What’s different about technology monopolies?

Google mops up around 92% of search-engine traffic and uses that data to target adverts at consumers. However, just because a tech company has a big share of the market doesn’t mean it has the power to keep it.

Manufacturing a recovery

The pandemic has shown the need for Australia to revive its domestic manufacturing sector to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, but a push for strategic manufacturing should build on existing comparative advantage.

Do the tax cuts make sense?

The government has brought forward its planned tax cuts, and while some say we shouldn’t be cutting taxes during a recession, the plan has its merits if the economy is to recover from the COVID lockdowns.

The government, rather than Google, could subsidise good journalism

Google and Facebook could soon be forced to pay local commercial media organisations for sharing their content on digital platforms. Making these massive digital platforms pay Australian news publishers might be good politics, but it is odd economics.

Batch testing and contact tracing can stop the lockdown yo-yo

Yo-yoing lockdowns are costly and to be avoided if at all possible. Here is what we can do to dramatically improve testing and tracing.

Surviving the self-inflicted recession

Governments around the world have voluntarily shut down their economies for the first time in history. How will Australia escape this unprecedented situation to restart its economy?

AMP proves the power of shareholder activism

Boe Pahari’s short reign as boss of AMP’s lucrative investment management division and the resignations this week of AMP chairman David Murray and board member John Fraser have shown the power of major shareholders in public companies.

How COVID-19 changed the way we work

Employers have long feared that working from home makes employees less productive. An analysis of 3 million workers in 16 cities during lockdowns suggests the opposite.

The COVID crisis in aged care shows elimination is the only strategy

The evidence is in and the answer is clear. We must try and eliminate COVID-19 for the health and economic benefit of Australians of all ages.

Victoria’s privatised quarantine arrangements were destined to fail

Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19 cases can be traced back to poor security at quarantine hotels. Economics tells us that governments privatising services where quality counts is a bad idea.

Stamping out stamp duty

It’s time to reform stamp duty, one of the most inefficient and distorting taxes collected by Australia’s state and territory governments.

Politics means never having to say you’re sorry

We judge the competency of politicians by what they say and do, and this creates perverse incentives for even competent politicians to refuse to admit mistakes.