Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today

High speed rail spread around the globe from the 1960s when the first bullet trains took off in Japan. Rear Vision looks at why previous attempts to introduce high speed rail in Australia have failed.
Japan opened the world's first high-speed rail line - between Tokyo and Osaka - in time for the 1964 Olympics. Japan’s ‘Bullet Train’ was the first to run on a dedicated line – a high speed service for passengers only. Over the last 30 years, millions of dollars have been spent in Australia on studies and proposals but is a fast train service on the east coast any closer?

Since the 1970s central banks around the world have increasingly become “independent” of government. They’ve developed that way over time to ensure that monetary policy isn’t impacted by partisan political motives. But there are those who now seek to turn the clock back and to rein in that independence. The current US president is at the front of the pack.
Guests:
Cristina Bodea – Professor of political science, Michigan State University
John Hawkins – Head of the Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra https://Dr Isaac Gross
Isaac Gross - Senior lecturer in Economics, Monash University
Links:
David Marr's Late Night Live interview with biographer RICHARD VAGUE about the US banker Thomas Willing

Bangladesh is having its first free and fair election in over 18 years.
Rear Vision looks back at the tumultuous history of this young nation.

Only a few decades ago China was known as the land of the bicycle – today it’s an automotive goliath. The PRC is now the world’s biggest car manufacturer and exporter. It also has the largest domestic car market. We explore how it achieved such a dramatic turnaround in only a few short decades. And what role European and American car makers inadvertently played in creating a super rival. 
Guests: 
Ilaria Mazzocco – Chinese business and economic expert, Center for Strategic and International Studies 
Dr Tessa Thorniley – freelance business journalist 
Zeyi Yang – technology journalist and senior writer, WIRED 
Mike Colias – Us Autos Editor, Reuters

Since the start of the 20th century, oil has been the lifeblood of global development. Today, the story behind oil — and the politics of supplying oil and denying oil.