A few days into the election campaign and two big issues are already being ignored, the falling share of wages and the even worse opposition faced by those trying to live on social security payments. If campaigning had been about people, surely, what determines the standard of living of every adult and child in Australia would rate far greater importance? Continue reading Wages and social security justice should be at centre stage of election campaign
Hours before Treasurer Josh Frydenberg delivers this year’s budget, the big issue is the rising cost of living beginning to push down the standard of living for millions of Australians. Instead of addressing this, the Morrison government is set on a $26 billion pork barrelling spree to shore up its fracturing political base in marginal seats. Continue reading The budget should solve rising cost of living and not pork barrel for votes
This year’s federal budget is coming up, and this time the details are being kept hidden from the public. In a budget just before an election there are usually sound bites promising a few handouts. Not up to now. Continue reading Signals that the coming budget will be a con are now out
The Brotherhood of St Laurence’s twelfth Life Chances report has come out and what it reveals comes as no real surprise. Australians born after 1990 are on average worse off than those who were born before this time. Continue reading New generation is worse off than those born before
So, the Australian economy is doing well and grew by 3.4 percent in the last quarter? This is what the official figures just handed down are telling us. If it were true, it would be welcome news. The trouble is it isn’t true. Continue reading Fairy tales about Australia’s economic performance hide the truth
A great deal has been written about where we might head to in the post pandemic world. Is it a return to the past or forward towards something new? Continue reading What should be Australia’s path to the future?
Digital currencies are here and set to explode into the scene. To most people they are still something confined to the internet and not real. Digital currencies are very real though, and will increasingly intrude into our lives. Continue reading Are virtual currencies democratising money or a threat?
Among industrialised nations, Australia has for some time led as the land with the highest number of hours worked by full-time employees. Australia is also up there with the number of underemployed workers. This is not surprising. Overwork and underwork dovetail neatly into a labour market designed to squeeze the worker by any means available Continue reading Australians are now working more unpaid hours
At a time of worsening international tensions, it would make a great deal of sense for Australia to be playing a constructive role towards reducing these tensions. Sadly, with Scott Morrison and his gang in Canberra, Australia has been dragged into moves that do the opposite. Continue reading AUKUS is tied to the economic and political decline of the United States
If you believe that Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is going to lower taxes you must pay, you are in for a shock. Contrary to all the carry on about lowering taxes, they are being raised. That is, unless you are one of those in the top income bracket. Continue reading We will soon be paying Australians can more taxes and facing spending cuts
