
A peek into the Reserve Bank’s fantasy world, a Labor-lite budget on its way, how the Liberal Party has moved to the left of Labor, students in rapturous joy over HECS changes. Read on for the weekly roundup of links to articles, podcasts, reports and other media on current economic and political issues.
How can a fragmented low-productivity construction industry build 1.2 million homes? Have we noticed that our unemployment benefits are now meaner than America’s? A (slightly) fairer deal for university graduates and students. It’s official – we’re all discontented – but it’s not clear why. The Reserve Bank’s wonderful virtual world, where highly-educated economists are fixated on a figure from the ABS. Pre-budget musings: the Reserve Bank has made Chalmers so frightened that at best we can expect a Labor-lite budget.
Australia scores poorly on press freedom and whistleblower protection. In spite of all the publicity about crime, people know Australia is really a very safe country, which is why Coalition scare campaigns fail. How the government has become so tough on refugees that the Coalition has attacked it from the left. Rex Patrick on sausages and laws.
Mariana Mazzucato on moonshots. Ross Gittins on ethics. Claudia Forsberg on life without social media.