On this episode of The Grapevine, Kulja and Dylan speak with journalist, author, and chief political correspondent of the ABC’s ‘7:30’, Laura Tingle about her Quarterly Essay ‘The High Road’. Tingle contrasts the two countries’ responses to socio-economic, and environmental circumstances to draw up some important lessons for Australian leaders.

And Associate Professor Dave Nichols returns to breakdown Victoria’s announced $5.3 billion budget for a new infrastructure project that will include big spending on social housing and public transport. Prof Nichols explains what these announced infrastructure projects means for the future of Melbourne.

Then, following the announcement of an electric vehicle road use tax in Victoria, founder and editor of Renew Economy, Giles Parkinson gets on the line to discuss how this policy and the lack of incentives to buy electric vehicles is likely to drive down sales as much as 25 percent by 2050, and result in higher emissions in Australia.

Finally, Dr Bob Boughton, the lead editor of ‘Comrades! Lives of Australian Communists’ discusses the collection of 100 short biographical essays celebrating the centenary of the foundation of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA).

The stories outline the role CPA members played in working-class organisations and progressive social change movements over the 70 years the party has been active.