Weekly roundup Saturday 29 June
Why aren’t there more customers?
Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.
The Coalition’s nuclear fantasies
Dutton couldn’t have picked a worse time to launch his nuclear policy. Economists and industry experts fill in the blank spaces – it’s even worse than it looked at first sight. The public are sceptical about the Coalition’s ideas and are enthusiastic about renewables, but they still need the assurance that the government’s plan will deliver low-cost and reliable energy. The Coalition’s not really serious about nuclear power: their aim is to confuse, to discredit the government, to appease climate-change deniers, and to delay the adoption of renewables so that fossil fuels have to fill the gap.
Immigration policy
Do we really have an immigration policy, or are we just muddling through without considering the hard choices we have to make? How we have allowed migrants to become victims of wage theft
Other economics
The government has measures to bring supermarkets into line, but are we too loyal to Coles and Woolworths, and we aren’t behaving in ways that economists expect: we’re leaving money on the table to be grabbed by the big supermarkets. How the media consistently misunderstand CPI data: that four percent inflation figure is a misinterpretation and the RBA should actually be considering a rate cut to stave off a recession.
Oher politics
Assange is back, but the issues of press freedom, the extraterritorial reach of national laws, and our reaction to authoritarian behaviour in the US and the UK are no closer to resolution. Why Dutton’s nuclear fantasies increase the urgency of real-time disclosure of political donations. Four comrades discuss the fortunes of Australia’s left.
Public ideas
George Monbiot on neoliberalism, democracy and much more. How it takes a conscious effort to develop political ignorance. Ideas for a public broadcaster in a post-truth era.
Winter
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
