Category Archives: Budget

Of razor gangs, budget cuts and the policy mix

Posted on November 18, 2011 by

In the Channel Nine series Underbelly Razor – as in real life – Sydney’s criminal matriarch Tilly Devine did not hesitate to wield the razor to keep her motley empire in line and protect it against incursion by rival gangs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Gillard Government, Global Financial Crisis, Interest Rates, Mining Boom, Reserve Bank | Leave a comment

Euro zone a car crash: best keep your eyes on the road

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

You know how most of the traffic created by a car crash is not the crash itself, but everyone slowing down to have a rubberneck? Well, the same thing can happen with economies. And fair enough, the unfolding car crash … Continue reading →

Posted in Banks, Budget, Currency, Employment, Gillard Government, Global Financial Crisis, Interest Rates, Mining Boom, Reserve Bank | 1 Comment

Trouble keeping up with Euro woes? Get used to it.

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

Mamma Mia. Where are those happy days? They seem so hard to find. The Greek tragi-comedic musical continues to play on continuous loop. Leading characters are still struggling to sing from the same song sheet, emitting only a discordant jumble … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Global Financial Crisis, Interest Rates | Leave a comment

Tony Abbott-o-nomics, or not…

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

Economics textbooks are hefty objects. Many a kinked neck and curved spine have resulted from children being forced to lug such weighty tomes between school and home. Whether many students manage to read and absorb the often turgid contents of … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Climate change, Gillard Government, Global Financial Crisis, Mining Boom, Tax | 4 Comments

Super tax concessions not so super

Posted on October 3, 2011 by

To all the baby boomers out there nursing wounded retirement nest eggs and having to work into your dotage, my sympathies. But spare a thought for future generations. Looks like we’ll be working even longer, not to mention paying higher … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Employment, Irvine Index, Tax | 3 Comments

Opponents of mining tax outnumbered 2 to 1

Posted on September 26, 2011 by

THE majority of Australians support the idea of a mining tax, with supporters outnumbering opponents almost two to one, according to a new survey to be released today (19/09/2011).

Posted in Budget, Gillard Government, Mining Boom, Tax | Leave a comment

So where does all our money go?

Posted on September 12, 2011 by

Short of rifling through neighbours’ rubbish bins, there is no better way to compare what your household spends with the rest of Australia than the Bureau of Statistics’ survey of household expenditure released this week. Conducted every six years, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Housing | 1 Comment

How would an Australian sovereign wealth fund work?

Posted on September 12, 2011 by

The Reserve Bank Governor, Glenn Stevens, has described the boom in prices for Australia’s commodity exports as the biggest gift to this nation since the 1850s gold rush. But lately, more Australians seem inclined to look this particular gift horse … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Gillard Government, Mining Boom | Leave a comment

Government budgets are not like household budgets

Posted on August 31, 2011 by

Reckon you could run the federal government’s budget? Would you balance the books, stop the reckless spending and pay off the debt? Think again. Government budgets are not like household budgets. If you could run your household budget under the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Gillard Government, Global Financial Crisis | 4 Comments

US credit rating downgrade explained

Posted on August 8, 2011 by

PERHAPS the most confusing thing about the first-ever downgrade to the credit rating of the United States government is the way it simultaneously says everything, and nothing, about the future of the world economy. In simple terms, a country’s credit … Continue reading →

Posted in Banks, Budget, Gillard Government, Interest Rates, Mining Boom, Reserve Bank | 9 Comments