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The future of state governments?
In a speech 3 days ago, former Prime Minister Bob Hawke recommended that Australia should abolish its state governments.The speech was widely reported – see, for example, The Australian’s coverage here. Hawke argued that state borders were “bloody absurd” and that Australia would be governed more effectively with only two levels of government (federal and […]
Parkinson on tax reform
In a speech yesterday at the McKell Institute, Martin Parkinson – the incoming head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (and former head of Treasury, as well as a distinguished graduate of the University of Adelaide’s School of Economics) – noted the importance of tax reform and, in particular, the need for careful […]
GST to 15%?
There is considerable media speculation that the Federal government is considering raising the GST rate to 15% and possibly broadening its base in return for personal tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners. An example of this speculation can be found here. It is claimed that this scenario is one of the options under consideration […]
Commsec down on SA economy
Commsec’s latest State of the States report (released today and available at State of the States) marks SA 7th (behind only Tasmania) on economic performance. On the dimensions taken into account in Commsec’s rankings, SA ranks best (3rd) on population growth and equipment investment, but ranks 7th on economic growth and retail trade.
Improving regulation of natural monopolies
In my recent article in the ACCC’s Network magazine (“What would an efficient regulatory contract look like?”, available here), I argue that Australia’s current regulatory system for natural monopolies (such as electricity, gas and water networks) is in need of fundamental reform, because it does not serve the long-term interests of consumers very well at […]
Economics research sometimes macabre, but valuable too!
In my most recent Company Director column (“How long should a CEO stay?, available here), I reported that economists’ research shows that, in general, CEOs should not stay in their roles for more than 8-12 years. This finding reflects the trade-off between the incremental benefits and incremental costs to shareholders of longer CEO tenures. Of […]
Progressive social and economic reform through income-contingent loans
Tonight, the School of Economics hosts the 2015 Joseph Fisher Lecture. The annual Joseph Fisher Lecture is given by an eminent economist and focuses on a key policy issue(s). Tonight’s lecture will be delivered by Professor Bruce Chapman. Bruce was a lecturer in our School early in his career; he is currently Professor of Economics […]
Should South Australians Really be “Down in the Mouth”?
The South Australian Centre for Economic Studies recently published the first of four papers in its Economic Issues series. The series reviews South Australia’s historical macroeconomic performance and attempts to highlight sustainable comparative advantages. The first paper sets the scene with a review of the state’s macroeconomic performance over the last two decades; it is available […]
Where to from here for South Australia?
The South Australian Centre for Economic Studies recently published the second paper in its Economic Issues series. This latest paper examines the prospects for growth through a more detailed examination of the state’s manufacturing sector, including the role that the state government can play in assisting the potential to be realised; it is available at: Where […]
Need for tax reform
A new report by Deloitte Access Economic, cited in today’s Advertiser (“A better mix for tax system”, p.51), echoes the case for tax reform that Christopher Findlay and I made in our recent article in The Australian (available at: Cut costly stamp duties, company taxes with an efficient land levy). In that article, we proposed […]
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