Brendan Coates, Author at SmartCompany

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Labor’s Stage 3 tax cuts aren’t enough. We need genuine tax reform

The original Stage 3 and its redesign will return more than $20 billion a year in accumulated bracket creep to taxpayers without doing anything much to boost economic growth.

housing construction migration

Australia’s migration system is barring the tradies our housing market desperately needs

There are steps the federal government can take to make our migration system more attractive to skilled trades workers.

migrant

Here’s why underpayment and exploitation of migrant workers is rife

Recent migrants are twice as likely to be underpaid as migrants who have been in Australia for at least 10 years, and those born here.

skills shortages temporary visa minimum wage

Our skill shortages shouldn’t be a basis for picking permanent migrants. Here’s why

According to a Grattan Institute report, there is no particular reason to think that temporary or even “medium term” skill shortages are the best criteria for selecting permanent migrants who will live and work in Australia for decades to come.

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The solution to Australia’s housing affordability isn’t early access to superannuation. Here’s why

There are several much-better ways to revive the great Australian dream for young Australians.

JobMaker workforce australia

JobMaker is nowhere near bold enough: The government should make these four fundamental changes

Official forecasts say unemployment won’t fall to 5.5% until 2024. JobMaker as presently configured won’t do enough to speed it up.

economic recovery

The budget sets us up for an unreasonably slow economic recovery, says Grattan Institute

Josh Frydenberg has repetedly said the 2020 budget is “all about jobs”, but he hasn't drawn attention to his economic recovery timeline.

Fiscal stimulus

The federal government needs to spend an additional $120 billion to avoid major economic scarring

Grattan Institute researchers say the federal government needs to commit to an additional $120 billion of fiscal stimulus.

Woman-wearing-mask-in-Melbourne commute covid-19

Australia won’t recover unless Victoria does too: Why the federal government must step up

The federal government's pandemic leave disaster payments are a good step... but it will need to do more to help Victoria through the pandemic.

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Building a stronger future for all: The key to construction stimulus is social housing, not home-buyer grants

The federal government is set to announce new home-buyer grants to stimulate construction, but spending on social housing makes better economic sense.

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Despite what you might have heard, eradicating COVID-19 is Australia’s best economic strategy

Australia appears to be containing the spread COVID-19. But the economic costs of re-opening prematurely could be enormous.

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