A strong macro-economy cannot be built on weak micro-economic foundations – and whichever party wins the federal election will need to take on the challenge as the remaining fiscal stimulus wears off.

Only those still living in the 1970s would want the central bank to prematurely choke off wages growth when there is no cause to.

How we can fix our fertility crisis

A skewed tax and transfer system actively penalises women for choosing to have children. Here are some essential changes.

Contradicting the Morrison government’s election rhetoric, the facts suggest Labor has a better recent track record on handling the books and reforming the economy.

Yes, the economy has rebounded – but only to its pre-pandemic levels of unreformed mediocrity.

Scott Morrison’s transactional government seems merely to want to return to the rut of slow economic growth with no ideas for the future.

The government’s threats of a $400 a tonne climate price are hollow. Their only purpose is a new election scare campaign.

If the federal government can’t do anything constructive on climate change, it should at least get out of the way of those who can.

Hypocritical Nationals holdouts are exposing regional Australia to risk and robbing it of opportunity in the green industries that are coming.

If critics of the anti-corruption watchdog’s powers had their way, confidence in the political process would be the true victim.

As the Australian National University (ANU) celebrates its 75th anniversary, Dr Craig Emerson reminisces about the social cricket series played between economics departments in the 1980s. It was a time of big hair, big dreams and broken bones

Political parties have no real plans to grow, tax, or cut their way out of debt. They need to get out their micro-reform textbooks.

Liberals fear a backlash from their supporters over the government’s profligacy. But turning off support is the last thing the economy needs.

The state of ‘just live with it’ in NSW looks set to be estranged from the rest of the country for some time.

This country does have a carbon price, which business is using. And it’s the key to success after the Glasgow climate summit.

The uncertainties over the NSW economy are already spilling into the the Morrison government’s electoral calculations.

RBA governor Philip Lowe has called out the role of temporary unskilled migrants in holding down wages. But that’s exactly what the Coalition wants.

The true picture is worse than the Intergenerational Report has revealed. That’s why the Treasurer is wrong to rule out ambitious attempts to change course now.

Unless productivity rises, a re-elected Morrison government will have to break its spending promises. Neither party can shirk micro reform any longer.

The budget is a sugar hit from a prime minister who thinks that microeconomic reforms to pay for it are vanity projects.