The Economy, Stupid

What is the RBA Governor Philip Lowe actually saying? What's happening within the Chinese economy and the bank of mum and dad.

Changing jobs can help improve wages but there needs to be better support in place to help people make the leap. Better support with increased wages and better working conditions will also be discussed for those, mainly women, working in the care economy. And why are we still so financially and mentally stressed with the re-opening of the economy and record high employment levels? 

Labor MP Andrew Leigh discusses why Australia's productivity has slowed down and most importantly how we can reignite the economy.

The Albanese Government has released a discussion paper outlining changes to the safeguard mechanism ensuring high industrial polluters decarbonise to levels set. Hugh Grossman from RepuTex Energy explains what this means. Meanwhile the University of Queensland in conjunction with the WWF-Australia have put a dollar figure on how much funding is needed to repair the damage to habitat caused by the Black Summer Fires.  Dr Michelle Ward breaks down the numbers. And green capitalism. Adrienne Buller discusses why acting on climate change through the prism of capital markets does not work in her book, The Value of a Whale. 

With the increasing popularity of digital currencies, the RBA is exploring its own central bank digital currency. The Deputy Governor of the RBA Michele Bullock, explains how it might work. To assist in preparing for increases in inflation, the ABS will release monthly CPI indicators. Australia's Statistician Dr David Gruen talks through the advantages. And how to improve trade between countries. Economist at the ANU Andrew Stoeckel discusses what steps we should take. 

New Zealand is not only two hours ahead of the east cost of Australia, it's also seven months ahead of us when it comes to increasing interest rates. Can we learn anything from their experience? ANZ economist Madeline Dunk talks about the Demand across the ditch report. Meanwhile economist and former RBA board member Warwick McKibbin discusses the RBA's pursuit of its inflation target and whether there's a better way? And the Russian economy. Some commentators say sanctions and the exit of global businesses has not had the desired effect. Yale University's Steven Tian uses comprehensive data to argue it's having a devasting effect.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered his 'confronting' statement on the economy and budget outlook at Parliament today. Economist Danielle Wood from the Grattan Institute provides her analysis. On top of these economy woes is a potential outbreak of foot and mouth disease. A worse case scenario estimates a cost of eighty billion dollars over ten years. That doesn't include the costs to tourism or mental health but it does put into perspective why we spend so much on biosecurity measures. The University of New England's Susie Hester explains. And the enablers. An estimated two trillion US dollars of illicit funds, stolen by corrupt officials and transnational organised crime, flows into the West's capital markets every year. So how does it get there? Frank Vogl exposes who the enablers are and what can be done to stop them.

Health staff across Australia have been telling us for years, there's a crisis within our health system, particularly with our public hospitals. It does have a lot to do with our funding model but there are also problems outside the hospital system that need attention. Jennifer Doggett from the Centre for Health Policy Development explains. And the debate about working from home continues with disparities between what employers and employees want. Some interesting studies in the US have highlighted how it is affecting the labour force but also, inflation. Ragan Petrie, an applied microeconomist who holds positions in Australia and US, discusses these findings.

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers plans to introduce a Wellbeing Budget, based on New Zealand's experience. Suzi Morrissey, from the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa, explains what this entails. Caleb Goods from the University of Western Australia discusses what the agreement between food delivery company Uber and the Transport Workers Union means to gig workers and how a new Federal Government might drive some of these changes? And multinationals. They are a large part of the Australian economy and landscape and according to Professor Simon Ville from the University of Wollongong, a historical perspective is important for shaping today's policies. His analysis is included in the book Lessons from History.

Interest rates are on the rise not just here in Australia but in other parts of the globe as central banks and governments grapple with rising inflation. But what can central banks actually achieve? Former deputy governor of the Bank of England and now chair of NatWest Group, Sir Howard Davies discusses. And just as interest rates keep rising so do water levels. The Nepean-Hawkesbury valley is once again flooded. Dr Brian Cook from the University of Melbourne explains how among other factors, massive changes to land use and economic forces have disrupted the peak flows of our river systems. So what to do?