I’ve only met Peter Costello once, but over the last 20 or so years I’ve had a very problematic relationship with him. On one level he was a very competent cabinet minister. If Australia is weathering the international financial storms better than most, part of the credit goes to Costello. The government paid back its […]

(Cross posted from What the people want) While a little fewer people are worrying about the economy, many more worry about jobs now than they did 7 months ago, according to our research. In October last year 25.2% worried about the economy, and that has dropped by four percentage points to 21.1%. However, seven months […]

(Cross posted from What the people want.) According to the results of our May Omnibus poll, the Coalition is improving its vote, but its leader is less popular than ever. On our First Preference Index, which seeks to measure the vote against a base of September 2008, Labor is at 98, which means slightly less […]

This is the year of letting go. It is hard to think of anything worse than backing away from your children, but it has come to that. For about 14 years I’ve comforted myself with ever decreasing signs of parental pride or satisfaction: no education, interests, job, or prospects. A criminal record, but at least […]

(Cross posted from What the people want) Yesterday The Australian’s analysis of the latest Victorian Newspoll suggested that the increase in the Victorian government’s vote was due to the fires which have devastated the state. The theory rests on the presumption that natural disasters unite the community, and that as the real and symbolic head […]

(Cross post from WTPW) The Courier Mail published a Galaxy poll this morning which has the Government and Opposition each on 50% of the two-party preferred vote. This is broadly consistent with my prediction that the LNP would win 12 to 15 seats, which was based on the softness in the government vote that our […]

(Cross posted from What the people want). A TNS survey conducted around the same time as our last federal political omnibus comes to similar conclusions. If respondents were given $1,000 surplus only $220 would be spent with the rest being saved or used to pay down debt. TNS also finds that 57% of Australians think […]

Jennifer Marohasy links to a report of an attempt to pilot geo-engineering climate by dumping iron sulphate in the sea off Chile. On the basis that as more of us will take medication before we make lifestyle changes, geo-engineering would appear to be the only way that we are likely to reduce CO2 levels. Why […]

Top of the Season to everyone! There is much to rejoice about, if you don’t live in Gaza, or have a psychpathic relation who thinks it’s cute to dress up as Santa before blasting you with a shotgun. For some, the rejoicing lies in not being with family. Our Christmas was spent in Sydney, dashing […]

The things you see when you don’t have time to blog. I’ve been sounding-off to colleagues for a couple of weeks now (references available on request) every time the government spends another piece of the “surplus” to stimulate the economy that there very probably is no surplus. Now Access Economics has beaten me to the […]