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Judith SloanContributing Economics Editor

Judith Sloan is an economist and company director. She holds degrees from the University of Melbourne and the London School of Economics. She has held a number of government appointments, including Commissioner of the Productivity Commission; Commissioner of the Australian Fair Pay Commission; and Deputy Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

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Commentary

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 18: Senators Stirling Griff and Simon Birmingham talk during debate of the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2021 in the Senate at Parliament House on March 18, 2021 in Canberra, Australia. Senator GriffÃÂ has issued a statement confirming that Centre Alliance only supports changes to casuals provisions and wage theft and will not support the rest of the Industrial Relations omnibus bill. (Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Crossbenchers and IR club sink sensible reform

In politics, there’s something to be said for striking while the iron is hot.

Judith Sloan

commentaryInquirer

28/08/2019. Greg Combet, former Labor Minister and ACTU Secretary in conversation with Tony Boyd AFR at the FSC Summit held at Sheraton Grand Hyde Park hotel in Sydney. Britta Campion / The Australian

Don’t be fooled, super’s schmaltz is entirely self-serving

The message the public is getting is completely unrelated to the sole purpose of superannuation funds.

Judith Sloan

COMMENTARYCommentary

(FILES) In this file photo taken on January 21, 2016, wind turbines at a wind farm in Colorado City, Texas. Wind power accounted for 8.3 percent of the electricity generated in Texas during 2013. - The US Federal Reserve's favored measure of inflation stayed right on target last month, another sign that for now price pressures remain tame, according to government data released on November 29, 2018. The Commerce Department report also showed Americans dipped into their savings to fund a spending spree in October, with biggest outlays going to pay for prescription drugs and household utilities like electricity and gas (Photo by SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

What you get when cowboys take over the grid

Texas found out the hard way what happens when you feed in too much renewable power too quickly.

Judith Sloan

Commentary

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos FEBRUARY, 02, 2021: Signage at a Centrelink and Medicare centre in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Accusations of ‘stingy’ dole rise miss the point

Setting the rate of Newstart too high runs the risk of dulling the incentives for the unemployed to seek work.

Judith Sloan

Commentary

Rio Tinto Bell Bay aluminium smelter in Northern Tasmania

Face it, it may be too late to save manufacturing

Yes, we make some things in Australia but much less than we used to. The future is likely to see relatively small-scale, design-focused industry concentrated on export markets.

Judith Sloan

COMMENTARYCommentary

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - FEBRUARY 10, 2021.Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese visits electric vehicle chargers manufacturer Tritium in Brisbane. Mr Albanese is expected o make an announcement regarding industrial relations tonight. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Albanese’s ‘nothing to see here’ tenure

Labor is still floundering when it comes to devising the means to win elections. Using the insights of mainly washed-up politicians is unlikely to succeed.

Judith Sloan

Commentary

Climate of fear dooms rational decision-making

The purpose of putting out truly scary forecasts is not to be accurate but to induce responses.

Judith Sloan

CommentaryCommentary

The Shadow Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, in Townsville discussing natural disaster preparation in North Queensland, Job Keeper, and prospects for the economy. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Illusion of control prompts mission to public disaster

We would be better off if politicians became humble in their approach to governing.

Judith Sloan

COMMENTARYCommentary

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 12 2020: Auctioneer Michael Garofolo in action during a home auction in West Ryde, in Sydney Australia. Picture: Newscorp: Daily Telegraph / Gaye Gerard

Why home ownership is more important than a super boost

The best defence against poverty in old age is owning your own home. But it is now relatively common to see home owners in their 60s still carrying mortgages on their properties.

Judith Sloan

COMMENTARYCommentary

Generic photograph of smoke stack at the Port of Brisbane Industrial area, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING

No slowdown in scary climate prophecy

Every year, new climate doomsday projections seem to pop up. These gratuitous and unverified claims are not science, no matter what Al Gore and Greta Thunberg would have you believe.

Judith Sloan

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/judith-sloan/page/29