Economic Policy
Economic policy forms the backbone of policy focus for the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre.
When oil shocks return: what the US-Iran crisis means for Australia
A sharp escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran has pushed oil prices higher and reminded the world of a familiar vulnerability – when energy supply is disrupted, the economic consequences are felt quickly and widely. For Australia,... Read article
A sharp escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran has pushed oil prices higher and reminded the world of a familiar vulnerability – when energy supply is disrupted, the economic consequences are felt quickly and widely. For Australia,... Read article
The distribution of net wealth and wealth components by age in Australia, 1983 to 2025
Household wealth in Australia has grown strongly over the past two decades, supported by rising housing values, expanding superannuation balances and sustained asset price growth. But this growth has not been evenly distributed across the population or across the life... Read article
Household wealth in Australia has grown strongly over the past two decades, supported by rising housing values, expanding superannuation balances and sustained asset price growth. But this growth has not been evenly distributed across the population or across the life... Read article
Redefining productivity: Embedding long-term value creation in Australia’s economic measurement framework
Australia’s economic performance benefits substantially from the contributions of its services sector, particularly in relation to health, aged care, education, childcare and social support services. Yet traditional productivity measures fail to capture the long-term and intergenerational value of human services... Read article
Australia’s economic performance benefits substantially from the contributions of its services sector, particularly in relation to health, aged care, education, childcare and social support services. Yet traditional productivity measures fail to capture the long-term and intergenerational value of human services... Read article
Beyond Output per Hour: Productivity measurement in an AI-driven economy
The Economic Reform Roundtable provides an important opportunity to reflect on the need for an authentic, inclusive, and future-proofed productivity framework that better captures the real drivers of long-term prosperity for Australia and its population. The global productivity landscape is... Read article
The Economic Reform Roundtable provides an important opportunity to reflect on the need for an authentic, inclusive, and future-proofed productivity framework that better captures the real drivers of long-term prosperity for Australia and its population. The global productivity landscape is... Read article
Improving productivity, quality and wellbeing in Australia’s care economy
Care and human services are essential enablers of economic participation, workforce capability, productivity and wellbeing. As Australia reconsiders its productivity framework, it is critical to recognise care services not just as a moral imperative, but as a strategic investment with... Read article
Care and human services are essential enablers of economic participation, workforce capability, productivity and wellbeing. As Australia reconsiders its productivity framework, it is critical to recognise care services not just as a moral imperative, but as a strategic investment with... Read article
How do the 2025 Federal election commitments on cost-of-living measures stack up?
The cost of living has been front and centre in the Federal election campaign. Rising prices, the financial pressures created by persistently high consumer price inflation (CPI), and the failure of wages to keep pace with rising costs, have all... Read article
The cost of living has been front and centre in the Federal election campaign. Rising prices, the financial pressures created by persistently high consumer price inflation (CPI), and the failure of wages to keep pace with rising costs, have all... Read article
The fallacy of the Federal Election ‘tax cut’ contest: time to level the personal tax playing field
As we near the end of the 2025 Federal Election campaign, the hiatus in policy commitments gives us pause to reflect on the quality – or more accurately, the lack of quality – in the personal tax reform debate. But... Read article
As we near the end of the 2025 Federal Election campaign, the hiatus in policy commitments gives us pause to reflect on the quality – or more accurately, the lack of quality – in the personal tax reform debate. But... Read article
Trade and US Tariffs: Explainer and lessons for Australia
This BCEC Federal Election 2025 Briefing Note assesses trade and US tariffs, including an explanation and learnings for Australia. Through the imposition of trade tariffs, the US administration has fundamentally disrupted the global economic landscape, posing new challenges to economies... Read article
This BCEC Federal Election 2025 Briefing Note assesses trade and US tariffs, including an explanation and learnings for Australia. Through the imposition of trade tariffs, the US administration has fundamentally disrupted the global economic landscape, posing new challenges to economies... Read article
BCEC Policy Brief 2022: Western Australia State Budget 2022-23
This new BCEC Policy Brief assesses the Western Australia State Budget 2022-23 delivered by WA Premier and Treasurer Mark McGowan on 12 May. Premier McGowan took advantage of the state’s strong economic performance to hand down a measured budget that... Read article
This new BCEC Policy Brief assesses the Western Australia State Budget 2022-23 delivered by WA Premier and Treasurer Mark McGowan on 12 May. Premier McGowan took advantage of the state’s strong economic performance to hand down a measured budget that... Read article
BCEC Policy Brief 2021: Extending the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset Beyond 2020-21
The Federal Budget 2020-21 introduced a set of amendments to the Personal Income Tax Plan announced in the previous 2019-20 budget, with the intention to stimulate the economy and reduce the burden of taxation felt by individuals. Specifically, the additional... Read article
The Federal Budget 2020-21 introduced a set of amendments to the Personal Income Tax Plan announced in the previous 2019-20 budget, with the intention to stimulate the economy and reduce the burden of taxation felt by individuals. Specifically, the additional... Read article
The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre team acknowledges the Wadjuk Nyungar people as the traditional owners of the land on which the Centre is situated.