February
Meet the men behind ‘the worst policy decision of the 21st century’
The GST deal, criticised as the worst public policy decision since Federation, is again under scrutiny as Premier Roger Cook promises hundreds of millions in handouts ahead of the state election.
August 2024
Despite decades of failure, Australia’s constitution can be modernised
Most Australians were not alive the last time it was updated. This is why the nation needs to work out a way to pass referendums.
December 2023
States threaten new taxes, jeopardise NDIS reform
Attempts by the Albanese government to put the NDIS on a sustainable footing are in chaos.
June 2023
State debt addictions harder to add up
The least creditworthy jurisdictions face paying a higher risk premium on their borrowings unless they get their houses in order by bringing down debt.
February 2023
Tax reform crucial to the success of the National Housing Accord
The success of the federal government’s push to build 1-million new homes hinges on full support from the states - and that means confronting tax issues.
Letters: Still obstructing climate action
Safeguard mechanism, offsets, gas industry and Coalition’s unhelpful attitude; interest rates, super and inflation; schools; Federation-era mandarins; Chinese hostility.
Letters: Why secular stagnation is more likely
Stagnation v stagflation; dampening demand; Lowe’s ‘cowboy economics’; calculating the real rate; inflationary pressures; Voice and reconciliation; Federation impulse; Westpac’s performance.
January 2023
National cabinet seeks to end scourge of multiple rail systems
Government leaders have declared they want an end to the lack of interoperability between Australia’s 29 highly fragmented rail networks.
The hidden threat of EVs to older apartments
New laws that require all new apartments to have an electric vehicle charger for every car space could hit property values of older apartments.
December 2022
The future is now, and politics has to cope with the consequences
This was the year when so many dire predictions came true. Events have transformed the discussion about what governments can afford to do, and about investments in the future.
Letters: Don’t ignore green advantages
Nuclear v renewables; the electricity option; grid instability; opportunity in ASX fiasco; primary schooling; Labor and NBN; Morrison and robodebt; Voice symbolism; crypto pub test.
October 2022
Big builders want more pay up front – and more often
The industry body for large building contractors wants better payment terms from clients. Subcontractors want the same thing.
May 2022
A new role for national cabinet
Resetting national cabinet provides an opportunity for governments to join up emergency and social services customised to individuals rather than the current disjointed approach.
April 2022
Funding the federation
Spending growth is rising faster than revenue for federal and state governments raising the need for a review of public finances and how they are designed.
March 2022
Federation reform is a huge opportunity if sold well to voters
Clearing up the blurred lines of federal-state relations is the key to better outcomes in the areas of health, education and tax that matter to the electorate.
Not all Probuild projects will find a buyer
Administrators are confident of selling the collapsed company’s infrastructure business, but the outlook for its commercial construction arm is less rosy.
Welcome back, Western Australia
The west has made a start on repairing the bonds of federation after two years of Mark McGowan’s hyper-parochial border populism.
January 2022
Developers can’t agree on energy efficiency rules
The country’s largest property groups are at odds over plans to upgrade energy standards in new housing.
December 2021
Building costs rise fastest in states with closed borders
Melbourne and Sydney suffered the heaviest lockdowns this year, but a surprising report shows the blowout in building costs happened elsewhere.
Perrottet calls for more ‘political courage’ for reforms
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet wants states and territories to get more autonomy to help streamline parts of their economy such as health and education.