9 October 2026
Why does Australia have a productivity problem? - podcast

Improving economic productivity is crucial for raising living standards, and Australia’s productivity growth has been sluggish for years. When the Reserve Bank hiked interest rates to a 15 year high last week, the governor, Michele Bullock, even described productivity as ‘doing nothing’. The chair of the Productivity Commission, Danielle Wood, speaks with political editor Tom McIlroy about the policy challenges of encouraging AI integration, improving housing affordability and managing the impacts of the climate crisis Australia’s economic challenges are mounting as deaths start to outnumber births. But ‘baby bonus’ policies would be pointless – Nicki Hutley Australian consumer confidence plunges to worst level since 1990s after RBA rate rise
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