Treasury has warned that Australia’s tax base is shrinking - and without reform, wage earners will carry more of the burden. So, who should pay more tax: workers, wealthy retirees, or big business?

This week on The Economy, Stupid: the biggest superannuation scandal in Australian history — and who should have stopped it.

Australians are still in work, and inflation is coming down, yet economic uncertainty is far higher now that it was during the peak of COVID.

So why are so many of us feeling uneasy?

If you're not carrying any hard cash on you right now, you're not alone - and that might be a problem.

This week we look at Australia’s crumbling cash system: why it’s costing millions to keep it alive, who’s footing the bill, and how close we really are to the end of cash.

In 2017, Donald Trump reportedly scrawled “trade is bad” in the margins of a speech — a blunt rejection of economic orthodoxy that has transformed global politics.  

Economists tend to see international trade as good for everyone - a rising tide that lifts all boats. So why do so many voters, in the U.S. and elsewhere, feel like they’re being left behind?  

This week the Reserve Bank kept interest rates on hold, that was a shock for the industry, but the most surprising thing? For the first time, they told us the board didn’t agree. Six said hold, three said cut. Why does that matter? Because we know the room is divided and that changes everything.  

Guests:

Nicki Hutley - Senior economist and chief economist at all manner of financial institutions

Michael Pascoe - Writes for Michael West Media. 

Get in touch: 

We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming [email protected] or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

What if you could earn over $1 million and pay nothing in tax? Turns out some Australians already do. Is it time to rethink the rules?  

If you could fix the tax system, how would you do it? The Treasurer is looking for ideas, and on Radio National's The Economy, Stupid, we have them. 

Guests:

Miranda Stewart - Director of Tax Law at the University of Melbourne Law School

Ben Phillips - Principal Research Fellow at the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods

Get in touch: 

We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming [email protected] or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers thinks Ezra Klein's book, Abundance, is a ripper. Building things directly and sweeping away red tape could soon be part of a productivity measure. 

An investment arm of the United Arab Emirates wants to buy Australia's Santos. Should the Treasurer impose conditions on approving Australia's biggest-ever resource takeover? 

Plus, a 'GST Guarantee' for the West. What’s wrong with doling out the revenue from Australia's resources on the basis of need? 

Guests:

Matt McKenzie - Resources writer for the West Australian 

Megan Flamer - Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT Univesrity 

Get in touch: 

We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming [email protected] or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

From Hawke’s 1983 economic summit to Rudd’s 2020 vision, big gatherings have sometimes sparked big reforms. Now Anthony Albanese wants to try again - this time to tackle Australia’s stagnating productivity. 

Within months, the Australian government will have to present the United Nations climate convention with an updated target for 2035. How are we doing with the target we’ve got? 

Guests:

Michael Janda - ABC News Business Editor

Ben Potter - Contributing Editor at The Energy

Get in touch: 

We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming [email protected] or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.