Australian Society and Politics
You can’t think (or write, or speak) about an economy without also having a sense of the broader social and economic framework in which it operates. I try very hard to avoid partisan political commentary, but I do sometimes feel moved to write or talk about social or political developments.
I was interviewed by Sky News Australia’s Laura Jayes about the upcoming 2024-25 Federal Budget and its potential impact (upwards and donwnwards) in inflation, and about the perversion of the system for distributing revenue from Australia’s GST to the states and territories at the behest of Australia’s richest state, Western Australia. The interview can be […]
The WA GST deal – the worst public policy decision of the 21st century thus far – Address to the National Press Club
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies | 8th May 2024I addressed the National Press Club in Canberra, on the subject of the changes made by the Morrison Government (with the support of the then Labor Opposition) in 2018 to the distribution of revenue from the GST among the states and territories at the behest of Western Australia – which I regard as constituting the […]
‘A distinctive part of life in Australia’ The Declining Dream of Homeownership
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing | 17th April 2024I recorded a podcast with Georgina Downer, the CEO of the Robert Menzies Institute – a prime ministerial library and museum established to honour Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, and affiliated with the University of Melbourne – about Australia’s ‘housing crisis’, and about how far Australian housing policy has moved away from the […]
“The Great Housing Disaster – Who’s to Blame?”
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, Recent Media Interview, Topics | 15th April 2024This week’s Saturday Paper‘s “&am” podcast looks at the causes and consequences of the massive increase in Australian residential property prices, relative to incomes, and the resulting decline in home ownership rates, especially among younger and middle-aged Australians, over the past six decades. It includes some extended grabs from me. It’s available here: https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/podcast/the-great-housing-disaster-whos-blame (the […]
Some initial reflections on the outcome of the 2024 Tasmanian State election
Australian Society and Politics, Tasmania | 24th March 2024Some initial reflections on the Tasmanian election results (based on figures posted on the Tasmanian Electoral Commission website as of 9am Sunday morning, 24th March). First, the Liberals were the biggest losers at the election. Their share of the primary vote fell by 12.0 pc pts, the second-largest swing against them ever recorded (exceeded only […]
Tasmania’s fiscal position
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania | 24th March 2024Saul Eslake talks to ABC Radio Hobart’s “Mornings” presenter Leon Compton about the condition of Tasmania’s budget and public finances, and what the impact of the spending promises made by the contenders in the 23 March election might mean for those.
Distribution of GST Revenue: the Worst Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century to date.
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy | 4th February 2024Saul Eslake: An essay about the consequences of the Morrison Government’s decision (supported by the then Labor Opposition and continued, indeed extended, by the current Albanese Labor Government) to change the way in which the revenue from the GST is carved up among Australia’s states and territories, at the behest of Australia’s richest state, Western Australia.
