Free trade is under attack everywhere, but the ideal is as valid now as it was when David Ricardo and Adam Smith first theorised about it.

This budget won’t fix the problem: but ageing- and productivity-related problems are increasing funding pressures, and the tax system isn’t up to the revenue task.

The Hawke and Keating governments created a reforming narrative of banana republic turned clever country. Anthony Albanese could do the same with the climate revolution.

There are no wage or currency pressures that would justify the RBA following the Fed into aggressive rate rises.

Anthony Albanese’s consensus politics and deep divisions in the Liberal Party mean Labor may no longer just fill the interludes between Coalition governments.

Cynics are describing the jobs summit as a talkfest before it even starts. But the common ground on migration and skills has already been made clear.

Governments are largely focused on adding no further pollutants to the atmosphere. But we need to think about removing the carbon that’s already up there.

The RBA is not infallible, and the Prime Minister cannot remain silent if its powerful officials are wreaking harm with bad calls.

The raucous opponents of the Albanese government resetting the relationship are playing a dangerous game with Australia’s foreign policy and ambitions for a peaceful, prosperous and stable region.

Smashing the demand for groceries in order to fix a supply side problem is a wrong-headed monetarist solution.

Battery investment has been mishandled by Coalition governments. Fortunately, there are plenty of small-scale options available.

The former Morrison government’s sidelining of public servants meant that Australian politics lost the benefit of their ideas and corporate memory.

Tom Emerson interviews Craig Emerson

Some early down payments on reform would be helpful, perhaps starting with industrial relations where the parties had made good progress in 2020.

Business people shouldn’t fall for claims that the Liberals are the party of reform and low taxes. History and the government’s own economic forecasts confirm this is wrong.

Coalition governments have been big taxers and big spenders. And now the present government’s post-pandemic sugar hit on the economy is running out.

A national reform summit will be needed after the election to kick off this conversation. It should be followed by an agreed program of work to inform a new reform agenda.

Reform of the Child Care Subsidy would ease cost-of-living pressures for working families

The principles that The Australian Financial Review has argued for over the decades are once again under threat.