SAUL ESLAKE

Economist

SAUL ESLAKE

‘Welcome to my website …
I’m an independent economist, consultant, speaker,
and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania’

Tasmania


I did most of my education in Tasmania and, after spending almost 34 years on what Tasmanians call ‘the mainland’, returned to Tasmania in December 2014. Both while I was living away, and since returning, I’ve maintained a keen interest in the progress (or, at times, lack of it) of Australia’s smallest state. The pieces here represent some of my efforts to advocate for policies which, in my opinion, would result in a stronger Tasmanian economy and improved living standards for Tasmanians.

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The 2022-2023 Federal Budget with Tasmania Talks’ Mike O’Loughlin

Australian Federal Budget, Australian Society and Politics, News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania, The Australian Economy | 30th March 2022

Saul talks to Tasmania Talks’ Mike O’Loughlin about the 2022-23 Federal Budget, and its likely impact on Tasmania, wages, and housing affordability


Will reductions in land tax make any difference to rents?

Tasmania, Taxation | 2nd March 2022

The Tasmanian Government’s announcement, in the first week of March 2022, of forthcoming changes to the land tax scale have prompted a raft of commentary, much of it not very well informed, on the effects of land tax and the likely impact of the changes proposed by the Government on rents. This note explains why […]


The importance of improving educational participation and attainment

Education, News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania | 24th February 2022

Saul Eslake talks to Tasmania Talks’ Mike O’Loughlin about the importance of improving educational participation and attainment if Tasmanians are to achieve sustainably higher real wages.


Saul talks to Tasmania Talks’ Mike O’Loughlin

Housing, News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania | 7th February 2022

Saul talks to Tasmania Talks’ Mike O’Loughlin about Tasmania’s economy both before and after the re-opening of the state’s borders on 15th December last, and about the downsides of the ongoing rapid escalation in property prices in Tasmania.


Housing affordability and what could be done about it

Economic Policies, Housing, News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania | 7th December 2021

Saul Eslake talks to ABC Radio Hobart Mornings‘ Leon Compton about housing affordabilty and what could be done about it 


The Advocate supports my calls for more economic reform to improve Tasmanians’ living standards

Economic Policies, News, Tasmania | 3rd December 2021

Thank you to the editor of The Advocate, the daily newspaper from the north-west coast of Tasmania, for supporting my calls for more economic reform in Tasmania to lift the living standards of Tasmanians


‘Minding the store’? Or ‘building a bigger and better store’?

Economic Policies, Tasmania, The Australian Economy | 3rd December 2021

Saul’s presentation to the Economic Society of Australia’s annual Tasmanian Economic Forum in Hobart on 3rd December. Tasmania’s economic performance has improved considerably in recent years – and the current state government is entitled to claim some of the credit for that. It’s done a good job of ‘minding the store’ since being elected in […]


Tasmania records strong economic growth in 2020-21 but remains Australia’s poorest state

News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania | 23rd November 2021

Saul discusses the findings of the latest ABS State Accounts for the 2020-21 financial year with Tasmania Talks’ Mike O’Loughlin on 22nd November


SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

Speaking Engagement | Boardroom Advisory | Commissioned Report | Expert Witness



Saul Eslake spoke to Zurich Australia executives and staff at their ‘Accelerate’ conference in Sydney on 9th May 2024, covering short- and longer-term trends in major ‘advanced’ economies, China, India and Australia, with a bit of geo-politics thrown in.



“You are the best economic thinker in the country hands down”

Sheryle Bagwell, recently retired Senior Business Correspondent (and sometime Executive Producer),
ABC Radio National Breakfast


“Just want to congratulate you Saul on the unbelievably good set of slides you just presented, possibly the best I have ever seen. You have set the bar very high.”

Dr Joe Flood, Adjunct Fellow, RMIT University, Pandemicia


“Thank you very much for your excellent presentation for the Economic Society today. It is always a great pleasure to hear your eloquent, up-to-date and comprehensive talks.”

Andrew Trembath, economist, Victorian and Australian Government agencies


Request Speaking Engagement

WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


All about inflation
Economic Policies, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
31st August 2024


Inflation and the prospects for cuts in Australian interest rates
News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
30th August 2024


A podcast about the Independent Review of Tasmania’s State Finances
Economic Policies, News, Tasmania
29th August 2024


‘Price-gouging’ and ‘profiteering’ haven’t been major contributors to Australian inflation
Economic Policies, News, The Australian Economy
26th August 2024


A ‘security blanket’ for Australian manufacturing
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Security, The Australian Economy
26th August 2024


Media Interview: Independent Review of Tasmania’s State Finances with Steve Cannane
News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
20th August 2024


Media Interview: Independent Review of Tasmania’s State Finances with Leon Compton
News, Recent Media Interview, Tasmania
19th August 2024


Independent Review of Tasmania’s State Finances
Tasmania
19th August 2024


Australian Financial Review magazine feature on ‘The Worst (Australian) Public Policy Decision of the 21st Century Thus Far’
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, The Australian Economy
24th July 2024


Have we passed ‘peak China’? (and might a big fall in the RMB be on the horizon?)
Asian Economies, The Global Economy
11th July 2024


‘The Big Picture’
Asian Economies, Economic Policies, Economic Video, The Australian Economy, The Global Economy
22nd June 2024


ATO’s Latest Taxation Statistics – June 2024
News, Recent Media Interview, Taxation
20th June 2024


Other central banks are cutting rates, why isnt the RBA?
Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
13th June 2024


Interest Rate and Inflation – Where to now?
Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
8th June 2024


VIDEO

Recent Presentations


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TESTIMONIALS

What Others Say


“We are lucky as a State to have an economist of your calibre willing to readily make yourself available to give us a clear perception of where we are at and the direction we need to go for a better future”
Diplomatic Representative, August 2024

“You are one of the best at what you do in the world”
Gail Fosler, Chief Economist, The Conference Board, New York, December 2002

“I have never known an economist to have such a knowledge of world economic facts and to be able to bring to bear so much information in answering a question without notice”
Charles Goode, Chairman, ANZ Bank, July 2009

“Saul Eslake is … a highly regarded independent economist with the highest degree of integrity"
John Durie, Columnist, The Australian, July 2009

“… one of the few people in this world who can have so many oranges up in the air at the same time but still manage to catch them"
Andrew Clark, journalist, Australian Financial Review, November 2008

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