JUDITH SLOAN
Judith Sloan is Contributing Economics Editor at The Australian. She has held numerous commercial directorships, and is a current director of Westlife Group Limited. Previously, she has been a Commissioner at the Australian Productivity Commission.
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Empty pockets, empty promises
AFTER the most sustained boom in our history, we enter an election year with embarrassingly little to show for it.
Gold-medal clunkers on road to nowhere
BOTH sides of politics are guilty of putting up some lousy policies this year.
'No ifs, no buts' . . . no chance
JULIA Gillard said "no ifs, no buts". Wayne Swan bragged about returning the budget to surplus in "three years' time, three years early".
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Union movement's year of discontent
THE case for greater accountability and exposure to competition is growing.
No need for anyone to heed this drivel
DOES anyone care what the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development thinks about the Australian economy?
Increasing taxes not the answer
THE growing cost of government must be examined and restricted.
Vital policy source thriving at 50
DESPITE ups and downs, the Melbourne Institute can be proud of its achievements.
When Keating's child reaches old age?
THE former PM needn't be too proud of his system of forced savings.
It's ugly out there and this won't help
LIKE a deflating balloon, the promise of an ongoing boost from mining investment is rapidly fading.
Egregious conduct in AWU saga
SOME union officials extort funds from companies for their personal benefit.
What are non-participating youth doing?
NON-participating young people - it's one of the most perplexing aspects of the Australian labour market.
Unions play politics with super funds
INVESTMENTS should depend on benefits, not ideology.
Gillard comes a cropper on OHS laws
THERE is nothing in occupational health and safety harmonisation for small businesses apart from higher costs.
Internships could prove disastrous
SO-CALLED workforce planning won't improve our level of healthcare in 2025.
Fiscal cliff-hangers should go jump
THERE are some strong parallels with the economic situation in the US emerging in Australia.
Treasury's fall started with wellbeing
GET back to the core function of advising on economic matters and leave politics alone.
Economic pony gets bogged down in track
ONE of the troubles of having a one-trick pony economy is the likelihood that, at some stage, the pony gets tired.
Upping ante on private health insurance
THE government is cutting costs by tinkering again with this vital service.
Fearless Ferguson shows how to do it
THE energy white paper is a sharp contrast to the vacuous and wordy Asian white paper.
This tosh has hurt reputations
THIS episode has caused reputational damage to both the Treasury and the Treasurer.
This is no job for the public service
THE crucial question is: why was Treasury undertaking the costing of Coalition policies in the first place?
The poor will always be with us
IN making public policy, it makes sense to use figures for absolute, not relative, poverty.
Different backgrounds - happy marriage
IT is very enlightening to have the same topic discussed by people from widely different backgrounds.
Don't try teaching firms to suck eggs
LET companies choose a board that serves their interests and those of shareholders.
Experts take a hard look at big picture
THE theme picks up on the threats of operating in a world of economic fragility, most particularly in Europe.
Government's fiscal stimulus a dud
RESEARCH reveals Kevin Rudd's cash handouts barely lifted spending.
IR Club's recipe is no way to grow
WE'RE almost a productivity basket case because of the Fair Work Act.
As useless as a chocolate teapot
THE working group report is quite clear that the task given to it by the government is unachievable.
The tax fiddle behind savings
THERE is something of a fiddle in the figures for next financial year.
Management of projects inept
GOVERNMENTS need to achieve much better outcomes when spending taxpayer dollars.
Suspiciously premature outlook
WHAT'S the rush? That's the obvious question, given that the 2012-13 MYEFO will be handed down by the Treasurer today.
Mum's gone back to work - she's not alone
LABOUR market participation by older women has increased in recent decades.
Shorten gives away small beer
THE government's refusal to subject the Free Work Act bill to a regulatory impact statement meant its hands were tied.
Raising payroll taxes no state fix
WHILE changing the payroll exemption thresholds has theoretical appeal, there are reasons for keeping small businesses out of the net.
Women lead charge to full-time employment
THE labour force figures are both a case of a glass half empty and a glass half full.
