Alan Kohler is one of Australia’s most experienced commentators and journalists. Alan is the founder of Eureka Report, Australia’s most successful investment newsletter, and Business Spectator, a 24-hour free business news and commentary website. He also hosts Inside Business, a half-hour Sunday programme on the ABC, is the finance presenter on the ABC News - and producer of the nightly graph (or two).
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Comments on this article
Comments PolicyFor once I agree with Graeme Samuel (Graeme Samuel blasts back, April 26). However, if he is referring to putting one's trust in folk in the real estate/property side; the ethos and pathos is crooked.
Because the market is a dysfunctional market. The "bundle of leases" that one acquires, which is one's supposed income stream that one has purchased, which comes with a pretty little building and rights and obligations called a property, cleaning contracts, air conditioning and lift contracts, etc, is the product of a crooked and crook market.
Unless that market is working, unless landlords and tenants can do "business" together, expect more booms and busts. I have suggested simple, effective legislation to get this market to work. But to no avail; the country is brain dead!
As for IR legislation I also agree; the likes of the motor manufacturers, QANTAS, BHP, etc, etc, are hamstrung. For a change I agree with him again.
Labor thinks one can continue to throw (subsidise) community money at everything. And that there is an endless pile of it!
There is a huge huge clean-up in Queensland. Anna Bligh, Peter Beattie, Andrew Fraser, the masters of spin, who put: 1. our state's services; and 2. our environment on the credit card simply seeking to hold on to political office is an appalling legacy of self-interest. And then live off us. On our public money!
I believe Campbell Newman is going to have to toughen up. Our nation's sacred cows (bureaucrats) have been living off hard-earned tax dollars for far too long. The nation cannot afford them. And deep cuts are warranted. Including political perks.
I loved Xenophon's comment that there's a new saying, when someone isn't doing anything you say they're doing "sweet FWA". Gold (Graeme Samuel blasts back, April 27).
FWA should be dissolved once the Coalition are in office. They've shown themselves in the Thompson affair to be either entirely incompetent or corrupt. Likely both.
If Mr Samuel took the ACCC from 490 to 833 employees, all of whom were paid by taxpayers, that should qualify him as a good bureaucrat. But as a businessman... ? (Graeme Samuel blasts back, April 27.)