Weekly roundup Saturday 20 May
What to do about housing?
Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.
The budget
Fiscally it continues the Howard “small government” tradition. Its economic approach, however, is more responsible than the Coalition’s, because it starts to address structural reform. The Coalition’s response – Dutton missed an opportunity to present an economic policy. Economists’ response – high marks. The public response – mostly harmless.
Housing
How accounting cosmetics have driven dumb housing policy. The Business Council of Australia puts it simply: we need more housing. The slow rise of build-to-rent. Why we need lemons laws for housing.
Other economics
Well-being – young people are doing it tough. Journalists are amazed to learn that we all live in regions. Infrastructure waste – Inland rail (Coalition), Hobart stadium (Labor). Why the US banking system is fragile.
Politics
Dutton blows the dog whistle. Martyn Goddard asks what will replace the Liberal Party. The Centre for Public Integrity exposes shortfalls in integrity: Labor is doing worse than the Coalition in some areas. China, Iran and Saudi Arabia are keeping the global death penalty numbers high.
Public ideas
Two contributions on the demise of neoliberalism and the order likely to follow.
Gordon Lightfoot – 1938-2023
Links to sources of webinars, podcasts and readings
If you have comments, corrections, or links to other relent sources, I’d like to hear from you. Please send them to Ian McAuley — ian, at the domain name ianmcauley.com
