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’

Economic Policies


The Nobel Prize winning economist James Tobin once said that the study of economics “offered the hope, as it still does, that improved understanding could better the lot of mankind”. One of the ways in which it does this is through the implementation of economic policy that helps to ameliorate boom-and-bust cycles, reduces unemployment, contains inflation or lifts people’s living standards in sustainable ways.

The treasurer ‘made the right call’ to recalibrate Coalition’s fiscal strategy

Economic Policies, News | 4th October 2020

Pre-budget interview on Sky News Australia with Sharri Markson, 4th October 2020


My ‘Dream Budget’

Economic Policies | 4th October 2020

The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age newspapers’ senior economics writer last week asked five economists their views as to what should and shouldn’t be in this week’s 2020-21 Federal Budget. Her article was published on Sunday here. As unavoidably happens in these circumstances, Jessica was only able to use a small part of each […]


The impact of Covid-19 on government finances

Economic Policies, The Australian Economy | 17th September 2020

Prepared remarks for Medicines Australia’s PharmAus20 Digital Forum panel discussion, 17th September 2020- Session 4


Tasmania’s tax system is broken: here are three ways to fix it

Economic Policies, Publications, The Australian Economy | 15th September 2020

Saul Eslake | The Conversation | 15th September 2020


Why I changed my mind about compulsory super

Economic Policies | 11th September 2020

Article published on Inside Story, 11th September 2020


Shift economic policy from survival towards growth and rebuilding

Economic Policies, Publications | 1st September 2020

Interview published in Governance Directions, the magazine of the Governance Institute of Australia (which is the professional association in Australia for company secretaries, risk managers and other governance professionals)  


Youth Unemployment – what, and what not, to do about it

Economic Policies, The Australian Economy | 24th August 2020

Remarks to a panel discussion at the Youth Futures (Virtual) Summit hosted by the National Youth Commission of Australia on Monday 24th August 2020


A (very brief) radio piece on ‘Modern Monetary Theory’

Economic Policies, News | 27th July 2020

Interview with ABC Radio National’s Senior Business Correspondent Sheryle Bagwell about ‘Modern Monetary Theory’ on Monday 21st 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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WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


Another hung parliament solves nothing about Tasmania’s dire fiscal position
Australian Society and Politics, Tasmania
21st July 2025


The Economies of Asia, Australia and New Zealand
Asian Economies, The Global Economy
10th July 2025


A podcast about “The Worst Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century Thus Far” – the corruption of the arrangements for distributing revenue from the GST among Australia’s states and territories
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview
27th June 2025


Tasmania’s public finances – a comparison with other states and territories in eight charts
Economic Policies, Tasmania
25th June 2025


An agenda for tax reform
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Taxation
22nd June 2025


The Economic Consequences of Mr Trump – for the US, and for Australia
Economic Policies, The Australian Economy, The Global Economy
18th June 2025


Tasmania’s next government needs to have credible plans to return the budget to a cash surplus and reduce debt
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Tasmania
17th June 2025


The World and Australian Economies in a Nutshell – Presentation to 2025 All Actuaries Summit
Productivity, The Australian Economy, The Global Economy
12th June 2025


Inequality in the Distribution of Wealth – An Inter-Generational Perspective
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Taxation
5th June 2025


Tasmanian Government Privatisation Assessment – ‘Stage One’ Report
Economic Policies, Tasmania, Topics
1st June 2025


Tasmania’s 2025-26 State Budget puts the main task off to another day
Economic Policies, Tasmania
29th May 2025


Is the United States about to step over a dangerous financial precipice?
Economic Policies, News, The Global Economy
24th May 2025


Government’s proposal to increase the tax on superannuation
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, Taxation
22nd May 2025


The funding of greyhound racing in Tasmania
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Tasmania
22nd May 2025


Victoria’s profligacy is a problem for all of us
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, The Australian Economy
20th May 2025


NEWS

TV, Radio & Print Media


Is the United States about to step over a dangerous financial precipice?
Economic Policies, News, The Global Economy | 24th May 2025

Government’s proposal to increase the tax on superannuation
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, Taxation | 22nd May 2025

Victoria’s profligacy is a problem for all of us
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, The Australian Economy | 20th May 2025

Labor should use its second victory as a platform for ambitious reform
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News | 5th May 2025

The two worrying trends revealed in Australia’s AAA warning
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, The Australian Economy | 30th April 2025

Australia’s ‘housing crisis’ – and how (and why) both major political parties plan to make it worse
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview | 19th April 2025

Housing Policies Could Push Up Prices
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview | 17th April 2025

Housing policies in the 2025 election
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, News | 17th April 2025

Bad Housing Policy (yet again?)
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview, Taxation | 14th April 2025

There must be an election on – both major parties are proposing policies which will push up house prices
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, News, Publications, Taxation | 13th April 2025

Tariffs, Global Economics, and the Future of Trade Policies
Economic Policies, Globalization, News, The Global Economy, US Economy Video | 8th April 2025

Stocks bloodbath: Why investors no longer think Trump can make America great again
Economic Policies, News, The Global Economy | 7th April 2025

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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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LINKS

Useful Links


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

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