An excellent read at Macrobusiness this morning But on this occasion, I am a bit biased “And is keeping that spiggot open a solution, Gotti? Self-evidently, not. It’s not the content of […]
Economics: The BOS index (beads of sweat) is reaching new highs
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Expect things to get very incoherent as a defunct economic model (neo-lib attitudes to trade and […]
Mr Hockey – Subservience to offshore bankers has been core LNP policy since 1996.
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Joe Hockey is either having a lend or is as ignorant as he seems […]
Land mines on the road to ZIRP
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Excellent. However, the final reel of this movie is much more exciting than you […]
Will APRA-Man save us? Does he really care?
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) APRA-man certainly has the powers required and not just the spoon bending stuff like […]
If only the public debate about the economy could move on to solutions.
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Unfortunately, while the end of the neo-liberal monetary policy epoch – including the outsourcing […]
Quarantine Breakdown: Infected capital imports are just as bad as infected berry imports.
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) It is not really surprising that we are finding diseased, and unhealthy goods entering […]
Land use restrictions give regions the rough end of the stick.
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Land use restrictions should be relaxed right across the country. Rather than the current […]
Govt – Land Banker (Gouger) in Chief
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) The worst land banking offender is the govt. Ever since the model of outsourcing […]
Scott Morrison for PM? Seriously?
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Is he pragmatic enough to understand that repeating IPA talking points and working through […]
Allow retirees a HECS style way of tapping their asset wealth for retirement income (but keep the banks out of it)
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) As others have noted – increasing the asset threshold would ensure that including the […]
The Oz Banana Republic – Take a bow RBA ‘independence’
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Considering the role the RBA board accepted as the de facto manager of the […]
Rental Vacancies – still far too tight (again Bullwinkle?)
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Good to see that Darwin has managed to hold on to that 3 but […]
Low Vacancy rates = Lazy Landlords
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Good to hear but vacancy rates across Sydney are still very low (circa 2%). […]
Gov Glenn is running out bullets – Are there better options than more rate cuts?
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) “….But what’s the alternative to rate cuts?..” Simple 1. Reduce the unproductive capital inflows […]
Uber decides to try the power of persuasion – About time!
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) What is this prestige requirement for hire cars? That sounds unlikely, just because some […]
Low interest rates – the magic pudding myth of a chronic CAD Country
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Flawse, “…The point is that none of it is aimed at getting production aimed […]
Is fixing our broken private debt driven economic model Mission impossible?
This comment was made today at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) Flawse, Your inflexible bladder analogy is over stating the position. Sure the economy should […]
What is the final destination for Oz – ZIRP or NIRP?
This comment was made at Macrobusiness (link may be locked – but there is a free trial available) If overseas central banks are exploring NIRP Australia could attract capital simply by being […]
Don’t anybody mention the war (Household Debt)
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked but there is a free trial available) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/treasury-greybeards-warn-australian-financial-crisis/#comment-1086849 Not sure about retired Treasury officials, but is pretty clear that the […]
Our addiction to low interest rates and off-shore debt is killing Oz car manufacturing No. 1
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/ford-threatens-early-exit-jobs-shock-looms/#comment-1082885 It is a crying shame that we adopted policies that bloated our exchange rate with sales of public and […]
APRA shops for a Macro-Prudential chastity belt
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/housing-finance-rockets/#comment-1083174 APRA are still window shopping on eBay looking for a Macro Prudential Chastity belt that does not restrict movement. […]
Will Chinese Factory workers forgive Oz Household Debts?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/apra-must-rein-property-1890s-time/#comment-1084405 The answer to that question is that they will not but then none of the IOUs issued by Australian […]
Why Australia is not like Texas
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/abbottalypse-destruction-mushrooms/#comment-1082523 Nor, There are still plenty of places in the US where land costs are low. In Australia, in a […]
Interest rate cuts – Extend and Pretend
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/abbottalypse-destruction-mushrooms/#comment-1082505 Yep The half life of the current extend and pretend policies; Bait rates to ZIRP and NIRP FTAs FIRB […]
Oz Car manufacturing sacrificed for low interest rates and off shore debt
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/ford-threatens-early-exit-jobs-shock-looms/#comment-1083095 I think it is worth keeping in mind that the ongoing but gradually reduced protection of the motor vehicle […]
Is it fair to only restrict foreign ownership in Agricultural Land?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/coalition-tighten-foreign-agricultural-investment/#comment-1084355 The solution to that problem is to restrict foreign investment in residential property to new builds. That way farmers […]
Time for a Productive Foreign Investment Approval and Audit Authority.
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/coalition-tighten-foreign-agricultural-investment/#comment-1083744 It will be interesting to see how this works in practice with Mr Robb trumpeting FTAs where no questions […]
How will our oz Pollies respond to the economic headwinds?
http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/australian-property-big-fat-sell/#comment-1078737 There are plenty of heads winds. Not least being the $95B of household disposable income disappearing down the gullet of the banks to pay interest on household debt mountain. Paying down […]
Currency Wars are a war of choice – Just say no to cheap predatory capital inflows.
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/weekend-links-7th-8th-feb-2015/#comment-1069419 Very nice graphic and fits in with that story above about how the Chinese are not likely to sit […]
Trade deficit for 2014 a stinker for a Mining Boom Country
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/trade-deficit-halves-december/#comment-1054729 Superb effort by an economy enjoying a once in the lifetime mining boom. A deficit of $2.26 B Just […]
Macro Prudential – the great white hope.
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/mb-victory-lap/#comment-1055137 “….However, they may still succeed with their own brand of behind-the-scenes prudential tightening. Let’s hope so….” Why would APRA […]
Was the RBA February cute really about the $AUS or the Debt Machine as usual?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/bloxo-addresses-rba-wedgie/#comment-1056844 More to the economy than houses? Like what? Even the Governor is clear that the cost of money is […]
Could the LNP lose in NSW in March 2015?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/backbenchers-call-dead-duck-resign/#comment-1057108 I can’t see the LNP losing in NSW. The ALP in NSW has been in a psych ward for […]
Abbott, electronic graffiti and better policy
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/abbott-nails-foreign-property-investment-reform/#comment-1057122 Ironic how the only smart thing the government is doing was driven largely by a campaign of electronic graffiti. […]
Is cutting rates now a bit desperate?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/predicted-rate-cut/#comment-1059703 Yes, My preference is that they are not talking about currency simply because the objective of the cuts remains […]
Is the RBA joining the ranks of the currency manipulators?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/us-iron-ore-ceo-says-oz-manipulating-currency/#comment-1058526 That CEO is exactly right. It is quite clear that while the RBA are refusing to admit it the […]
Is Malcolm more worried about his colleagues?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/malcolm-hits-phone/#comment-1057759 I don’t think the ALP are what Mr Turnbull has to worry about. The radical neo-liberals and religious extremists […]
Gov Glenn visits the LNP Party room to explain how 0.25% will fire up the Debt Machine.
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/glenn-stevens-attend-cabinet/#comment-1058280 You guys don’t need to speculate The meeting was video taped. Glenn and his Treasury Buddy explained at some […]
Does the RBA and the Government know what they are doing?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/canberra-awakes-economic-nightmare/#comment-1060580 Very good but lets believe it when we see it. The government has said nothing that suggests it has […]
The problem of exchange rate volatility
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/foreign-worker-visa-fraud-edges-towards-slavery/#comment-1061441 Restrict the unproductive capital inflows and you will get an exchange rate that better reflects our trade performance. Sensible […]
Foreigners workers and unemployment – a political problem approaches?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/foreign-worker-visa-fraud-edges-towards-slavery/#comment-1061237 “…now is entirely the wrong time for the Abbott Government to be further relaxing foreign worker visas,…” As we […]
Do Aussies seem to want to pay more tax?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/aussies-seem-want-pay-tax/#comment-1061743 I think it may be sarcasm. Hard to tell – The conversation is full of fluff like this – […]
Residex stats and the Sydney Housing Market
This comment was originally made at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (some of the links may be locked). http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/residex-sydney-housing-bubble/#comment-1065019 We can watch with interest just what APRA does, publicly and quietly over Monte Carlos, in the […]
Should interest rates be used to ‘manipulate’ the exchange rate?
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked) in response to a post about the RBA rate cute. http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/nobody-clue-australias-real-problem/ “…….,Rate cuts to 1% will push the Aussie to […]
RBA cuts in February and everyone is a joker!
This comment was made this week at http://www.macrobusiness.com.au (link may be locked http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/02/rba-slashes-rates/#comment-1055988 Andy, Just imagine the smiles at Coca Cola if Joe Hockey announced that the Dept of Food was going […]