Unconventional Economist

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also Chief Economist and co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.

Australia has lost the ability to build things

Australia’s construction pipeline is bigger than ever.

New Zealand’s historic house price crash returns

Secrecy costs Victorian taxpayers tens-of-billion of dollars

Property industry faces its GFC moment

Property developer Bathla Group entered voluntary administration late last month after running out of cash, leaving $3.6 billion in private‑credit debt, 2,000 homes mid‑construction, and 15,000 planned dwellings in limbo.

“Let pensioners work” movement builds steam

For months on MB, radio, and podcasts, I have been calling for the pension income test to be abolished so that pensioners can take on additional work without losing their access to the Aged Pension.

Aussies driven into working second jobs as mortgage costs bite

According to data from realestate.com.au, housing affordability has fallen to its lowest level on record, with households earning a median income of about $125,000 a year only able to afford 12% of homes sold across the country.

Is Sydney really Australia’s largest city?

According to the official population projections from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Sydney’s population was 180,300 larger than Melbourne’s in 2024-25: Sydney is currently Australia’s biggest city because the official boundaries used to draw the city limits are arbitrary.

Why Australians feel poorer

This week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the national accounts for the June quarter, revealing that the economy grew by 0.4% over the quarter and 2.1% over the year.

Weekend reading and media appearances

Ratings agencies warn on Victoria’s soaring debt

Victoria’s economy is in a precarious position.

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