Indonesians are holding their breath while the Election Commission tally their votes in the presidential election. At the same time, investors too are in a “wait-and-see” mode. Most market players privately…
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The last financial system inquiry held in Australia happened in 1997. More than a decade and a global financial crisis later, the sector is under scrutiny again. The inquiry delivered its interim report…
Australia’s financial system is competitive and well regulated, but more work is required to boost superannuation competition, according to the interim report of the Financial System Inquiry, led by former…
It’s unlikely “The Political Sayings of Malcolm Fraser” is a well-thumbed volume in Tony Abbott’s library. Yet this week, in the wake of the Senate throwing his government’s budget plans into disarray…
At the current frequency of financial system inquiries (Campbell 1982, Wallis 1997, Murray 2014) there will not be another until 2030. That makes this week’s interim report from David Murray all the more…
A month after receiving the first round of submissions, the Harper review of competition policy is knuckling down to work. With around 300 submissions received to date, the range of issues raised is diverse…
Many who study or comment on contemporary business and politics equate corporate leadership with the ability to influence events in a coherent or knowledgeable way. The usual narrative is that CEOs of…
It’s hard to predict which of Australia’s climate policies will survive, or perhaps even thrive, in the current parliament. But our research suggests that if the Abbott government wants to cut long-term…
Given its unambiguous mandate at the last election there were high expectations from the maiden budget of the government of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. However, the fiscal parameters within which…
The fastest growing sector in the economy today is not mining, retailing or even education. It’s superannuation, which accounts for almost 30% more than the total savings held by the banking and mutual…
In terms of a life-cycle of technology, it is easy to see Bitcoin as being at the same developmental stage as babies going through the “terrible twos”. All of its technological possibility lies ahead…
The low income superannuation contribution is rapidly becoming a case study in the perils of linking unrelated policy initiatives. The scheme, a federal government contribution of up to $500 to people…
Nobel Laureate and renowned economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz has been packing out lecture theatres in Australia in the past week. During his whirlwind tour, he’s talked about why inequality matters…
Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens has ticked off on a major item on the “to do” list for Australian policy-makers: raise the rate of growth in labour productivity. In his keynote speech…
When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives in Australia to talk trade and investment in Canberra and sign a free trade agreement between the two countries, it will kickstart a relationship first formed…
When our two major levels of government work in partnership, our Federation can function well. The standout period for cooperative federalism was the Hawke/Keating term of government, producing the National…
It clearly took some courage (and a lot of persuasion from powerful friends) to convince Ian Narev, the Chief executive of the Commonwealth Bank to respond to widespread demands and front the media with…
Treasurer Joe Hockey has said that he will improve the structural integrity of Australia’s tax system to address international tax avoidance by multinational enterprises. In particular, the tax law will…
“How do you describe it? What alphabet do you employ? What words? What language? What silence, what scream?” The late Jacob Rosenberg, author and poet, poses these questions in explaining the evil of the…
Heightened competition among home lenders has prompted the banking regulator to issue a reminder of what constitutes prudent lending, but its suggestion that loans being generated by mortgage brokers should…
Going from raw data the Australia-China trade relationship should be a source of celebration and congratulation. In 2013, bilateral trade came to A$140 billion, up 20% on the year before. Even better…
Every now and again in public policy debates a consensus emerges on some particular point among policymakers, stakeholders and commentators. These moments are distressingly rare. It is even more distressing…
Highly publicised estimates of the cost of raising a family in Australia suggest that parents must make hefty financial sacrifices to meet the needs of their children. In a recent paper, we challenge the…
Every year the Productivity Commission (PC) produces an annual report card on Australian government assistance to industry. And every year it singles out the “usual suspects” for attention, particularly…
Brian Cox, Mary Beard, Mick Aston, Niall Ferguson are all (just about) household names. They each have academic success – and their own television programs (“Wonders of the Solar System”, “Meet the Romans…