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.
Submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue inquiry into Housing Affordability and Supply in Australia
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing | 31st August 2021My submission to a House of Representatives Committee inquiry into housing affordability and home ownership, which recapitulates things I’ve been writing and saying about housing affordability and home ownership for the best part of four decades – without ever having really made any difference to the housing policies which governments at all levels and of […]
Tasmania’s 2021-22 State Budget
Economic Policies, Tasmania | 26th August 2021The 2021-22 Tasmanian State Budget is an uncharacteristically big-spending affair, with some $2½ billion in new spending over the next four years funded by ‘windfall gains’ from Tasmania’s share of GST revenue, and buoyant stamp duty collections, together with $500-$600 million more borrowing than had been previously envisaged – although because last year’s deficit was […]
Excerpt: Modern Monetary Theory
Economic Policies, Economics and Economists, QE & MMT, The Global Economy | 25th August 2021Login or subscribe to view the full video and presentation slides Login Subcribe Some commentators seem to think that ‘QE’ is simply a variant of, or a step along the road to, something called ‘Modern Monetary Theory’ or ‘MMT’. It isn’t: and so in the second part of this series Saul explains what MMT is […]
Video & Presentation Slides: Modern Monetary Theory
Economic Policies, Economics and Economists, The Global Economy | 25th August 2021In this webinar Saul will explain what MMT is (and what it isn’t), what the historical record shows about how it might work in practice, and what some of the results might be if it were implemented in current circumstances.
Reflections on the 2021 Intergenerational Report
Economic Policies, Taxation, The Australian Economy | 15th August 2021The 2021 IGR, released some six weeks ago, suggests that Australia will be running budget deficits for the next 40 years. But that’s only because of the quite arbitrary assumption that tax collections will remain ‘capped’ at 23.9% of GDP, forever more. There’s no reason why that should be the case.
Are skyrocketing house prices a wellness issue?
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview | 7th August 2021Saul talks to ABC Radio National’s Geraldine Doogue about the reasons for ever-escalating property prices
Bursting the Housing Bubble
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, The Australian Economy | 3rd August 2021Podcast of a discussion with Janet Ge, Associate Professor in the School of Built Environment at University of Technology, Sydney and Matt Grudnoff of the Australia Institute, a think tank, hosted by Toby Hemmings of Think: Business Futures, focussing on the consequences of and reasons for the continued escalation of Australian residential property prices.
Video & Presentation Slides: What is ‘QE’, and how does it work?
Economic Policies, Economics and Economists, QE & MMT, The Global Economy | 29th July 2021In this webinar Saul will explain exactly what ‘QE’ is, how its done, why central banks are doing it, what its intended and unintended effects are, and how long central banks might keep doing it for.
