The temptation for politicians to use other people’s money to buy votes is always strong. Add in the emergence of identity politics, in which some groups are defined as permanent victims, and this force can become overpowering.
Anthony Albanese has foreshadowed on a number of occasions that universal childcare will be a centrepiece of his campaign for a second term in office. My strong advice is don’t do it.
The education institutions have been only too happy to enjoy the benefits of unrestricted international student numbers while inflicting the external costs on the wider community.
The PM and the Treasurer think using massive dollops of taxpayer money to manipulate headline CPI is actually achieving the return to the stated inflation target. The RBA sees through this ruse.
The one bit of good news for Labor is there is some genuine economic talent, albeit largely untested, among its parliamentarians – in particular Andrew Charlton.
Whatever way you look at it, the Albanese reshuffle was a slap in the face to Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles. Now Tony Burke faces a huge challenge.
If the Albanese government was really seriously committed to eliminating bad behaviour in the construction industry, it would proceed with the deregistration of the CFMEU.
The policy agenda of Trump mark I was generally standard stuff. But Project 2025 is an entirely different proposition.
This reckless proposal demonstrates two things: the danger of top-down meddling and the fact that the Albanese government’s right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.
The ALP’s Future Made in Australia is a cross between Trumpian chest-beating and old-style government picking winners.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/judith-sloan/page/5