Some regulations are good. Some are not. But cutting mystery ‘red tape’ is not panacea for improving productivity growth.
Thu 21 Aug 2025 16.00
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Matt and Elinor discuss the big fine handed to Qantas, how a training levy on businesses could improve productivity, the misunderstandings around the causes of Australia’s housing crisis, and the latest from the government’s economic reform roundtable.
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Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available to pre-order now via the Australia Institute website.
This discussion was recorded on Thursday 21 August 2025.
Host: Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist, the Australia Institute // @mattgrudnoff
Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek
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Labor’s obstinance on gas tax reform reflects a broader pattern of political incrementalism, their capture by fossil fuel interests, and a desire to attract more conservative votes — a pattern that will likely come back to bite them later.
This week, the Prime Minister announced $1.1bn in funding for the Kwinana Westport container terminal proposal. But while this project has long been argued by Western Australian governments as necessary, it relies on assumptions that have not materialised and would result in billions of dollars committed to an unecessary project rather than to the urgent and visible crises in housing, healthcare, and education infrastructure.
