SAUL ESLAKE

Economist

SAUL ESLAKE

‘Welcome to my website …
I’m an independent economist, speaker, company director
and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania’

Australian Society and Politics


You can’t think (or write, or speak) about an economy without also having a sense of the broader social and economic framework in which it operates. I try very hard to avoid partisan political commentary, but I do sometimes feel moved to write or talk about social or political developments.

Distribution of GST Revenue: the Worst Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century to date.

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy | 4th February 2024

Saul Eslake: An essay about the consequences of the Morrison Government’s decision (supported by the then Labor Opposition and continued, indeed extended, by the current Albanese Labor Government) to change the way in which the revenue from the GST is carved up among Australia’s states and territories, at the behest of Australia’s richest state, Western Australia.


Reflections on ‘Australia Day’

Australian Society and Politics | 26th January 2024

I am working today, as I have done every 26th January since 1994, when then Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett (I was living in Melbourne at the time) ordained that the ‘Australia Day’ holiday would be observed on the 26th January, rather than on the Monday nearest to that date, as it had previously been for […]


Queensland Government’s doubes its First Home Owners’ Grants

Australian Society and Politics, Housing, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy, Video | 20th November 2023

Saul talks to Brisbane radio 4BC’s Bill McDonald about the Queensland Government’s decision to double its First Home Owners’ Grant 


Managing the Budget

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Economic Video, The Australian Economy | 9th August 2022

 Presentation to the John Howard Prime Ministerial Library’s 2022 Annual Conference on the theme “Analysing the crises within the Howard Government era and their management”, on 23rd June 2022


Treasurer’s Ministerial Statement on the Economy

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy | 31st July 2022

Saul talks to Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent for ABC-TV’s flagship current affairs program “7:30”, about the Treasurer’s Ministerial Statement on the Economy on 28th July. 


RBA raised rate for the third time

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy | 6th July 2022

Saul Eslake talks to Channel 9 A Current Affair’s Sebastian Costello about interest rate on the day the Reserve Bank of Australia raised rate for the third time, 5 July 2022.


A new dawn over stormy seas

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Publications, The Australian Economy | 23rd May 2022

Article commissioned by The Conversation suggesting (at the risk of ‘jumping the gun’) a way in which the new Labor Government might be able to secure a mandate for more ambitious economic reform next time around.


Who is a better economic manager?

Australian Society and Politics, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy | 21st May 2022

Saul Eslake talks to ABC RN’s Geraldine Doogue: un-picking the question of which side of politics can credibly claim to be ‘better economic managers’. The article originally published by @johnmenadue’s Pearls & Irritations is available here


SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

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Saul Eslake online presentation


“You are the best economic thinker in the country hands down”

Sheryle Bagwell, recently retired Senior Business Correspondent (and sometime Executive Producer),
ABC Radio National Breakfast


“Just want to congratulate you Saul on the unbelievably good set of slides you just presented, possibly the best I have ever seen. You have set the bar very high.”

Dr Joe Flood, Adjunct Fellow, RMIT University, Pandemicia


“Thank you very much for your excellent presentation for the Economic Society today. It is always a great pleasure to hear your eloquent, up-to-date and comprehensive talks.”

Andrew Trembath, economist, Victorian and Australian Government agencies


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WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


Productivity, Tax Reform and ‘Peak China’
Asian Economies, Economic Policies, Productivity, Taxation, The Australian Economy
13th March 2024


The Tasmanian Economy
Tasmania
29th February 2024


The worst public policy decision of the 21st Century
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview
20th February 2024


Is ‘price gouging’ a major contributor to inflation?
Recent Media Interview
19th February 2024


The massive $50bn GST revenue distribution blow out (with Andy Park)
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview
14th February 2024


The massive $50bn GST revenue distribution blow out (with Gary Adshead)
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview
14th February 2024


Tasmania’s senior secondary education reform
Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
13th February 2024


Distribution of GST Revenue: the Worst Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century to date.
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy
4th February 2024


Insights on Asian Elections 2024 mentioned in The Economist
Asian Economies
30th January 2024


Alternatives to interest rates
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
29th January 2024


Reflections on ‘Australia Day’
Australian Society and Politics
26th January 2024


‘Stage 3’ tax cuts
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
25th January 2024


The proposed changes to the “stage 3 tax cuts”
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
24th January 2024


Don’t count your chickens when it comes to an RBA rate cut
Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
23rd January 2024


Have we passed ‘peak China’?
Asian Economies
23rd January 2024


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Recent Presentations


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TESTIMONIALS

What Others Say


“You are one of the best at what you do in the world”
Gail Fosler, Chief Economist, The Conference Board, New York, December 2002

“I have never known an economist to have such a knowledge of world economic facts and to be able to bring to bear so much information in answering a question without notice”
Charles Goode, Chairman, ANZ Bank, July 2009

“Saul Eslake is … a highly regarded independent economist with the highest degree of integrity"
John Durie, Columnist, The Australian, July 2009

“… one of the few people in this world who can have so many oranges up in the air at the same time but still manage to catch them"
Andrew Clark, journalist, Australian Financial Review, November 2008

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