The capital gains tax discount is a red herring
The CGT debate is a distraction from a much harder truth: Australia's tax and transfer system is no longer fit for an aging population.
Latest
Australia's inflation problem is home-grown
Australia's underlying inflation problem was made in Canberra and Martin Place, not Tehran.
Paul O'Malley's misunderstandings about AI and trade
The risk to Australia isn't using AI built elsewhere but letting domestic incumbents like CBA use 'sovereignty' as a shield for protectionism.
Australia's labour market is becoming like its housing market
By treating labour like a durable capital stock, Australia is legislating its workforce into the same rigid corner as its housing market.
How not to respond to a supply shock
Allegra Spender's windfall tax idea would blunt price signals at exactly the moment you need them the most.
Oil shocks don't cause inflation
The Iran war won't cause inflation unless central banks let it.
Australia's cockroach problem
Domestic inflation never came close to target during the RBA's easing cycle, and just like cockroaches, it's back again.
Housing's favourite villain
Australia is obsessed with taxing the supposed villains of the housing market while ignoring the restrictive zoning laws that actually lock people out.
Going nowhere, fast
Australia's latest high-speed rail dream is a fast track to fiscal ruin.
Nobody "trains" a human
Sam Altman's analogy comparing training AI to raising a child tells you more about his business strategy than OpenAI's energy use.
Another bump on the tariff rollercoaster
The US Supreme court may have struck down Trump's tariffs, but don't expect them to go away.
The RBA keeps making the same mistake
From running too tight to cutting too early, the Reserve Bank of Australia keeps making the same monetary mistake.
Politics
Japan's risky bet
Japan's ruling party won a supermajority promising massive stimulus and tax cuts, but the yen's slide to near all-time lows suggests markets are sceptical the debt math works.
Inflation
Weak productivity doesn't cause inflation
Monetary policy, not productivity, determines inflation.
Inflation
The RBA's false dawn
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) meets today to make its first decision of 2026. Six months ago it was cutting rates; today, markets are pricing in a full 25 basis point hike, and all four major banks are forecasting the same. If it happens as expected, it'll
Commodities
The precious metals crash
Gold had its worst day since 1983. Silver fell 30%. Every outlet blamed Trump's Fed pick. But the data tell a different story.
Trade
Canada's new path
Mark Carney's Davos speech signalled a new path for Canada. Trump's response is vindicating it.
Inflation
Australia's inflation problem is back
Or did it never go away?
Trade
Sell America?
Easier said than done.
Growth
China's slowing down
China's real GDP grew 4.5% in Q4, its slowest pace in three years. But the details are worse than the headline.
Commodities
Rare earths aren't rare
Trump wants Greenland, but it's not because of its rare earth reserves.