The John Hyde Archives
Historic archive of articles and newspaper columns written by former Australian politician John Hyde OAM.
On the Dry Side
"On The Dry Side" is John Hyde's short articles on current political and economic issues in Australia and worldwide, starting in 1982. These were published in The Australian, the Financial Review and the Australian Institute for Public Policy (which later became the Institute of Public Affairs).
Fraser's Budget error - not enough Thatcher
- During the 82/83 years, the treasury expects gross product to fall and likewise, real wage earnings should also fall. If not, unemployment will increase.
- Only if a UK type strategy is adopted, which is a long-term strategy of growing real product demand faster than real wage increases.
Retrospective taxation can be fair
- The argument against it is retrospective taxation is the imposition of an unforeseen retribution.
- The party that is liable should have their liability limited to the Crown.
- An individual's liability should be limited only up to the net benefit from the sale of the company.
It's not just avoidance or evasion - just waste
- Tax revenue is almost universally understood as once collected, is wastefully spent.
- Welfare payments are going to those who are neither in financial need or those who have caused their own financial plight.
High price of nappies built into BHP costs
- The Australian Government should not insulate the management of BHP from the wrath of the shareholders for making bad decisions lest they do not learn their lesson.
- There is a need to understand the true relationship between unemployment to the tariff.
Abuses of privilege cost MPs respect
- Is it necessary for an MP to raise the issue in Parliament?
- Is it necessary to identify the guilty party?
- Has the MP done no more than address the wrong done?
Some heavy losses but the battle continues
- Dry politicians reflect the changing view of how an economy should be run.
Labour's stand on sales tax should be queried
- A Tariff tax falls most heavily on necessities of life versus a sales tax which falls most heavily on luxury goods.
Ord River sugar sage leaves a sour taste
- WA consumers subsidise the price of sugar for growers in QLD & NSW.
- The cost of establishing a sugar industry is high and there is no reason why foreign capital be used instead of taxpayer dollars.
Facing up to structural change
- The Australian government cannot do much to prevent the world trade patterns from changing.
- Various interests need to be more balanced in a fair manner.
An evaluation of OECD cures for economic ills
Economics Currencies & Commodities Economics
- General world economic downturn, poor world commodities markets and the drought have caused Australia to suffer a shock worse than Japan's oil shocks.
Simple explanation for the unemployment crisis
- It is vital that those who demand and grant wage increases feel the consequences.
- The failure of the labour market is better understood by the rank and file unionist and his or her family.
Less Haste makes for better bills
- The Parliament passes legislation too quickly.
- Most members understood or even read any bills, which are unnecessarily complex.
- Only in rare circumstances, should innovative legislation be passed in less than four months.
A Christmas Carol
- In 72, Gough Whitlam committed Labour to abolish the means test to receive welfare payments.
- It is more important for Governments to be correct than to be popular.
- Governments using welfare payments to buy votes.
A Christmas Carol Strikes Back
- The Liberal Cabinet is hobbled by an early election.
- Welfare should be for those who need it.
Unknown
- Defensive protectionist policies make things worse.
- Australian trade is much more restrained compared to similar sized economies.
- Nations which have unilaterally reduced their trade barriers have achieved higher rates of economic growth.
Wealth key to Economic Recovery
- Australia's private wealth is our most important advantage.
- Australia has many industries that are among the most efficient in the world due to sound management or natural advantages.
- The role of leadership, be it political, union or business should be help Australians understand the cause of our problems is man-made and can be undone.
The NFF and the Balderstone Report
Protectionism Industrial Relations Regulations Trade
- The report states that Australia's comparatively efficient agriculture is burdened with unnecessary regulation.
- It is in Australia's interest that the agricultural industry propers while remaining efficient.
- Australian agriculture suffers a considerable burden placed upon it by protected industries and trade unions and is under the mercy of international prices.
Australia Writ Small
Protectionism Trade Regulation
- Both Australia and New Zealand have high import barriers.
- Min price arrangements and export incentives are poor means of re-allocation of the nation's (New Zealand) resources.
- Both nations have adequate natural advantages that are blunted by government intervention.
Closer Economic Relations
- To prevent trade is to penalise both buyers and sellers.
- The Closer Economic Relations (CER) with New Zealand will benefit Australia more as New Zealand has to adjust its trade barriers as compared to Australia.
When is a Wage Freeze not a Freeze?
Industrial Relations Economics
- Wages must increase less than prices.
- High wages decrease demand
The 1983 Budget
- How much of the damage done by the previous budget can be undone.
- Displaying fiscal responsibility will enable the govt to be re-elected.
Where now
- Party allegiance should not be built upon hatred of one's opponents but rather allegiance to an ideal.
- Liberalism offers the Liberal Party the only hope of moral and intellectual structure.
Unknown
Budget Fiscal Policy Monetary Policy
- A budget deficit is an unsatisfactory way to increase money supply.
- The prime role of a deficit is to conceal politicians' expenditures so that they can appear to be better managers than they actually are.
Unknown
- Political restructuring is essential and part of the process.
- In a commercial setting, people "vote" using their dollars. It is then wrong that their votes are confiscated by limiting their choices to certain anointed candidates in a political setting.
- If Australia is unable to accept steady restructuring of our industries in accordance to market demands, then bloody restructuring becomes necessary when we become impoverished.
Double Dipping and the ACTU
- A double dipper is a person who cashes in their superannuation and draws the old age pension.
- Inequitable to have two benefits and most beneficiaries are relatively well to do.
Foreign Investment
- Investors are only interested in Australian investments that perform better than elsewhere.
- No investment can take place without the foreign buyer and Australian seller gaining something.
- As long as there are investments that Australians are unwilling to finance, foreign investments will provide jobs and additional incomes.
Unknown
- The selfish use of privilege will destroy the free Australia that men fought for.
The opposition and the Mini Budget
- If Labour does a better job of managing the economy, then the Liberal party will be in opposition for a long time.
Grimes Summit Speech
- High taxation, universal welfare approach is not the best way of coping with poverty and cannot be financed long-term.
- Expectations of a pension discourages saving and investment.
Labels - an easy way to discredit but they count
- A more relevant classification of politics should be whether you believe that choice should be exercised by individuals or to be exercised on their behalf.
- Vested interests are only wrong when governments pander to them.
Wage-fixing priesthood keeps its god alive
Industrial Relations Economics
- Centralised wage-fixing is the creation of jobs for some who would otherwise be unemployed.
- A minimum wage is often set so high that it comes the permanent wage of those in the group with employers unwilling to offer more to capable individuals.
- Marginal employees such as the young, old, and unskilled are permanently shut out.
Thatcher's Victory
- Two myths were: 1) society has a deep-seated prejudice against women & 2) elections are won by a party that espouses the middle ground.
- People voted for hope that the economy would get better
- A democratic government can earn the respect of its people by governing for the long term.
BHP
- The bigger a company becomes with government intervention, the more damage to an economy it can do.
- BHP is seeking a preference over smaller businesses when it comes to subsidies.
Debt
- Debt adds to the sum of human wellbeing, benefit both borrowers and lenders.
- Some governments borrow not to invest but to increase their life style.
Another Premiers' Conference
- Premiers can make a lot of political trouble for a Prime Minister especially those that are from the same party.
- The Prime Minister has become a convenient whipping boy for state politicians that complain about Federal taxes while saying that the Federal Government's stinginess is not helping with their state's expenditures.
The Long Term
- A nation whose economy stagnates will become hard to govern.
- Poor growth also compounds political problems that are associated.
Where will the ideas come from?
- Influential thinking is now done outside of universities in independent research foundations.
- Each successful foundation has gradually won the support of politicians, media and the community-at-large.
- The ideas that sustain a free society are more likely to come from organisations that do not have a vested interest.
Choosing the right index
Economics Industrial Relations
- For indexing wages, the right index must be chosen. Lest we get more unemployment.
- If the CPI is used to index wages, then we should exclude the effects in terms of trade, taxes and devaluation from it.
A great trading nation
- Countries with small economies must trade with foreigners while citizens of large economies have a range of specialist skills that enable them to trade with each other.
- Australia's trade is getting worse over the years.
The Budget
- A good budget speech is one that discloses various interests at the first reading.
- Liberals preach free enterprise but practice socialism.
- Families should not be taxed additionally to provide free tertiary education where a student loan would suffice.
Trade Policy Transparency
- Tariffs cause job losses and is a tax which few citizens are aware of due to lack of experiences in price comparisons.
To Doug Everingham
- Lack of agreed upon lexicon makes political debate difficult.
- An economic stagnant society is an intolerant one.
- Economic freedom is intertwined with freedom of the human spirit.
Interest Rates will fall by 2%
- Overseas influences coupled with a need to fund the public deficit and an uncertainty about future inflation caused a small dip and a raise in interest rates.
Drought Aid
- Farmers that know how to use the rules and that are in the right position, can benefit from government aid at the expense of the taxpayer and other farmers.
- Subsidies creates weakness.
Dumping
- Goods are said to be dumped when they are imported and sold in Australia below current price levels.
- Predatory dumping should not be confused with price discrimination.
Peacock's Deakin Lecture
- Without political leadership, vested interests will control the Liberal party.
- The Deakin lecture lacks credibility as it did not confront the tough choices present.
Who were the Monetarists?
- Tight monetary controls may not work anymore due to rational cynicism
- Neither governments nor central banks are inclined to adopt monetarism
Sex Discrimination
- Society discriminates and would not function without doing so.
- Legislation fails to distinguish between choice from prejudice
- It is not possible to stop rational discrimination by passing laws.
- There is an economic cost to discrimination and it is better to let the market dictate.
The Liberal Federal Movement
- A country's future is dependent on the goals that are chosen by Politicians
- To give guarantee for future performance by a politician is like an alcoholic guaranteeing his or her sobriety.
- To govern effectively one needs a long-term strategy.
Statutory Marketing Authorities
- An industry that depends on world markets cannot avoid change. By delaying just long enough, many who have neither learnt to swim or moved to a higher ground will drown.
Their Own Worst Enemies
- The capitalist economy has a better track record than the socialist economy and so there is no need to apologise for it.
Airline Deregulation (11/11/83)
- Deregulation has enabled sharp reductions in the level of subsidies.
- The airline industry is no worse off while the consumer and taxpayer is better off.
Westpac to the Martin Committee
Cronyism Regulation Competition
- Westpac is caught between asking for continuation of protection from competition but is fearful that the same protection is extended to others.
- Labour ought to favour deregulation such as interest rates control as it makes the market more efficient.
Statutory Marketing Authorities
- The question most asked is whether statutory marketing authorities are adequately accountable to the various state governments, but the more important question is whether they are competent to market rural Australian produce.
- Only competition will make marketing authorities efficient.
The TPC & the IATA Agreement
- The problem with the trade practices commission is that the most serious monopolies are out of its reach.
- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a price maintenance agreement that allows for cabin crew to share in the monopoly margins through their union.
Sir John Kerr
- Vilification of Sir John Kerr is irrational as he did the best he could and should be judged with more objectivity.
Democracy & Property Rights
Individual Rights Law Politics
- Governments when they revoke property rights change the value of whatever underlying property the rights were attached to.
- The right to trade one's efforts is as important as a right to free speech and is even more relevant in everyday life.
- Many politicians don't understand the principles that they violate and the harm the arises.
Chaney on resource industries
- A resource rental tax is arbitrary as measuring it is impossible.
Facing 1984
- Productivity may be improved by effort, improved practices or increased capital per worker
- Our productivity gains are less than other countries and is not sustainable.
Large Colour TV Sets
Protectionism Competition Cronyism
- The Australian TV production industry taxes buyers and have developed into an uncompetitive assembler of foreign produced parts.
The Eternal Nanny
- Society gravitates towards the least regulated activities
- Even our bodies have become the property of the state.
- Governments offer us a security blanket that is useless and prevents us from developing survival skills.
Entrepreneurs
Economics Regulation Cronyism Business
- Entrepreneurs are first forwards looking decision makers, but often become crony business managers once estabilished.
Thomas Sowell & Walter Williams
- Sowell & Williams argue that racism, discrimination & poverty are minimised where markets are the freest and are worsened by government intervention.
- Affirmative action has created an action not to hire groups.
- Sowell has insisted that he has faith not in the market but rather the evidence about the market.
Who's a liberal?
- Traditional young liberal concern for human rights, environment and discrimination is in good hands.
- The spread of income level is narrowest in societies which are the freest and the disadvantaged the least oppressed where privilege is not maintained by law.
Taxes and Economic Growth
- High taxes are hostile to economic growth and hence to higher living standards.
- Link between high taxes and lower productivity, lower private consumption and lower life expectancies.
Measuring Education
- Both labour and liberal party members send their children to private schools due to teachers moving to private schools. Government schools perform the worst compared to catholic and private schools.
Hawke On Structural Adjustment
- There's a trade-off between today's protected industries and tomorrow's living standards.
- Mr Hawke, "we need a longer-range vision".
Uncooperative Federalism
- States that want more powers should be prepared to finance themselves.
- Competition between states to offer the lowest taxes or the best services is a good thing.
The Next Deficit
- With each succeeding deficit, either interest rates or lost opportunities will be higher.
- Easier for politicians to increase government spending rather than to decrease it.
Greiner's Small Business Policy
Regulation Industrial Relations
- The policy allows for an individual to negotiate employment conditions above the minimum requirements.
- Allows for the NSW industry to gain a competitive edge over other states and foreign imports.
The W.A. Sheep Meat Industry
- The Lamb Board shows the consequence of instituting a government-controlled monopoly versus a free market.
- Both consumer and producers have been prejudiced.
Aboriginal Land Rights
- Australian governments have granted special rights to various classes of peoples.
- The nature of lands right in the NT has caused uncertainty and the government is probably harder to deal with than Indigenous Australians.
The Problem with Big Government
- Smaller government where the people have more discretion.
- The problem with regulations is the enforcement and the more rules the less productive a society will be.
- Government doesn't know the wants of the people and the market is better place to punish any "rule-breakers"
Tax No 1
- The enforcement of taxation is inefficient and has become a vehicle for political favours.
- Consumption and capital gains taxes will fill the void if there is a reduction in personal income taxes.
Tax No 2
- A progressive tax should be a combination of company, income & sales taxes.
- Majority of revenue is coming from income taxes, a tax threshold should be allowed for smaller incomes.
- Too much reliance on any one category causes the marginal revenue to drop as there will be less persons or companies to tax.
Tax No 3
- A new capital gains tax where it taxes only real gains and allowing real losses would improve equity and economic neutrality but would be extremely difficult to administer
- An improvement would be to have a broad-based consumption tax through taxation of an approximation of real capital gains and removing special privileges from the income tax act
Of Bread and Eggs
- Regulation governing the production of eggs & bread in QLD is destroying the profitability of both products.
Exporters Pay for Tariffs
- Tariffs raise prices in the import competing industries over and above the extent that the wages rise for the rest of the economy.
- Protectionism impoverishes exporters rather than penalising foreign competitors.
Labour's style
Politics Industrial Relations Economics Business
- Bob Hawke ceded authority to those whom should not have authority.
- He expected big business to follow the government's lead on when and where to invest.
- His government is a corporatist consensus of government, big capital and big union.
The Opposition Industrial Relations Policy
- Few unionists understand that they are the prime cause of unemployment.
- An opportunity should be given to both employees/employers to be able to opt out of an award.
Changing Australia
- Collectivism preference installed in the Australian Christian Church with a removal of personal moral responsibility.
- Governments should not be imposing their will on the distribution of wealth and getting the Church involved.
The Grass Roots Against Deficits
- State Premiers demand increased Federal grants but called for smaller government & lower taxes
- In the US, grass roots opinion is going towards the direction of limiting the growth of government and to impose a budget balance.
Coastal Shipping
- Protection of the Shipping & Steel Industries have knock on effects on other industries.
- A government decision to protect an industry destroys another/others.
Occam's Razor
Taxation Subsidies Politics Economics
- It is remarkable that socialists think that the free world's financial system to blame for third world poverty.
- There is no obligation for a liberal society to tax itself to subsidise conversation & peace movements.
Early Retirement from the Public Service
- Basic economics where subsidies create more demand.
- Abuse of provision of medical certificates for civil servants who retire on medical grounds.
Handling the Vested Interests - The Dries
- Governments that are strong enough to deal with powerful vested interests are themselves dangerous.
- Politicians are followers; people don't like those that prejudice the community interest.
- Processes ought to be as transparent as possible.
Means Tests
- 3 positions for welfare funded by tax levels
- A pension reduces an incentive to save; high taxes reduced capacity to save
- Irresponsible to discuss universal welfare before eliminating the budget deficit
Tax Payers United
- Narrow interest groups cost their demands by setting aside similar/identical claims made by other groups and ignore the flow on effect.
- Conspiracy to perpetuate the myth of the budgetary free lunch.
- Reduced tax and reduced expenditure must go hand in hand.
Productivity & Living Standard
- Australian productivity has not kept up with living standards from 1969 in a 13-year period.
- Consumption has outstripped production; investment per head has declined.
International Comparisons
- Comparison of Australia's economic performance with other nations
- Slower growth rate compared to the UK (Study of a group of developed nations)
- Even with our resources (Aus. & NZ), our living standards have fallen behind resource poor countries of Western Europe
- With our lower economic performance, there might be a labour and skill migration of Australian to other countries.
Building Industry Superannuation
Superannuation Industrial Relations
- Inelastic demand in the construction industry; ability to pass on increased costs to others.
- Union Superannuation is a tax on union members as they get a percentage of their members contributions.
- The revenue will give them the ability to further industrial or political action and further their careers.
Of Paddington Bear and Medicare
- Regulation as a means of control
- Uneven enforcement
- Confusing legislation, that is, it is hard to adhere to the regulations.
Colour TV
- Import quotas for Colour TVs; prices should be allowed to signal the levels of supply and demand
- Quantitative restrictions (QR) are licences to print money
John Stone and all that
- Review of John Stone's lecture.
- Weakening of Australia to face the world market.
- Government gains monopoly of information.
Grain Handling
Protectionism Trade Regulation
- Wheat board (Trade barriers).
- Farmer are unable to price differentiate between higher quality of wheel produced (price takers not setters).
- Cost of over regulation where both some producers and consumers are the biggest losers.
Health Care 3: Medicare
Monopoly Regulation Competition
- Medical fraud by doctors in a statutory monopoly
- Firing a doctor removes his/her service from the community
- The best is no Medicare; the market decides
- * But what about a naturally formed cartel?
Youth Employment
- Employers will choose employees that can provide the most for each dollar spent on them.
- Sen Chaney was concerned about income inequality and alienation.
Japan's Ministry (MITI)
Economics Business Industrial Relations
- Japanese Government assisted in economic growth by restraining itself from interfering with the economy.
- Japan's industrial policies are the best because the government interference is the least.
Rich Land, Poor Land
- Those that followed economic wisdom the closest increased their people's standard of living the most. (Ghana v Taiwan)
MTIA, Wages & Protection
- MTIA has been significantly responsible for the 1981 wage hike which has caused the high wages that they are complaining about.
- No monopoly is prefect. If the price of any commodity is raised, some other similar product will take its place.
- Due to comparative wage flow-on, other industries are also facing pressures to increase employment costs when they would otherwise not have to.
The MIN Report
- Exporters have difficulties of low international prices and high Australian costs.
- The source of the troubles is bad government instead of bad markets.
- Mining companies are being loaded with infrastructural costs which are not asked of other competing sectors of the economy.
Advertising
- Tax funded advertising is the usage of taxes to subsidies one set of ideas against another.
- John doesn't believe that the public supports making judgements on standards such as tobacco and alcohol advertising and homosexuality.
- The Government's responsibility is to increase competition for claims about products and ideas.
Brookings on Deficits
Budget Monetary Policy Fiscal Policy Economics
- Aside from printing money, a govt deficit must be financed by bidding for the same funds that private investors seek.
- Brookings' objection to a high budget deficit is that it will reduce economic growth by increasing consumption at the expense of investment.
- Deficits allow govts to spend money that is not raised in taxes.
The OECD & Youth Employment
- The Australian Bureau of Labour Market Research (BLMR) states that youth employment was adversely affected by increase in relative youth wages in the 1970s.
- There is a substantial barrier to downward flexibility.
- Any further employment gains by youths are the expense of adult employees.
Whither the Liberals
- There are three philosophical positions: 1) The Dries (Free market advocates), 2) The Wets (Keynesian Big Govt advocates) and 3) The Uglies (preservers of status quo).
- Due to the people seeing political corruption, a demagogue may just get enough support by posing as a Dry or Wet to turn the Opposition's philosophy away from a more open, free and personally responsible position.
Kasper's Schumpeter Lecture
- He opposes Keynesian theory that productivity is unchanging. His theory is that capitalism improves productivity through entrepreneurs.
- Every fifty years or so, the world goes through burst of innovation that is concentrated in certain areas.
Future Cost of Superannuation
- The case against budget deficits has several arguments. One argument is that it is unfair that future debts are paid by our children.
- Today's governments are making commitments to their employees which future governments are unable to fulfil without raising taxes. Future governments faced with this issue will find a way to welsh on their predecessors' promises.
Peacock's Shadows
- Only when a politician is in power, can he or she stay true to an ideal.
NSW Egg Corporation
- Even though the NSW Egg board has been mandated to be efficient, it can never be truly efficient as it is a monopoly.
Foreign Investment
- When Governments meddle with commerce, it is to grant an unequal privilege over established vested interests.
Of Statesmanship and Architecture
- When politicians do not accept that there are constraints to their art, the state they built will be plagued by unemployment, inflation, poor economic growth, petty government tyranny and small country status overseas.
Universities
- Intellectual capital, primarily benefits whoever owns it like physical capital. It should be purchased even though it is not transferrable.
- "Free" education unfairly taxes the poor who rarely enjoy the benefits of it.
Restructuring the High Cost Industries
Industrial Relations Economics
- Restructuring means releasing resources from high cost activities to invest in low cost activities.
Keep the Czar far away from us.
Individual Rights Law Politics
- Liberty is freedom from the only legal organisation that is permitted to use force (The government)
Privatising
- Privatisation brings a greater portion of total capital stock under public control.
- Managers can no longer expect the public to underwrite inefficiency.
Missing out on devaluation
- Full indexation of the Australian dollar at this time of declining economic fortune would be disastrous.
Asian Shipping
- Australia's shipping industry is to be handmaiden to trade and the industry's over-tonnage will burden either the ship owners or shippers.
On the right to strike
Industrial Relations Monopoly Law
- There is a misuse of legal power to create monopolies.
Housing Policy
- Housing policies favour owners against renters. There is a considerable tax advantage to owning a home versus renting one.
Farm Costs
Protectionism Taxation Cronyism
- The National Farmers Federation (NFF) wants to the government to have relief for its members but it must be prepared to get the heavily protected dairy, tobacco and sugar industry off the backs of the taxpayers.
How much for the Poor
- A better case for subsidies for the poor is to rest on utility.
- There is no solution for the issue of moral hazard.
The Tax Summit
- The current tax system is inequitable. The best tax mechanisms should mirror government expenses.
Sir Joh's Industrial Laws
Industrial Relations Individual Rights
- There should be a recognised freedom of employment in society.
An International College
- Australia has a comparative advantage in the field of education. Allowing for a private college to be setup in Perth will not take away anything from the students.
Parliamentary Superannuation
- If the taxpayers want to get the best value for their money, the payments to government workers/politicians need to convey the right incentives.
Victorian Milk Price Arbitration 1
- Regulations place Victorian Milk Farmers in the worst competitive position in Australia.
Milk Price Arbitration 2
- If the Victorian Dairy Farmers do not deregulate fast enough, they will face competition from Dairy Farmers from other states.
When Elephants Mate
- Consensus should never be used to replace a clear legal framework that protects the rights of the individual.
The Underlying Economic Problem: John Brunner
- Either production must be increased substantially, or consumption must be decreased drastically.
New Zealand and Sri Lanka
- A democrat can, given the right circumstances, successfully implement long term economic goals.
Tax, Expenditure and the Summit
- When there is a demand for a tax cut, there is a need to advocate for a specific expenditure cut.
The Sage of a Pipe Line
Fiscal Policy Taxation Politics
- Taxpayers are slugged with the cost of infrastructure projects when the government decides to build a "monument". *Q
Helping the Poor
- Private choices (i.e. Single Parenthood) must be subject to influences which encourage the acceptance of individual responsibility.
The Ultimate Cost of Protection
Protectionism Politics Trade Economics
- Australia is paying a heavy social price for a closed economy. Only by reducing border protection is there a possibility of turning things around.
Farmer Militancy
- Farmers should not be bought off by policies that might be regarded as income tax favouritism and that everyone keeps their sights on the objective of an efficient free society.
The Crunch
Industrial Relations Economics Politics
- If Bob Hawke feels that he is too weak to defy vested interests, he will sow the seeds of economic decline for everybody.
Junior Employees - Special Orders
Individual Rights Industrial Relations
- Minimum wage prevents potential employees from negotiating with employers.
- The right to determine one's own labour is a basic human right.
Cutting the Deficit
- Any increase of public sector spending above the current level 44% GDP is not sustainable.
Maintaining Direction in Government
- The Liberal Party must work out what it stands for.
Industrial Policy
- Only a free market economy with strong positive and negative incentives can stimulate productivity.
Of Liberals, Conservatives and Dries
- The ideas are more important than which political party wins.
Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation
- It is important to privatise markets and there be alternative competitors for any former state firms.
On Maintaining Direction in Government
- The Liberal Party needs to be consistent in its ideas put forth.
A Mandate to Govern
- Changes which benefit the entire economy rather than just the few will only work if the vested interests understand that they tend to gain more than they lose.
The National Party and The Farmers
Politics Protectionism Trade Taxation
- Australia's trade barriers is costing Australian farmers on average $12,000 annually and is more than fuel taxes, capital gain tax and all other areas of rural complaints.
The Accord, Labour Market Regulation
Regulation Industrial Relations Individual Rights
- Only soft approaches that are based in individual liberty will work for labour deregulation.
Going for Growth or For Broke
- Foreign capital used for growth is no cause for concern. Only if it is used to finance current consumption.
Lange's Economy
- Mr David Lange is the man who steered the New Zealand economy to eventual recovery by using free market principles.
Occupational Regulation **
- A licence does not inform a buyer about who is the best service provider. The effect is to stop competition.
Neither Left nor Right nor Half Way In Between
- Labels confusion and creates acrimony where none need exist.
The WA TV Licences
- The root cause of Australia's economic decline is the subtle corruption of political authority.
Transparency II
Protectionism Politics Economics
- Industry specific councils are a menace which should not be given any standing when forming public policy.
The Australian Dollar
Currencies & Commodities Monetary Policy
- If the Australia dollar is unable to maintain stability internally (inflation) and externally (exchange rate), then Australians will demand payment in something else they can trust in.
What Is Wrong with The Liberals?
- John Howard wants to remove privilege and the Liberal Party has upset some of the most powerful interests in the land. The only way is forward.
The Wages Debate
- Most people resent the abuse of union power and fear that the unions will bring the country to its knees before giving up power.
- Legally binding awards and trade union monopoly powers which constraint people which they did not agree to are morally reprehensible.
Taxis
Protectionism Regulation Cronyism
- Taxi deregulation is the same as any other product or service regulation. There will be winners and losers, but everyone should benefit in the long term.
A New Political Party?
- Good political leadership is not the practice of defying public opinion but the art of changing of it.
Privatisation
- The main purpose of privatisation is increased productivity not obtaining the highest selling price for the underlying asset.
Privatisation II
- There no substitute for care of a private owner over public ownership.
Dumping
- Any Australian produced good that is dumped on the Australian market benefits Australians.
Written on Turning Fifty
- The reliance on credit by the current generation will cause future generations to be in debt.
John Burton
- Relative economic decline should be reversed by deregulation and privatisation.
Oil Revenues
Welfare Taxation Fiscal Policy
- Revenue from the Bass Strait oil fields should be shared as widely as possible instead of being concentrated in unemployment benefits.
Parliamentary Reform
- Parliamentary privilege is being abused by politicians that slander each other instead of debating the merits of each bill.
The Real IR Debate
Protectionism Industrial Relations Business Individual Rights
- Being able to opt out of a wage award allows the parties to come to an agreement rather than having something forced upon them.
Recovery Alone Was Not Enough
Industrial Relations Business Individual Rights
- To reduced unemployment, we need to free labour and capital from government and the unions.
Sir Hal Colebatch
Politics Fiscal Policy Protectionism
- He stood against: 1) protectionism, 2) excessive borrowing and 3) legislation that compelled price controls.
Housing Interest Rates
Regulation Monetary Policy Interest Rates
- Regulated interest rates cause those that are unable to obtain regulated money to resort to hire purchase and second mortgages. They also distort housing supply.
The Trilogy
- The trilogy promises are: 1) reduction of the Federal budget, 2) no increase in tax revenue and 3) reduction of Federal budget outlays.
- There is a need to increase investment to meet the trilogy.
Fools or Knaves? The Reith Lectures
- Our current politicians favour interventionism, the question is whether they are knaves or fools? *
American Morality
- The degree to which basic human rights are respected by a nation is the degree of its morality.
The Future of Agriculture
Protectionism Industrial Relations
- The two demands by the National Farmers Federation that industry protection by reduced and that real wages reflect the nation's economic circumstances are reasonable.
Retrospectivity 3
- When a law is interpreted in an unintended way, a new law confirming things are they are thought to be may enhance certainty and equity.
The Opposition's I.R. Policy
Protectionism Industrial Relations Individual Rights
- The Liberal policy will give all employees the right not to join a union.
EPAC And Gruen On Trade
Protectionism Regulation Business
- Professor Gruen says that selling below full cost in not regarded as an unfair trading practices within Australia. It smacks of double standards when it is labelled as unfair when done by foreigners.
The Accord
- The accord between the Labour Party and the Trade Unions are about to be tested. A productivity award will cause unemployment to be higher than it should be.
Fraser On Howard
- The question facing the next Prime Minister is whether they will tackle our economic crisis without deferring to vested interests.
Howard's Economic Statement
- Australia's chronic condition is how uncompetitive our industries are. The supply side of the Australian economy must become more flexible.
Cheer Up Things Are Getting Worse
Industrial Relations Regulation
- Deregulation will force unionist to bear the consequences of their own actions.
Party Conferences
- Due to the loss of trust in the Liberal Party, the WA Liberals can put their house in order by electing a president and a team that is not tainted by the past.
A Crisis of the Spirit
- If Australians are to accept that there must be uneven sacrifices, we must feel that we are going somewhere.
The Evatt Foundation Conference
Regulation Subsidies Politics Business Competition
- Public sector monopolies give politicians opportunities to subsidise favoured voters.
- The public benefits the most from competition not private ownership.
Holmes, Rattigan & Chaney
- Vested interests are no longer stifle debate about protectionism.
The Federal Budget
- The government should adopt the same rigorous prudential standards as businesses
Industrial Relations in The Pilbara
- Foreign buyers only care about the price of iron ore. It is hard to understand why employee insist on practices that reduce productivity.
What's at stake at Robe River
- The main issue is whether Robe will be allowed to increase productivity and to invest in further developing costlier ore bodies or will the unions force it out of business.
Education and Guardianship
- The best kind of education where a child can get is one where there is a lot of competition.
What Is the New Right?
Politics Industrial Relations Individual Rights Taxation Fiscal Policy
- Our wishes are to reduce union power, unfair business privileges, balance the government budget, reduced public expenditure and taxes, stopping the middle class from being ripped off, restore competiveness and protection of the family.
Textiles, Clothing & Footwear (not in print)
- Workers that are in a protected industry must be prepared to accept modest wages that arise as a result of protectionism, if not, the economy will suffer, and riots will occur.
Of Taxes and Superannuation
Taxation Superannuation Industrial Relations
- Democracies can slash marginal tax rates if they want to;
- Some people are unwilling or unable to provide for themselves.
- It is the demands of the middle class that make tax reductions difficult.
- Union organised superannuation can be a competitive and safe alternative to high welfare payments and taxes.
The Premier's Plan
- The premiers seem to be incurring disastrous debts in order to buy votes.
Living with The Dole
- In order to have full employment, wages must fall. However, low wages make the dole attractive; there should be a work requirement for the dole.
Star Wars
- Ronald Reagan did not have the right to trade away the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI). It is immoral to give away the ability to stop a nuclear attack in flight.
Jackey's Marsh
- Where private ownership over resources is granted, there usually is loving care over the property.
- The main question is whether the area in Jackey's Marsh is logged, maintained as it is or used in other ways.
The Constitution and Human Rights
- We are all underprivileged in something and none of us in everything. *
- The most important role of any constitution should be the protection of citizens by limiting the power of the government.
Not Published, Doing Business with Too Much Government
- The primary cause of our economic troubles is our government.
- Every privilege is someone's cost.
The New Enlightenment
- To describe people who want less state authority as "right" is slander.
What is Unemployment?
- Unemployment figures are no longer a good proxy for economic distress which must be identified more directly.
The NFF Seeks Audience
- The National Farmers Federation (NFF)'s paper argues that the government's policies are unable to cope with changes.
The Laffer Curve
- There should have been greater expenditure cuts to compensate for tax cuts on the low and middle-income taxpayers.
Will Unemployment Ever Come Down
- Reducing taxes on the lowest paid where anyone who was on unemployment benefits will be better off working is the most politically and morally right.
A Speech John Howard Should Make
- Most of the moral failures in Australian politics are a result of big government.
- Legislation used to buy votes creates unequal classes.
Welfare, Targeting Need
- In practice, the number who qualifies for unemployment benefits must be reduced by restricting eligibility.
Of Bread and Circuses
- Governmental authority is not the equivalent of nationhood.
- If our government gets the fundamentals of a free and prosperous society right, circuses (symbols) will look after themselves.
Petersen et al
- Debt and inflation are now so serious they must be remedied with a strong and specific political mandate.
Commerce and Government Don't Mix
Business Politics Regulation Cronyism
- Government operates differently in that only it can legally force people to do it's bidding.
- Market imperfections are most often caused by government interference on behalf of vested interests.
Health Care
- Doctors and hospital bed must be rationed, and supply must be matched to demand by queuing.
The Rocky Horror Show
- The deficit should be reduced by cutting government expenditure instead of raising taxes.
- The proven way to economic success is through deregulation.
David Heald Reports to the ACTU
- His main recommendation is that collectivists must do everything in their power to recapture the political agenda from the economic libertarians in the 'New Right' think tanks.
Not Lazy (Published in the Weekend Australian as Monopolies corner the market in frustration)
Protectionism Monopoly Regulation Business
- Australians are more often frustrated with government regulations than lazy.
- Monopolies are the reason for Australia's lost competiveness than laziness.
The Next Prime Minister
- A leader should be strong enough to make cuts to the deficit and also be strong enough to deregulate and privatise.
Of Unions, Rights and Property
Industrial Relations Taxation Property Rights
- The poorest person has no property but their labour.
- The government's first responsibility is the security of its citizens. Does taxation extend to the right of labour of its citizens?
A Manifesto
- Today's drive towards liberty and reason has been called the New Enlightenment and sounds better than New Right.
Referendums
- In Australia, the public may wish to say no to a policy of the government without voting them out of office.
The Fiscal Problem
- Public sector borrowing requirement must be eliminated and the Commonwealth must move quickly to a modest surplus with the States coming close to fiscal balance.
Howard III
- John Howard cannot stop reading differences from being aired nor should he try.
The Deficit 1987
Economics Taxation Fiscal Policy
- When governments borrow rather than raise taxes, there are several consequences: 1) The young lose, 2) investments drop, 3) The country's credit rating suffers, 4) The police are required to force people to service the debt, 5) Foreign debt accumulates and 6) The government is tempted to inflate the currency.
South Africa
- Political power is least important in a liberal free market society with a small government.
Two Ways of Coping with Unions
- Reducing the power of unions until they have to obey the law like everyone else.
- Passing legislation to override the power of the unions.
Transport and the Economy
- Transport modes and service should compete on equal terms. The subsidies favouring LPG over petrol should be eliminated.
- Competition between wharves, grain, sugar, container terminals and other port facilities could be greatly enhanced through implementing the Liner Shipping Report
If the Liberals Should Do Badly
- If the Liberal and National Parties are defeated this time, the current in-evitable drop in living standards will cause power to be returned to them.
The Campaign Issues
Politics Regulation Industrial Relations Economics
- John Howard's policy stances are more like Margaret Thatcher than he is given credit for.
- The important issue is to increase efficiency without which Australia is sunk. Tax cuts matter but not so much as deregulation and industrial relations reform.
A Liberal Liberal Party
- Labour leadership is unashamedly elitist.
- John Howard has turned the Liberal Party from the control of people whose approach to governance is mirrors the current Labour party. Like Margaret Thatcher, he has been slandered and abused by members of his political party.
Investment: Where will it come from?
- If private savings and investments are to increase, then the people must reduce their consumption. However, there is a danger that households might maintain their current living standards and savings levels might decrease.
When Elephants Mate
- Corporatism (consensus of elected elites) can produce good outcomes, Singapore, Austria and Sweden are often cited as good examples of successful corporatist governments. However, only fools expect elites to remain benevolent even if they started that way. It is in the human nature to use power to guard personal status.
The Issues Today
- Labour's industrial relations policy is corporatist, Liberal's is individualist. The main issue is who will rid is to national debt.
The Darwin Water Front
- Militant trade unionism is not the only reason for our declining living standards and the difficulties of balance of payments but there is no doubt that both would be improve without it.
Airline Deregulation
Regulation Industrial Relations
- The less the airlines are protected from consumer choice, the less that it will pay for employees to go on strike.
The Rules of The Game
- Economic necessity is forcing the individual to accept change and in the long run good procedures in support of good principles should generate good outcomes.
Testing the Heroes: Liberalism Under Fire
- The importance of Menzies, Locke & Co for our current problems whether their insights and actions will enable us to think more effective about solving our current situation.
Senator Walsh
- Senator Walsh made a case that a private monopoly is superior to a public monopoly.
Corporatism and the ACTU
- Corporatism with its concentration arbitrary power is an evil system and Italian Fascism is the best example of that.
World Trade
- Everything in an economy relates to everything else. One industry's protection is always another's cost.
- International trade is always governed by domestic politics.
The Budget
- The government has already implemented all the tax cuts it can afford and avoiding the real issue of expenditure. A good budget that does not achieve surplus of a billion without new taxes is a bad budget
Government and The Arts
- Governments are more interested in social messages than in evaluation and revelation when it comes to funding the arts.
- Another reason why the average man who isn't interested in the arts is forced to subsidise the arts is that civil servants and politicians fancy themselves to be part of the elite.
Replying to the ACTU
Industrial Relations Individual Rights
- In Australia, a small wage restraint was bought by offering more power to the ACTU and the unions.
- In Australia, the only basic human right not respected is the right to sell one's labour.
At the Bottom of Our Troubles Is Misinformation
- Informed evaluation of issues by a free and competent press is central to democracy.
- There was no excuse for the media to not report the budget's weakness before it was pointed out by Senator Walsh.
The Children's Services Program
- Should child welfare payments be directly to single parents to be self-sufficient, most taxpayers would be happy for it to be so. However, the resources are being urged to be diverted by militant feminists to schemes that will increase the child care costs per child.
That Political Pay Rise
- It is unclear that countries such America with expensive politicians are always the best governed.
- Centralised wage fixing will not work effectively.
The Stock Market and History
Politics Economics Monetary Policy
- The cause of the Great Depression was not the stock market collapse but the result of poor government policies. The politicians should allow the markets to adjust accordingly instead of intervening and making things worse.
The Family
- Today, most people believe that the state has prime responsibility for lesser familial services such as education, childcare and providing financially for the aged.
- Most families that do meet the welfare needs of their members succeed far better than those that don't.
Of Fiduciary Responsibility
- The state bails out those that are in financial difficulties and are close to the government.
- Governmental authority should not be used to dole out favours for a selected few but for the public interest.
Philip Ayres on Fraser
- Malcolm Fraser was a regulator when he was in office while John Howard was a deregulator.
Private Correspondence
- By deregulating our economy, we will be able to pay our public debts.
A Deregulation LED Recovery
- Deregulating will do more for the economy than getting the people to reduce their living standards.
Confessions of A Multiculturalist
- The best thing that government can do for multiculturalism is to not interfere with people's lives.
- Natural multiculturalism and cultural changes offers Australia the best hope of economic recovery.
Senator John Stone
- Public debate is essential but if Senator Stone alienates his colleagues, they can make him irrelevant and the public won't listen to him.
- If he does not want to be made irrelevant, then he must accept that no one can be a shadow minister or otherwise without making concessions to cabinet solidarity.
The Eternal Nanny
- A nanny government needs a big stick and thick skin.
- The behaviour of the nanny state benefits vested interests.
What Happened to Charity?
- The reason why welfare fails is that the middle class are taxed and its recipients. Welfare does not get to the poor.
- Largesse that places no obligation on the recipient spoils them.
The Bicentenary
- Too many Australians deplore a lack of political leadership, we need to tell our leaders to follow the best worldwide examples and accept that we will need to modify our behaviour accordingly.
The Source of Union Power
- The power of the unions is both political and industrial.
- A monopoly is only as effective as the barrier that holds out competitors.
Wheat Marketing: A Case Study of Monopoly
Protectionism Cronyism Monopoly
- Monopolists argue that increasing size will allow for economies of scale but without competition that is no onus to pass on the benefits.
- Wheat growers that keep silent about their lack of choice allow their impoverishment.
Tax Avoidance & Civil Disobedience
- Some level of tax is needed to preserve society and payments should be made to the needy.
- When levels of taxation are high enough, the people will feel unfairly imposed upon and thus will avoid them.
How We Talk About Aborigines
- Due to the cultural differences and even with land rights for Indigenous Australians, Indigenous Australians have not prospered in comparison with the rest of society.
- We need stop denying the best of all our cultures.
Micro Economic Reform
- Whenever there is an economic crisis, vested interests lose their hold over the government.
- Unfortunately, some parties are prepared for the country to be destroyed rather than give up their interests.
Spare Us from By-Elections
- The job of a statesman is to articulate good policies. However, politicians being elected make irresponsible promises.
Amending the Constitution
- The public has shown that given the chance, it is more liberal, fiscally responsible, less likely to pander to vested interests.
Partington
- Education is predicated on objective standards and can only assessed using those standards.
Labour Markets
- Restoration of personal liberties, increased productivity, low inflation and full employment should be the goals of any labour market reform.
- However, any reform must take into account of the consideration power of the unions.
Political Corruption
- Legislators are above the law in that if they do not like a law they can amend it. However, they can never be above the principles of justice and equality.
- A state that confers privileges that it cannot legitimately justify is corrupt.
Academic Accountability
- Any paid academic must be held accountable for the value of their salary and academic freedom is best protected by an absence of government funding and a large range of sponsors.
On Bill Carmichael's Retirement
- For any major reform to be successful, a vested interest with a major stake in the reform must carry it.
Greiner's: The First Dry Government
- Mr Greiner has shown that Dry Liberals can be elected; the question is whether he can resist the temptation of power and not favour vested interests.
The WHO Conference
- The World Health Organisation is successful only in places where they have stayed out of politics.
The National Party and Consumption Taxes
- A consumption tax would encourage saving and investment, remove some distortions caused by the sales tax and reduce tax evasion.
The Motor Car Decision
Taxation Protectionism Cronyism
- The purpose of any protection is to allow goods to be sold at a higher price and has the same purpose as a consumption tax.
- The protectionism affects other industries as it makes them less competitive due to the other industries subsidising the particular industry.
Robe River Iron and The Common Law
- The Robe River Iron Associates (RRIA) should not be demonised for using the law to recover their company property and their poor public relations should not be used as an excuse to bully them.
Super Unions
- For any society to function, there must be near consensus about fundamental rules.
- Competition with the established rules has a better record than the protectionism imposed by ministers and union officials.
Player or Ring Keeper?
- When private players enlist the government in intervening in the economy, the "ring-bearer" may become corrupt.
Criticism of Howard
- Running the country is different from running a corporation and politicians that do not make the distinction are dangerous.
- John Howard represents a policy change that certain businessmen resent.
Dawkins Tertiary Funding Proposals
- A graduate tax is not unfair to students as knowledge is a valuable private good.
- The nature of subsidised education creates economic rents.
The Perils of Regulation
- Socialists must decide between their abhorrence of the markets and helping the poor. Only when wealth is created, that it can then be diverted to assist the under-privileged can be help.
Nanny II
- There may be nothing sinister in the Nanny state's actions, but she does not favour personal liberty, strong family ties or capitalism.
Merrindie
- Bert Kelly influenced the people into seeing that ideas should sometime prevail over interests.
Wealth
- We should be concentrating on elevating the living standards of the poor, instead of cutting the wealthy down to size.
- A person's moral obligation to help the less fortunate is not removed by increasing taxes.
The Liberals IR Policy
Industrial Relations Monopoly Competition Regulation
- To protect the public from monopolies, the best alternative is to allow competition. Any reduction will reduce the pain of getting our economic house in order.
The Misfortunes of The Gulf War
- Democracy, especially in America, means that all possible technical, tactical and political errors that contributed to a tragedy will be exhaustively discussed.
Wheat Marketing: Too Much Politics
- When any vested interest creates a monopoly, the price of the product is then raised.
The Politics of Deregulation
Regulation Politics Leadership
- Three things are needed for deregulation: 1) A convergence of elite opinion, 2) An issue must be ripe and 3) some leadership is needed.
Time the Nats Delivered
Politics Protectionism Cronyism
- If the National Dries do not disown any plans to strengthen the Australian Wheat Board's control over the domestic market, the voter may not have much choice except to vote for the Labour party.
Consumerism
- Organisations that should be advocating for more choices for consumers, use public money to pursue an agenda that is opposite of consumer choice.
Values
- People must be responsible for the consequences of their actions. When the government intervenes, there is a cost and should therefore be limited.
Immigration Hypocrisy
- Diversity is potentially a source of program but also of factionalism. Children of immigrants would seem to be integrating into Australia given their excellent exam results.
A Tale of Two Nations
- The message for Australia and Fiji is that we have a choice between raising our gross national product or lower our standards of living.
- It is either deregulate or decay.
The Coalition
Regulation Monopoly Cronyism Politics
- It is in the national interest to avoid all unnatural monopolies.
- If the National Party does not want a free wheat market, who will believe them when they call for deregulation.
The Coalition II
- When the current political tensions are reduced, can compromises be made between Wet and Dry politicians? If not, there will be no loss.
Reforming Education
Education Regulation Competition Individual Rights
- The best option to education is to deregulate it and to allow the people the freedom to make their choices wisely.
One Australia
Politics Individual Rights Law
- The state cannot give us complete legal equality. We also will not agree with the privileges afford to the different classes of Australians.
- However, if Mr John Howard can get rid of unreasonable privileges, it will have the result of making the most of us equal legally.
Public Sector Accountability
- The WA government should not have initiated public sector activity which displays the usual inefficiency.
- The real problem is that that when Western Australian politicians introduce government into commerce, they often abuse the trust that is placed upon them.
What Price the Accord?
- The accord has delivered wage restraint at a cost which is the higher levels of overseas debt and higher account deficit.
The Family Conference
- Welfare has freed both men and women from responsibilities.
- A stable and prosperous society depends on stable monogamous families.
A Heartbeat from The Prime Ministership
- Without leadership, Australians will probably not stumble out of our well-established round of slow growth, poor investment and current account deficits.
- A vengeful man should not be entrusted with the power of the Prime Minister.
The IAC Report
- Protectionism reduces living standards.
- The debate about the costs of protectionism has been won.
Tax File Number
- Tax laws are now so complex that no reasonable man may know his liability.
- The Commissioner is using the threat of unknown penalties to frighten individuals into paying their liabilities.
The Liberals Won't Tax Gold
- The economic objection to an industry paying less than its share of taxation is that some other industry will have to pick up the slack and comparative advantage of each industry is ignored.
On Re-reading 'The Road to Serfdom'
- The evil to be most feared is the power to force people into conformity. Concentration of power is dangerous.
- The role of parliament is to check the power of government.
Rimmer
- When the government privileges some newly declared Australians over the rest of Australia, the government violates the implied authority given to it to treat all Australians equally.
Future Directions
- The 'Future Directions' statement implies an overdue recognition that ideas have inspirational authority and is an alternative to messianic leadership which the Liberals do not have.
The 'right' that never existed
Industrial Relations Individual Rights
- There is no inherent right to strike only to stop working. By preventing other people from taking their jobs, they are subtracting their rights.
In Search of Better MPs
- Politicians have been promoted to their level of incompetence and the only way to cure that is they are only allowed to create general conditions for the people to better themselves.
Tariffs: The Beam in Our Eyes
- Even though tariffs lower living standards, politicians use them to win over some voters.
The OTC Sacking
- Monopolies do not go broke as they can pass on any unnecessary costs on to their customers.
A Significant Blessing
- The most important policy implemented by the Federal Cabinet has been the deregulation of financial markets.
What's Political Important In 1989?
- Political corruption, foreign debt and declining living standards are the big issues in 1989.
Dowding Goes to The Polls
- The Burke government entered into joint ventures with WA's wealthiest citizens and so damaged the financial and legal integrity of the WA state.
Dries Must Resist Giving Up Struggle as Going Gets Rough
- Society is a feedback machines in that, any misfortune creates behavioural changes and the trick is to change patterns of behaviour before misfortunes become too awful.
Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth
- As Dry policies are being implemented, any lags between implementation and consequences must be explained as must any mistakes or unrelated causes.
How to Generate Poverty Without Really Trying
- To alleviate poverty, most of the poor will become rich only by given the opportunity to work, save and exchanging their goods and services.
Lessons From WA
- Labour has been given the message that unaccountability method of governance is unacceptable. Two other issues were interest rates and competence of our political leaders.
Giving Authority Back to Parliament
- For government accountability to be present, all political parties must honour the Westminster tradition and there must be an independent press.
What Has Happened to Political Leadership?
- Political leadership is about making the connections and explaining the trade-offs.
The Lamb Marketing Corporation
- The average producer is unaware that they are being duped and politicians have no interest in informing them.
The Government and The Wage Round
Protectionism Industrial Relations
- The government should not be entrenching the unions. They should be doing what is right for the economy.
The National Companies and Securities Commission
- The National Companies and Securities Commission (NCSC) should be dissolved if they are seen to be protecting certain interests.
Policing the Media
- The limitations that government places on the media outlets are unnecessary.
- One wonders if the government would like the media to feel obligated to them.
Chile
- Chile to become an economic success story. Reform included reducing tariffs to a flat 15% and substantially deregulating labour market.
The Case Against the Tax File Number
- Income tax is intrusive, penalises investment, uncertain and unfair. It should be replaced by a consumption tax.
Not So New Federalism
- The Australian economy will not recover until the people who make the economic decisions face the consequences of their own decisions.
David Kemp
- Professor Kemp is hopeful that authority is now seen to have limitations and liberal ideas flowing from government groups.
The Winding Up of WA Inc
- The activities of WA Inc are wrong because they benefit private interests at the expense of the public.
Of Wages and Wheat
Industrial Relations Regulation Politics
- The Liberals must establish the few important principles now. Continual deregulation is one of them.
The Politics of Hope
- It is now the time to again make the case for social reform in terms of opportunities instead of costs.
Citizen-Initiated Referendums v Corruption
Politics Cronyism Protectionism
- If effective sovereignty were returned to the people, politicians would no longer be protecting vested interests.
The Potential Cost of PICL
- The greatest danger for the Western Australian citizen is that Petrochemical Industries Company Limited (PICL) is that the state government purchasing a large amount of PICL shares and any inefficiencies in the way that the company is run is then covered up by subsidies.
Macphee
- Since 1974, both the Labour and Liberal parties have adopted freer market policies, but Mr Macphee has not changed his positions.
Reforming GATT
- The solution to trade barriers is to measure the cost to the national economy and report to the public the cost.
Corporate Taxation
- Australian investment is poor due to rules discouraging investment. The tax system should be changed to remove the penalties from investment.
A Report Card for School
- Teachers must be given the incentives to perform well and be disciplined by the market if they do not perform.
Of Honour and Politics
- Friction is in the nature of politics, there is a need to conduct the party's affairs well.
The Dropping of The Pilot
- John Howard's greatest achievement was to develop a party that would not be in bed with special interests.
Housing Interest Rates
- High interest rates reduce consumption by the same amount that savings would have increased.
One Australia *
- Society cannot function without some shared values and some values are so central to our society that they are non-negotiable.
- Those aspects of our culture that protects civil rights must be accepted by all and it would be unfair to everyone by pretending otherwise.
Whither Florence Nightingale?
Protectionism Industrial Relations
- If individual nurses could be rewarded for their productivity, union protectionism would not work, and patients and taxpayers would not be bled.
Trade Policy
- The problem is that Australians are consuming more than they produce. Until that is fixed, there is no reduction of the trade deficit.
Howard III: Return of The Drover's Dog
- Is question facing Australians is that how will we regain access to John Howard's talents?
What Are EFIC And the Wheat Board Up To?
- When a statutory authority is created that does not act in the public interest, it becomes almost impossible to dismiss the organisation.
Retirement Income
- By the year 2030, we will need to allow people to work longer and have to raise the age from which people can claim government pensions.
Foreign Debt Does Matter
- Foreign debt servicing can only be possible through deregulations, only then can investments flow into Australia and the level of foreign debt reduced.
Applying the Fitzgerald Principles
- The Fitzgerald report recommended that systematic corruption is set in place conditions that will prevent future corruption.
Parliament Is Not A Waste of Time?
- As long as parliament continues to rubber stamp cabinet and caucus decisions, there will not be rational debate.
Greenhouse and All That
- Before we give governments that power to do damage to the world economy, we need to be reasonable sure that there is a crisis in the world ecosystem and that any action proposed as net benefits.
Foreign Aid
- Foreign aid props up governments that might otherwise fall, it leads to inevitable politicisation of life and degradation of life there.
Ian McLachlan
- Mr McLachlan's H.R Nichols Society address was significant in that it addressed waterfront work practices and he is a future Liberal MP with leadership potential.
Of Ethics and The Economy
- In this current climate, our government places electoral interests ahead of policies that will benefit society overall.
The Pilots and The Libs IR Policy
- The whole point of the Liberal policy was the salary of pilots should be market driven but the leader of the Liberal party missed the opportunity to educate the Australian people on the least painful way to bring the current account into balance.
On Not Subsidising Ansett
Protectionism Industrial Relations
- Since the Prime Minister cannot subsidise every everyone that has been disadvantaged by a strike, he should not subsidise the wealthy that have the ear of the government.
Youth Employment
- Many government programs subsidise employers to hire apprentices. This is admitting that young, unskilled employees are overpriced due to the minimum wage.
The Rake's Progress
Industrial Relations Competition
- The rhetoric against the Australian Federation of Air Pilots is unfair. They are not the enemy, they should be left to be dealt with by market forces.
WorkCare And the RSI Epidemic
- Any illness, where the treatment is free or subsidised, tends to record a higher level of occurrence.
Interest Rates Are Not Doing the Job
Interest Rates Economics Business
- When there is not a need to rely on interest rates to kill demand, the inflow of foreign investment will fall.
Principle of Limits
- Politicians that do not accept limits to their power, tend to be corrupted as they turn public authority to benefit themselves.
- Power tripping has done immense damage to our economy and to the standing of our political institutions.
Des Moore
- Des Moore of the IPA had two recommendations: 1) debt does matter 2) monetary policy must be tightened.
Coronation Hill and Conservation
- Miners are ordinary people who for the most part, love nature. By demonising them, environmentalists gave up the chance for BHP to use its resources for their cause.
The Liberal's Tax and Spending Policy
Taxation Fiscal Policy Politics
- The overall thrust of the policy is pro-employment but falls well short of solutions for the problems outlined. Nevertheless, it is a step in the right direction.
The Annual Convention of The Industrial Relations Society of WA (Inc)
- The fundamental reason why the labour market deregulation has not proceeded was indicated by a trade union official belief that most of society cannot get along. Unfortunately, he did not believe that most of society would appreciate directing their own affairs.
Political Corruption
- If there had been proper parliamentary disclosure, there would not have been case of political corruption such as WA Inc.
Those Vietnamese Refugees
- The immigration of any group that is willing to integrate into Australian society is good as the group will enrich the economy and society.
Joining East Asia
- The most important lesson that we can learn is the export orientation for the most successful countries is high and even going to the extent of subsidising exports.
Victory Without Blood
- With the collapse of communism, millions of people gained a measure of freedom without bloodshed.
Healthcare, Unions, Solidarity and Conflict
Industrial Relations Healthcare
- One characteristic of a protected industry is that few of the decision makers have to bear the consequence of their decisions.
- Another characteristic is that authority is used to set prices instead of demand and supply determining prices.
What Right to Strike?
- Any strike is a collusion by employees to raise the price of their labour and there is no inherent human right to do so.
- Sanctions that clearly subtract from other people's rights should be illegal.
Roger Douglas' Way
- Mr Roger Douglas, the New Zealand Finance Minister has implemented radical market reforms to make a prosperous New Zealand a distinct possibility.
Roger Douglas II
- To fix the economy, our political leaders may look to New Zealand's former Finance Minister who has led market reforms to their economy.
Wheat Market Deregulation
- Wheat market reform was due to the persistence and courage of a Labour Party Minister, Mr John Kerin.
The Dries 10 Years On
- Most dries hoped that difficult questions went away so that they stopped costing the Liberal Party votes.
Business Ethics
- We tend to think the bankruptcy causes unemployment and loss of assets, by bailing out bankrupt companies, we subvert the ethics of the free market in redistributing over-valued assets under new management.
Wool Stocks
- Minimum prices reduce the volume consumed; a more radical reform will be the abolishment of the wool reserve price.
The Good Fight
- Austin Stewart Holmes was one of Australia's finest civil servants and a true servant to democracy.
- Mr Holmes was an honest true servant to democracy.
Competitive Federalism
- The public suffers a bigger government than it would had the States be willing to raise their own tax revenue as the Federal government is able to raise more taxes than the individual States.
The Greens Crying Wolf
- Even with land degradation being a serious issue, most cases can be avoided by individuals managing their own affairs in an orderly manner. We do not need a totalitarian organisation telling farmers what to do with their land.
Shack
- Peter Shack was the fall guy for the Liberal Party leadership and in his dealings with the Liberal Party was honourable.
The Tortoise and The Hare
- The fundamental fact of democratic politics is that any support for change must be generated by the leadership explaining the changes to the people.
Hospitals
- The reform of healthcare insurance is difficult because people are afraid of big medical bills and a lack of knowledge about their options.
Carmen Gets Supply
- For Dr Carmen Lawrence, the new premier to restore trust she has to:
- Ensure that her party members understand the real nature of past indiscretions.
- Publicise an accurate accounting of the current state of affairs.
- Restore the professionalism of the civil service and be frank with parliament.
Trade Policy: The Litmus Test
- Free trade has always been in Australia's best interests. The Liberal's trade policy has called for Australia economy to be integrated internationally by the year 2000.
The Worst Possible Election Result
- The general thrust of the Democrats policy is extremely irresponsible. Anyone considering voting for the democrats should study their policies, which pander to vested interests.
Dick Klugman
- Dick Klugman, a Labour MP is retiring this election, he has been a voice of sanity and his greatest success according to him has been influencing his colleagues to look more critically at commonly accepted propositions.
The Election and The Debt
- The incoming government must deal with the problem of excessive foreign debt. Increased productivity is the only way to go.
Some Budget Cuts
- We might have more confidence in the political parties if they would face up to economic problems instead of just promises to spend more.
The Small Business Lobby
- The corporatist style of government has failed, and the best thing of small business owners is to have a level playing field.
For Whom Do We Vote?
- While it is unfortunate that our votes cannot change the balance of power within the political parties but that does not absolve us from choosing wisely.
The Dreadful Campaign
- It is ironic that some communist countries are enthusiastically embracing democracy while we are making of a mess of it.
Where Do the Liberals Go from Here?
- The underlying issue in the Liberal Party is that it's members do not believe in anything.
What Was the Green Vote Worth to Labour?
- It is unlikely that the Greens gave the victory to the Labour Party, we need to wait for the party professionals to report.
Protection: The Politics of Privilege
- The essence of a Banana Republic is privilege and poverty is the symptom of that disease.
The WA Auditor General
- There needs to be an extra-parliamentary inquiry so that the real lessons of WA Inc will be taught to future administrators so that future governments will know how to conduct themselves.
By the Year 2000
- The most significant changes will be our own attitudes and the sort of society we have in the 2000s will be of our own making.
Mr Greiner's Environment
- Mr Greiner's 'Earth Day' speech outlined an approach to environmental management that doesn't prevent the achievement of other values which most people hold dear.
Wool Again
- Buffer stock for any protected industry fails and it gets strong nations into trouble.
The Governor General's Speech and The OECD Report
- The Governor General's speech committed the government to economic reform but did not give the impression that the Government had policies to deal with urgent issues.
Immigration and The Environment (requested by David Armstrong)
Environment Immigration Collectivism Property Rights
- The average collectivist greens person does not want to increase immigration either because of greed or prejudice. However, a larger population will preserve the environment if a system of private property rights is maintained.
Responsible Government
- Ministers ought to be removed for breaking policy, lying to Parliament and if they fail in area of competence.
Tiananmen Square
- Democracy is not concerned about political succession compared to totalitarianism. As a nation's citizen become wealthier, they tend to demand democracy.
Wool Yet Again
- The people responsible for raising the floor price are now blaming everyone else but themselves for the injury done to the woolgrowers.
Sharabhron Ardeshiran v Robe River Iron Associates
- The legislation enshrines anti-business prejudice even though it was intended to address prejudice.
Our Sort of Culture
- The ultimate purpose of the immigration/refugee policy should be to permit as many people as possible to enjoy liberty and prosperity as Australian can offer them.
- The selection criteria can be improved by making it as objective as possible.
Education: An Outsider's View
- Schooling fails to educate because it is often banal. Most students and teachers are bored by the syllabus.
Supply
- Parliament's most vital task is the election of the principle minister and to withhold or grant the supply of government funds.
The Defeat of Political Power
- The more we embrace the trend towards openness, the more we become free from constrains by the government.
Inflation
Economics Currencies & Commodities
- To prevent inflation, people must be given reason to expect that prices of things they buy will stop rising.
- Currency management should be done independently from the government by the Reserve Bank and the board of the Reserve Bank held to account.
Telecom
- Telecom is Australia's biggest state-backed monopoly. It should be broken up and privatised. However, the biggest opposition to such a plan is political not economic with 85,000 employees.
Dr Bruce Ames
- Dr Bruce Ames is a scientist that has specialised in carcinogens and he has indicated that we consume trace amounts of deadly chemicals and we should vary our diet to ensure the exposure is remains small.
Ad Hominem Attack and Politics
- Ad Hominem politics has it place, we should seek to establish that place and have rules that will keep it within the bounds of decency.
The Underclass
- It is necessary to distinguish between the battlers and those that do not want to work hard and change their environment.
Strong Government
- We should not slavishly follow any other country, but we can learn from some. The legal and moral restrains that support a free-market economy should be reformed to make them better.
Donald Trump Must Be an Australian*
- One possible consequence of current corporate troubles is new laws that constrains the honest, enables the dishonest and raises inefficiencies. Donald Trump might consider emigrating to Australia.
The Liberals Show Some Guts
- One test of an Opposition party's relevance is the degree to which the Government adopts its policies.
Privatisation
- As New Zealand and New South Wales have shown, it is possible to make enormous public section efficiency gains by rigorous accounting and management practices and by allowing private firms to compete with the public sector.
Oh! Where Have All the Industries Gone?
- The lesson is blatantly obvious. Businesses and skilled labour are mobile and are increasingly becoming more so. Governments that do not offer a commercial environment that are attractive as any other state stands to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
What Do We Want from Privatisation?
Protectionism Regulation Subsidies Business
- The reason why Government privatise public companies is to make them more efficient. The reason why they don't is that they fear the wrath of employees and the subsidised consumers.
Modest Members
- Ideas are not caught, they are given. Political Ideas can have powerful consequences and a club-like activity is one effective means of propagating ideas.
Risk
Currencies & Commodities Business
- Although new technologies bring risks, they also confer benefits and the two cannot be separated. Nuclear power generation is the cheapest form of power generation and would elevate the pressure on coal and oil supplies.
Wool Again
- The demand for wool is elastic due to substitutes, there is no reason why the wool industry should have price controls in place.
The Uruguay Round: A Fool's Dialogue?
- Policies that increase living standards are called "sacrifices". Fortunately, not every country does so all the time.
SGIC
- Civil authority relies on trust and the true cost to WA society is the potential damage to legislative authority.
Privilege
- The attacks on liberal policy are dishonest; those that are unable to discredit the ideas often obfuscate and misrepresent the ideas and confusing even Liberal Party members themselves.
Australia's New Protectionism
- Control over exports is reserved to the Federal Government. There is much it can do to improve competitiveness without creating more privileges.
Doomsaying
- Markets provide feedback for us to correct past mistakes and embrace new opportunities. By taking what doomsayers at their own value, if we implement policies that restrict opportunities, we place our society in real danger.
The Wrigley Report
- The Wrigley Report questions the way that Australia spends on its defence forces. It raises questions that no one has the answers to.
Rural Inconsistency
- It is hypocritical for Liberals to advocate for a free-market approach yet refuse to abolish the reserve price for wool.
The Family in The Welfare State
- We should not be discriminating between separated and divorced families the same as intact families.
The New-Right Think-Tank
- Think-tanks are able to advocate for policies which politicians cannot. Think-tanks exist because of a weakness inherent in politics.
What Sort of Immigrants?
- If we do not improve our immigration policy, we will become more worried about emigration than immigration.
Compassion
- The meaning of Compassion has been corrupted to mean the sort of blame assignment instead of helping others without expectation of reward.
Income Tax
- Although a consumption tax is a better tax base than income tax, it is difficult to administer. The best solution would be to minimise government spending.
The Green's Vote
- The Coalition lost the chance to win the votes of ordinary sensible environmentalists, it could have announced the best possible combination of environmentalism and jobs.
The Education Problem
- The issue with education is that it is a monopoly which is compulsory for children to attend and which parents have limited power.
The Welfare Monopoly
- Governments find it hard to advocate welfare reform without being accused of abandoning the welfare system itself.
Appeasement Does Not Work
- War should not be avoided at all costs, had Hitler been stopped early, we might have avoided a world war.
Of Debt and Protection
- If Australia is to become internationally competitive, we need to reduce tariffs as well as our debt levels.
Anti-Competitive Behaviour in The Health-Care Industry
Protectionism Healthcare Competition Welfare
- Politicians must face the political problem posed by wealthy, high-risk users of Medicare who would be worse off should the system be made more competitive and fairer. Politicians cannot compensate all and will have to decide who cannot afford to lose Medicare benefits.
Re-regulating The Banks
- The market should help investors distinguish between high-risk investments masquerading as low-risk investments, however, regulations and public ownership is not the answer.
Of Uranium and Wool
Protectionism Currencies & Commodities
- Australians have learnt that we cannot control the behaviour of the rest of the world and we would be better off selling uranium that we produce to parties that are strictly vetted.
About
John Hyde OAM is a former Australian politician. He was elected as the member for the Division of Moore in Western Australia for the Liberal Party.
John Hyde OAM is the author of Dry: In Defence of Economic Freedom.