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’

The Australian Economy


Australia hasn’t had a recession – in the widely used sense of two or more consecutive quarters of negative real GDP growth – since 1991. Since then, Australia’s ranking among nations in terms of per capita GDP has risen from 22nd to, in the last four years, either 12th or 13th, behind only the United States, Norway, Switzerland and a number of other smaller states which are predominantly either oil producers or financial centres. Australia’s economic performance reflects a combination of luck and management – the relative importance and quality of which have varied significantly from time to time. Monitoring the performance of and analysing the prospects for the Australian economy has been the major part of my ‘day job’ since I completed my university degree in 1979.

The risks of recessions in Europe, the US and Australia

Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy, The Global Economy | 13th July 2022

Saul talks to Alan Kohler about the risks of recessions in Europe, the US and Australia stemming from the combination of sharply higher energy prices and higher interest rates, 13th July 2022.  And now, here’s Saul Eslake, independent economist. Well, Saul, is it even possible for Australia to have a recession with the labour […]


RBA raised rate for the third time

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy | 6th July 2022

Saul Eslake talks to Channel 9 A Current Affair’s Sebastian Costello about interest rate on the day the Reserve Bank of Australia raised rate for the third time, 5 July 2022.


Global economic trends affecting the Australian wine industry

The Australian Economy, The Global Economy | 27th June 2022

Presentation to the 18th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference in Adelaide, 27th June 2022  


What the Reserve Bank is trying to achieve now

Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy | 22nd June 2022

Saul talks to ABC Radio National’s “RN Breakfast” presenter Patricia Karvelas about what the Reserve Bank is trying to achieve now that it is raising interest rates sooner and more quickly than it had foreshadowed throughout last year.


A new dawn over stormy seas

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Publications, The Australian Economy | 23rd May 2022

Article commissioned by The Conversation suggesting (at the risk of ‘jumping the gun’) a way in which the new Labor Government might be able to secure a mandate for more ambitious economic reform next time around.


Who is a better economic manager?

Australian Society and Politics, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy | 21st May 2022

Saul Eslake talks to ABC RN’s Geraldine Doogue: un-picking the question of which side of politics can credibly claim to be ‘better economic managers’. The article originally published by @johnmenadue’s Pearls & Irritations is available here


Monash University Indonesia and XSPI webinar

Asian Economies, The Australian Economy | 17th May 2022

Saul’s presentation to a webinar hosted by Monash University Indonesia and XSPI on 17th May 2022 looking at lessons from the pandemic for Australia and Indonesia.  


Why Reserve Bank needs to raise rates next week

Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy | 28th April 2022

Saul talked with The Conversation’s Chief Political Correspondent Michelle Grattan on 27th April about this week’s much bigger-than-expected March quarter inflation data, and its implications for next week’s RBA Board meeting and for the current election campaign.


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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WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


‘Super for Housing’ – a Thoroughly Bad Idea
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, The Australian Economy, Topics
19th September 2024


A ‘path back to surplus’ for the Tasmanian Budget? Not really
Tasmania
17th September 2024


What’s happening in the economy – nationally and in Tasmania
Economic Policies, Tasmania, The Australian Economy
13th September 2024


Tasmania’s State Budget 2024 – 2025 with Leon Compton
News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
13th September 2024


Tasmania’s 2024-25 State Budget – an Assessment
Economic Policies, Tasmania
12th September 2024


Solutions to Australia’s Housing Crisis
Australian Society and Politics, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview
11th September 2024


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


All about inflation
Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
31st August 2024


Inflation and the prospects for cuts in Australian interest rates
News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
30th August 2024


A podcast about the Independent Review of Tasmania’s State Finances
Economic Policies, News, Tasmania
29th August 2024


‘Price-gouging’ and ‘profiteering’ haven’t been major contributors to Australian inflation
Economic Policies, News, The Australian Economy
26th August 2024


A ‘security blanket’ for Australian manufacturing
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Security, The Australian Economy
26th August 2024


Media Interview: Independent Review of Tasmania’s State Finances with Steve Cannane
News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
20th August 2024


LINKS

Useful Links


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

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