Economic management is a feature of all election campaigns, but key claims made to date do not stack up. This paper explores claims about wages growth and tax by the Morrison Government, finding inconsistencies between its arguments and its record.

The focus of this report is on highlighting the economic impact of unpaid care - specifically, lost income during working life and the longer-term reduction in accruing superannuation, which affects retirement savings. In economic terms this is called the ‘opportunity cost of caring’.

The graphs, map and table in this resource show JobSeeker recipient (total JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other)) numbers for NSW, and estimates for all 93 NSW electorates (2013 Redistribution).

2022 is shaping up as a pivotal year across the economic and political spectrums and it comes at a critical time, in terms of the need for policy action in Australia. This report argues that governments around the country must make tough policy decisions in 2022 to address cost pressures and drive economic momentum.

Labor Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers says it is the Coalition whose record on taxes falls short, claiming that the two highest taxing governments of the last thirty years were both Liberal-National governments. Verdict: Dr Chalmer’s claim is a fair call.