April 2023
The Stage 3 tax cuts are bad economics combined with terrible politics. They should be dumped.
The Stage 3 tax cuts were always bad, but with the removal of the low-middle income tax offset, they become a terrible political strategy as well
Wealth inequality across generations will only fuel voter disenchantment
Millennials are not becoming more conservative as they age – and the rigged housing market is just one reason why
With the impact of rate rises still to come the RBA is wise to pause
Perhaps as much as a third of the rate rises since April have yet to fully hit the economy
March 2023
Stop the fear, give workers a fair pay rise
The whole point of public-sector wage caps is to keep all wages down
Falling inflation growth should give the RBA pause
The latest monthly consumer price index figures show that inflation has peaked and is on the way down.
The market sees the safeguard mechanism deal as a loser for mining companies
The market’s early view of the safeguard mechanism deal is bad for gas and coal mining companies
The housing market has cooled, but housing unaffordability remains a long way off
House prices are falling but housing unaffordability remains high
Wage rises show some improvement but continue to rise well below inflation
The latest data from the Fair Work Commissions suggest wages continue to be deflationary as profits drive inflation
925,000 are now working more than one job
The rising cost of living and falling real wages has seen the number of people working more than one job surge in the past 2 years.
Interest Rates are Sky-High, Who’s to Blame?
Australians are doing it tough at the moment, with cost of living soaring, real wages falling at a record pace, and the RBA’s nine back-to-back interest rate rises only making things harder, all in the name of reducing inflation. Some commentators are warning of a ‘wage price spiral’. But what is really driving inflation? This
February 2023
Superannuation needs an objective and needs to be reviewed
Superannuation is too important for retirement to be allowed to be a tax dodge scheme for the wealthy. It is time to review the scheme and stop the abuses
Wages rising slower than expected as profits continue to drive inflation
With public sector wages dragging down wage growth and private sector wages rising slower than expected, it is clear Reserve Bank needs to pause its run of rate rises
With interest rates set to rise another 3 times, no wonder consumers are feeling grim
The Reserve Bank now forecasts real household incomes will take longer to recover than they did during the 1990s recession and is also projecting economic growth at historical lows. Australian consumers are right to feel worried about the future.
The destruction of real wages will take a long time to recover
The Reserve Bank now predicts real wages will being to recover from the start of next year, but will take many years to recover
The Reserve Bank is betting that monetary policy is not powerful
The signs are already evident that household consumption is falling despite most mortgage holders yet to feel the full effects of the rate rises. The Reserve Bank however believes more pain is needed.
How to Not Waste $300 Billion
The new ‘Build Your Own Budget’ tool released by the Parliamentary Budget Office reveals that despite how all-or-nothing the debate about the Stage 3 tax cuts has become, the $300bn cost of the tax cuts over 9 years provides an opportunity for the Albanese government to amend the tax cuts and also increase support for
The Reserve Bank has delivered a massive credit crunch
The 300 basis point increase in the cash rates has delivered one of the biggest falls in lending ever seen. The risk of a recession to follow cannot be ignored
As interest rate rises bite, the Reserve Bank should not raise rates next week
The cost of mortgages is soaring and households are spending less in the shops – the Reserve Bank should hold off on raising rates again next week
January 2023
Inflation looks to have peaked but the RBA set to keep raising rates
Most economists believe inflation has peaked and yet the Reserve Bank is still expected to raise rates next month despite real wages falling by more than 4% last year.
The Reserve Bank needs to wait before raising rates again
Home loans have fallen sharply in the past year, and the rate rises are clearly having a major impact. As such the Reserve Bank needs to wait before raising them again.
No signs of a wage-price spiral as wage growth in EBAs stagnate
The latest enterprise agreements lodged with the Fair Work Commission show that wages continue to lag well below inflation
Slowing inflation in the USA gives cause for the RBA to pause rate raises
As price growth begin to slow around the world, the RBA needs to stop slamming on the brakes
A new tool reveals how badly the Stage 3 cuts mismanage the budget
The Stage 3 tax cuts will cost $300bn in their first 9 years. A new tool shows how we can spend the money better
December 2022
The latest figures from the Fair Work Commission suggest no sign of a wages-prices spiral
The average annual wage growth in enterprise agreements not only remains well below inflation, it shows little sigh of increasing.
Inequality and poverty is a policy choice – and the Stage 3 tax cuts will make both worse
When you reduce the revenue available to fund government services, you inevitably increase inequality
ABS data shows being in a union delivers better wages
Whether you are old or young, low or high income, working in construction or admin, a labourer or a manager, being in a union delivers you better pay.
Nearly 900,000 people are working more than one job
As wages fail to keep up with inflation a record number of poeple are having to work more than one job to get by
New data shows how important funding public services is for reducing inequality
Public services massively reduce inequality, but the Stage 3 tax cuts will make it much more difficult to fund them
The economy is slowing as the Reserve Bank hits the brake
The build up of savings during the pandemic is over – now we need strong income growth to keep the economy going as the Reserve Bank tries to slow it.
The latest data shows the urgent need for more public housing
As approvals for public sector housing hit 2 year lows, the ambition for more public housing needs to be even greater than the government’s 20,000 in 5 years target.
General Enquiries
Emily Bird Office Manager
mail@australiainstitute.org.au
Media Enquiries
Glenn Connley Senior Media Advisor
glenn.connley@australiainstitute.org.au