December 2023
How the Grinch Saved Christmas
For decades, the Grinch has had a terrible reputation as a Christmas-hating monster who railed against the festivities of the season and stole the townspeople’s presents, food and decorations in an attempt to stamp out the whole technicolour carnival.
Why You’re Paying More Tax Even Though Real Wages Are Shrinking
It’s a bitter irony.
Closing Loopholes: Important repairs to the industrial relations system, no more, no less
Labour hire workers can no longer be paid less than employees doing the same job in their workplaces as a result of industrial reforms passed by Parliament. However, other important reforms to close loopholes in employment laws and stop exploitation of workers and avoidance of standards won’t be voted on in Parliament until next year.
The Stage 3 tax cuts will make our bad tax system worse
Australia has one of the weakest tax systems for redistribution among industrial nations, and as Dr Jim Stanford writes, the Stage 3 tax cuts will make it worse.
Higher exports prices improve the budget, but the Stage 3 tax cuts remain the wrong tax at the wrong time
As the Budget outlook improves, with most of the benefits of Stage 3 tax cuts going to those earing over $120,000, over 80% of workers will be short-changed
Why are gas companies trying to sell us hydrogen?
The hydrogen dream has become widespread in the Australian climate conversation: apparently, with it, we’re going to decarbonise Japan, Korea, and the world! Is this ambitious vision a genuine step towards a greener future or merely a diversion from ongoing fossil fuel expansion?
November 2023
Who knew Queensland’s richest man is a foreign investor?
Clive Palmer’s controversial legal strategies challenge Australia’s trade agreements and environmental laws, and have profound implications for global climate action, writes Stephen Long.
A Matter of Trust – Research Misconduct in Australia
Australia’s lack of a research integrity watchdog leads to wasted funds, misdirected efforts and risks to public health.
After two years of profit-led inflation, workers deserve the pay rises they are getting
The wage rises for low-paid workers on awards and those working in aged care helped drive the strong wage growth.
Massive Gap Between Rhetoric and Actions on Emissions
Farmers know you can’t fatten a pig on market day and scientists know you can’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 while expanding coal, oil and gas production.
The Government needs to act on Stage 3 as the RBA warns about wealthy households spending
The RBA made it clear one group continues to do well, and continue to spend – and they are also the ones who are about to get a massive tax cut.
When the prices of necessities are rising fast, the RBA does not need to hit households with another rate rise
Cost of living rose by more than inflation because of interest rate rises. Another rate rise would only cause more unnecessary pain.
October 2023
Australia is wealthy but makes poor money choices
In the past year 3.7 million Australian households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, meaning they were going hungry, skipping meals or going entire days without eating.
The Reserve Bank should not raise rates on Melbourne Cup Day
Inflation is being driven by things unaffected by interest rate, so there is no reason for the RBA to raise rates in November
With US trip, PM Albanese flies into the light
On election night in 2020, President-elect Biden reassured the American people that despite everything they had endured for the past four years, “I believe at our best, America is a beacon for the globe.”
The latest report from the IMF highlights the need for full-employment to be the aim of the government and the Reserve Bank
If the economy grows as slowly as the IMF predicts it will for the next 2 years, Australia will be lucky to avoid a recession.
Insecure work is a feature of our labour market. New laws can change that.
Chris Wright is Associate Professor in the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney, and a member of the Centre for Future Work’s Advisory Committee. This commentary is based on his submission to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee’s inquiry into the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023,
September 2023
Inflation remains headed in the right direction despite higher oil prices
Increases in the prices of commodities like oil and gas are not a reason for the RBA to raise interest rates next week
Opening statement to the ACTU Price Gouging Inquiry
This week Professor Allan Fels, the former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has begun an inquiry into price gouging across a range of industries, including banks, insurance companies, supermarkets, and energy providers. The inquiry commissioned by the ACTU comes off the back of the highest inflation in 30 years and the biggest falls in real wages on record.
Derailing Democracy: How Big Business Distorts Australia’s Tax Debate
The best way to stop a debate about tax reform in Australia is to start a debate about increasing the GST.
Don’t mention the coal: Australian Government tries to walk both sides of climate policy. Again
While Australia’s Foreign Minister attends the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit in New York, the nation’s Environment Minister will be in court fighting for new coal mines.
Millionaire Tim Gurner’s Refreshing Honesty Reveals the Soul of Business
Every now and then a window opens into the soul of the business community, and we catch a glimpse of the values and goals that shape the actions of the captains of industry.
New laws for ‘employee-like’ gig workers are good but far from perfect
The Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has described proposed new laws to regulate digital platform work as building a ramp with employees at the top, independent contractors at the bottom, and gig platform workers halfway up. The new laws will allow the Fair Work Commission to set minimum standards for ‘employee-like workers’ on digital platforms.
The weak economy shows the Reserve Bank is not threading the needle
We have now had two consecutive quarters of GDP per capita falling – hardly the soft landing the RBA wants.
Qantas Flies High on Scant Competition and Regulation – and Consumers Pay the Price
Will the resignation of CEO Alan Joyce prompt real change or will poor corporate culture continue?
August 2023
Why Does the RBA Want More Unemployed Aussies?
By chasing an invisible and moving target, the RBA’s theories on unemployment and inflation could jeopardise the jobs of 140,000 Australians.
Urgent Need for Australia’s Climate Industry Policy
For the first time in decades, Australia is talking about industry policy.
C’mon Albo! Stop Native Forest Logging
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can stop the logging of Australia’s native forests, just as PM Malcolm Fraser stopped whaling in 1978.
For most workers, wages are still failing to keep up with inflation
While overall wages grew in line with inflation in the June quarter for workers in most industries real wages are still going backwards.
Multinational miners rue the day Palaszczuk and Dick delivered for Queenslanders
Queensland’s revised coal royalty system has delivered billions to the state, and NSW could be following suit. But as always, the mining industry is keen to let hysteria get in the way of a good policy.
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