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What's wrong with a restraint on spending? Letter published in The Australian, 10 August 2010 PM’s climate consensus Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 9 August 2010 CSIRO -View on Temperature Trends unpublished letter sent to CSIRO Chief Research Officer Paul Fraser, 28 July 2010 PM Citizens assembly is just plain silly Letter published in The Australian, 26 July 2010 Honesty charter tests Swan Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 20 July 2010 Consensus on ETS unlikely Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 13 July 2010 Investment in new coal-fired power stations Letter published in The Australian, 13 July 2010 In praise of coal Letter published in The Age, 12 July 2010 Gillard must test belief in CO2 output Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 30 June 2010 Confidence Base Disappears under PM Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 17 June 2010 Hypothecation call does not stand up Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 31 May 2010 Quit headline-grabbing and focus on the facts Letter published in The Australian, 25 May 2010 The science is in, Greg Letter published in The Australian, 7 May 2010 Rudd made ETS about politics rather than policy Letter published in The Australian, 30 April 2010 PM’s health plan looks a bit sick Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 15 April 2010 Australians do not want welfare migrants Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 9 April 2010 Population Letter published in The Australian, 8 April 2010 Quiggin’s strange claim Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 17 March 2010 With so many employers, its a worker's market Letter published in The Australian, 20 February 2010 Australia needs own independent inquiry into climate Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 9 February 2010 Simple errors in carbon debate Letter published in The Australian, 31 December 2009 Swan’s positive stimulus claim rocky Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 18 December 2009 Rudd’s ministers must go nuclear Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 14 December 2009 Climate debate needs rationality on both sides Letter published in The Australian, 2 December 2009 Independent Inquiry needed into IPCC Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 1 December 2009 Climate change is no plaything Letter published in The Australian, 23 November 2009 Sea level scares before Copenhagen Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 19 November 2009 The Science of sea levels Letter published in The Australian, 9 November 2009 RBA avoidance of future moral hazards Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 30 October 2009 Questions on climate debate Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 13 October 2009 Time to cool off on climate Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 30 September 2009 Copenhagen Letter published in The Australian, 22 September 2009 Fielding’s climate check wants backing Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 18 September 2009 A time for Turnbull to lead, not to equivocate on policy Letter published in The Australian, 17 September 2009 Let's hope next G20 answers credit, debt expansion Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 9 September 2009 RET will make electricity more costly, less reliable Letter published in The Australian, 20 August 2009 Emissions policy a costly cock-up Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 19 August 2009 The grave problem of votes Letter published in The Australian, 17 August 2009 Facts in the way of carbon 'science' Letter published in The Herald Sun, 15 August 2009 Deceptive airs hover over reef Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 12 August 2009 Rudd's Utterly False Theology Letter published in The Australian, 4 August 2009 ETS vote is premature; there's more work to be done Letter published in The Australian, 24 July 2009 Pervasive doubts rule climate debate Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 13 July 2009 Warming evidence on shaky ground Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 3 July 2009 Will PM honour pledge to take over public hospitals? Letter published in The Australian, 3 July 2009 Most Talked About - The Ute Affair Letter published in The Australian, 23 June 2009 IPCC science not sacrosanct Letter blog published in The Australian Online, 12 June 2009 IPCC reports have all that Fielding needs to know Letter blog published in The Australian Online, 11 June 2009 Basic flaws in climate gospel Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 16 June 2009 Free-for-all best option Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 5 May 2009 Stimulation may not cut the mustard Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 21 April 2009 To do nothing is now a sensible option, Mr Rudd Letter published in The Australian, 11 April 2009 Sorting out this G20 Letter published in The Australian, 6 April 2009 RBA must revisit monetary policy or end with a bust Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 6 April 2009 Rudd must stick to basics, not sideshows Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 13 March 2009 My budget plan for confidence Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 16 February 2009 Rudd's reality: keep business going Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 10 February 2009 Keating aware of recessionary risks Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 27 January 2009 Unemployment will rise to above 11pc Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 19 January 2009 Investment allowance too small Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 16 December 2008 The Climate Agenda Letter published in The Australian, 13 December 2008 Letter on Opposition Policies Letter published in The Australian, 8 December 2008 Independent Inquiry Must Precede ETS Letter published in The Australian Financial Review, 3 December 2008 Global Warming - What Are the Facts? Letter published in The Australian, 2 December 2008 Australia appears to be quite vulnerable on exports front Letter published in The Australian, 10 October 2008 Keep perspective on exports to China Letter published in Australian Financial Review, 10 October 2008 Free marketeers support some legislative controls Letter published in The Australian, 7 October 2008 Conditions necessary for BAF funding Letter published in the Australian Financial Review, 7 October 2008 Financial crisis strengthens case for delaying ETS Letter published in The Australian, 2 October 2008 Emissions trading: the case for delay Letter published in The Age and also The Australian, 22 September 2008 Where does the Scientific Consensus lie? Letter to The Australian , 10 September 2008 Rejection of IPCC claims by top scientists go unreported Letter to The Age , 10 September 2008 (not published) Uncertainties Cloud Emissions Trading Letter to AFR, 4 August 2008 Significant Errors in IPCC Reports Letter to Business Age, 29 July 2008 Rudd needs to revisit Murray data Letter to AFR, 16 July 2008 An Even Climate Letter to Business Age, 16 July 2008 Questions galore on Garnaut Letter to AFR, 8 July 2008 WIDEN THE LENS Letter to The Age, 23 June 2008 NEW, FAIR AND SIMPLE? NO The Australian, 18th June 2008 LABOR MOVES BACKWARDS IN IR Australian Financial Review, 18th June 2008 CHALLENGE? WHAT CHALLENGE? The Australian, 31st May 2008 IT IS NOT SURPRISING IPCC'S WARNINGS ARE DISPUTED The Australian, 30th April 2008 PM'S WORLD TOUR GARNERS POWERFUL SUPPORTERS The Australian, 11th April 2008 GARNAUT NEEDS CRITICAL SCAN Australian Financial Review, 29th February 2008 WORKPLACE BACKFLIPS The Australian, 21st February 2008 SORRY, RUDD CLAIMS NEED TESTING Australian Financial Review, 18th February 2008 RUDD: DON'T BURY HOWARD DEFENCE PLAN Australian Financial Review, 31st January 2008 THERE'S AN ALTERNATIVE TO RELIANCE ON SPENDING CUTS The Australian, 25th January 2008 PM MAY BREAK ONE PROMISE TO KEEP ANOTHER The Australian, 23rd January 2008 WHY GIVE THE STATES A BRIBE WHEN MOST ARE IN SURPLUS? The Australian, 16th January 2008 LIBS MUST RETURN TO ROOTS The Australian, 11th January 2008 LABOR DEPENDENCE ON GARNAUT MISGUIDED Australian Financial Review, 7th January 2008 STILL NO CONSENSUS ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS The Australian, 17th December 2007 CLIMATE CLAIM DISPUTED Business Age, 22nd November 2007 LABOR INFLEXIBILITY IN NON-UNION DEALS The Australian Financial Review, 16th November 2007 RESONSE TO "UNITED, WE'LL FIGHT TOGETHER" The Australian, 28th October 2007 HOWARD OUR HEAVIEST TAXER The Australian Financial Review, 24th October 2007 WORK CHOICES COMES TO BITE COALITION That thousands of employers face massive claims for backpay surely reflects a failure by the government to understand the award system The Australian Financial Review, 4th October 2007 IT MAYBE TIME FOR LABOR TO PRODUCE A THIRD IR POLICY The Australian , 29th September 2007 LABOR IR WIDE OPEN TO SCRUTINY Labor's IR policy is wide open to questioning as to its potential adverse economic and social effects. The Australian Financial Review, 26th September 2007 REGULATOR FORGETS COMPETITIVE ROOTS Little wonder that the confused analysis of federalism by Alan Fels and Fred Brenchley (Opinion, August 28)leads them to call for both political leaders to set out their ideas in "far more detail" The Australian Financial Review, 4th September 2007 WHY DO STATES NEED BRIBES ACT IN THEIR OWN INTEREST? IPCC NEEDS REVISED STATS WAKE UP TO IR'S NEW WORLD FALSE PREMISE FOR AWA ANALYSIS MY HIT, YOUR MYTH UNDERPLAYING RISKS Absolution, please Shortcomings of Report Emissions Trading Report What about the Pillowtalk? Rudd Outcome Still a Puzzle Labor Way Unfair and Unworkable Not a Fair Cop Beware Alarmist Believers Peer Review System Fails to Convince on Climate Change when the Reviewers are of Like Mind History replete with gloomy predictions No scientific consensus Fudging the Figures 1976 and all that A Bureaucratic Mix-up A Difference To Suit The Vic Liberals Climate Dissent Global Warming Stern's Gloom needs considered response We bear highest tax in our history Private Enterprise's Role in the State Welfare, Tax Crimps Sweden A Spell That Works Queensland Better Off With More Private Hospitals Not That Much To Treasure The Accord And Employment Australia In Better Shape Than Europe OECD Report No Argument For Labour Regulation Work Coices fails unskilled who want to join workforce In Defence of the Grants Commission Queensland Rail Lowering tax rates One-sided view of history Excessive Benefits 2006-07 Pre-Budget Submissions NSW Share on GST is Fair So much for Social Justice Flexible work deals a success Bargaining Power Letter to the Prime Minister Low-pay Reasoning Awry Minimum Wage Whitlam and Cairns - what really happened in 1974! Letter from the Prime Minister The 'Ayatollahs' of IR No Ayatollahs Here Time to Let Bosses and Workers Make the Choices AIRC partly to Blame for Jobless Kirby's World Treasurer's Pessimism a Surprise Look on the Bright Side We needed China-style Float
Policy They want to bring down the US not just for what it does, but for what it is The USA has made plain its determination to extirpate terrorism, wherever it lurks and however long it takes. So we must expect many follow-ups to Afghanistan, with various actions in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Australian Financial Review, 1st August 2001 Australian Financial Review, 2nd January 2001. Figures debatable on employee hours Reform needed in subsidies to the arts Long Bow on UK Two letters on Police Policy A Long Way to go in IR Reform Low-paid jobs the answer Finding the right employee is nothing short of hard labour Stress? Overall we're working less The case for labour market deregulation The Right Way to Higher Wages
The right way to higher wagesPeter Roberts' suggestion ("Labour costs not a worry", AFR Opinion, November 2) that "high wages are simply not a problem for Australia" overlooks the productivity side of the equation. Even at relatively low wages, Australian companies can be uncompetitive if our productivity is lower than our competitors. There are ample studies showing that this is the case. Moreover, a major reason for this is undoubtedly our archaic, regulated labour-market arrangements. Those arrangements have made the introduction of innovative changes a risky and expensive operation. If we reduce the high degree of intervention of third parties in workplace management, we may then see what Roberts wants, viz "more companies making products that allow them to pay high ones (wages)".
The case for labour market deregulationDes Moore, formerly a deputy secretary of the Commonwealth Treasury and now director of the Institute for Private Enterprise, posits his Treasury Seminar, a precursor to the yet-to-be-released analysis of labour market deregulation commissioned by State and federal labour ministers. Australia's labour market institutions and policies are probably an important explanation of our mediocre economic performance historically, and our below, par productivity levels. Those generally low productivity levels indicate, however, the potential for improvement if third party intervention in the labour market is reduced to a minimum. The higher employment levels in less regulated labour markets, such as the US, the UK and New Zealand, also point to the potential for improvement While radical workplace reform can be undertaken within the existing Australian system, the bulk of Australian enterprises, and their employees, need the 'stimulus' from having to work in a much reduced regulatory environment. In any event, if the existing system can be "got around", why are we retaining it? However, the history of labour market arrangements in Australia, the entrenched pressure groups which still wield considerable influence and the grossly — exaggerated picture that has been built up about the likelihood of serious adverse social effects from deregulation, make it a politically risky venture.Tomorrow John Carroll, Roy Green and Wolfgang Kasper respond.
Stress? Overall we're working lessThe ACTU today launches a campaign against workplace stress. DES MOORE claims average work hours are shorter — and working lives too. The ACTU is claiming in its campaign being launched today by secretary Bill Kelty, that there is increasing stress at the workplace. Indeed, the ACTU is asking workers to ban overtime as part of "national overload" day. But many claims being made by the ACTU are either inaccurate or grossly exaggerated, particularly regarding ordinary workers. For one thing, while a higher proportion of people are working long hours, the majority of those are in managerial or professional positions who would expect to work longer hours no matter what labor market regulations apply. Does Bill Kelty, as a professional, work the standard 38-hour week? Is he unduly stressed? The ACTU also overlooks the self-employed, who make up 10 per cent of allemployees and who naturally tend to work longer hours. In fact, average hours worked per employee continue to decline gradually and are now down to about 36 hours a week, compared with 38 hours 25 years ago. Moreover, the average working life has declined over the past 50 years.People are now retiring much earlier (starting from around 45 years) are starting work much later. From an average of 50 years, the average Working life is now approaching 35 years. We now work more intensively during the working period, but as we move towards the leisured society, that comprises a shorter period of work during the prime of life. Also, with a much higher proportion of employment in the service sector (over 70 per cent) work tends to be less physically demanding than the predominantly production and laboring jobs of earlier times. partly reflects the substitution of higher up-front pay as a result of the cashing out of overtime provisions in awards. Also, more than 70 per cent of unpaid overtime is worked by those in managerial and professional positions. The ACTU. is desperately trying to re-establish a role for itself. But such exaggerated campaigns will only further undermine its severely damaged credibility. |