Unconventional Economist

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

RBA pushes back against Labor’s housing spin

I reported this week how the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) disagrees with the federal budget’s forecast of new housing investment, suggesting that the government may be overestimating housing supply by more than 10,000 homes over two years.

Calls for more EV subsidies as electricity grid strains under load

The Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for electric vehicles (EVs) is proving to be both very costly to the federal budget and highly inequitable.

Unlike Australia, Canadian housing affordability is rapidly improving

Australian housing affordability continues to deteriorate amid rising mortgage rates and rents.

Australia’s population hits 28m decades earlier than forecast

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Population Clock, the nation’s population has passed 28 million, with the latest million added in less than 2.5 years – equivalent to adding two Canberras.

Australian GDP slides back into recession zone

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released national accounts data for the March quarter of 2026. Following a batch of positive results, headline GDP was 0.3% over the March quarter, with per capita GDP falling back into negative territory (-0.1%).

Jacinta Allan hides from corruption watchdog

Across multiple inquiries, reports, and economic analyses, the CFMEU’s conduct on Victoria’s Big Build is consistently linked to higher construction costs, lower productivity, and systemic rorting that added billions to project budgets.

Australian dwelling construction stalls

‘Perfect storm’ looms for Australian house prices

The 25-year boom in Australian house prices looks to have come to an end amid a ‘perfect storm’ of headwinds.

Aussie first home buyers left stranded in negative equity

First home buyers (FHBs) who entered the market recently with very small deposits under Labor’s 5% deposit scheme are now the group most exposed to rising interest rates and falling home prices, especially if they purchased in Sydney or Melbourne.

Abul Rizvi swings and misses again in immigration attack

Immigration influencer Abul Rizvi often rudely abuses people on Twitter (X), only to end up with egg on his face.

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