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economy
environment December 2, 2023
The climate wars may be over, but the battle continues. Now, the climate deniers have become renewables deniers. Australia is engaged in the most significant economic, industrial and social transformation – the transition to renewable energy...
economy December 2, 2023
MPs push Albanese on cost-of-living crisis
The cage fight that passes for political debate in the Australian parliament is drawing to an unedifying close for the year. The Dutton-led opposition has rushed to exploit every fear and panic, and heads to the summer break convinced it has the...
economy November 25, 2023
Anthony Albanese could end up being a one-term prime minister if he can’t keep the faith with the young people who helped him to last year’s decisive election victory. Recent surveys suggest a cocktail of pandemic-related stresses is forging a...
economy November 11, 2023
Australia’s IMF report card: Needs work
The IMF’s delegation to Australia has wrapped up its visit, and its observations were unsettling for those feeling the strain of 13 consecutive interest rate increases. A key finding of the Washington-based fund was that inflation was unlikely to...
economy September 30, 2023
Why full employment is an empty phrase
The employment white paper released by the Albanese government this week is a vast improvement in professionalism and substance on the previous government’s three-word slogan – “jobs, jobs, jobs” – which offered precious little detail about which...
economy September 23, 2023
What the Australian dollar says about the economy
Among the various pressures pushing up our cost of living, one that is often overlooked is the exchange rate, or the value of Australia’s dollar relative to other currencies. Our currency is usually quoted against either the United States dollar, or...
indigenous affairs September 16, 2023
Going into the last sitting week before the referendum on a Voice to Parliament, Anthony Albanese was desperate to have something positive to talk about, to assure Australians he was paying attention to their immediate concerns. But as his plane...
economy September 9, 2023
The global consensus opposing rent controls is quite remarkable, and to explain it, Columbia University-based gentrification theorist Tom Slater uses the concept of agnotology – the study of the intentional production of ignorance. Agnotology...
environment September 2, 2023
Most governments don’t think, plan and manage with a view to the longer term – but Treasurer Jim Chalmers has claimed the latest intergenerational report is the basis for action. These reports, typically published every five years to provide an...
economy August 19, 2023
Markets have failed on housing
As someone who has long advocated for relying on market forces whenever possible, it pains me to recognise that market failure has been a major feature of the emerging housing crisis. The failure is apparent in the context of a long-term shift by...
education August 19, 2023
Early learning strategy crucial for kids and the economy
Put crudely, Australia’s economic prosperity is dependent on having more people who do more stuff. Herein lies the conundrum: the more reproductive we are, the less productive we can afford to be. The Productivity Commission is due to hand down its...
