Weekly roundup Saturday 23 May
Settings right: building for first home buyers
Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.
The budget and the hysterical reaction
Australia is still struggling with low taxes: We’re trying to squeeze economically justifiable demands for public expenditure into an ideologically-constrained tax base.
A budget for “aspirational” Australians: But these are not the same “aspirationals” Howard had in mind.
Changes to capital gains taxes should benefit investors in shares: Ignore the “influencers” and the Coalition because the tax changes make shares a better vehicle for small investors.
Small business complaints: Mostly a scare campaign reinforced by uninformed journalists, but there are resolvable issues with startups.
Taxing tobacco: There have to be better ways than caving in to criminals.
Other economics
Wages are not moving: Real wages are barely above their level when the Albanese government came to office.
The World Bank gives an OK to industrial policy: That’s a huge ideological conversion.
Politics
Parties and their supporters: Labor and the Coalition move further apart, while polls reveal big differences in the beliefs and values of Labor, One Nation and Coalition supporters.
Post-budget polls: People don’t like the budget, but they support its specific measures.
Immigration: The Coalition’s hard line on immigration has distanced itself from everyone except for One Nation supporters..
A less reported by-election: Stafford – bad for Labor, but no gain for the Coalition.
Trends in crime: Promising data on victimization rates.
Public ideas
One damn theory after another: A historical account of macroeconomics, focussed on policymakers’ attachments to dysfunctional ideas.
Musical productivity
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
