Piketty questions on Australian Inequality
The French economists Thomas Piketty recently published a long-prepared book on the growth of inequality in the Western World over the last few centuries. His...
Humiliation and the dole: a forgotten debate
A decent society is one whose institutions do not humiliate people - Avishai Margalit The Great Depression stripped many Australian workers of their dignity. For...
Piggott and Libich on pension reform
With people living longer and with societies becoming more forward-looking as to how to handle the long post-retirement years, the issue of optimal pension systems...
‘Learn or earn’ is the politicians’ equivalent of Stairway to Heaven
According to the Australian, the Abbott government's first budget will include tough new "learn or earn" Measures designed to force young people off the dole...
The paradoxes of politics
In an everyday political sense I suppose we can't really blame Little Bill Shorten for cynically and dishonestly demonising the Abbott government's mooted tax increases...
A speech at the unveiling of a portrait of my father
Last night I attended the unveiling of a facsimile of a portrait of my father painted when he was fresh off the boat in 1941....
The future of online courses?
My own university, the University of Queensland, has around 6 flagship courses that it puts online for free, in a deal that involves universities from...