The moral market

The age-old political debate between market forces and central planning is as pertinent as ever, but the ability of markets to aggregate information and satisfy consumer needs can be harnessed in the cause of fairness and equality.

Lies, damned lies and COVID statistics

Rather than deal in ‘pleasing’ platitudes, federal and state governments should tell us everything they know about COVID infections, hospitalisations and deaths. So why don’t they?

Death to death duties

The Productivity Commission argues that allowing people to pass on more of their wealth to their children would reduce inequality, rather than entrenching it.

Chill, folks

True wages growth, and true price growth, is probably less than the official figures suggest – meaning there’s no need for alarm about inflation in Australia.

Marketing is getting in the way of markets that could get us to net-zero

Although he claims to have never told a lie, the prime minister road-tested an avalanche of slogans on Wednesday and some of them were clearly misleading.

The economic wisdom of King Solomon

Good people are still able to make bad decisions, and so research into ways to systemise better decision making through ‘implementation theory’ is proceeding apace.

Growing problems for China

China’s communist leaders successfully adopted the free market while maintaining political hegemony, but without academic freedom and rule of law it’s hard to see how China’s economy can continue to grow so fast.

The case for emission transparency

Requiring companies to disclose their carbon emissions will encourage reductions to appease their customers and investors.

We’re doing well despite Delta, but 3 economic challenges remain

Australia faces economic problems down the road if three big, structural reform areas – housing affordability, the tax mix, and decarbonisation – are not addressed in the post-COVID recovery.

Why a super tax isn’t a great idea

Taxing the “super profits’ made by large companies sounds like a a good idea, but it’s hard to get right and there might be better ways to get more company tax into the public coffers.

Introducing OzSAGE – practical advice for reopening Australia

OzSAGE’s first recommendations deal with ventilation and the measures that will have to accompany widespread vaccination.

Vaccine thresholds raise the danger of repeating past mistakes

Australia could again fall into the trap of false economies by opening up too soon when vaccine rates hit 70 or 80% and allowing the COVID vaccine to run rampant.