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Saul Eslake

Saul Eslake

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Forget the inflation blame game – politicians should let the RBA get on with its job

Forget the inflation blame game – politicians should let the RBA get on with its job

As universally expected by economists and financial markets, the Reserve Bank’s monetary policy board on Tuesday lifted its cash rate by 25 basis...

yesterday 20

The Guardian

Saul Eslake

Jailing children fails on every measure. So why do we persist?

Jailing children fails on every measure. So why do we persist?

It costs $1.3m a year to keep a child in prison. And it doesn’t work.

27.09.2026 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Saul Eslake

Jailing children fails on every measure. So why do we persist?

Jailing children fails on every measure. So why do we persist?

It costs $1.3m a year to keep a child in prison. And it doesn’t work.

27.09.2026 20

The Age

Saul Eslake

Jailing children fails on every measure. So why do we persist?

Jailing children fails on every measure. So why do we persist?

It costs $1.3m a year to keep a child in prison. And it doesn’t work.

27.09.2026 20

WA Today

Saul Eslake

Jailing children fails on every measure. So why do we persist?

Jailing children fails on every measure. So why do we persist?

It costs $1.3m a year to keep a child in prison. And it doesn’t work.

27.09.2026 20

Brisbane Times

Saul Eslake

Both opposition parties have superannuation in their sights

The Coalition and One Nation are again targeting Australia’s superannuation system, despite evidence it has reduced pension reliance and warnings...

11.09.2026 20

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

The Productivity Commission has exposed the failure of WA’s GST windfall

The Productivity Commission has found that the 2018 GST reforms are failing on efficiency, effectiveness and fairness, while Western Australia...

19.08.2026 30

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

Homes in Australia are now cheaper – why can’t the government sell this good news story?

Residential property prices in Australia’s eight capital cities have fallen by an average of 2.5% from their most recent peak in March, according to...

05.08.2026 30

The Guardian

Saul Eslake

Victoria doesn’t need a bailout. It needs saving from itself

The next Victorian government – whatever its political complexion – won’t be able to pay down much of the debt it will inherit by selling off assets.

20.07.2026 30

Financial Review

Saul Eslake

Labor’s housing tax reforms must be the beginning, not the end

Labor’s capital gains tax and negative gearing reforms are a welcome start. But fixing housing will require broader tax reform, state cooperation...

06.07.2026 40

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

House prices are falling, and that's actually good news

Falling house prices should ease cost-of-living pressures and help first homebuyers, yet Australia's political debate still treats rising housing...

06.06.2026 60

The Examiner

Saul Eslake

House prices are falling, and that's actually good news

Falling house prices should ease cost-of-living pressures and help first homebuyers, yet Australia's political debate still treats rising housing...

06.06.2026 50

Canberra Times

Saul Eslake

Falling house prices should be welcomed, not feared

Falling house prices should ease cost-of-living pressures and help first home-buyers, yet Australia’s political debate still treats rising housing...

04.06.2026 50

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

House prices are falling in Australia. That’s a good thing – if you believe housing is a basic human need

House prices in Sydney and Melbourne are down by 3.1% and 3.5% respectively, from their most recent peaks, according to the latest data from Cotality....

02.06.2026 30

The Guardian

Saul Eslake

Some further thoughts on the Federal Budget

The income tax reforms in the 2026 budget do deliver greater equity, despite the protests from those who think they will lose out. Immediately after...

27.05.2026 40

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

‘Death tax’, startups and a rent spike: it’s time to correct misleading claims about Labor’s budget

The changes to various aspects of Australia’s taxation system announced in last week’s budget were controversial. For that and other reasons, they...

19.05.2026 40

The Guardian

Saul Eslake

Budget 2026: The biggest tax reform agenda in a generation

The government’s Budget reforms on negative gearing and capital gains tax will not solve the housing crisis overnight, but they represent the most...

13.05.2026 50

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

Capital gains discounts were meant to usher in an Australia of ‘shareholders’ – not property speculators

If pre-budget rumours and press speculation are to be taken with less than the usual grain of salt, the budget which the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will...

28.04.2026 50

The Guardian

Saul Eslake

Another interest rate rise will tip Australia into a recession we don’t have to have

A sharp fall in confidence and rising fuel prices point to a potential downturn, but traditional policy responses risk making the situation worse....

17.04.2026 50

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

Another interest rate rise will tip Australia into a recession we don’t have to have

Higher fuel prices mean that households who have little choice about how much fuel they use have less to spend on other goods and services, which...

16.04.2026 50

The Age

Saul Eslake

Another interest rate rise will tip Australia into a recession we don’t have to have

Higher fuel prices mean that households who have little choice about how much fuel they use have less to spend on other goods and services, which...

16.04.2026 50

WA Today

Saul Eslake

Another interest rate rise will tip Australia into a recession we don’t have to have

Higher fuel prices mean that households who have little choice about how much fuel they use have less to spend on other goods and services, which...

16.04.2026 40

The Sydney Morning Herald

Saul Eslake

Another interest rate rise will tip Australia into a recession we don’t have to have

Higher fuel prices mean that households who have little choice about how much fuel they use have less to spend on other goods and services, which...

16.04.2026 40

Brisbane Times

Saul Eslake

MYEFO leaves the hard work on inflation, debt and budget repair undone

18.12.2025 40

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

Update shows Labor has done nothing to fix Victoria’s finances

Little in the budget update will reassure rating agencies the Allan government is prepared to do what needs to be done to alleviate Victoria’s...

05.12.2025 30

Financial Review

Saul Eslake

Western Australia is rich, but it's not the economic powerhouse it claims to be

25.11.2025 40

Pearls and Irritations

Saul Eslake

Another hung parliament solves nothing about Tassie’s dire budget

The unfortunate reality is that neither party has any kind of mandate to do what needs to be done to put the state’s finances on more sustainable...

20.07.2025 30

Financial Review

Saul Eslake