Essays

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

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.

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.

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

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 exemptions were inserted to protect US farmers, not Australian).

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

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:

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

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

The December quarter CPI inflation data were softer than expected.