Stephen Williams
Stephen Williams is a journalist and author and calls Tasmania home. He is the co-editor of Sustainability and the New Economics (Springer, 2022). And is a former newspaper journalist and lawyer. He is currently writing a book on population issues in Australia and has done paid work for Sustainable Population Australia. He is the convenor of Voices of Franklin (Tas).
Recent articles by Stephen Williams
Budgets: black holes, black ink or black magic? – part 2 of 2
In part 1 of this two-part series I gave a brief overview of the contemporary mainstream attitude to central government budgets, and argued that the constant fear of inflation in the post-1970s era has a lot to do with the dominant theory. But this mainstream view is strongly contested within the economics profession.
Budgets: black holes, black ink or black magic? Part 1 of 2
The Rockliff Government’s financial mess in Tasmania has been well explained by economist Saul Eslake, independent MLC Ruth Forrest, and others paying attention.
Population and Pedder: the United Tasmania Group
With what passes for Australia’s population debate in the spotlight again, some history might prove illuminating, especially environmental history.
A population policy anyone?
Imagine you have been asked by the Australian government to draft its new population policy. You first ask to see the old policy but are told there isn’t one: immigration policy has been the de-facto population policy for as long as anyone can remember.
Federal housing minister needs policy renovation
Federal member for Franklin, Labors Julie Collins, is the Minister for Housing and Homelessness. Her current plans to fix the housing crisis look like putting a Band-aid on a broken leg. And breaking the other leg for good measure.
The Whitlam government and Modern Monetary Theory: a new perspective
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and it particularly applies to the Whitlam governments loans affair.
Population, growth and the environment: a response to Michael Keating
Michael Keatings response to the P&I article series on growth GDP and population is very welcome as it provides a condensed summary of what has befuddled Australian political economy in recent decades.
Economics: the top-10 mistakes
Richard Barnes laments the wilful blindness of many elites who go snow skiing while turning a blind eye to the causes of the high countrys dying landscape. Barnes says he mostly agrees with author Jeff Sparrow that the current economic system is to blame. Let me count the ways.
Sleepers, wake!
For those of us focused on sustainability, we wonder what it would take for a progressive government to wake up and smell the evidence. In other words, how close to collapse does Australia and the world need to be before the government (including its public service) decides it should take the issue seriously?
Labors environmental denialism
Australians are getting a clearer idea of the Albanese governments approach to the environmental crisis and it amounts to the maintenance of its long-held environmental denialism.
Dr Paul Collins and population ethics
A new discussion paper on population ethics written by Catholic historian Paul Collins on behalf of Sustainable Population Australia is as radical as it is worthy.
Noel Pearson and the job guarantee
Indigenous leader Noel Pearsons third Boyer lecture, first broadcast on ABC on 18 November 2022, is worthy of much praise. It is titled The first game changer: a job guarantee for the bottom million.
Features of a sustainable society
A sustainable society would have the following 12 features. It is better, not bigger and should receive a high score on the Sustainable Development Index and Genuine Progress Indicator.
Pro-population increase advocates blind to sustainability crisis
Any new inquiry into Australias migration program needs to assess the full costs and benefits of population growth, especially the costs to our environment and the risks of collapse.