The Solomon Islands, with a population of 500,000, is the third-largest state in the Pacific. It is also one of the poorest and least developed. Its islands are richly endowed with volcanic soils, marine resources, timber, and minerals, and are well-located for trade and tourism near burgeoning Asian markets. Yet living standards are scarcely higher...

Fiscal illusion is the political art of crafting tax and expenditure policies to make taxpayers think that taxes are not as onerous as they appear. Sinclair Davidson argues that big government distorts its citizens' fiscal consciousness to allow it to raise more tax revenue and spend more than it otherwise could. Fiscal illusion gives governments...

Executive summary Australians are a third richer than New Zealanders. Per capita GDP (adjusted for purchasing power parity) is NZ$48,000 in Australia compared to just NZ$36,400 in New Zealand. This difference is remarkable given that the two countries enjoyed the same level of income for most of the twentieth century. From the 1970s onwards, both...

Employers are reporting shortages of skilled labour, yet unskilled workers are sitting idle on welfare. Many commentators think both problems can be solved by more education and training, but this paper disputes this. The solution to the skills shortage lies in policies like delayed retirement and increased female participation in the workforce. The solution to...

Medicare is becoming an anachronism. The demographic and medical realities of the twenty-first century mean that Medicare can no longer provide every citizen with 'free' access to all the new medicine. Without reform, healthcare in the 2040s is likely to be increasingly about rationing. Jeremy Sammut outlines the combined impact of demographic trends toward ageing...