SAUL ESLAKE

Economist

SAUL ESLAKE

‘Welcome to my website …
I’m an independent economist, consultant, speaker,
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.


Some initial reflections on the outcome of the 2024 Tasmanian State election

Australian Society and Politics, Tasmania | 24th March 2024

Some initial reflections on the Tasmanian election results (based on figures posted on the Tasmanian Electoral Commission website as of 9am Sunday morning, 24th March). First, the Liberals were the biggest losers at the election. Their share of the primary vote fell by 12.0 pc pts, the second-largest swing against them ever recorded (exceeded only […]


Tasmania’s fiscal position

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania | 24th March 2024

Saul Eslake talks to ABC Radio Hobart’s “Mornings” presenter Leon Compton about the condition of Tasmania’s budget and public finances, and what the impact of the spending promises made by the contenders in the 23 March election might mean for those.


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. 


SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

Speaking Engagement | Boardroom Advisory | Commissioned Report | Expert Witness



Saul Eslake spoke to Zurich Australia executives and staff at their ‘Accelerate’ conference in Sydney on 9th May 2024, covering short- and longer-term trends in major ‘advanced’ economies, China, India and Australia, with a bit of geo-politics thrown in.



“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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VIDEO

Most Recent Multimedia


TESTIMONIALS

What Others Say


Australian Minister for Housing, the Hon. Clare O'Neill MP on ABC Q&A, September 2024

“We are lucky as a State to have an economist of your calibre willing to readily make yourself available to give us a clea r perception of where we are at and the direction we need to go for a better future”
Diplomatic Representative, August 2024

“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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WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


Tasmania’s Public Finances
& the Independent Review of Tasmania’s State Finances (Aug, 2024)

Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
14th February 2025


Interest Rate Outlook 2025
Economic Video, The Australian Economy
12th February 2025


The Economic Consequences of Mr Trump
Economic Policies, The Global Economy
29th January 2025


Widening the Gap – An Intergenerational Lens on Wealth Inequality in Australia
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, The Australian Economy
12th December 2024


How Victoria became one of Australia’s ‘poor states’
Economic Policies, News, Publications, The Australian Economy
25th November 2024


Elections and economies – the US and Australia
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy, The Global Economy
23rd November 2024


Opening Statement to Senate Select Committee on the Tasmanian Freight Equalization Scheme
Economic Policies, Tasmania
13th November 2024


“Hiding in Plain Sight” – $180 billion of spending over four years.
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy, Topics
11th November 2024


‘Tasmanian Money Matters’ – Tasmania’s Economy and Public Finances
Economic Policies, Tasmania
3rd October 2024


Challenges and Opportunities for Australian Agriculture
Commodities, The Australian Economy
1st October 2024


Negative Gearing
Economic Policies, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview, Taxation
26th September 2024


Will Anthony Albanese succeed where Bill Shorten failed in making changes to the taxation treatment of property investment?
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, Taxation
26th September 2024


‘Super for housing’ is a souped-up first home owners grants scheme – and it won’t help any more than first home owners grants have
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing
24th September 2024


LINKS

Useful Links


Below is a list of links I’ve found useful under the following broad topics

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