Opinion
Australian economy
Take heart! Australia is still better and fairer than most
It’s been tempting to think that the goal of every generation being better off than their parents has been lost. It’s not true. Not yet anyway.
- by Ross Gittins
Latest
Opinion
Wage growth
OECD’s message to our inflation warriors: calm down, she’ll be right
International public servants in Paris have reminded us that Australia’s real wages are too low. So why is the RBA so worried about continued high inflation?
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Federal budget
Forget smaller government, let’s shoot for better government
Randomised controlled trials aren’t just for medicine and pharmaceuticals – they can also help put our taxes to better use in properly evaluated government programs.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Australia votes
There are no ‘safe’ seats any more, and here’s why that’s good news
More power for crossbenchers at the federal level could be a good way to break the big-party logjam. It couldn’t be worse than what we’ve got.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Income tax
Yes, we need tax reform, but it offers no easy answers
Surely if we could end the crazy business of bracket creep, we’d pay less tax? Well, yes – but no.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Ethical living
If you care about your offspring, you should support ‘nature positive’
So much has been lost, and with such serious consequences, a consensus has emerged that we must now commit to nature repair.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Income tax
Despite what we’re led to believe, tax cuts are no free lunch
Politicians like to peddle illusions when it comes to tax and tax cuts. Meanwhile, we play our role by deluding ourselves.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Interest rates
Why interest rate speculators should get back in their box
The future of interest rates needs more brainpower and a lot less idle speculation.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
National security
Treasury steps up to limit ‘strategic’ security overreach
The risk of foreign disruption has to be balanced in such a way that economic activity is not unnecessarily curtailed.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Charity
I’m being generous this EOFY, but the taxman is not
We’re less generous than we used to be. Could that be because the taxman is hassling us about our benevolence?
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Manufacturing
Yikes! Our tiny manufacturing sector makes us rich but ugly
Did you realise that our manufacturing sector is the smallest among all the rich countries?
- by Ross Gittins