer, Bar-Ilan University

Dr Jayanta Sarkar, Associate Professor, Queensland University of Technology

As we head into Easter you may have noticed the price of your seasonal sweet treats like chocolate bunnies and eggs are a bit higher than last year.

The main reason is the price of cocoa beans or actually, the price of cocoa futures. They’ve skyrocketed by more than 100% in 2024 alone and tripled over the past year.

But why is that and will we be prepared to keep paying higher prices for the sweet stuff?

Guests

Tina Angelidis: Co-Owner, Adora Chocolates

Pia Piggott: Associate Analyst, Rabobank

Professor John Dumay: Accounting & Finance, Macquarie Business School

Paul Zahra: CEO, Australian Retailers Association 

Check out the Chocolate Scorecard:

 https://www.chocolatescorecard.com/

In the country’s most expensive housing markets, family help and the ‘bank of mum and dad’ is increasingly necessary for younger people to buy homes. But could this entrench and perpetuate lasting advantage for those already part of the property-owning class?

Guests

Dr Julia Cook: Senior lecturer, Sociology, University of Newcastle

Dr Laurence Troy: Senior lecturer in Urbanism, University of Sydney

Dr Monique McKenzie: Post doctoral research associate, University of Sydney

Sophie Renton: Managing Director at social research firm, McCrindle.

Innovation sparks thoughts of tech giants, inventions and Silicon Valley. While those companies in Cupertino may be good at generating extreme wealth, they’re not so good at spreading it across the communities they benefit from.

Other places do better, particularly Switzerland, Sweden and Austria. What can we learn from them?

Guest:

Neil Lee, Author, Innovation For The Masses: How To Share The Benefits Of The High-Tech Economy

Wage theft costs Australia’s workforce at least a billion dollars a year.

Some industries, like retail, hospitality and horticulture are renowned for it. But the practice is widespread across many sectors. There’s been wage theft cases against franchises like 7 Eleven and Bakers Delight, institutions like universities and the ABC, and corporate giants like Coles and the Commonwealth Bank.

So which workers are most vulnerable and what can be done to protect them?

Guests:

Giuseppe Carabetta, Associate Professor of Workplace and Business Law at the University of Technology, Sydney Business School.

Rebecca Thistleton, Executive Director, McKell Institute Victoria.

Stephen Clibborn, Associate Professor in the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies, University of Sydney Business School.

Paula McDonald, Professor of Work and Organisation, Queensland University of Technology