Andrew Leigh on a more dynamic economy; Europe's drought economies; inflationary psychology
Labor MP Andrew Leigh discusses why Australia's productivity has slowed down and most importantly how we can reignite the economy.
Episodes
The Economy, Stupid
Formerly The Money, The Economy, Stupid is your weekly guide to the world of business, economics and finance. Every Thursday, economist Peter Martin is joined by a team of sharp young thinkers for a fresh conversation about the financial stories making headlines and how they might affect you.
Episodes
ALP changes to the safeguard mechanism; repairing the environment from the Black Summer Fires; and Green Capitalism
The Albanese Government has released a discussion paper outlining changes to the safeguard mechanism ensuring high industrial polluters decarbonise to levels set. Hugh Grossman from RepuTex Energy explains what this means. Meanwhile the University of Queensland in conjunction with the WWF-Australia have put a dollar figure on how much funding is needed to repair the damage to habitat caused by the Black Summer Fires. Dr Michelle Ward breaks down the numbers. And green capitalism. Adrienne Buller...
Getting digital with the RBA; CPI data; and simplifying the WTO
With the increasing popularity of digital currencies, the RBA is exploring its own central bank digital currency. The Deputy Governor of the RBA Michele Bullock, explains how it might work. To assist in preparing for increases in inflation, the ABS will release monthly CPI indicators. Australia's Statistician Dr David Gruen talks through the advantages. And how to improve trade between countries. Economist at the ANU Andrew Stoeckel discusses what steps we should take....
Comparisons with New Zealand's interest rates; Warwick McKibbin on the RBA and targeting inflation and Russia's economy
New Zealand is not only two hours ahead of the east cost of Australia, it's also seven months ahead of us when it comes to increasing interest rates. Can we learn anything from their experience? ANZ economist Madeline Dunk talks about the Demand across the ditch report. Meanwhile economist and former RBA board member Warwick McKibbin discusses the RBA's pursuit of its inflation target and whether there's a better way? And the Russian economy. Some commentators say sanctions and the exit of globa...
Comparisons with New Zealand's interest rates; Warwick McKibbin on the RBA and targeting inflation and Russia's economy
New Zealand is not only two hours ahead of the east cost of Australia, it's also seven months ahead of us when it comes to increasing interest rates. Can we learn anything from their experience? ANZ economist Madeline Dunk talks about the Demand across the ditch report. Meanwhile economist and former RBA board member Warwick McKibbin discusses the RBA's pursuit of its inflation target and whether there's a better way? And the Russian economy. Some commentators say sanctions and the exit of globa...
Economy update, the cost of FMD and corruption with the enablers
Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered his 'confronting' statement on the economy and budget outlook at Parliament today. Economist Danielle Wood from the Grattan Institute provides her analysis. On top of these economy woes is a potential outbreak of foot and mouth disease. A worse case scenario estimates a cost of eighty billion dollars over ten years. That doesn't include the costs to tourism or mental health but it does put into perspective why we spend so much on biosecurity measures. The Univers...
How to solve our health crisis and labour factors involved in WFH
Health staff across Australia have been telling us for years, there's a crisis within our health system, particularly with our public hospitals. It does have a lot to do with our funding model but there are also problems outside the hospital system that need attention. Jennifer Doggett from the Centre for Health Policy Development explains. And the debate about working from home continues with disparities between what employers and employees want. Some interesting studies in the US have highligh...
How to solve our health crisis and labour factors involved in WFH
Health staff across Australia have been telling us for years, there's a crisis within our health system, particularly with our public hospitals. It does have a lot to do with our funding model but there are also problems outside the hospital system that need attention. Jennifer Doggett from the Centre for Health Policy Development explains. And the debate about working from home continues with disparities between what employers and employees want. Some interesting studies in the US have highligh...
Wellbeing budget, gig agreement and multinationals
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers plans to introduce a Wellbeing Budget, based on New Zealand's experience. Suzi Morrissey, from the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa, explains what this entails. Caleb Goods from the University of Western Australia discusses what the agreement between food delivery company Uber and the Transport Workers Union means to gig workers and how a new Federal Government might drive some of these changes? And multinationals. They are a large part of the Australian economy...
The limitations of central banks and living and developing on floodplains
Interest rates are on the rise not just here in Australia but in other parts of the globe as central banks and governments grapple with rising inflation. But what can central banks actually achieve? Former deputy governor of the Bank of England and now chair of NatWest Group, Sir Howard Davies discusses. And just as interest rates keep rising so do water levels. The Nepean-Hawkesbury valley is once again flooded. Dr Brian Cook from the University of Melbourne explains how among other factors, ma...
Thirty years of superannuation and from free to fair markets
In 1992, the Keating Government passed the Superannuation Guarantee Act insuring at the time retirement savings to seventy two percent of workers. Thirty years on, as the super guarantee is about to increase, is it still the best way to ensure sufficient retirement income for all? Brendan Coates from the Grattan Institute discusses the pros and the cons. And how to twin efficiency and equity. Professor of Law Rosalind Dixon and Professor of Economics Richard Holden have proposed in their book re...
Energy and capacity mechanisms; the RBA interest rates and jobs and insurance companies and online data
Energy capacity mechanisms, what are they and what are the concerns about them and why is the Australia's Institute Polly Hemming slightly optimistic about Australia's future climate and energy policies? Jobs, jobs, jobs and 270,00 missing ones. Economist Isaac Gross with the ALP's Andrew Leigh have analysed the RBA's use of interest rates over the last twenty years. This monetary tool hasn't always worked as it should. And we all know big brother is watching what we're doing online. But how doe...
Consumer sentiment, the cost of gun violence in the US and the price of vegetables
Interest rates are rising and not just in Australia. So how do people feel about the economy and their own financial situation? Bill Evans, Chief Economist at Westpac, talks about consumer sentiment. The tragedy of gun violence in the US is impossible to measure, but what about the economic cost? Ted Miller from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation has been crunching the data with a price tag of $557 billion based on 2019 figures. And what factors are contributing to the skyrocketin...
Energy costs, monetary policy and who is the better economic manager
The Grattan Institute's director of energy, Tony Wood, provides his analysis of this week's energy minister's meeting and why an integrated energy and climate change policy is critical.
Energy costs, monetary policy and who is the better economic manager
The Grattan Institute's director of energy, Tony Wood, provides his analysis of this week's energy minister's meeting and why an integrated energy and climate change policy is critical.
RBA review; infrastructure spend and improving public service delivery
Twelve of Australia's prominent economists penned an open letter to the new Treasurer Jim Chalmers about what they want to see in the promised review of the Reserve Bank of Australia. Renee Fry-McKibbin, Professor of Economics at the ANU's Crawford School of Public policy and interim director explains why this review is so important to get right.
A new government and a new approach to climate and industrial relations and a re-set on global trade
We have a new government so where does it stand on the big issues like climate and industrial relations? Anna Skarbek, CEO of Climateworks Centre discusses the targets and policies but also how much more needs to be done and Andrew Stewart, Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide talks through the challenges the government has with rejuvenating enterprise bargaining mechanisms for pay rises as well as other policy commitments. And have we reached the limits of global trade liberalisation?...
Federal election and what isn't being discussed and red book, blue book
It has been a very long election campaign so is it possible there are areas that haven't been discussed by the major political parties? Richard Holden, Professor of Economics at the University of New South Wales Business School and Danielle Wood, economist and CEO of the Grattan Institute reflect on the policies and economics that have been forgotten.
The global economy; the deficit issue and what can be done about manufacturing
How do you know when we're in a global recession? Well, there's no precise rule but the economies of China, US and Europe are all facing challenges and uncertainties making forecasting difficult. And as Harvard Professor of Economics Kenneth Rogoff, says, we'll know when we are in one. And this doesn't bode well for Australia where long term forecasts are showing budget deficits. With election spending promises, neither side of politics is mentioning major reform that most economists know is a m...
Interest rates; unemployment stats and global military spend
In the wake of this weeks RBA increase in interest rates, how difficult is it to forecast in uncertain times? Former economist at the RBA and lecturer at Monash University, Isaac Gross discusses indicators and predictions. How can it be that the number of people receiving unemployment benefits is higher than the number of unemployed? Why are some people receiving benefits exempt from looking for work? Professor Peter Whiteford from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU talks through th...
Inflation and the RBA, foreign aid and the PRRT
Inflation, interest rates and the RBA. Warren Hogan economic advisor to Judo Bank provides his prediction of when rates will go up and by how much as well as what are the key questions for a forthcoming review of the RBA. As the Solomon Islands and China deal continues to dominate the election campaign what are the differences in each party's approach to foreign aid and is it economically viable? Stephen Howes, professor of economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU discusses. ...
NDIS costings, predicting elections and defaulting on foreign debt Russia and Sri Lanka
The funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme has always been a contentious issue between the ALP and the Coalition. Economist Dr Angela Jackson from Impact Economics and Policy outlines why the costs are so high and how to make it more sustainable. What can economic modelling tell us about who will win the Federal Election? Economist Hamish Greenop-Roberts from the University of Queensland, has studied past elections to determine which economic figures are the best indicators for a wi...
NDIS costings, predicting elections and defaulting on foreign debt Russia and Sri Lanka
The funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme has always been a contentious issue between the ALP and the Coalition. Economist Dr Angela Jackson from Impact Economics and Policy outlines why the costs are so high and how to make it more sustainable. What can economic modelling tell us about who will win the Federal Election? Economist Hamish Greenop-Roberts from the University of Queensland, has studied past elections to determine which economic figures are the best indicators for a wi...
What's the youth unemployment figure? political party spend and the cost of rebuilding Ukraine
There's been a lot of noise around the unemployment figure of 4 percent, but that's not the only figure we should be concerned about with youth unemployment currently at 9.3 percent. How this figure can be improved is explained by Eliza Littleton, research economist at The Australian Institute and co-author of the report Youth unemployment and the pandemic . In the 2019 federal election, political parties collectively spent $433 million. We won't know the figure for this election until next Febr...
The cost of Australian elections; the French election and the growth of venture capital
As we all await for the Prime Minister to announce the date for the 2022 Federal Election, the Australian Electoral Commission began preparing for it the day after the last election in 2019. What is involved and what is the cost of running an election across the nation? The AEC's spokesperson, Evan Ekin-Smyth explains. And the French head to the polls this weekend in the first round of Presidential elections. In the last few weeks, polling shows a close contest with purchasing power as a number ...
The cost of Australian elections; the French election and the growth of venture capital
As we all await for the Prime Minister to announce the date for the 2022 Federal Election, the Australian Electoral Commission began preparing for it the day after the last election in 2019. What is involved and what is the cost of running an election across the nation? The AEC's spokesperson, Evan Ekin-Smyth explains. And the French head to the polls this weekend in the first round of Presidential elections. In the last few weeks, polling shows a close contest with purchasing power as a number ...
Did the Budget deliver?
The Money continues with the Federal Budget analyses but with a difference. Four younger economists, including three recipients of the Economic Society of Australia's Young Economist award, discuss how the budget stacks up when applying their specialist lens.
Did the Budget deliver?
The Money continues with the Federal Budget analyses but with a difference. Four younger economists, including three recipients of the Economic Society of Australia's Young Economist award, discuss how the budget stacks up when applying their specialist lens.