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.

Inequality, Inefficiency and Australia’s System of ‘Horizontal Fiscal Equalization’

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies | 29th August 2017

Keynote address to a Workshop on Federal Relations and Tax Reform hosted by the University of Adelaide’s School of Economics, in Adelaide on 29th August.


The 2017-18 Budget

Economic Policies, The Australian Economy | 11th May 2017

Presentation to a post-Budget breakfast hosted by accounting firm Moore Stephens in Melbourne on 11th May 2017


Fixing Australia’s budget deficit – analysis of Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison’s “Bloomberg Address”

Economic Policies, Publications | 25th August 2016

Saul Eslake | The Conversation | 25th August 2016 Scott Morrison has correctly diagnosed the problem, but needs to be flexible about solutions Federal treasurer Scott Morrison’s diagnosis of the risks and challenges confronting the Australian economy, as set out in his Bloomberg Address in Sydney, is hard to fault.Australia has become very dependent on continued […]


The Australian resources boom and its aftermath – Review of ‘Balancing Act’ by George Megalogenis

Economic Policies, Publications, The Australian Economy | 15th June 2016

Saul Eslake | Quarterly Essay | Issue No 16 2016 In reply to George Megalogenis’s Quarterly Essay, Balancing Act: Australia Between Recession and Renewal. George Megalogenis writes about today’s economy with a grasp of the broad sweep of Australian history and an awareness of the social consequences of economic performance and policy – attributes which have been […]


Lower inflation targets aren’t a good idea

Economic Policies, Publications | 17th May 2016

Article published on The Conversation website, 17th May 2016


Reflections on the 2016-17 Federal Budget

Economic Policies, Publications | 5th May 2016

Saul Eslake | The Conversation | 5th May 2016 This is a longer version of Saul Eslake’s take on the budget, on why negative gearing is still the elephant in the room for the government.Scott Morrison is very keen for his first budget to be viewed as “not just another budget” – to the point of […]


Infrastructure investment

Economic Policies | 14th August 2015

Opening Statement to the Senate Economics Committee’s Inquiry into Investment in and Planning of Infrastructure, 14th August 2015


Economic policy, Australia’s economic performance and this year’s Federal Budget

Economic Policies | 25th May 2015

Talk to Year 11 & 12 Economics Students at the Hutchins School, Hobart, 25th May 2015


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


Request Speaking Engagement


WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


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


An inter-generational perspective on wealth inequality in Australia
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Video, Housing, Taxation
16th May 2025


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


Global turmoil, tariffs and impacts on the Australian economy
Asian Economies, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy, The Global Economy, Topics
30th April 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 Federal Election 2025 Key Issues
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, Productivity, Recent Media Interview, Taxation, The Australian Economy
27th April 2025


2025 election issues – a podcast with the hosts of SBS News’ “Party Time”
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview
25th 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


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

Read more

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

Read more

LINKS

Useful Links


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

Read more