PC boss wants to make us ‘richer, healthier, smarter’ and more fun

John Kehoe and Paul Karp

Updated Jul 9, 2025 – 10.43am, first published at Jul 8, 2025 – 6.07pm

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Productivity Commission boss Danielle Wood has urged governments to cut red tape for housing, energy and infrastructure projects to lift the economy out of stagnation by embracing a new national mindset of prioritising growth to deliver higher living standards.

Wood said the economy had been swamped by well-intended regulation that had slowed business investment in equipment and workers, contributing to a sharp slowdown in productivity and real incomes over the past 15 years.

John Kehoe is economics editor at Parliament House, Canberra. He writes on economics, politics and business. John was Washington correspondent covering Donald Trump’s first election. He joined the Financial Review in 2008 from Treasury.

Paul Karp is The Australian Financial Review’s NSW political correspondent.