Australian budget

The Penington Institute’s CEO, John Ryan, says cannabis has become an integral part of the criminal economy, and he contends that the drug is a health problem rather than a law and order problem.

In January, The AFR reported that plans to triple foreign investment fees for purchases of established homes and to double the vacancy fee for homes that overseas investors own could breach double-taxation agreements with eight countries, including India.

Since the day that former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made the “captain’s call” to announce the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project, it has never stacked up economically or socially.

Shane Wright has given us another warning of the tax iceberg in the water dead ahead. At the end of the day, the simple question is: What do we (as in our governments) do?

In March, the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) released research showing that bracket creep will quickly eat away at the upcoming Stage 3 tax cuts.

With the Coalition hoping to win back women voters at the next election, deputy Nationals leader Perin Davey says the idea of income splitting between partners has merit.

Justin Fabo at Antipodean Macro has done a great job illustrating the deterioration in NSW’s budget outlook following Tuesday’s State Budget: As shown above, NSW’s general government operating balances are now expected to be in deficit over the forward estimates to 2027-28.

Victoria is easily the nation’s most indebted state with the lowest credit rating.

A Senate inquiry has demanded a slew of new regulations governing the federal government’s use of consultants.

The 2021 Intergenerational Report (IGR) contained the following fantastical chart showing that each primary skilled migrant delivers $319,000 in net benefits to the Australian government, whereas every other permanent visa class (comprising more than 60% of the intake) costs the government money on average: There were some important caveats to this analysis.

Independent economist Tarric Brooker coined the term “burnout economics” to describe the situation where the RBA’s efforts to slow the economy via interest rates are undone by governments pumping demand via fiscal stimulus.

Labor’s Industry Minister, Ed Husic, told The Australian Financial Review AI Summit that Australia needed lower company taxes to help businesses free up capital and drive investment in AI technologies.

I was interviewed by Bill MacDonald on Brisbane Radio 4BC for my take on the federal budget.

Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, stupidly chose to sign the contract to build the first leg of the $200-plus billion Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project against the clear advice of infrastructure experts, who wanted the project axed.

The Australian’s Judith Sloan has backed former Australian Treasury official Stephen Anthony’s prediction that Victoria now may require a bailout from the federal government.

Economist Saul Eslake contends that Victoria has become overly reliant on population growth and housing as a source of economic growth, resulting in it becoming by many metrics a poor state.

Education Minister Jason Clare has announced that, as part of the upcoming budget, part of the student debt of people with Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) accounts, better known as HECS, will be forgiven.