Labor's proposal for a floor price for milk reflects an inability to see that agriculture is an industry like any other.
Irrigators have been getting hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer handouts to return water to the Murray-Darling when far less expensive, and more effective, ways of achieving the same goal have been ignored by governments.
While we're focused on what to do about under-performing superannuation funds, there's also the question of compensation for the egregious behaviour of financial institutions.
In concentrating on underperformance, we're in danger of missing another big superannuation rort: high fees charged by fund managers.
Based on its recent performance under Peter Costello, the Future Fund shouldn't be allowed anywhere near super. So why is a publication controlled by Peter Costello's company spruiking the idea?
Australia's foolish protectionism, when accompanied by base political calculation, makes for a policy mess.
After publicly confirming the massive underperformance of retail super funds, the Liberals then unwittingly set the scene for an exposure of the rorts that riddled the sector — all in the name of attacking industry super funds.
There have been scores of inquiries into aged care since 1997. Will the royal commission do what the rest haven't?
Is the Productivity Commission part of a "neoliberal agenda"? And is that a bad thing? It depends on how rigorous you're prepared to be.
In taking a purely economic approach to banking competition, the Productivity Commission failed to recognise the politics of big companies.