Too often our leaders wait and wait

“Credibility is a precious commodity. A stock of it is created by persistently offering simple, clear advice that recognises a policy shift is on, and explains why – and where the national interest lies.” Chairman of Australia’s Productivity Commission Peter Harris said in a challenging speech entitled Productivity and Policy Challenges in an Environment of Pervasive Uncertainty delivered at the Economic and Social Outlook Conference on 20 July 2017 in Melbourne.

Selling to the Chinese: leveraging the “One Child Policy” effect

The repercussions of the ‘one child policy’ are not only being felt in China. Author Barry Li looks at how the policy has led to a boom in many Australian industries.

Language and the right to identity

Languages matter because they allow people to think in ways that are culturally contextualised. Access to one’s own language is a measure of freedom because language is never freely surrendered, but usurped through political factors over which one has no control. Associate Professor Dominic Sullivan considers why indigenous languages matter.

Health funding – how do we pay for health care?

Government policies on health care are strongly focussed on short-term fiscal costs, achieved by incremental tweaks to existing programs. It’s fifty years, however, since there has been a wide inquiry into how we fund health care. We need to be considering some basic questions about how we pay for health care, writes Ian McAuley.

Looming China?

Australian foreign policy is now at a crossroads. Some would have us turn left to Beijing, to accommodate the fact that China is our most lucrative resources export market. Others would have us turn right to Washington, to re-embrace the American alliance as if our security, our national identity, our very future depend on it. Allan Patience, Principal Fellow in Political Science at the University of Melbourne, discusses.

Rental affordability deteriorates, again

Ned Cutcher, from The Tenants’ Union of NSW, looks at the effects housing affordability has on renters.

Comprehensive package to support first homebuyers

The NSW Government has announced a comprehensive package of measures to support first homebuyers by providing stamp duty exemptions, boost housing supply and delivering infrastructure to support growing communities across the State.

How to make saving for a house more feasible for young Australia

How to make saving to buy a house more feasible. Jasmine Flattery-Shirley explores the policy changes she thinks will help.

Wrong incentives in the housing system

We live in a large country with lots of land and opportunity. AFG VG Group CEO Lindley Edwards says we need to make sure that housing is affordable for the majority and that every Australian can buy a reasonably priced house.

What you didn’t know about housing affordability and the upcoming NSW State Budget

The Berejiklian Government’s first State Budget will be delivered on 20 June 2017. Robert Snell says housing affordability needs to be both a State and national economic priority.

The value of housing – a contribution from Karl Marx

Why have we let housing become a commodity subject to the unstable forces of supply and demand? Ian McAuley explains why we should focus more on the use value of a house instead of its mere exchange value.

Overcoming the impediments – what will it take to shake up housing affordability?

Federal Budget initiatives go someway towards helping first-homebuyers, but a coordinated approach is key to making a real impact says CoreLogic CEO Lisa Claes.