Kev ponders a conundrum that takes us back to 2006. If the conservative government was able to bring the government debt down to zero, after multiple budget surpluses, how is it that the economy didn't collapse? What does "paying off the debt" actually mean when you are talking about the federal government? And what does that do to an economy?

Anne found an example of someone in Australia who's goal is to live without money. We look at what this reveals about the economy at a systemic level, and whether Kev has found a kindred spirit.

Theme Music

Pleading Ignorance, by Ed Kuepper, from the album Starstruck.
 

Additional Audio

Too Many Things, by Ed Kuepper, from the album Starstruck.

Could you live without money? (The Full Story podcast)
by Guardian Australia, 25 February 2025