Making things matters

Australia’s ability to sustain its local manufacturing industry is under threat by a generational loss of crafts and hands-on making expertise, according to a UniSA research report.

New challenges and old responses in economics

Redefining economics as “multidimensional management of resources in a democratic society” would encourage new conceptual frameworks and languages to better respond to current environmental and political challenges the current system seems unable to solve, or even confront.

Behind the wheel

In a recent interview, former cabinet minister Christopher Pyne recalls the knock on effects on Australia’s manufacturing capacity of the closure of South Australia’s car plants.

Making the most of Australia’s free trade agreements

Australia has been at the forefront of trade liberalisation, negotiating and signing a record number of FTAs with most of its important trading partners over the last two decades.

Fight the power

The past 40 years have seen large corporations grow to dominate the global economy, surpassing the capacity of people – or governments – to control or even comprehend them.

Australia’s opportunity in regional trade

Australia has joined 14 other states in The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, tapping into 2.2 billion consumers and 30 percent of the world’s GDP.

Reforming Australia’s foreign trade system

The government’s multi-year program to simplify its international trade regulations, streamline its regulatory processes and modernise outdated computer systems still have some way to go.

The growth of degrowth economics

The human economy is merely a subset of the biosphere, meaning we need to reduce our demands on the biosphere to avoid a disastrous ecological collapse, with consequences for us and all other species.

Banks must speak the same digital language

The complex, opaque and often outdated systems used by large international banks threaten the stability of the global banking system.

Resilience and Australia’s trading system

As Australia seeks to diversify its economy, build more resilience into supply chains and improve productivity, reducing the transaction costs of both exporting and importing must be high on all governments’ policy agendas.

Meet Michele Bullock

Australia’s next Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock – the first woman in the job – will take office in September at a time when much of the bank’s work in fighting inflation will be done and its focus will be on changing the way it operates.

Australia in the global economy

Remaining open to international trade will help Australia mitigate the looming threat of recession and reboot economic growth.