Chalmers is right, the RBA has smashed the economy
In recent weeks the Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been criticised by the opposition and some conservative economists for pointing out that the 13 interest rate increases have slowed Australia’s economy. But the data shows he is right.
August 2024
Closing Loopholes Protections, Including Right to Disconnect, Come Into Effect 26 August
New labour rights coming into effect on 26 August, including the ‘Right to Disconnect’.
Who is holding the purse strings?
Next month, the Albanese government is due to announce its proposed changes to Australian electoral laws. It has been a long road. The minister responsible, Senator Don Farrell, had planned to introduce the laws by the end of last year.
Fossil fuels are gobbling up construction capacity and it’s hurting at home
In the wake of the Reserve Bank’s latest forecasts, Treasurer Jim Chalmers is facing calls that government should cut back on infrastructure investment to relieve inflation pressures and free up workers and resources to build much-needed housing.
July 2024
Would you like a recession with that? New Zealand shows the danger of high interest rates
New Zealand’s central bank raised interest rates more than Australia and went into a recession – twice.
A second Trump presidency would send Australia down a dark economic path. Here’s how it might play out
While Kamala Harris has restored some hope for Democrats in November, the likelihood of a Trump presidency still remains very strong. And if that happens, Australia may find itself more damaged than any other major country.
Australian workers’ living standards have been destroyed – and there is little good news ahead
Over the next few weeks, the Reserve Bank will ponder just how strong the economy is.
Renewable hydrogen: Superpower, or green mask for fossil super villains?
My children are aged three and four. They love anything with super powers – Spiderman, vampires, Paw Patrol, everything.
Understanding the Future Made in Australia
The Albanese Government’s industrial policy framework – the Future Made in Australia Act (FMAA) – has finally been unveiled.
Why Queensland is Miles ahead of the game
Canberra doesn’t really have a fossil fuel industry, which perhaps explains why we lead the country in decarbonising our economy.
Value for money? The princely salaries of private school principals
While public school funding lags, principals of private schools are paid up to four times their state system counterparts.
June 2024
As the Coalition goes nuclear, Labor is free to ensure fossil fuels are burned with abandon and little scrutiny
The sham of Australia’s climate change policy has been made clear in the past two weeks.
Households are hurting. Savings are weak. The future’s uncertain. Is a rate cut near?
The Reserve Bank’s decision to keep rates steady reinforced that the economy at this moment remains one with both good and bad signs, and the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, is refreshingly upfront about the difficulties.
Obsessing over the inflation rate misses one key point: the economy is more than just how fast prices are rising
Over the past few weeks some economists and commentators have become rather obsessed and unhinged about Australia’s inflation rate.
Machiavelli would have known what to do about PwC
Today, the name of Niccolò Machiavelli is a byword for cynicism and hunger for power, but there was one profession so parasitic and selfish even he could not stomach it.
Australia is on the brink of recession. So why does the RBA think we are spending too much?
The latest GDP figures reveal that the RBA has got its wish of an economy growing so slowly that it teeters on the edge of a recession.
May 2024
‘Sticky’ inflation is not falling – but it’s not rising, either. Why should that mean another RBA rate hike?
The latest inflation figures released on Wednesday showed that inflation is “sticky” and is no longer falling at the pace it was earlier this year.
Does leave for menstruation and menopause advance women’s rights and gender equality at work?
As pressure grows for action to establish new work rights, including additional leave, for those who experience menstruation and menopause, the Centre for Future Work’s Senior Researcher, Lisa Heap, canvases the debate about whether these rights will advance gender equality at work.
Can Jim Chalmers ‘buy’ a reduction to inflation?
While money can’t buy everything, the Australian Government can ‘buy’ a lower Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Raising jobseeker is not ‘fiscally sustainable’? Sorry, but that is flat out wrong
On Monday the Productivity Commission released its snapshot of inequality report.
Australians have lost 14 years of progress on living standards. A wages breakout? Please. If only
Remember all that talk about wage-price spirals? About wages driving inflation? All that worry about a wages breakout causing interest rates to rise? Ahh yes, good times.
Australia budget 2024: the six graphs you need to see
A bigger surplus this year and a bit bigger deficit next year! Does it matter?
Fossil fuel subsidies make government priorities clear
If Australia is to use and produce more fossil fuels than we are now, the rest of our climate policy amounts to tinkering at the edges, writes Rod Campbell.
Minimum qualifications: The missing piece of aged care worker regulation
“Mandatory and coordinated accreditation would allow workers to have their skills recognised, boost job satisfaction and make the industry more attractive as a long-term career.
“The Aged Care Royal Commission has been crystal clear about the need for these reforms. It’s beyond time to deliver them.”
Those calling for higher interest rates in Australia should be careful of what they wish for
It seems that some people really want a recession.
Six ways the government can reduce inflation in next week’s budget
It is often said that the only way to reduce inflation is by higher interest rates. That’s not true – the government can also reduce inflation and cost of living pressures
The debate about inflation, interest rates, and the cost of living is broken.
Spreading fear about inflation not falling fast enough distorts the true picture
Poverty is a policy choice – it is time for the government to choose better
If the government decided to make raising Jobseeker a priority in the Budget it would not talk about not being able to afford it, writes Greg Jericho.
.April 2024
Funding Australia’s renewable transition isn’t ‘picking winners’ – it’s securing our future
Last week Anthony Albanese finally announced the government’s major plan for the transition to a renewable energy economy.
Private schools, public subsidies: with $50k fees per child per year, how can tax breaks be justified?
Private schools are competing to see who can boast the most luxurious accoutrements, and the tax-deductions they can claim on constructing buildings are helping them do it. The Scots College is awaiting construction of its new library, which will resemble a Scottish Baronial castle. At one point, they had a hypoxic chamber for altitude simulation sports training. Newington College
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