Fellow, Grattan Institute
Brendan is a fellow at the Grattan Institute. Before joining Grattan, Brendan worked with the World Bank in Indonesia, and prior to that, he undertook a number of roles with the Australian Treasury, including as part of the Treasury’s China Policy Unit. Brendan holds a Masters of International Development Economics from the Australian National University and Bachelors of Commerce and Arts from the University of Melbourne.
Now we'll need $100-$120 billion. Why the budget has to spend big to avoid scarring
Sep 09, 2020 06:33 am UTC| Economy
Australia is in for a long and damaging economic slump, unless governments inject substantially more fiscal stimulus. The July budget update forecast that unemployment would hit 9.25% in coming months. The Treasury...
Early access to super doesn’t justify higher compulsory contributions
Aug 09, 2020 22:44 pm UTC| Economy
A big part of the Morrison governments response to COVID-19 has been allowing people early access to their superannuation. Australians who have claimed hardship have applied for A$30.7 billion to date. This has been...
Money for social housing, not home buyers grants, is the key to construction stimulus
Jun 03, 2020 15:15 pm UTC| Economy
Theres no doubt Australias construction industry is facing tough times. COVID-19 has caused migration to slow to a trickle. Some 2.6 million Australians have either lost their jobs or had their hours cut in the past two...
Think superannuation comes from employers' pockets? It comes from yours
Feb 03, 2020 12:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy
A key question for the governments retirement incomes review is who ultimately pays for compulsory super contributions, especially since they are set to climb from 9.5% of wages to 12% over the next five years. Legally,...
Rudd's rental affordability scheme was a $1 billion gift to developers; Abbott was right to axe it
Sep 10, 2019 20:38 pm UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate Politics
Most Australians are spending more of their income on housing than they used to, but low-income households are being squeezed the hardest. Many are in poverty, and many more are suffering financial stress. A growing...
$20 billion per year. That's how much higher superannuation could take from wages
May 03, 2019 17:10 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Stagnant wages are a huge issue in this election campaign. So it is odd that both major parties are hanging onto a policy that will take more out of workers pockets. Lifting compulsory superannuation contributions...
Why we should worry less about retirement - and leave super at 9.5%
Nov 08, 2018 17:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Its conventional wisdom that Australians dont save enough for retirement. Most workers themselves think they wont have enough to retire on, and their concerns are rising. But the conventional wisdom is wrong. Our new...