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Economic and Political Overview

For more than 30 years, the Economic and Political Overview has given the Australian business and policy community an insight into the year ahead. The related Economic and Political Overview events take place in the capital cities during February-March each year.

Read Professor Ian Marsh's article on the longevity of the EP0.

2012

• Economic Overview by NAB Chief Economist Alan Oster and NAB economist Ali Knight examining the year ahead, including the challenges faced by our multi-speed economy and the European debt crisis and  its likely impact on Australia.
• Political Overview by University of Western Australia Winthrop Professor and Contributing Editor, The Australian, Professor Peter van Onselen, examining the potential for leadership challenges and the likely impact of key policies including the carbon tax, mining tax, poker machine reforms, the national broadband network and industrial relations.
• Productivity review by Bank of America Merrill Lynch Australia Chief Economist Saul Eslake examining Australia's productivity performance over the past decade, the reasoning behind the slowdown in growth and how to reverse the decline.
• Federal/state financial relations review by CPA Australia Senior Policy Adviser/Senior Tax Counsel Garry Addison examining options for tax reform to achieve greater productivity growth.

2011

• Economic overview
  Alan Oster and Ben Westmore from NAB analyse the gradual recovery from the global financial crisis, but warn the Federal Government's emphasis must now be on managing the upswing in the Australian economy.
• Political overview
  Professor Ken Wiltshire provides a comprehensive review of a turbulent year in Australian politics, from the fall of Kevin Rudd to the election of the minority Labor Government now in Canberra - a Government facing crucial policy decisions, from taxation and climate change to population growth and water management.
• A population policy for Australia
  Professor Jonathan Pincus joins the robust debate on Australia's population by arguing economic immigration greatly benefits optional immigrants, though some sections of the existing population can be disadvantaged. This can be managed through careful urban planning and good social, environmental and economic policies.
• Regionalism in economic policy
  Dr Michael Porter, CEDA's Director of Research and Policy, says Australia needs to create an agency of government that looks at regional issues.

2010

• Economic overview
  Alan Oster and Ben Westmore of NAB analyse the economic downturn and 'moderate and disparate' outlook.
• Political overview
  UQ Business School's Professor Ken Wiltshire comprehensively reviews the Rudd Government's performance and the Opposition leadership turmoil.
• The crash of 2008 and the challenges ahead
  Peter Jonson, founder of Henry Thornton.com, traces the root causes of the global financial crisis and the warning signals we failed to heed.
• The next ten years: Why sound economic governance, not ideology,  counts
  Dr Michael Porter, Director of CEDA Research, focuses on issues in financial and economic governance, water, energy, broadband, emissions, tertiary education and health.
• CEDA at fifty, the EPO longevity
  Professor Ian Marsh's insightful audit of CEDAs EPO history.

2009

• Economic overview
  ANZ's Saul Eslake on the global financial crisis and a sobering outlook for the world economy in 2009.
• Political overview
  Professor Kenneth Wiltshire reviews the Rudd government's first year in office.
• Climate policy in the year to come in the context of the century to follow
  Warwick McKibbin and David Pearce on price setting for carbon emissions, and the need for both mitigation and adaptation strategies.
• CEDA Research in 2009
  Michael Porter, Director, of CEDA Research, believes work on water, climate change, broadband and information policy will dominate this year's agenda.

2008

• Economic overview
  Dr Chris Caton, chief economist, BT Financial Group
• Political overview
  Professor Kenneth Wiltshire AO, JD Story Professor of Public Administration, University of Queensland
• Six myths of federal-state financial relations
  Dr Johnathan Pincus, Visiting Professor, School of Economics, University of Adelaide, and Visiting Researcher, Productivity Commission
• Tomorrow's society
  Hugh Mackay, psychologist, social researcher and writer

2007

• Economic overview
  Dr Chris Caton, Chief Economist, BT Financial Group
• Political overview
  Professor Kenneth Wiltshire AO, JD Story Professor of Public Administration, University of Queensland
• Issues in Australian water policy
  Professor John Quiggin,  the Australian Research Council Federation Fellow, Economics and Political Science at the University of Queensland
• Finance and Economic Development
  Glenn Stevens, Governor, the Reserve Bank of Australia
• Australia's Broadband Imperative
  Professor Joshua Gans, Professor of Economics at the Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne

2006

• Economic overview
  Dr Chris Caton, chief economist, BT Financial Group
• Political overview
  Professor Ken Wiltshire AO, JD Story Professor of Public Administration, University of Queensland
• Australia in a world of high-cost energy
  Dr Nicholas Gruen, CEO, Lateral Economics and Kenney Lin, consultant in energy economics

2005

• Economic overview
  Dr Chris Caton, chief economist, BT Financial Group
• Political overview
  Professor Kenneth Wiltshire AO, JD Story Professor of Public Administration, University of Queensland
• Industrial relations
  Professor Gerry Griffins, Pro Vice Chancellor and Vice President, Division of Business and Enterprise, University of South Australia

2004

• Economic overview
  Dr Chris Caton, Chief Economist, BT Financial Group
• Political overview
  Professor Ken Wiltshire AO, JD Story Professor of Public Administration, University of Queensland
• National security
  Peter Jennings, Director of Programs, Australian Strategic Policy Institute