Category Archives: Economy

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, central banks have shown time and again that they have the power to maintain the economic status quo. Now, they must use that power to support a timely green transition.

Angus Taylor’s rescue package for the oil industry is a testament to the ability of large corporations to game governments. The latest Tax Office transparency data shows that oil and gas juggernauts are, again, Australia’s biggest tax cheats, yet are … Continue reading →

Yesterday Part 1 considered the medium-term outlook for the budget deficit and government debt. Today Part 2 discusses the Parliamentary Budget Office projections of revenue and expenditures, how realistic they are, and why policies will need to change if we … Continue reading →

Retirement rip-off The Your Super, Your Future package is designed by financial sector lobbyists to handcuff industry funds and give for-profit retail funds an easier run.

Instead of being “back in the black” this financial year, the budget outlook is for deficits continuing for the foreseeable future. The critical issue for policy is how should the budget deficit be wound back, how far and how quickly.

It has been more than 20 years in the making, but there is now a new order in Australia’s grandest (and most problematic) example of cooperative federalism: the National Electricity Market.

When the government’s retirement incomes review of which I was a part examined superannuation, the age pension and voluntary savings, home ownership had a surprisingly important role.

Incentives, the Freakonomics author Steven Levitt once quipped, are the “cornerstone of modern life”. To this I would add: only if the incentive is big enough.

Since April, a variety of coronavirus travel bubbles involving Australia have been mooted. But will any of them take off?

The era of megaprojects has well and truly arrived. But megaprojects run the risk of megaproblems.

The government has targeted its JobMaker Hiring Credit too narrowly.

As he has done with the property business built up by his father, Trump has squandered the economic inheritance from Obama by poor management.

Interest rates are already at record lows. Any further cut will not help the economy but will add to the inequality of wealth in this country.

Low interest rates and breaks for new investment will not encourage business expansion – there’s too much uncertainty – but they may lift our productivity.