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.

Tasmania’s State Finances – presentation to the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Annual Conference

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Tasmania | 4th September 2024

Saul’s presentation to the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Annual Conference in Hobart on 4th September (with some concluding observations on the initial responses of Tasmania’s major political parties to the Independent Review of Tasmania’s State Finances presented on 19th August).


A ‘security blanket’ for Australian manufacturing

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Security, The Australian Economy | 26th August 2024

Saul Eslake: The Albanese Government’s signature ‘Future Made in Australia’ has a good part, which is about the transition to net zero, and a not-so-good part, which reeks of ‘manufacturing fetishism’ and an obsession with ‘security’ at the expense of other objectives.


Australian Financial Review magazine feature on ‘The Worst (Australian) Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century Thus Far’

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, The Australian Economy | 24th July 2024

The July 2024 edition of the Australian Financial Review‘s monthly magazine includes a feature article by Myriam Robin, editor of the ‘Rear Window’ column, on my ‘one-man mission’ (as she calls it) to undo what I’ve called ‘the Worst Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century Thus Far’, namely, the ‘deal’ (originally ‘done by the Morrison […]


The pros and cons of cutting immigration

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy | 7th June 2024

In the first week of June 2024, Saul Eslake spoke with the host of the ABC’s “News Daily” podcast, Samantha Hawley, about the pros and cons of proposals which have been made by both the Labor Government and the Liberal-National Opposition to cut Australia’s immigration intake (the latter by a lot more than the former).


The 2024-25 Australian Government Budget – An Assessment

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy | 15th May 2024

Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers presented his third budget to the Australian Parliament on Tuesday 14th May. Here’s my assessment – there are some things to like about it (such as the cost-of-living relief), and some things to be skeptical about (such as many, though not all, of the things being funded under the ‘Future Made […]


Upcoming Federal Budget with Laura Jayes

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, The Australian Economy | 13th May 2024

I was interviewed by Sky News Australia’s Laura Jayes about the upcoming 2024-25 Federal Budget and its potential impact (upwards and donwnwards) in inflation, and about the perversion of the system for distributing revenue from Australia’s GST to the states and territories at the behest of Australia’s richest state, Western Australia. The interview can be […]


The WA GST deal – the worst public policy decision of the 21st century thus far – Address to the National Press Club

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies | 8th May 2024

I addressed the National Press Club in Canberra, on the subject of the changes made by the Morrison Government (with the support of the then Labor Opposition) in 2018 to the distribution of revenue from the GST among the states and territories at the behest of Western Australia – which I regard as constituting the […]


‘A distinctive part of life in Australia’ The Declining Dream of Homeownership

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing | 17th April 2024

I recorded a podcast with Georgina Downer, the CEO of the Robert Menzies Institute – a prime ministerial library and museum established to honour Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, and affiliated with the University of Melbourne – about Australia’s ‘housing crisis’, and about how far Australian housing policy has moved away from the […]


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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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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LINKS

Useful Links


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

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