Weekly roundup Saturday 15 June
Dutton re-ignites the climate war
Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.
Politics
Duttonr’s campaign to oust Immigration Minister Giles is a cover for his own failures in that portfolio. How Dutton uses the Gaza war as another opportunity to set Australian against Australian. Polls show rising support for the Coalition but it’s far too little to get them into government. Frydenberg’s cameo reappearance on the electoral stage. Vale Raymond Steele Hall, a Liberal politician with principles.
GDP, inflation and incomes
GDP growth is slow but in line with expectations for an economy weakened by decades of economic mismanagement, exposing a severe problem in income and wealth distribution (stop calling it a “cost of living” crisis). The RBA would accept that inflation is now in its two to three percent comfort zone, if it looked in the right places. Wages are up a little, but there won’t be a significant rise until our productivity improves.
Other economics
Dutton re-ignites the climate war as a way to drive investors from Australia. How the pandemic made Australia a more unequal country. What traffic jams on the Tullamarine Freeway has to do with John Howard’s cronyism.
Public ideas
The erosion of civility in the public sphere. How anti-democratic authoritarians are winning. The ideas of Karl Polanyi, the economic philosopher who predicted the great transformation of our time.
Celtic music for a long winter’s night
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
