Failed privatisations haunt Australian taxpayers

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MB has long argued that most of Australia’s privatisations have delivered anti-competitive outcomes and embedded private monopolies, which has harmed consumers and taxpayers.

Our politicians embraced this agenda because it delivered the illusion of lowering taxes and public debt (in the short term) by shifting monopoly ownership from public to private hands.

Politicians also made the mistaken assumption that private ownership would result in more efficient outcomes, which has proven wrong in most cases.

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.