Economy

The ALP of the 2020s has lost interest in Australia’s economic future. And the Coalition appears to be following suit. It says a great deal about the condition of Australian policy and politics that the biggest story of the first week of the 2022 federal election campaign was Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s inability to name the level of unemployment and

‘Worse than lockdown’ is a headline that has been used far too often in the media recently. That’s right, while most families have been locked up for the better part of two years, there are actual people who believe that the pain inflicted by the Omicron wave resulted in a worse situation than the hellscape that was Victoria’s lockdowns. The Western

Lockdowns implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have permanently disfigured the economy, according to a new report from free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. The report, Economic Scars: How the lockdowns have permanently disfigured the Australian economy, is based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Department of Social Services and contains evidence

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state governments in Australia implemented social distancing rules and lockdown measures which forced many businesses to close with the effect of putting Australians out of work. The best available evidence shows that 8% of small businesses (those with 20 employees or fewer) stopped trading within one week of the imposition of the

This week saw thousands of Australians breaking social distancing laws protesting racism. As more people vote with their feet and ignore lockdown laws, is the pandemic effectively over and what does this mean for lockdown laws? (2:15-16:29) The protestors in the United States are now advocating for the police force to be defunded. What is the place for the police

As protests and riots break out across America the important issues of policing and police immunities are getting lost, but will feature at election time. But when civil order is challenged by rioters, what options do Governments have but law and order? Is it Trump or the Democrat-controlled cities who have most to do? (2:12-40:02) The Federal Court made a

As Australia is once again faced with the desperate need to liberalise and our reinvigorate our economy post-lockdown, we’re joined by an intellectual warrior of the last great era of reform in 80’s and 90’s, Professor Emeritus Wolfgang Kasper, to explore what’s similar and what’s different between then and now, and what are the eternal truths about how to mobilise

Just as Trump throws a grenade at the WHO it agrees to a bodged up review into the coronavirus pandemic. Is there a place for a global health organisation that has underperformed and who is possibly doing more harm than good? (2:20-16:10) Peter Ridd, featured on the IPA’s new Heretic Podcast, was sacked by James Cook University for speaking out

This week the Government focus is finally on getting Australians back to work. But with coronavirus panic still a factor, will the public take the PM’s lead or vote with leaden feet? (1:34-21:42) Daniel Andrews has self-isolated in refusing to reopen Victorian schools, but do health risks really out-weigh social and economic impacts? (21:42-34:54) With negotiations for a trans-Tasman travel

Over three million Australians have downloaded the COVIDSafe App but the Australian Government has a terrible record on digital security and privacy. Co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by IPA Adjunct Fellow Matthew Lesh – now Director of Research at the Adam Smith Institute in London – to discuss this plus the UK’s own experience of coronavirus as