Kill The Cost-of-Living CERBERUS! Banks, Housing & Energy | Citizens Report 15 October 2026

Australia's cost-of-living crisis has three major pressure points: banking, housing and energy. This week Elisa Barwick and Robert Barwick examine how Australia's big four banks, the housing crisis and energy market are driving up costs—and what can be done to change things.

They discuss bank profits, branch closures, access to cash and the case for a public bank; housing affordability, rent caps and expanding public housing; and Western Australia's gas reservation policy and its potential to reduce energy prices on the east coast. They also examine Pauline Hanson's changing position on gas reservation and the influence of banking lobbyists on Australian politics.

The discussion then turns to Australian sovereignty, the US alliance, AUKUS and the Iraq War, before examining the ABC's Four Corners report on Chinese electric vehicles and cybersecurity.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Introduction

2:09 How Big Banks Drive Up Costs and Close Branches

7:22 Public Banking: An Alternative to the Big Four

12:28 One Nation, Bank Lobbyists and Political Influence

23:16 Banking Accountability and the Royal Commission

27:20 Australia’s Housing Affordability Crisis

30:07 Rent Caps, Public Housing and Lessons from History

35:30 New Zealand’s Social Housing Model