SAUL ESLAKE

Economist

SAUL ESLAKE

‘Welcome to my website …
I’m an independent economist, consultant, speaker,
and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania’

Economics and Economists


The American actor Will Rogers once said (in 1932) that “an economist’s guess is liable to be as good as anybody else’s” (click here for more jokes about economists). More seriously, Paul Krugman (a Nobel Prize winning economist who these days is probably better known for his acerbic columns in the New York Times) wrote, “Economists may make lots of bad predictions, but they do have a method – a systematic way of thinking about the world that is more true than not, that gives them genuine if imperfect expertise. That is also, of course, why lay commentators and other social scientists tend to hate them”. Some of my thoughts about my profession and its practitioners are here.

Excerpt: Modern Monetary Theory

Economic Policies, Economics and Economists, QE & MMT, The Global Economy | 25th August 2021

Login or subscribe to view the full video and presentation slides Login Subcribe Some commentators seem to think that ‘QE’ is simply a variant of, or a step along the road to, something called ‘Modern Monetary Theory’ or ‘MMT’.  It isn’t: and so in the second part of this series Saul explains what MMT is […]


Video & Presentation Slides: Modern Monetary Theory

Economic Policies, Economics and Economists, The Global Economy | 25th August 2021

In this webinar Saul will explain what MMT is (and what it isn’t), what the historical record shows about how it might work in practice, and what some of the results might be if it were implemented in current circumstances.


Video & Presentation Slides: What is ‘QE’, and how does it work?

Economic Policies, Economics and Economists, QE & MMT, The Global Economy | 29th July 2021

In this webinar Saul will explain exactly what ‘QE’ is, how its done, why central banks are doing it, what its intended and unintended effects are, and how long central banks might keep doing it for.


Why study economics?

Economics and Economists | 23rd October 2017

A short video for the Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, at the University of Tasmania


Choices, Luck and Forecasting

Economics and Economists | 18th May 2015

Address to’The Friendly Conference’, hosted by the Friends’ School, Hobart, 18th May 2015


Forecasting is more than just luck

Economics and Economists | 15th November 2014

Article published in ‘Management Today’, the magazine of the Australian Institute of Management, November 2014


Reflections on and lessons from a career as an economist

Economics and Economists, Publications | 10th November 2013

Article published in ‘Insights’, by the Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne, vol 14, Nov 2013, pp.45-51


On the Role of Economists, and Leaving Tasmania

Economics and Economists, Tasmania | 16th December 2012

Occasional Address at the University of Tasmania’s Graduation Ceremony for students of the Faculty of Commerce, 16th December 2002


SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

Speaking Engagement | Boardroom Advisory | Commissioned Report | Expert Witness



Saul Eslake spoke to Zurich Australia executives and staff at their ‘Accelerate’ conference in Sydney on 9th May 2024, covering short- and longer-term trends in major ‘advanced’ economies, China, India and Australia, with a bit of geo-politics thrown in.



“You are the best economic thinker in the country hands down”

Sheryle Bagwell, recently retired Senior Business Correspondent (and sometime Executive Producer),
ABC Radio National Breakfast


“Just want to congratulate you Saul on the unbelievably good set of slides you just presented, possibly the best I have ever seen. You have set the bar very high.”

Dr Joe Flood, Adjunct Fellow, RMIT University, Pandemicia


“Thank you very much for your excellent presentation for the Economic Society today. It is always a great pleasure to hear your eloquent, up-to-date and comprehensive talks.”

Andrew Trembath, economist, Victorian and Australian Government agencies


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VIDEO

Most Recent Multimedia


TESTIMONIALS

What Others Say


Australian Minister for Housing, the Hon. Clare O'Neill MP on ABC Q&A, September 2024

“We are lucky as a State to have an economist of your calibre willing to readily make yourself available to give us a clea r perception of where we are at and the direction we need to go for a better future”
Diplomatic Representative, August 2024

“You are one of the best at what you do in the world”
Gail Fosler, Chief Economist, The Conference Board, New York, December 2002

“I have never known an economist to have such a knowledge of world economic facts and to be able to bring to bear so much information in answering a question without notice”
Charles Goode, Chairman, ANZ Bank, July 2009

“Saul Eslake is … a highly regarded independent economist with the highest degree of integrity"
John Durie, Columnist, The Australian, July 2009

“… one of the few people in this world who can have so many oranges up in the air at the same time but still manage to catch them"
Andrew Clark, journalist, Australian Financial Review, November 2008

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WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


“Hiding in Plain Sight” – $180 billion of spending over four years.
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, The Australian Economy, Topics
11th November 2024


‘Tasmanian Money Matters’ – Tasmania’s Economy and Public Finances
Economic Policies, Tasmania
3rd October 2024


Challenges and Opportunities for Australian Agriculture
Commodities, The Australian Economy
1st October 2024


Negative Gearing
Economic Policies, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview, Taxation
26th September 2024


Will Anthony Albanese succeed where Bill Shorten failed in making changes to the taxation treatment of property investment?
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, Taxation
26th September 2024


‘Super for housing’ is a souped-up first home owners grants scheme – and it won’t help any more than first home owners grants have
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing
24th September 2024


‘Super for Housing’ – a Thoroughly Bad Idea
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, The Australian Economy, Topics
19th September 2024


A ‘path back to surplus’ for the Tasmanian Budget? Not really
Tasmania
17th September 2024


What’s happening in the economy – nationally and in Tasmania
Economic Policies, Tasmania, The Australian Economy
13th September 2024


Tasmania’s State Budget 2024 – 2025 with Leon Compton
News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
13th September 2024


Tasmania’s 2024-25 State Budget – an Assessment
Economic Policies, Tasmania
12th September 2024


Solutions to Australia’s Housing Crisis
Australian Society and Politics, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview
11th September 2024


Tasmania’s State Finances – presentation to the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Annual Conference
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Tasmania
4th September 2024


LINKS

Useful Links


Below is a list of links I’ve found useful under the following broad topics

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