Australian Society and Politics
You can’t think (or write, or speak) about an economy without also having a sense of the broader social and economic framework in which it operates. I try very hard to avoid partisan political commentary, but I do sometimes feel moved to write or talk about social or political developments.
WA GST deal adds $6bn to federal budget deficit
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News | 3rd October 2025The Australian also has a good article by Paul Garvey (who, it’s worth noting, is based in Perth) about the WA GST deal on 1st October 2025
Carving up the revenue from the GST – an in-depth discussion of ‘The Worst Australian Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century Thus Far’
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview | 2nd October 2025I had a long conversation with the host of ABC Radio’s “Nightlife” program, Philip Clark, about the way in which the distribution of GST revenue among Australia’s states and territories has been perverted by the desire of Federal politicians (from both sides of the aisle) to win votes and seats from Australia’s richest state, Western […]
The Albanese Government’s expanded home deposit guarantee scheme
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, Recent Media Interview | 25th August 2025Saul talks to ABC News Channel’s Cath Robinson about the Government’s expanded deposit guarantee scheme which will allow more first home buyers to purchase homes with deposits of as little as 5% of the purchase price, without needing to take out lenders’ mortgage insurance.
Another hung parliament solves nothing about Tasmania’s dire fiscal position
Australian Society and Politics, Tasmania | 21st July 2025Op-ed published in the Australian Financial Review 0n 20th July 2025, about the outcome of the Tasmanian state election held the previous day.
A podcast about “The Worst Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century Thus Far” – the corruption of the arrangements for distributing revenue from the GST among Australia’s states and territories
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview | 27th June 2025Saul’s interview with ‘The Wire‘ about what I’ve called ‘The Worst Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century Thus Far” – the corruption, at the behest of Australia’s richest state (Western Australia) of the principles which have governed the distribution of financial assistance from the Australian Federal Government to the states and territories since the […]
An agenda for tax reform
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Taxation | 22nd June 2025On 22nd and 23rd June, John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations blog published (in two parts) Saul’s article about options that ideally should be on Australian Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers’ table as he considers how tax reform could contribute to two of the challenges he highlighted in his address to the National Press Club on 10th […]
Tasmania’s next government needs to have credible plans to return the budget to a cash surplus and reduce debt
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Tasmania | 17th June 2025Unfunded pork-barrelling accounts for more than three-quarters of the increase in Tasmania’s ‘general government’ net debt between 2017-18 and the forecast for 2027-28. During the campaign for the election to be held on 19th July (the third in four years, the fourth in seven) someone needs to say, echoing Kevin Rudd during the 2007 Federal […]
Inequality in the Distribution of Wealth – An Inter-Generational Perspective
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Taxation | 5th June 2025Article published by Inside Story and Pearls and Irritations in June 2025 , based on Saul’s talk to the Business Breakfast hosted by the Tasmanian Division of the Salvantion Army on 19th May 2025 for the launch of their Annual Red Shield Appeal.