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’

Taxation


Taxation is an important part of economic policy – not only in raising revenue for governments to spend, but also in influencing private saving, investment and spending decisions, and for affecting the distribution of income and wealth. Decisions as to what is (or isn’t taxed), and at what rate, are always controversial, and sometimes have unintended consequences.

Preferential tax breaks for small business don’t work

News, Taxation | 25th June 2020

The Australian, 24th June 2020


Labor’s policy on cash refunds for franking credits

News, Taxation | 14th March 2018

Katharine Murphy | Guardian Australia | 14th March, 2018 In mid-March 2018 the Australian Labor Party foreshadowed that, if it formed government after the next election (due in 2019) it would no longer allow ‘franking credits’ (credits which shareholders in Australian companies receive for the tax paid by companies in which they own shares, which […]


More on the taxation treatment of property investment

Housing, Publications, Taxation | 1st February 2018

Saul Eslake | Pearls and Irritations | 1st February 2018 A short article published 1st February 2018 on ‘Pearls and Irritations’, the blog curated by former Qantas CEO and Head of the Prime Minister’s Department John Menadue, prompted by the release in January of 2018 of Treasury advice to the Australian Government about the likely […]


Using super for home deposit a ‘thoroughly bad idea’: Economist Saul Eslake

Housing, News, Taxation | 11th April 2017

James-Elton Pym | SBS News | 11th April 2017 Letting young people dip into their superannuation to fund house deposits would increase buying power and drive house prices higher, the independent economist has warned. Independent economist Saul Eslake says Liberal backbenchers advocating a plan to allow young people to use their superannuation as a home […]


Negative gearing reform ‘essential’ to improve housing affordability: Saul Eslake

Housing, News, Taxation | 10th April 2017

Michael Janda |RN Breakfast ABC News | 10th April 2017 Interview with ABC Business Reporter Michael Janda on Monday 10th April 2017 Negative gearing reform ‘essential’ to improve housing affordability: Saul Eslake Scaling back negative gearing or capital gains tax concessions for property investment is “essential” to improve housing affordability for first home buyers, independent […]


Mornings Institute: How do we get companies to pay the right amount of tax?

News, Taxation | 30th March 2017

Wendy Harmer | Mornings Institute, ABC Radio Sydney | 30th March 2017 This week the so called “Google Tax” was passed into law, providing the Australian Taxation Office with some of the world’s strongest powers to fight tax evading multinational companies. Meanwhile the company tax cuts policy, which is also part of the government’s multi […]



The case for reducing the capital gain tax discount

Housing, Publications, Taxation | 7th June 2016

Article originally published in ‘Around the House’, the newsletter of Shelter NSW, a housing advocacy group, in June 2016


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

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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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