Saul Eslake: If Labor wants to actually create a lasting difference, here’s how it should manage the economy
Labor has inherited an economy with a full head of steam, but one that is also is experiencing a sharp acceleration in inflation.
Saul Eslake: The Coalition’s new housing scheme will lead to higher prices, not greater ownership
We now have almost 60 years of unequivocal evidence telling us that anything that allows Australians to pay more for housing than they otherwise would results, primarily, in higher house prices.
Climate change is the most important issue for the incoming government, say Australia’s top economists
Offered a menu of issues to choose from as the most important in the May 21 election, Australia’s top economists have overwhelmingly zeroed in on climate change.
What the new free trade deal with India means for Australia
A huge increase in business between India and Australia is expected over the next decade under a new trade agreement signed with the world’s fastest-growing economy over the weekend.
John Durie: Frydenberg looks the right way but fails to act in a budget of wasted opportunities
The budget is a classic example of Josh Frydenberg looking in the right direction to show he understands but ultimately failing to do the work to make the essential reform decisions.
Australia’s economists want emissions cuts, not tax cuts, in the upcoming budget
Overwhelmingly, Australia’s top economists would rather the budget funds measures to cut carbon emissions than cuts income tax or company tax.
The government is facing a cost-of-living crisis. Can the upcoming budget help alleviate some pressure?
With the cost of living in Australia soaring, economists say the government has few levers left to ease the blow of a crisis largely beyond its control.
Saul Eslake responds to Peter Strong: “Assertions, but no evidence”
"Contrary to Strong’s unfounded assertion that I’m a stereotypical, ivory-tower-bound, ‘laissez-faire’ economist, I have actually run a small business myself for the past six-and-a-half years," writes Saul Eslake.
Peter Strong: Why Saul Eslake’s paper is “offensive to everyone who works in small business”
Noted economist Saul Eslake's recent paper tries to "hide a disdain of small business behind an unemotional façade of statistics and unproven assumptions", writes Peter Strong.
Why the economic trauma caused by Omicron could have been predicted
While policymakers didn’t necessarily foresee the sudden emergence of a more transmissible, less virulent strain of COVID-19, some experts say we could have been better prepared to face the economic havoc created by Omicron.
Reserve Bank keeps cash rate at record low: What does it mean for SMEs?
Small businesses can expect variable rates on SME loans to remain low and a more competitive labour market following the Reserve Bank's board meeting yesterday.
Kathmandu’s $13 million lockdown hit shows how the Australian economy is falling behind
Outdoor retail chain Kathmandu says it will take a $13 million hit from the latest COVID-19 lockdowns, with 123 stores across Australia forced to close over the past month.