Every Australian generation has expected to be more prosperous, healthier and safer than the last. But the latest national wellbeing data tells a more complicated story.

Is the government's "responsible" approach sensible politics, or a missed economic opportunity?

In 2017, Donald Trump reportedly scrawled “trade is bad” in the margins of a speech — a blunt rejection of economic orthodoxy that has transformed global politics.  

Economists tend to see international trade as good for everyone - a rising tide that lifts all boats. So why do so many voters, in the U.S. and elsewhere, feel like they’re being left behind?  

Are we returning to the days of the landed gentry when property is increasingly concentrated in families that can afford it?

Competition is good for an economy and consumers but are Australians getting it? Index funds and private equity are on track to dominate the US economy – should they be reigned in?

How does the recent white paper plan to address under and unemployment? A former RBA board member reflects on the early days of the GFC when financial contagion threatened the global economy. Mid-week golf is booming but shouldn’t you be at work?

How women and their employers are paying a big price because of menopause. El Nino weather and its impact on economic staples. What are Central Bank Digital Currencies and could they change the financial landscape?  

What a slowdown in China means for Australia. How the rapid rise of the consumer class will change the world. How companies profit from our inattention to auto renewed subscriptions.

Are we still on the narrow path to a soft landing? What the latest figures tell us. The psychology behind drip pricing and how not to get tricked by it. Why big shifts in Ireland’s economic data are causing concern for Eurozone economists.

By 2030, 82 per cent of our power is supposed to come from renewables. We’re not on track.

For future generations, what is the legacy of our current public policies and what issues might Australia have to confront in forty years time?                                                      What makes Islamic banking different?

What do the latest indicators tell us about the state of the labour market? How we embrace the online world in almost everything- except lodging our tax returns. Why aren’t economists more highly regarded?

The rise in debt collection and the late payment of invoices could be the canary in the coal mine for some industries. How are workplaces responding to working from home and what are the tensions? Why returning unwanted goods bought online isn’t really free.

This week the Reserve Bank kept interest rates on hold, that was a shock for the industry, but the most surprising thing? For the first time, they told us the board didn’t agree. Six said hold, three said cut. Why does that matter? Because we know the room is divided and that changes everything.  

Guests:

Nicki Hutley - Senior economist and chief economist at all manner of financial institutions

Michael Pascoe - Writes for Michael West Media. 

Get in touch: 

We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

As interest rates rise are home owners coping with the transition from low to higher mortgage costs? What the trade row with the EU over geo-indicators means for Australian food producers.  How financial news reporting favours the rich and fuels inequality.

Taylor Swift is on track to make $US 1 billion from her world tour. Here’s how she (and other superstars) make so much.

Why Michele Bullock, the next Governor of the Reserve Bank is ‘more than just a seasoned econocrat’.How do the French and Australian pensions compare and why are the French so passionate about theirs.The board which advises government on the tax system is certainly made up of experts in their field but is their collective thinking too narrow and are their backgrounds too similar?

Have repeated interest rate rises succeeded in slowing inflation and the economy? Debanking and the push back against financial abusers. Adding teeth to inadequate money laundering laws.

As the number of students attending university has grown so has their debt and while the HECS / HELP system has worked well in the past - does it now need reform?

Changes to government transfer payments, programs and policies kick in on July 1st. Just how bad is inflation for the investment economy and can you hedge against it? The downside of living in an 'asset managed society'.

Who might be the next head of Australia’s central bank? How does a proposed global minimum tax work and will it bring in more revenue. Does paying big money to a sport star improve a team’s performance and the club’s bottom line?

How does Canberra distribute revenue from the Goods and Services Tax  and is it fair? The U.S dollar has long been the dominant currency for world trade but can China change that? The system behind how Australians pay for everything is about to be modernised.

Why are we in a rental crisis and what can be done to improve the situation?  

Can Ajay Banga, the new head of the World Bank, end poverty? Why the aged care sector continues to struggle. Cyber attacks — a risk that can be managed ?

What if you could earn over $1 million and pay nothing in tax? Turns out some Australians already do. Is it time to rethink the rules?  

Two economists unpack and debate the idea that higher unemployment is needed to contain inflation. Short term thinking might be expedient in business and politics but could taking a really long view be better?

Cost of living increases are forcing many to change their spending. But not everything is down and not all groups are under pressure. Wade Tubman crunches the numbers. Why mega projects so often fail to deliver on time and on budget. Dan Gardner investigates what's going wrong and how to get it right.

George Megalogenis and Frank Bongiorno provide their analysis on this budget and where they sit in history.

The US government debit limit and increasing inequality in Australia and how to improve overall productivity. 

What is the latest prediction of where the global economy is heading? The clues are in Mona Lisa's smile. And how to protect future generations? Wales is leading the way. 

The RBA review is in with 51 recommendations. Full employment is discussed but what does this look like in Australia?  

Credit card debt is on the rise so too is the interest paid federally to service our debt. What can be done to reduce both? And the cat and mouse game of insurance. 

Insights into the RBA's recent decision; why are we so blase to another banking crisis and a manufacturing revival.

A Vice-Chancellor shares his ideas on how to ease the pain when attaining a degree and how does a family of four compare to CPI weightings on household expenditure. 

Banking contagion and the question of job creation either through submarines and then, AI. 

If you could fix the tax system, how would you do it? The Treasurer is looking for ideas, and on Radio National's The Economy, Stupid, we have them. 

Guests:

Miranda Stewart - Director of Tax Law at the University of Melbourne Law School

Ben Phillips - Principal Research Fellow at the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods

Get in touch: 

We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

How young Australians can reclaim their uncertain future and what are central bankers talking about amongst themselves? 

How to better equip countries and regions with insurance for climate disasters and reviewing the migration system. 

The aged care sector is haemorrhaging money. Why?

How the consulting industry has taken centre state in the private and public sphere and how has the  Russian invasion of Ukraine twelve months on affected the economy.

What are the reasons behind the interest rate increases and why has the narrative recently shifted in how we're talking about it?

How to better reform Medicare; why we should reform the fuel tax credit scheme and the great inflation debate.

What are sustainable financial taxonomies and why do we need them and why we need to regulate buy now pay later services. 

Major shifts in global trading blocs and how is the loneliness epidemic affecting China's economy?

What should be included when measuring the health of an economy and nation? 

The business model of online sports betting.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers thinks Ezra Klein's book, Abundance, is a ripper. Building things directly and sweeping away red tape could soon be part of a productivity measure. 

An investment arm of the United Arab Emirates wants to buy Australia's Santos. Should the Treasurer impose conditions on approving Australia's biggest-ever resource takeover? 

Plus, a 'GST Guarantee' for the West. What’s wrong with doling out the revenue from Australia's resources on the basis of need? 

Guests:

Matt McKenzie - Resources writer for the West Australian 

Megan Flamer - Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT Univesrity 

Get in touch: 

We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

What is the economic model of streaming, both music and video, and who benefits?

Devastating floods, droughts and storms have been a feature of 2022. How can economics help, or not, with the effects of climate change? 

The economics of sanctions and how the West enables oligarchs.