News & Public Commentary

FactCheck Q&A: Are a lot of cafes and restaurants closing because of Sunday penalty rates? The Conversation is fact-checking claims made on Q&A, broadcast Mondays on the ABC at 9:35pm. Thank you to everyone who sent us quotes for checking. Viewers can request statements to be FactChecked via Twitter using hashtags #FactCheck and #QandA, on... Read article 17 August 2015News & Public Commentary Read More
Australians less likely to survive home ownership than Britons Between 2001 and 2010 roughly 1.7 million Australians dropped out of home ownership and shifted back to renting. More than one-third did not return by 2010. These statistics, from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, reflect... Read article 2 August 2015News & Public Commentary Read More
Leaders debate the GST Leaders debate the GST: what you need to know Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra; Alan Duncan, Curtin University; John Daley, Grattan Institute; Patricia Apps, University of Sydney, and Roger Wilkins, University of Melbourne State premiers and chief ministers meet Prime... Read article 22 July 2015News & Public Commentary Read More
The real reasons negative gearing on housing should be phased out In recent weeks, there have been signs sentiment may be changing around the contentious policy of negative gearing. There are well-rehearsed arguments on both sides. Critics argue that the deduction of property losses from other sources of income (such as... Read article 23 June 2015News & Public Commentary Read More
Australians are saving more, but are more comfortable with debt Alan Duncan, Curtin University and Rebecca Cassells, Curtin University Australians know that adequate savings can help provide for a rainy day, help a family put down a deposit on a home, or ensure a comfortable retirement. Debt also offers a... Read article 17 June 2015News & Public Commentary Read More
The facts on Australian housing affordability Housing affordability, high house prices and rents are attracting plenty of media attention right now. The latest figures on house prices, mortgages, number of first time buyers and so on are dissected by journalists and commentators as if this is... Read article 11 June 2015News & Public Commentary Read More
The other gender equality gap Australia needs to talk about The G20 leaders have committed to reduce the gap between male and female workforce participation rates by 25% by 2025. The gender equality focus by many of the leaders during the summit, including UN Secretry-General Ban Ki Moon, aims to... Read article 16 November 2014News & Public Commentary Read More
Debunking the ‘cost of children’ argument Sherry Bawa, Curtin University and Michael Dockery, Curtin University Highly publicised estimates of the cost of raising a family in Australia suggest that parents must make hefty financial sacrifices to meet the needs of their children. In a recent paper,... Read article 2 July 2014News & Public Commentary Read More
Higher education changes: another hit for Australian women? Rebecca Cassells, Curtin University In a recent radio interview, federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne refused to contemplate a hypothetical situation that involved young women doing all the heavy lifting under his government’s plans to transform higher education in Australia into... Read article 2 June 2014News & Public Commentary Read More
Changing times: the economic policies WA needs now Alan Duncan, Curtin University One of biggest issues to be addressed in tomorrow’s WA Senate poll – and perhaps one of the most complex, too – is how best to maintain the state’s growth trajectory through the forthcoming period of... Read article 4 April 2014News & Public Commentary Read More
West cashes in on resources boom, but inequality also up Kylar Loussikian, The Conversation The mining boom has left the average Western Australian family nearly twice as well off since it began. But skyrocketing prices in some parts of the state have led to a faster escalation of inequality than... Read article 25 February 2014News & Public Commentary Read More
Your home as an ‘ATM’ Perceptions of the family home have changed dramatically in recent years. Once viewed as a tool to ensure low housing costs in old age, a more complex and wide-ranging welfare role for home ownership has emerged. A suite of mortgage... Read article 5 February 2014News & Public Commentary Read More
The Coalition’s company tax promise – does it add up? Alan Duncan, Curtin University Debate rages on between political adversaries and policy commentators following Tony Abbott’s commitment to cut the company tax rate in Australia by 1.5% from 1 July, 2015. What are the facts behind the promise? What would... Read article 11 August 2013News & Public Commentary Read More