If you could fix the tax system, how would you do it? The Treasurer is looking for ideas, and on Radio National's The Economy, Stupid, we have them.  Guests: Miranda Stewart - Director of Tax Law at the University of Melbourne Law School Ben Phillips - Principal Research Fellow at the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.  

Treasurer Jim Chalmers thinks Ezra Klein's book, Abundance, is a ripper. Building things directly and sweeping away red tape could soon be part of a productivity measure.  An investment arm of the United Arab Emirates wants to buy Australia's Santos. Should the Treasurer impose conditions on approving Australia's biggest-ever resource takeover?   Plus, a 'GST Guarantee' for the West. What’s wrong with doling out the revenue from Australia's resources on the basis of need?  Guests: Matt McKenzie - Resources writer for the West Australian  Megan Flamer - Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT Univesrity  Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

From Hawke’s 1983 economic summit to Rudd’s 2020 vision, big gatherings have sometimes sparked big reforms. Now Anthony Albanese wants to try again - this time to tackle Australia’s stagnating productivity.  Within months, the Australian government will have to present the United Nations climate convention with an updated target for 2035. How are we doing with the target we’ve got?  Guests: Michael Janda - ABC News Business Editor Ben Potter - Contributing Editor at The Energy Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

This week we heard GDP growth has dropped, yet we’ve just given ourselves a pay rise.  Does it really matter if the economy isn’t growing as much as we would like and is GDP the best measure anyway? What will this mean for inflation? This week we give the economy a health check and look at what this all means for the future of jobs. 

This week, the chair of the Australian Energy Regulator, Claire Savage, advised us to “shop around” for a better deal as energy prices are set to rise by almost ten per cent, in some places. But how easy is it to shop around? And what happens when supplies don’t make it an even playing field for consumers?  

The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates. Inflation is under control, unemployment is low, and the forecasts say ‘steady as she goes.’  What do we do when everything works out the way we’ve planned?  Guests: Myriam Robin - Senior Writer for the Australian Financial Review Tom Crowley - ABC federal political reporter and previously an economist with the federal treasury Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

Welcome to the world of monopsony - where sellers, not buyers, get the raw deal. So, how does this impact me as a consumer? Then, the link between productivity and a pay increase.    Guests: Emilia Terzon - ABC national business reporter Matthew McKenzie - Energy and economics reporter with the West Australian  Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention.

With a strong second-term mandate, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a rare chance to drive real change. From tax to housing to climate policy, the moment is ripe for long-term reform that could shape Australia’s future for decades. But where to begin?  Plus, listener Alex challenges the narrative around government debt and household budgets.  Guests: Aruna Sathanapally - Chief executive, and economic prosperity director, of the Grattan Institute Michael Janda - ABC News Business Editor Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention. Listen to the full interview with Ken Henry on the Joseph Walker podcast: https://josephnoelwalker.com/ken-henry-aus-policy-series/  

Australia’s inflation rate is now firmly in the RBA’s target band, but groceries, rent, and daily essentials still feel painfully expensive. Why is there a disconnect between the data and what we think is our lived reality?  The Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, says he wants to cut Australia’s permanent migration program. Is such a cut possible? And could it stem the total net overseas migration? And, costings. We spend $9 million a year on the Parliamentary Budget Office. Shouldn't we get its insights before we vote?  Guests: Megan Flamer - Innovation specialist with Monash Business School  Brendan Coates - Housing and Economic Security Program director at the Grattan Institute Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention. 

It's more than job losses. It's dreams deferred and careers that never get off the ground. Why do the scars last a lifetime? Then, why does the Justice Department want to break up Google? Plus, penalty rates are under the spotlight again, but do they really cost the economy jobs?  Guests: Dan Ziffer - ABC national business reporter  Rachel Clayton - Business reporter Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention. 

What do luxury handbags and kids’ colouring books have in common? They're both caught up in the latest economic crossfire. Then, we unpack the economic chaos of an election campaign full of promises, including a $1,000 no-questions-asked tax deduction. Plus, Australia’s very own Future Fund fantasies: who's really winning, and are you one of them? Guests: Megan Flamer - Innovation specialist with Monash Business School  Emilia Terzon - ABC national business reporter Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention. 

Super falling. Mortgage stress rising. Retirement plans, once solid, now blurred by uncertainty. There is an anxiety currently shaking Australian financial confidence. We unpack what Trump's latest tariffs mean for your financial future, and how to steady the ship in turbulent times. Guests: Nicki Hutley - Independent economist Michael Janda - ABC Business editor  Get in touch:  We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention. 

President Trump is promising more than the world has ever seen. What impact will the US tariff move have on Australian producers, businesses, shoppers, and the broader economic landscape?

Fresh conversations about the financial stories making headlines and how they might affect you.

Electricity makes up a smaller slice of household spending than beer or takeaway – yet power bills spark outrage like nothing else. With prices set to jump 30%, is the government trapped in an endless cycle of rebates?  Plus, a restaurant collapse leaves workers unpaid, exposing a major flaw in Australia’s wage safety net.  Meanwhile, cash is dying, and the Reserve Bank says it might not last another decade. Will you still be using it in 10 years?  Emilia Terzon - ABC national business reporter  James Eyres - Banking and payments writer, the Australian Financial Review,  Get in touch: We read all of your emails, and appreciate each one. Please keep them coming theeconomy.stupid@abc.net.au or use the #PeterMartinEconomy on Instagram to get our attention. 

The US and Australian markets are in freefall, and now we face steep tariffs on steel and aluminium. That’s right, no special treatment for us down under!

Why destruction isn't counted against GDP, but the replacement is. 

Your super is funding U.S roads and data centres. Is it simply, too big for Australia? 

The RBA dropped interest rates this week - smart move? Or is the RBA kicking the financial can down the road? Plus, the South Australian government has forced the Whyalla Steelworks into administration. Then, the economic fallout of the family trust trial.     

Tariffs are on the rise — so what does this mean for ultra-cheap sites like Temu? Then, is Elon Musk behind the recent slump in electric car sales? Plus, the question of whether Australia has slain the inflation dragon remains on the table.