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 braces for a new wave of construction insolvencies

Australia’s construction sector experienced a wave of construction insolvencies following the COVID-19 pandemic, as illustrated below by Justin Fabo from Antipodean Macro: Australia’s post-pandemic construction insolvency wave was driven primarily by fixed-price contracts colliding with soaring material and labour costs, supply chain delays, rising interest rates, and weakened cash flow.

Are Labor’s NDIS reforms too good to be true?

The federal government will introduce new eligibility criteria for the National Disability Insurance Scheme as part of changes announced by Health Minister Mark Butler on Wednesday.

Australians conned on the level of public debt

Australia’s federal budget uses two main deficit measures, and they differ because they treat certain transactions differently—especially asset sales, loans, and off‑budget funds.

Why endless population growth makes Australians poorer

I noted on Thursday how in 2000-01, Australia’s regions accounted for 35% of the population.

Victorians are drowning in taxes and debt

On Tuesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released data showing that Victorians pay the highest state and local taxes in the nation. As illustrated below, state and local government taxes in Victoria were $6,605 per capita in 2024-25, $582 (9.7%) higher than the state and territory average.

The Australia Institute pumps more housing propaganda

The Australia Institute’s senior economist, Matt Grudnoff, has written another article blaming the capital gains tax (CGT) discount for Australia’s housing affordability woes, while absolving the role played by excessive immigration-driven population growth.

Why Labor’s 5% deposit schemes makes housing less affordable

The federal government touted the expanded 5% home deposit scheme, introduced on 1 October 2025, as an affordability measure.

The regions should fight against a ‘Big Australia’

Regional Australia stands to lose from the continuation of the ‘Big Australia’ mass migration policy.

Will Labor go ‘Back to the Future’ on property CGT?

According to 9News, the upcoming federal government is likely to see the Albanese government revert the capital gains tax (CGT) on property investment to the system in place before 1999, which taxed real capital gains (i.e., after adjusting for CPI inflation) at one’s marginal tax rate.

NDIS: a $50b honeypot for scammers and criminals

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