The public policy process has changed significantly in recent years, but not in the way our most prominent rentseeker claims.
Treasury
Xstrata, competition and a new form of xenophobia
Mining multinational Xstrata refused to cooperate with Treasury over complaints that it engaged in anti-competitive behaviour. The reason? “Xenophobia”.
Gottliebsen: the public enemy of productivity
Treasury boss Martin Parkinson has called for Australia to lift productivity and wants a return to structural reforms to boost our productivity, writes Robert Gottliebsen.
Labor knows the rituals of communication but not their meaning
This time around, the Government is fighting back against rentseekers on climate change. But it still lacks a strategy.
Checking the docket on a carbon price
Treasury’s figures on the impact of a carbon price undermine the case for compensating middle-income households.
Ken Henry’s unfulfilled legacy
Ken Henry can leave Treasury knowing he was responsible for one of the greatest public policy successes since Federation, the response to the GFC. It’s a pity both sides of politics treated him poorly.
War is a-ragin’ between the RBA and Treasury
A war is raging between the Reserve Bank of Australia, which is trying to ween Australians off debt addiction, and Treasury, which is using the budget to try and keep the population spending.
Everything’s up, except the deficit — and housing
Today’s Mid-Year Economic Forecast (MYEFO) shows an appreciable acceleration in economic growth this year, but as expected the higher dollar has hit government revenue.
New parliament, old hypocrisy
A little hypocrisy has always gone a long way in politics but in a hung Parliament it seems more important than ever.
The Oz has trouble keeping its story straight
According to The Australian, the mining tax will either have too much effect on the mining industry, or not enough. Either way, of course, a partisan Treasury is to blame.
The hypocrisy of costings
This week we were reminded once again that Tony Abbott is an economic lightweight. The Coalition “costings blowout” may be overstated, but its hypocrisy is much worse.
Crikey Says: Redefining competence
Much of the Coalition’s enormous success in becoming not merely electorally competitive but to reach the verge of forming government lies in its successful selling of the idea of competence.
A parliamentary budget office — great idea, but don’t get carried away
A Parliamentary Budget Office is a good idea, but it should be done properly and don’t expect it to settle any arguments.
Does WHK Horwath tell third parties they should seek independent advice on reports?
The auditing firm at the centre of the Coalition’s costings debacle normally warns third parties not to rely on its reports, recommending they obtain independent advice.
The Big Bank recalcitrance behind lower housing investment forecasts
Yesterday’s forecasts from Treasury spelt bad news for housing investment. The peak in housing approvals last year doesn’t appear to be translating into bricks and mortar.
The magician’s assistant: Henry gives the game away
Treasury Secretary Ken Henry has confirmed that the changes to the government’s resource rent tax regime only reduced the revenue by $1.5 billion because commodity price forecasts were revised between the two taxes.
Don’t let the facts get in the way
There’s further outrage as the government refuses to meet a major Australian manufacturer over the impact of the RSPT… or maybe not. The Oz is certainly in a tizz.
The emails that weren’t a Godsend for Treasury
The Godwin Grech emails tabled by the Senate Privileges Committee last night speak volumes about the judgment of the Liberal Party and the security of the Treasury.
When minimal accountability and mind-numbing tedium reign in Canberra
This week, Senators are conducting Supplementary Budget Estimates for the whole week, rather than sitting. For the most part it’s a colossal waste of time and money.
Exeunt Grech
The curtain has finally dropped on the long and controversial public service career of Godwin Grech, according to The Oz, making a quiet exit stage left from the Treasury last week.
Treasury advice: don’t stop stimulating
The government’s $42b stimulus package has been “more effective than first thought’”, according to Treasury advice. That means phasing it out (let alone stopping it cold) could be problematic. Philip Coorey has the exclusive.
Saulwick: Treasury under fire
The Treasury has come under much criticism in the national auditor’s report for dodgy bookkeeping and putting too much pressure on Godwin Grech, writes Jacob Saulwick.
Treasury knew about my very poor health, by Godwin Grech
Public official at the centre of the Utegate scandal, Godwin Grech, says that Treasury were well aware of his significant and ongoing health issues.
Crikey Says: How media’s myopia hurts economic analysis
Economic commentary in Australia is based on numbers of momentary significance, numbers which are loaded with meaning in the few minutes after their release and then promptly forgotten.
The good economic news just keeps on coming
This is an economy coping remarkably well with a collapse in its terms of trade and a collapse in business lending.
