• Hitting the sweet spot

    Warwick Smith     |      January 2, 2021

    The post-COVID recovery provides a rare opportunity to rebuild a better economy that can support living standards without irretrievably damaging the environment.

  • 5 summer reads on economics

    Peter Martin     |      January 2, 2021

    Economics may be the ‘dismal science’ and not everyone’s idea of fun holiday reading, but understanding new thinking on the economy in the wake of recent health and environmental crises may be a good investment of your time.

  • Timtams, wine, and whisky

    Conor McLaughlin     |      December 20, 2020

    Trade deals have become the single most important issue for a post-Brexit UK. As Australia is experiencing its own trade tensions, the time is ripe for an Australia-UK trade deal to become a reality.

  • The billion-dollar backpack

    Jeff Jarvis     |      December 16, 2020

    Backpackers are worth a billion dollars to the Australian economy as both tourists and temporary workers and their return to these shores will be an important part of the post-COVID economic recovery.

  • Waste not, want not

    Open Forum     |      December 11, 2020

    The COVID-19 slowdown gives us a golden opportunity to “reset our materials economy along more sustainable lines”, says human geographer Ruth Lane.

  • The boom is bust

    Michael Shoebridge     |      November 10, 2020

    Whether it’s the gold rush of the 1850s, the mining booms of the early 2000s, or the China market boom of the past six years, Australians never like to admit the good times are over, but we’ve got a pretty good record of finding new sources of prosperity.

  • Tackling the scourge of unemployment

    Richard Holden     |      November 2, 2020

    A high unemployment rate isn’t just bad for individuals without a job, and the costs aren’t just financial.

  • Do the tax cuts make sense?

    Richard Holden     |      October 8, 2020

    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.

  • Generation debt

    Remy Davison     |      October 7, 2020

    Coronavirus measures have plunged Australia into recession after 20 years of growth. How will the Budget help Australia recover from the greatest economic shock in living memory?

  • Research collaboration key to economic recovery

    Open Forum     |      October 5, 2020

    The new focus on science and research and development in the Morrison Government’s manufacturing strategy has been welcomed by Australia’s leading science body.

  • Assessing the economic benefits of defence procurement

    Rob Bourke     |      October 2, 2020

    New guidelines may clarify the domestic economic impact of increased defence expenditure, but the final figures may remain unclear.

  • Surviving the self-inflicted recession

    Richard Holden     |      September 6, 2020

    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?