text: Gender inequality in the news again, 28/9 Gender inequality in the news again, recently on Credlin, today in the OZ, presented in both places by John Slater of the Menzies Research Centre. 'What might McManus make of an industry where top ranking executives are paid in excess of $36,000 more each year than their female counterparts? Or a business where female executives are outnumbered by males by 2.5 to one? 'That is the width of the gender pay gap in the union movement that
  The best account of the rise and fall of asset prices is by Hyman Minsky. His 'financial instability hypothesis' is the best way to understand why modern economies have self-contained booms and busts. In modern economies, an often long period of 'Tranquility' with sound finance is followed by a period of financial excess and severe asset inflation. The asset boom is followed by an asset bust that in a severe case leads to deep depression, certainly recession. Read on here fo
  We apologise for late posting of this contribution. Technical factors baffled Henry's editor for three days. And please forgive the sillyness of a frustrated writer. ************************************************* Big meeting of G20 in Germany. Our current PM, Mr Trumbull, shook hands with US President, the Donald Trumple, who looked pretty baffled about who it was who'd bailed him up. Mr Trumbull also reportedly spent an hour or so with Joko Widodo, with lots of joking an
  The Turnbull government has taken another step 'forward' - or is it - with the Senate approving the Gonski 2.1 package of new higher spending on school education. (2.1 because extra money was needed to bribe cross bench Senators but sadly Catholics remain unhappy and many will vote Labor or Hanson at the next election.) Trouble is, as in so many other areas, more money is not the main issue. 'Now we shall focus on improving standards' said Minister 'Birmo' but surely that is
  Some nice economic/politicio analysis today, gentle readers, though not from the government. Alan Kohler says: 'banks are going to have to return interest rates to normal without having declared victory in their fight against low inflation and falling investment. It will be one of the greatest failures of public policy in history. 'Only when they release capitalism from the distortions of negative real interest rates and printing money to buy government bonds, and thus drivin
  Now Grace Collier has joined the battle to kill the Turnbull/Morrison/O'Dwyer attempt to tax superannuation of well-to-do Australians. Her most powerful point is to quote Kelly O'Dwyer and Scott Morrison asserting superannuation earnings would never be taxed by a Liberal. For example: "We on this side have given an undertaking not to muck around with superannuation … We understand the importance of certainty when people are sacrificing and saving for their retirement. We unde
  Henry and Mrs T embark on the greatest 'liaison trip' of all time. First stop New York in the spring. 'Spring revival' says the Wall Street Journal. Yes I know we could read this in Melbourne, but we'd be diverted by the political shenanigans in our very own Banana Republic. (What price an outbreak of the Zika virus, comrades?) So here we are, with heavy traffic from the airport due partly to the economic revival and partly to an explosion in a factory under the rail track wi