Health is a key component of individual and social wellbeing. Furthermore, the health of a population is a key driver of labour and capital investment and consequent economic growth. Good health can lead to higher gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the long run due to its impact on population; participation; and productivity. Health...

Following a Productivity Commission review of Australia's consumer policy framework, all Australian governments agreed to a new consumer policy framework, comprising a single national consumer law and streamlined enforcement arrangements. An Australian Consumer Law will significantly enhance consumer protection, reduce regulatory complexity for businesses and encourage the development of a seamless national economy. Greater enforcement...

This report presents the results of the Treasury's economic modelling of the potential economic impacts of reducing emissions over the medium and long term. It spans global, national and sectoral scales, and looks at distributional impacts, such as the implications of emission pricing for the goods and services that households consume. The Treasury's modelling demonstrates...

Family background is known to have a substantial impact on students’ literacy and numeracy results. This raises questions about whether any of the remaining differences in results are due to school performance – or whether they are merely due to random noise. This article reviews research from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)...

The OECD has found that Australia’s economic performance is not as strong as might be expected given the strength of its economic policy settings. Differences in geography – distance to world markets, natural resource endowments, and population settlement patterns – help explain differences in economic performance across OECD countries. But these findings reinforce, rather than...