Bill Gates breaks silence on Epstein + How to buy a politician

Thursday Headlines: Future of Coalition in doubt after peace talks fail again, Donald Trump’s would-be assassin handed life sentence, Bill Gates denies ‘false’ allegations in new Epstein files, prominent neo-Nazi has become Australia’s first person to be jailed for performing a nazi salute, Australia’s Winter Olympics flag bearers named, and Draco Malfoy has become an unlikely Chinese New Year symbol. Deep Dive: Political campaigns are known to be run on slogans, slick visuals and attack ads, but what voters don’t see is the money quietly powering it all.   New Australian Electoral Commission data for the 2024/25 financial year shows millions flowing from well-known donors like Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart and Climate 200, alongside tens of millions in legal but undisclosed “dark money.”   With the rules set to change and questions over whether they’ll work, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with The Australia Institute’s Bill Browne in this episode of The Briefing.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod (https://www.tiktok.com/@thebriefingpod) Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  (https://www.instagram.com/thebriefingpodcast/) YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@TheBriefingPodcast)   See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.