Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.

Australias economy after eight years of Coalition neglect

A factcheck on the Coalitions economic record: they fail on basic economic indicators. Unemployment and those 1.3 million jobs in the never-never: do these figures have any meaning? A state premier lays down a social-democratic economic agenda. Imagining an election about us rather than you, me or Scott Morrison. The most important election issues as seen by economists (spoiler recall of the unemployment rate isnt one of them). The economy is all about productivity, but where is productivity in Morrisons plan? Is there any plan? Inflation will be hanging around long after we have spent that $250.

The politics of partisan media

How a partisan press suppresses the truth and weakens democracy. The lazy journalism of gotchas how about asking Morrison and Frydenberg some real economic questions?

Other Politics and public ideas

The case for political renewal. Exporting democracy: how compulsory voting could help save democracy in America. Social media the force entrenching structural stupidity. Ukraine: not every Ukrainian is a democracy-loving secular liberal.

Polls and elections

So far so good for Macron, but will the left turn up in the final round? Australian voting polls still looking bad for Morrison but not necessarily pointing to a majority Labor government.

The pandemic maybe this wave has peaked

Worldwide cases and deaths are falling, but keep an eye on China. How Australia got through the pandemic in spite of Morrisons ineptitude.

Webinars, podcasts and readings

Still a fair bit of election talk but there are other topics modern slavery, Charles Darwin in Sydney, Ukraine.

Easter

Bach.