This Month
PM’s election slogan must be: Get productivity moving again
Readers’ letters on productivity; Labor’s Future Made in Australia policy; the Qantas board; the passing of Orica, Woodside director Gene Tilbrook; and Olympic breaking.
- Opinion
- Australian economy
Can our prosperity survive a year of political madness?
Public policy is now swinging in the populist wind. And it’s hard to imagine the election of a government that can rationally take back control of it all.
- Michael Stutchbury
- Exclusive
- Productivity Commission
Chalmers makes Productivity Commission less productive
The government’s independent economic adviser has only one active inquiry, which former officials say is extremely low by historical standards.
- John Kehoe
- Analysis
- Government Observed
Five projects to fix Australia’s productivity woes
The answer to the nation’s sagging productivity is staring us in the face says former NSW minister Victor Dominello.
- Tom Burton
July
Labor’s green subsidies a risk to living standards: PC
The Productivity Commission has warned Labor’s Made in Australia plan risks evolving into protectionism, undermining decades of reform aimed at creating a vibrant economy.
- Michael Read
- Opinion
- Letters to the Editor
Superannuation is not for your kids’ inheritance
Letters from readers on super tax concessions; equitable road tolls; aged care and productivity; the need for plain speaking on climate; and ANZ’s bonds scandal.
Apartment starts fall to 11-year low
Industry groups say the extra costs of construction union agreements compound rising materials and financing costs to make housing projects unprofitable.
- Michael Bleby
June
- Exclusive
- KPMG Australia
Why KPMG sees silver lining to 5pc jobless rate
The big four firm says there is no “productivity crisis” and recent lacklustre results can be explained by the workforce shake-up caused by the pandemic.
- Ronald Mizen
Australia’s competition at best level in 13 years: report
Small nations including Singapore, Switzerland and Denmark led the latest international rankings.
- Tom McIlroy
How this senior consultant uses AI to get more work done
Kearney’s Anshuman Sengar says using generative AI tools to summarise meetings, write emails and research topics has helped him become more effective at work.
- Edmund Tadros
- Analysis
- Pubs
Sam Kennard’s pub shows what’s wrong with Australia
The Kennards Self Storage owner’s struggle to build a craft pub is an example of the nation’s economic problems.
- Aaron Patrick
Bankers sacked for faking work in rise of ‘mouse jigglers’
US banking giant Wells Fargo dismissed members of its wealth and investment management arm after investigating claims that they were pretending to be busy.
- Hannah Levitt
‘Productivity theatre’: The false promise of a clear inbox and other ‘busy work’
Workers are undermining their output by focusing on “short-term wins” such as responding to emails and ticking off menial tasks on their to-do list instead of prioritising high-value work.
- Euan Black
Top CEO reveals the biggest mistakes he ever made
Koda Capital CEO Paul Heath says among the worst errors he has made is failing to realise how difficult change can be for staff.
- Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan
To keep great store managers, Walmart is offering up to $800,000
The American retailer has begun offering bonuses twice managers’ base salaries to supervise huge stores and hundreds of staff.
- Jaewon Kang
May
- Exclusive
- Robots
‘Inflection point in history’: Government unveils robotics plan
Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic has a plan for Australia to use and export more AI-infused robots to boost national productivity and industry.
- Paul Smith
- Opinion
- AI Summit
How Australia can grab an AI advantage
We need an equal sense of hunger, optimism, and opportunism for Australia to realise the advantage of AI, write the BCA’s CEO and Australia’s Google boss.
- Bran Black and Melanie Silva
- Opinion
- AI
Don’t believe the artificial intelligence hype
Economic theory and the available data justify a more modest, realistic outlook for productivity gains from AI.
- Daron Acemoglu
Cost-cutting advisers the bright spot in professional services
Advisers are being increasingly asked to conduct cost-cutting programs, from upskilling and reducing staff numbers to digitisation and automation.
- Edmund Tadros
- Opinion
- Australian economy
Australia needs to relearn the reform lessons taught to Greece
The Greeks took Gary Banks’ advice on productivity-enhancing policy. But political short-termism now holds sway here.
- Jenny Bloomfield
