Ebony Bennett

Productivity growth is supposed to be the key to boosting wages and living standards in the economy. However, just as housing price growth decoupled from wage growth in recent decades, new research shows that real wages have not kept up with productivity growth. So, who is getting the benefit? Firstly, it’s important to understand productivity. Productivity is getting more output from the same number of inputs, or the same output from a reduced number of inputs.

Did you notice what was different, really different, about the budget this year? This budget, and the debate around it, was not just about looming deficits, the need for belt-tightening and why now is the right time for company tax cuts. For the first time I can remember, this budget was about what kind of Australia we want and how to pay for it. The lead up to the budget was dominated by a huge public discussion around calls for a 25 per cent gas export tax.

OPINION Every week Australia delays introducing a 25% gas export tax is costing us $350 million. It’s a lot of lost revenue to ignore when your government has announced it will cut 160,000 people from the NDIS ahead of the Federal Budget. WHAT'S NEW The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) has released its Rewarding Australian Whistleblowers: Design Options for Whistleblower Incentive Programs report, amidst growing calls for the Albanese government to introduce a federal whistleblower rewards scheme.