Ross Gittins
Ross Gittins is economics editor of the SMH and an economic columnist for The Age. His books include Gittins' Guide to Economics, Gittinomics and The Happy Economist.
Naivety to put hope in new broom
Ross Gittins The way our pollies play the political game perpetuates the cycle of cynicism and the ever-declining credibility of their profession.
Deficit realities finally dawn on all
Ross Gittins Something highly significant has happened in just the past week: it's become clear the tide has turned in our politicians' demonisation of budget deficits and debt.
Idea of a fair society taken for a ride
Ross Gittins Australians aren't racist - and even if some people are, you and I certainly aren't.
Idea of a fair society taken for a ride
Ross Gittins Australians aren't racist - and even if some people are, you and I certainly aren't.
Lies, damned lies and Labor claims
Ross Gittins I guess you've heard the news: the Gillard government has obtained new analysis of data from the Bureau of Statistics showing that Tony Abbott's election commitments inflict brutal damage on working...
Ross Gittins
Upside to economy's downside
Ross Gittins Pessimists who saw an economy in bad shape are finally being vindicated, and an election win may be their reward.
Ross Gittins
Pessimists may finally get it right
Ross Gittins As far as the economy's concerned, 2013 will be the year when many people's dreams come true. For at least the past two years, many of us - business people and consumers alike - have been convinced...
Ross Gittins
Economy not likely to drag in the voters
Ross Gittins If the economists' forecasts are right - a big if - the economy is likely to be in worse shape by the time of the election.
Ross Gittins
Tail wagging uneasy dog in budget debate
Ross Gittins I hate to burden you with a topic as earnest as the budget deficit so close to the holidays.
Ross Gittins
It's the weak recovery that worries, not surplus
Ross Gittins I hate to burden you with a topic as earnest as the budget deficit so close to the holidays - I had hoped to write about the idea of giving someone a goat for Christmas - but the saga of whether the...
Ross Gittins
A warning as market pipes tune in America
Ross Gittins Just as it's taking the world a lot longer to recover from the global financial crisis than we initially expected, so it's taking a lot longer than we might have expected for voters and their...
Ross Gittins
It's great to have a conscience, now tell us how we'll pay for it
Ross Gittins You may not have noticed, but last week was among the most significant of the Gillard government's term.
Ross Gittins
Not all that different but clearly better
Ross Gittins This is the I-solemnly-promise-to-be-tough budget. Its nasties come as an IOU. When the whole state had its tongue hanging out for deliverance from the Carr-Iemma-Rees-Keneally government, some...
Ross Gittins
Why health cover needs no subsidies
Ross Gittins Despite the untiring efforts of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to make themselves seem poles apart in their policies - he/she is hopeless, I'm really good - the ideological gap between the two sides...
Ross Gittins
Punters well aware of economic case against more immigration
Ross Gittins The Big Australia issue has gone quiet since the election but it hasn't gone away. It can't go away because it's too central to our future and, despite Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott's rare agreement...
Ross Gittins
A crack in the wall of xenophobia
Ross Gittins Politicians have long played to age-old fears of outsiders in demonising asylum seekers - but things are changing.
Ross Gittins
A rabble without a cause
Ross Gittins We're losing the ability to fall in behind a leader, naysayers stealing the floor at every turn.
Ross Gittins
Revolution of the thinking voter turns politics green
Ross Gittins Sorry but I'm not convinced a hung parliament is a terrible thing. It may end up being a good thing.
Ross Gittins
Stop beating about the bush and talk about Big Australia
Ross Gittins Something significant has happened in this hollow, populist election campaign: the long-standing bipartisan support for strong population growth - Big Australia - has collapsed.
What Keneally and co achieved ... and what they didn't
Ross Gittins This budget foreshadows a marked improvement in the budget balance, which has returned to operating surplus two years earlier than expected.
