The economy (it still exists)
For housing affordability to improve, wages must grow faster than house prices.
If not now, when?
After the election, the re-elected Labor Government has an extraordinary opportunity to make big structural changes to the economy.
A chance to be brave: understanding Australia’s election result
With the influence of its historical opponents waning, is anything standing in the way of the Labor Government passing ambitious reforms?
Business groups want the government to overhaul the tax system? Excellent – we have some ideas.
The landslide win by the ALP has seen business groups come out demanding the government listen to their demands despite having provided them no support, and plenty of opposition, over the past 3 years.
Retail trade figures show RBA failed when it did not cut rates in April
Retail trade in the first 3 months of this year makes it clear the RBA should have cut rates in April.
A closer look at the Coalition’s economic promises
The Coalition costings arrived at the last minute… and it was quickly obvious why.
Your election questions answered
We discuss the latest inflation data and answer your questions about the economy ahead of election day.
April 2025
It’s impossible to be single and save for a deposit in Sydney – no matter how good your job is
For most people in Sydney – if you had started saving for a house a decade ago, you would be further away from your goal.
Defence: too much is never enough
For all the talk of defence spending in the election campaign, much of what Australians hold dear is being left behind.
Crushing the Australian (and Elinor’s) dream
A number of the housing policy proposals on offer in this election will make affordability worse.
Actually though, what the hell is going on in the economy?
It’s chaos out there.
The Liberal Party’s proposed funds are just boondoggles of budgetary make believe
The announced funds are an exercise in dodgy budgeting and do nothing to properly tax Australia’s mining and gas companies.
If business groups had their way, workers on the minimum wage would now be $160 a week worse off
Had the Fair Work Commission taken the advice of business groups, Australia lowest paid would now earn $160 less a week.
Trump’s tariffs won’t wreck Australia’s economy. But America’s could be cooked.
Americans are going to bear the brunt of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs.
March 2025
A Budget that does no harm (sort of)
This “wimpy” budget tells us one thing: the election campaign is here.
Fuel excise cut: bad policy and not worth as much as advertised
Halving the fuel excise is bad for the environment and for most Australians won’t deliver the cost-of-living benefits that are being spruiked.
Increased enterprise agreements and wages show the government’s IR policy is working
The changes to industrial relations show that bold policy delivers good outcomes.
Budget 2025 Winners and Losers – The Australia Institute
Some quickfire analysis from Greg Jericho, Chief Economist
Greg’s budget wishlist
The Australian Government can’t afford to do everything, but it can afford to do anything it wants.
Australia’s sick housing joke
Looking to buy a house? Having a good job that pays good money probably won’t be enough.
Housing affordability crisis – Saving for a deposit forever
The dream of saving for a deposit on a house is now so far beyond most poeple that even if you have a high paying job, you still can never save enough.
One million Australians are now working 2 or more jobs
In the last three months of 2024 a record number of Australians were working multiple jobs
Australia’s economy has turned a corner. America’s is heading off a cliff.
Australia’s per capita recession is over, but the United States economy could be in for much worse.
February 2025
Australia’s surplus obsession (and why it needs to end)
The Government is being grilled by the media about how it will pay for its changed to Medicare – but why are journalists not asking the same questions of Australia’s expensive and unfair tax concessions?
A soft landing? What the rate cut means for the Australian economy
The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates for the first time since November 2020 – so is the Australian economy out of the woods?
You get a tariff. YOU get a tariff!
And some of you get annexed (maybe).
Housing affordability is on a very dangerous path
If housing affordability keeps going the way it has over the past 20 years, an average house in Sydney will be worth 24 years of an average salary.
January 2025
The circular economy of bad ideas
Slashing public service jobs won’t make government more efficient.
As inflation falls, the Reserve Bank is Missing in Action
With inflation within the RBA’s target range, interest rates should be cut, but unfortunately Australians will have to wait for the Reserve Bank board to get back from holidays.
The not-so-super tax concessions
Superannuation tax concessions benefit the richest Australians most – so why is the government finding it so hard to make modest changes to the system?
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mail@australiainstitute.org.au
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Glenn Connley Senior Media Advisor
glenn.connley@australiainstitute.org.au