The future of unions in Australia

Paul Howes, head of the Australian Workers Union, has called for a ‘grand compact’ to reduce conflict between business, unions and government. Ian McAuley says we still need unions, but they and other social and political institutions in our country need reconfiguring.

Pushing our luck

Does Australia need a structural change? Ian McAuley from the Centre of Policy Development argues that economic policies and the ideas behind them that might have been appropriate in the past now constrain our thinking.

Does innovation always lead to change?

Public policy expert, Ian McAuley, reflects on the way new technologies can change how we live, work, and study, while examining the implications of disruptive innovation in universities across Australia.

Coalition victory not inevitable

If you are to believe media reports and political polls it’s seemingly inevitable that we will have a change of government at the next federal election. But Ian McAuley doesn’t accept  it’s the forgone conclusion many are predicting.

Over the last year there has developed an assumption that the 2013 election will see a clear victory by a Coalition Government headed by Tony Abbott.

While acknowledging the strong probability of such an outcome, I want to cast some scepticism on the strength of that assumption, by addressing these questions: Which party will win the next federal election, who will be Prime Minister after the next election, what will economic policy be after the next election, and which party will win the next federal election?

Engaging with Economics