Business Expert on the Budget, the Housing Crisis, and Intergenerational Inequality

Four months ago, Leah Stewart went for a swim at Coogee Beach and woke up from an 11-day coma missing an arm. She was attacked by a great white shark in the middle of the day, close to shore, doing everything right. This is the full, unfiltered account — what it felt like to be dragged underwater, how she fought back, the near-death experience that almost took her, and the one thing that pulled her back. If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to survive the unsurvivable, this is it.

In this episode of Straight Talk, I sit down with economist Chris Joye for round five, a frank conversation about government spending, immigration, productivity and Australia’s economic future. Chris argues that Australia’s challenges run deeper than events in the Middle East. He examineswhat he describes as $660 billion in additional government debt since 2022, the pressure population growth is placing on housing and infrastructure, and an expanding public service alongside declining private sector productivity. He also questions the Reserve Bank’s “narrow path” strategy, whether political influence has shaped its approach to inflation, and the cost to Australian households. I then ask Chris what needs to change: how to rein in spending, lift productivity and get Australia’s economy back on track. Join my exclusive Mentored community: https://mentored.com.au Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://the-mentored-platform-pty-ltd.myklpages.com/l/WWJGc5 Executive Producer: Samuel Morgan Head of Production: Jonah Mclachlan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian house prices are down 7% from their national peak — and according to SQM Research’s Louis Christopher, there’s an 80% probability they’ll fall another 5–10% over the next six months. In this Straight Talk roundtable, Mark Bouris sits down with Louis and auctioneer Tom Panos to unpack what’s happening in Australia’s property market, why buyers are losing confidence and where prices could go next. From sharp falls on the Gold Coast to first home buyers walking away, rising government spending and the risk of recession, they examine what’s gone wrong and what needs to change. Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://the-mentored-platform-pty-ltd.myklpages.com/l/WWJGc5 Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Executive Producer: Samuel Morgan Head of Production: Jonah Mclachlan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Gilchrist built one of the greatest cricket careers Australia has ever seen — and almost nobody knows how close he came to losing it. In this episode of Straight Talk, Mark Bouris sits down with Gilly to unpack the mindset behind elite performance: what it's like to get booed onto the field at 22, how a single email from a mate mid-Test-match changed the way he thinks forever, and why the 2005 Ashes nearly broke him. Plus, the real story behind his tequila business, El*Arquero and what every Australian entrepreneur can learn from it. Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://the-mentored-platform-pty-ltd.myklpages.com/l/WWJGc5 Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Executive Producer: Samuel Morgan Head of Production: Jonah Mclachlan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian rugby has a massive opportunity ahead of it. A home World Cup in 2027, a new Wallabies coach and a chance to rebuild one of the great sporting teams in the country. Les Kiss is the new head coach of the Wallabies, a former Queensland State of Origin player and one of the few coaches to have worked at the highest level across both rugby league and rugby union. In this episode of Straight Talk, I sit down with Les to unpack his journey from growing up in Bundaberg to coaching the Springboks, Ireland, the Queensland Reds and now the Wallabies. We get into the real problems facing Australian rugby, why so much of our best talent is being lost overseas, what South Africa has done differently to build extraordinary depth, the lessons Les learned working inside the Springboks system and what Australia needs to do to become a genuine force again. Les also opens up about his coaching philosophy, why he refuses to obsess over outcomes, the importance of his “What’s Important Now” mindset and what it will take to build a Wallabies side capable of doing something special on home soil in 2027. Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://the-mentored-platform-pty-ltd.myklpages.com/l/WWJGc5 Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Executive Producer: Samuel Morgan Head of Production: Jonah Mclachlan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.