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Michael Stutchbury

Can our prosperity survive a year of political madness?

Public policy is now swinging in the populist wind. And it’s hard to imagine the election of a government that can rationally take back control of it all.

Even more extraordinary than Queensland Premier Steven Miles’ plan this week to tackle the cost-of-living squeeze by opening a dozen government-owned petrol stations was that the federal treasurer supported the move.

While ruling out anything similar at the federal level, fellow Queenslander Jim Chalmers commended the state Labor government for being “prepared to think outside the square when it comes to dealing with cost-of-living pressures”.

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Michael Stutchbury is the former editor-in-chief and editor-at-large of The Australian Financial Review. Michael left in 2025 after more than four decades writing and editing national newspapers.

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    Original URL: https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/can-our-prosperity-survive-the-coming-year-of-madness-20240806-p5k00z