Editors' Picks - August 25, 2013
This week our Editors take a look at some of the latest developments regarding the Australian election. From a review on Labor’s success in managing Australia’s economy through the GFC, Scott Morrison’s boat-buy scheme, retirees and the Paid Parental Leave scheme, as well as the controversial boredom rooms in Japan. Keep reading to get your latest fix of economic and political news!
We really must talk about what actually did save Australia – Alan Austin
Election rhetoric is typically filled with fantastical assertions of economic harmony. Alan Austin delves behind the political discourse, and uses the ALP’s response to the GFC as a metric to assess their economic competence. And when Labor’s swift and decisive response played an instrumental role in our stability, Austin argues that Australia’s choice on September 7 should be clear.
Tony Abbott’s Indonesian boat-buy scheme defies economic sense – Greg Jericho
This week the Coalition’s Shadow Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison, took an interesting stance on stopping the boats. He announced that the Liberal Party plans to buy boats from fishermen that would otherwise be sold to people smugglers. According to Greg Jericho, this policy will only have one winner- if Indonesian Fisherman could vote, the Australian Liberal Party would rake in a landslide.
Retirees will pay for the Paid Parental Leave scheme – Robert Gottliebsen
Retirees have already bankrolled the upcoming generations. Lower interest rates while easing the pressure on mortgages simultaneously undercuts seniors’ savings. However, the Liberal Party’s plan to dip into retirees’ funds to provide for their Paid Parental Leave Scheme was too much for Robert Gottliebsen. He scrutinises the Abbott-Hockey plan, explaining why no one has realised the true source of the Coalition’s budget and by the time they do, it will be too late.
New report blames lack of leadership for decline in quality of public debate – Michael Rowland & Virginia Trioli
In a 3:21 minute video interview, Stephen Martin from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia discusses a new report, blaming a lack of political leadership and vision, for a decline in the quality of public policy debate in Australia. A video for thought makes one wonder where Australia’s long term future is headed in the hands of our political leaders.
Japan’s workers sent to the boredom room – Hiroko Tabuchi
‘Boredom rooms’ are where Sony’s unwanted workers go to idle in – a symptom of the problems facing labour reform in Japan. Hiroko Tabuchi sheds some light on the real shady intentions behind Sony Japan’s current labour practice. These ‘Career Design Rooms’ have an agenda deeper than the counseling and job opportunities they offer, with other large companies employing similar tactics.