"Last Tuesday, Martin Parkinson, the Treasury Secretary, used the annual post-budget address to examine the uncertainties in the economic outlook. While his speech was wide-ranging, one component stuck out: the suggestion that the rapid growth of mining was "dampening tax receipts as a share of the economy", with "the accelerated write-offs provided for many mining assets" being "of particular importance". "

More reading at Henry's blog.

Click here to read the article at The Australian's website (subscription required)

Download
Miner's taxes pay for PM's follies

"Despite the devastating Christchurch earthquakes, New Zealand is undertaking a fiscal consolidation twice the size of Australia's"

Click here to read the article at The Australian's website.

Download
PM rebuilds the base to go back to the future

Henry in The Australian 7 May 2012:

"Since being elected in 2007, Labor has taken policy decisions that have increased revenue by $24.2 billion and expenditure by $126.1bn, worsening the budget bottom line by $102bn."

More reading at Henry's blog.

Click here to read the article at The Australian's website.

Download
Flimsy balancing trick really a lacklustre effort

Henry in The Australian 7 May 2012:

"Tomorrow, in presenting the 2012-13 budget, Wayne Swan is likely to repeat the Gillard government's mantra that it has achieved "the fastest fiscal consolidation on record". But the reality is far from the government's claims of shining fiscal rectitude."

More reading at Henry's blog.

Click here to read the article at The Australian's website.

Download
Talk of fiscal rectitude is Labor spin

Henry in The Australian 30 April 2012:

"Given just how warped our taxation of superannuation is, one might have thought it difficult to make it worse."

Click here to read the article at The Australian's website.

Download
Doubling tax on super will blow out distortions

Henry in The Australian 23 April 2012:

"It is nonsense to talk of population ageing as a problem. Rather, its main cause -- the immense rise in human life expectancy -- is perhaps society's greatest achievement. But it does create challenges, and providing aged care is central among them."

More reading at Henry's blog.

Click here to read the article at The Australian's website.

Download
Aged-care package buys time but tsunami ahead