Weekly roundup Saturday 20 September
Where’s the conflict between farming and windmills?
Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.
Economics
Climate change: We learn about its risks to Australia and the government commits to an “ambitious but achievable” 2035 target.
What has happened to superannuation tax reform? The reforms are still on the table with some tweaks, but they don’t address the big inequities in superannuation.
Sussan Ley’s address to CEDA: It was a predictable speech on fiscal management but it had nothing to say about the more important aspects of economic policy.
Measuring Australia’s progress: Statisticians are back on the job.
Politics
The Coalition’s appetite for self-destruction: The Coalition’s loss of urban seats has left it with an unrepresentative parliamentary base, nostalgic about Australia of the postwar era.
Pressures on poublic interest journalism: In their own ways Rupert Murdoch and Anthony Albanese are both weakening public interest journalism
Islamophobia in Australia: There is more offensive behaviour directed against Muslims in Australia than we like to admit. Cultural change is called for.
Political language in Australia: The 124-year death of “White Australia” revealed in changing political language.
Charlie Kirk’s murder: Is this a re-run of the burning of the Reichstag?
Public ideas
Our democracy is more fragile than we think: As we observe Trump’s assault on democratic institutions we naively think it wouldn’t happen here. But it could.
Global demographics: Why are we worried about immigration when so many other countries are worried about declining populations?
Exuberant Indian Australians
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
