Can we fix housing?

Decades of policy decisions have strangled construction productivity, making housing increasingly unaffordable in Australia.

Hot Take: A hawkish cut

The RBA has cautiously cut rates, but was it a mistake? Implications for the federal election and a warning from America.

Don't nationalise Rex, A blow for democracy, Will Trump tariff Australia, Beating megafires, and When billionaires feud

The Albanese government dropped a policy bomb on Sunday: a complete ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing established homes for two years. I would write something about it, but I already did when Dutton proposed the same policy a couple of weeks ago. TL;DR: it's

How to lose a state election

Western Australia's upcoming election promises bigger subsidies for roads and rail, but unchecked spending fuels congestion, rewards sprawl, and leaves taxpayers with the bill.

Closing the gap by making it larger

Or how to hurt the very people you claim you're trying to help.

Rate cuts may not help Albo, Cost of living still elevated, We need fiscal rules, and Australia doesn't deserve a sovereign wealth fund.

Sometime this week US President Trump is set to unveil reciprocal tariffs "that match the duties imposed by other countries". Australia has very few tariffs left these days and has had a trade agreement with the US since 2005, so presumably won't be targeted (the agricultural

The Mar-a-Lago Accord

Could a global currency accord be Trump's tariff end-game?

More on Trump's tariffs, Albo's upper class welfare, Dutton's housing gimmick, Canada's pain, Australia's challenges, and why are so many of us disabled

The fallout from the first Trump 2.0 tariffs has continued into the week, with the latest casualty (other than global equities) being the risky crypto that had been bid up on what was 'supposed' to be a market-friendly Trump government: Crypto and equities subsequently rebounded a little

Hot Take: The dumbest trade war in history

Trump's tariffs on Canada and Mexico are a case of self-flagellation—hurting consumers, exporters, and US credibility with no real gains.

AI's Sputnik moment

Has DeepSeek ignited an AI arms race that will reshape productivity and investment worldwide?

Hot Take: Rate cuts are coming soon

The December quarter CPI inflation data were softer than expected.

Albanese's future, making housing less affordable, King Dollar, the demise of Britain, and there is no AI moat

An Australia-wide long weekend kicks off tomorrow, and between the Perth Rugby Sevens tournament and Australia Day festivities I'm not going to have all that much time for the usual reading and writing. So the next time you'll hear from me will probably be in the

Elections

Hot Take: Trump's first day

US President Donald Trump has already signed a hundred executive orders with wide-ranging implications, including for Australia.

Migration

Striking a balance on immigration

Australia should prioritise skilled migrants by using prices and incentives instead of queues and quotas.

Employment

Hot Take: The labour market keeps on trucking

Strong labour force data in December have all but ruled out a February rate cut.

Barriers to nuclear, the tradie shortage, trade-offs still matter, the deal of the century, and don't fire the bureaucrats

For whatever reason I've read more than the usual amount of interesting content over the past week, so here's another post replete with my thoughts on several topical issues. Nuclear is easier said than done In somewhat of a cautionary tale for Peter Dutton's

Reform

Time for reform, censorship and good intentions, how California mismanaged its fires, and the housing target is a bust

I trust everyone had a lovely weekend, or for those just getting back into the office, a wonderful summer break! The people want reform The Pew Research Centre released the results of its latest survey measuring the "support for changing the current economic system" across 36 countries: "

Tax

Why I'm sour on a sugar tax

A sugary drink tax will do more harm than good.

Inflation

Hot Take: November's inflation and the RBA's dilemma

Inflation cooled in November, with implications for interest rates.

Canada

Hot Take: The end of Trudeau

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned. The Albanese government could learn a thing or two about how it all went so wrong.

Housing

Getting serious about housing, ending the Future Fund, the latest bird flu, just tell the truth, and lessons from the NBN

I trust everyone's nice and refreshed from the summer break! Lots of interesting things to discuss today, starting with some positive-sounding housing policy news from NSW. Potentially good news on housing The NSW government and the opposition are getting serious about housing: "NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman

Hot Takes

Hot Take: The Aussie dollar's fresh lows

The Australian dollar's slide to fresh lows reflects complex global and domestic forces, with implications for trade, competitiveness, and economic policy.

Inflation

A troubling economic scenario

As Australia grapples with its post-pandemic recovery, the principal macro challenge remains inflation.

Blowing the boom, eurosclerosis, China's decline, why Nvidia is American, beware the dunkelflaute, limits to AI, and the brain drain

Most readers of Aussienomics are probably still busy soaking up the Australian summer rather than looking for interesting tidbits in their inboxes. But for those of you still checking your emails, here are a few of my thoughts on some of the essays, papers and news I've read