Weekly roundup Saturday 11 May

Woman

Another 1,199,800 to go

Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.

Economics

How can a fragmented low-productivity construction industry build 1.2 million homes? Have we noticed that our unemployment benefits are now meaner than America’s? A (slightly) fairer deal for university graduates and students. It’s official – we’re all discontented – but it’s not clear why. The Reserve Bank’s wonderful virtual world, where highly-educated economists are fixated on a figure from the ABS. Pre-budget musings: the Reserve Bank has made Chalmers so frightened that at best we can expect a Labor-lite budget.

Politics

Australia scores poorly on press freedom and whistleblower protection. In spite of all the publicity about crime, people know Australia is really a very safe country, which is why Coalition scare campaigns fail. How the government has become so tough on refugees that the Coalition has attacked it from the left. Rex Patrick on sausages and laws.

Public ideas

Mariana Mazzucato on moonshots. Ross Gittins on ethics. Claudia Forsberg on life without social media.

Ode to joy

If you have comments, corrections, or links to other relevant sources, I’d like to hear from you. Please send them to Ian McAuley — ian, at the domain name ianmcauley.com