Richard Holden

Vital Signs: Another year of steady rates. What's the point of the RBA inflation target?

01 Feb 2019

The Reserve Bank's inflation target seems out of date in a world of ultra low inflation. So why is Governor Lowe persisting with it?

Squeezing the rich is much more complicated than it looks

23 Jan 2019

Sensible debate on how much tax should be paid by the wealthy sometimes starts with a bold statement or two.

Vital Signs: The power of not being too clear

18 Jan 2019

Counterintuitively, vague incentives to improve performance or behaviour are often stronger than clear ones.

Vital Signs: So far, it's more of a house price blip than a bust in the making

11 Jan 2019

Prices are off, but from unprecedented highs. It could be a one-time adjustment.

Vital Signs: America shouldn't copy Australia's 'asset recycling' misdirection

14 Dec 2018

The so-called 'Australian model' of 'asset recycling' is no miracle cure for US infrastructure problems.

Vital Signs: 35 extraordinary years. What the float of dollar bought us

07 Dec 2018

Floating the Australian dollar back in 1983 was a leap into the unknown. Here's how it has served us well.

Vital Signs: Why it's the right time to clamp down on negative gearing

30 Nov 2018

The best time to shut down negative gearing is when few people are taking it up. That time could well be now.

The carbon tax that would leave households better off

21 Nov 2018

It is possible to both tax carbon emissions and enrich households. A report released by UNSW Sydney outlines how.

Australian Climate Dividend Plan, Grand Challenges, Wind man

UNSW launches climate change tax plan that pays revenue back to voters

21 Nov 2018

The new Member for Wentworth, Kerryn Phelps, helped present the climate policy, which taxes carbon dioxide emissions and compensates all Australian households.

Vital Signs: Why we distrust the consumer price index

09 Nov 2018

Hardly anyone believes that prices are really increasing by only 1.9% per year. The fault lies with us, and also the way the Bureau of Statistics adjusts prices for 'quality'.

Richard Holden

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